Sunday, October 2, 2011

How to know it's Saturday

One of the reasons Bret enters these races (besides the tee shirt!) is it helps break up the week. The races are generally held on Friday or Sat-or both.
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VIP tourguide


Some DynCorp people came for some kind of inspection last week and Bret spent the day showing them around.
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Companion Helicopter


Although DynCorp employees also fly on military helicopters and planes, DynCorp has its own fleet of soviet era helicopters. When one has to fly there is always a companion one that flies with it in case one has 'mechanical problems' and has to land the companion chopper can land and pick up the people.
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Not Welcoming

And let's not forget the miserable heat...
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Not the San Andreas fault

It's hard to understand why anyone even lives here...
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Not the surface of the moon


Another shot of the landscape...
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Not the Rockies


A view of the local mountains from the helicopter. I would really hate to be a soldier.
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Camels, People and Horses


It's hard to see but there are camels and people and horses at this watering hole. (Taken from the helicopter)
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Inside the chopper

Inside one of the helicopters that Bret took to get to the other nearby bases. He says he was just about to put on his protective armor...
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Whiskey Ramp (FOB)

Bret spent a day visiting some nearby FOB's (forward operating bases)
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5K + rocket attack


Friday, September 30 6:30 AM. 30 seconds before Bret crossed the finish line in a 5K run the rocket siren went off. He took this picture, finished the race (best time ever) and hit the ground.
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Friday, September 9, 2011

5K September 2, 2011

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Hades

On the back of this sign it says 'Hell'.
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6914 miles from Washington D.C.


And about 8900 miles from Colorado.
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The middle of nowhere

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5K with the newest class of 80 recruit

The guy in the middle (Rick Polo) is the one who recruited Bret to come to Afghanistan to keep him company. He also told the one on the left (Doug Lobdel) about the great opportunities for fun over there... Bret has since convinced another classmate to come and he will arrive next week. Bret and Doug actually go way back. They wrestled on opposing teams way back in the early 1970's when Bret lived in New York.
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Monday, August 22, 2011


DynCorp employees after the 5K run standing in front of the Poo Pond. The sign in front of the Poo Pond changes periodically.
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I asked Bret to take a picture of the KAF hospital because there is a TV show that is kind of a modern day M.A.S.H. that is supposed to take place at the Kandahar Airfield Medical Hospital. I wanted to see if the TV hospital looked like the real one (it doesn't)
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Bret and Rick Polo (Bret's West Point classmate and Ranger buddy in Ranger school back in 1978) just before their 5K run around the base.
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Bullpen

While this may not look luxurious, it is in a real building with a real telephone and (I think I can see) windows! I'll bet the walls have better insulation than a tent or a metal container so the AC should be better too.
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Monday, August 1, 2011

Another Score! Office chair

Bret brought an inflatable exercise ball with him to lay on and stretch his back. Since it would have taken up the only available floor space in his first 'bedroom' he used it in his 'Deep South' office as a chair (it's good for the core). But it looks like his scavenging has paid off and now he has an official grown up chair! I asked if he has been dumpster diving yet. He said no, but he would if he needed to!
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Another shot of the Boardwalk..

...because it's the most interesting place on base....

Road with blast walls


Imagine walking or riding a bike in 120 degree heat and all this dust. No wonder Afghans aren't exactly happy people.
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Sports Field


This is the sports field/entertainment venue that is in the middle of the Boardwalk. Looks fun.
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The Office

Though Bret works either in a building or a metal container, this is not atypical for an office. This particular room was where Bret had training the first few days he was at KAF. This is also similar to the tents that are lined with bunk beds for soldiers and civilian workers (makes that metal box Bret calls home look pretty nice, doesn't it)?
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Easter Scavenger Hunt/Competition

These are some of the people who participated in our annual Easter basket scavenger hunt. There are too many people to have individual clues and baskets so we divide people up into about 4 or 5 teams. The most competitive ones came all camouflaged and ready to battle the others. Since everyone is older than our first group hunt about 6 years ago, we now plant the clues over a 2-3 mile area. It's great fun (especially for the parents who watch)!
...I know it's not Afghanistan but it IS people in uniform! CJ Wheeler is the one in the middle. He served two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. His finance, Kara is next to him and his younger brother, Kevin is in Afghanistan now.
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