Greetings from Camp MIKE SPANN. I've only been here about 4 days and I'm still working on getting acclimated. The average temp, so I'm told, has been aroundn 120 degrees. I've saw the thermometer yesterday reach 125. Getting motivated in that temperature to go outside is difficult at best. However; there's always work to be done and it isn't going away just because it's hot outside.
My job here apparently will be as the Camp Mayor. Realistically, I'll be a public works manager. There are a couple of other officers here who have been overseeing the project on the camp as well as the other two FOBs and the ANA camp SHAHEEN adjacent to Camp MIKE SPANN. So, I'll be taking over the projects and services for this camp so they can effectively mannage their own projects. It seems like it'll be a challenge and I like a challenge.
When you aren't in a sandstorm (almost never), you can get a really nice view of the mountain range near our camp. I had very brief window of opportunity where I could see the mountains a little, so I took a picture to share with you all. It really is a nice view when you can see it. Problem is, most mornings are quite windy and all you see is a heavy haze of dust. One would think that when the wind blows then you could get a respite from the heat. No such luck. Imagine the heat you feel when you open an oven to check on your dinner. Now imagine that you are in that oven. The last couple of days, even the locals were saying that it was very hot. If they are saying that, then you know it's hot!
I took some photos of the camp and the B-hut that I'm living in. A B-hut is not much more that a wooden structure with some plywood partitions to create the illusion a separate rooms. There are airconditioners and heaters inside, but they only help mitigate the temperatures. It never really gets cool in the summer nor warm in the winter. I'm really going to appreciate the cold weather sleeping 'system' that I was issued back in FT Riley. This picture is of the B-hut that I'm in.Luckily, we are allowed to modify our spaces for our own confort and needs. In one of the pictures you can see that there is a metal bunk bed in my space. Every single little movement causes that
thing to squeek in such a way that it wakes me up. Not very conducive to getting a good nights rest, to say the least. I also have a metal locker, which I may or may not get rid of. It's nice to have a place to store items and clothes but it's very rusty and not very stable. So, I have a plan to take out the bed and build myself a raised platform for my bed. I'm planning on building it perpendicular to the space against wall. I'll build in doors that I can lock with a clasp underneath the bed. Then I can have some storage. I am also planning on putting in some shelves for books, toiletries and pictures. This plan should allow me some extra storage space while at the same time opening up some floor space. I've also considered buying some local carpets to put down on the floor. There isn't a door in our spaces in the B-hut, but I can put up a curtain. I'll probably use my poncho for that. Try to create the illusion of privacy anyway.I'm really happy to say that the internet connection here seems fairly stable. Most days I've been able to use a program called SKYPE to talk with my wife via a PC-to-PC connection. This allows for a video and audio connection that is
fairly good. It is amazing to think about the changes in communication that have come about in the past 18 years that I've been in the Navy.When I first came in, I was stationed on a submarine and the only mail opportunities were 'snail mail' when we pulled into a port. That could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months. There were times when guys would receive a letter at home that they had sent themselves while underway. The internet came about in force while I was in college in '94. Even then it was mainly between colleges. I know that it was in place well before then, but it wasn't mainstream until then. Internet capability was available on my first ship as an officer in 1999, but the bandwidth was so limited to make it unusable while underway. We had phone service underway (sailor phone) with AT&T, but a $20 phone card would last about 10 minutes. When I came to my first department head tour, I had a phone in my stateroom and internet capability that worked fairly well underway. Now, I'm in the north of Afghanistan, which is the 4th poorest country in the world and I'm able to speak with my wife over the internet in real-time and with video.
Well, I've gone on long enough for now. I'll do my best to keep you up to date. If any of my friends and family want to chat with my on SKYPE, send my an e-mail or comment on here and I'll give you my SKYPE user name.
Take care,
