My Name is Dennis P. , I grew up in Connecticut, and I am a Major in the United States Army currently serving at a Camp near Kabul, Afghanistan. I have almost 28 years of service in the U.S. Army, 12 of those years are active duty the rest I served as a member of the Army National Guard. My cousin Karen asked if I would write a little something about being a Soldier over here so what follows is my experience so far.
I arrived just over two weeks ago. I spent a about a month and a half training in preparation for this mission which will last 6-9 months. This is my first trip to Afghanistan. I am part of an 18 Soldier team that will work as trainers and mentors for the leadership of Afghan Army K*****ks (equivalent to US Army Battalion, approximately 800 soldiers) as they prepare to deploy to their areas of responsibility. This is in preparation for turning all security responsibilities over to the Government of Afghanistan.
The trip to Camp ***** started from Fort Dix NJ and took 6 days with several stops along the way. One of our stops was at an Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. My brother Andy is a contractor there so I was able to visit with him for a couple days. Camp ******* is 8.5 hours ahead of Eastern Time and the elevation is almost 6,000’ above sea level. With the jet lag, climate change and daily malaria pills we all felt like a soup sandwich for at least the first week making our RIP (Relief In Place) challenging. During the RIP the team that was on mission turns responsibility over to our team. Within 2 days of arrival at Camp ***** we were actively mentoring our Afghan Army counter parts. For me that meant joining up with the Afghan Battalion XO (Executive Officer), an Afghan Army Major, and mentoring him utilizing an interpreter. Adding to the challenges I already mentioned was the culture shock. Fortunately our training prepared us well for the cultural differences. Getting thru the first week was mentally and physically very challenging.
Afghanistan is a completely different world. The climate is very dry, lots of dust and smoke in the air. They burn everything, no EPA here so breathing includes lots of coughing even for the non-smokers. The streets are very congested with cars, motorcycles, bicycles, mules, school kids etc… Many of the children come out to the street when we are around to ask for water and treats occasionally the kids throw rocks at us. Over all it seems that the population supports what we are here for. The Afghan populations living conditions are very different than ours, most of them living very primitive lives compared to what we are accustom to.
Life over here so far is like a different planet. I don’t go anywhere without at least one loaded weapon at my side. Everyone carries a gun over here, including civilians. As you can imagine you don’t have much privacy. The food is OK. We have a small gym on the camp and a Morale and Welfare (MWR) building with TVs, pool tables, books, movies etc… The internet is very slow, 256-512K, but it is our lifeline to family and friends back home. The post office is open about once a week for a few hours if there is someone available to man it and the roads are open for travel. We have a Post Exchange (PX) trailer to get little items like toothpaste, soap, snacks etc… The PX has had pretty low inventory as a result of certain boarder closures. The camp is setting up a Green Bean, the Army version of Starbucks, soon which is a good thing because the Mess Hall coffee is a bit rough. Well I hope I have painted a good picture of my first few weeks in Afghanistan, I’m sure my cousin Karen will include some pictures.
From Karen: I hate war, but I fully support the troops who are giving up big chunks of their family time, their “civilian” careers, their normal life, and for some, their actual life… for our country, for our people, for our safety. Through my cousin’s generosity in sharing with us, I’m hoping to provide an outlet to honor what they are doing and to show them our gratitude. I’m hoping Dennis will keep us posted now and again. Please feel free to use this comments section to send a message to Dennis and our troops. I know he’ll forward the sentiment.
Me too!
Dennis
Please know how very much I appreciate the sacrifices you and your family are making for us here at home! My son is career military and has been to 'the sandbox' too.
Super Heros don't wear capes; they wear dog tags!!
Praying for a successful mission and safe and swift return home!
Wow- What a story. God bless him and all his service mates as they fight for all of us..and protect those that need protection. Glad they are getting a "Green Bean". I think sometimes it is those little things that offer the most comfort. I am with you re: your statement at the end. xo Diana
I hate war, also, and I hate that our men and women have to be over there in 3rd world countries risking their lives.
But at the same time, I am proud and impressed. It is a sacrifice, and one that not everyone is willing to make. I just want them all home safe.
Thanks, Karen, for sharing this.
Thank you Dennis, thank you for serving our country, thank you for sharing your story, and thank you for sharing your pictures.
Stay safe and may God protect you and your co-workers.
It is a mighty gift what these men and women do to defend our world and country. Such a harsh environment and huge cultural differences. I am sure at times you must wonder if it is worth it, but the Afghani's deserve it and hopefully can preserve it once the troops leave. For all the children of Afghanistan, hopefully their future will be brighter because of your efforts. God bless you all.
This is one of the most touching blogs I have ever read. I learned so much from Dennis through his story. I appreciate him taking time to tell us what it is like. Dennis and his fellow soldiers are in my prayers. Praying that his mission is successful, and his safe return to the states. Thank you for your personal sacrifices to keep me and those I love safe.
This is one of the most touching blogs I have ever read. I learned so much from Dennis through his story. I appreciate him taking time to tell us what it is like. Dennis and his fellow soldiers are in my prayers. Praying that his mission is successful, and his safe return to the states. Thank you for your personal sacrifices to keep me and those I love safe.
Dear Dennis and all troops,
Thank you for serving our country. Thanks to all your families who certainly must miss you being home with them. I look forward to reading more of your experiences.
Praying for you all.
Hi Dennis, and thank you for sharing with us here Stateside. I am married to a Vietnam vet… way before your time of service, he was a part of Spectre and flew missions over areas of Asia as a gunner where the government said, "we are not there". These guys. http://www.spectre-association.org/
Just want you to know how much we appreciate and support all of our military in Afghanistan and look forward to the day you are all home.
Take care and stay safe!
Diane and David Hakey
Roanoke, VA
Dear Dennis,
I shared this post with my three teenage sons. I hope you will continue to do this through Karen's blog. It would be wonderful to give my boys a realistic portrayal of military service. Thank you for sharing and please know we will be praying for you and your team.
Karen,
What a great idea! Looks like you have an amazing cousin.
Karen,
I so appreciate your cousin taking time out of his life to open people's eyes to what life looks like for him. Although I don't share the same flag as you, I am STILL proud and full of respect for the troops from not only our side of the border, but yours.
Wishing Dennis success in his endeavors-courage, safety, and strength to complete his mission. Also wishing peace and comfort to envelope his family while he is gone.
Dennis, My son was in Iraq. I can only imagine how hard it must be to be away from your family, friends and home. I just want you to know how much I appreciate what you are doing and your sacrifice to get it done. Keep your head down, watch your back and BE SAFE! You will be in my prayers!
Sincerely, Susan Oakes
Ivins, Utah
Dennis, God bless you and your service! As a wife of an Army National Guard soldier I understand the sacrifice made. Stay safe!
Dennis & Andy,
Wishing you a swift and safe return home to family and friends.
Karen,
Thanx for having their six.
🙂
~ Cindi
Karen, although I'm sure there are not many who like war, I too support all of our troops in protecting and defending our Nation and us! Kudos to you for having your cousin share his thoughts!!!….:)JP
i loved this glimpse into life in the service. thank you both…
Sorry Dennis i pressed the publish button three times! Ha!
Dear Dennis, and your fellow service men and women; I too appreciate you all so much. And, thank you for sharing some of what you go through for our Country. I'm so proud and in awe of those who put their lives on the line in the name of freedom. I have a step grandson who is also in that part of the world although I'm not sure exactly where he is.
My dad was a forty year career Navy and government employee. He was my hero, and so are you and all those like you. God bless you all. You and your family are in my prayers.
Thank you, Karen also. 🙂
Karen- this was quite the unexpected surprise, REALLY interesting.
Dennis, Thanks so much for all that you do and all that you give up to serve our country. I appreciate you.
We need more of these kinds of posts…wouldn't it be wonderful if this was on the news instead of all the phony political stuff! Thanks for a wonderful post, Dennis
I found this REALLY interesting. It is good to hear from someone who is involved and actively working rather that the spin we get from media. Look forward to more posts. Thanks Dennis and Karen.
Thank you for serving and sacrificing Dennis. Karen, thank you for sharing this post. My son joined the Army in May 2011 and will go on his first deployment somewhere, sometime this summer. He cannot tell me many things. I appreciate the pictures so I can have an idea of possibly where he will be going.
Dear Dennis,
This war becomes all too real reading this. Thank you soooo much for your service and sacrifice and can't wait till you're back home to your family and friends:)Prayers to keep you safe!
Karen thank you for posting this about your cousin, so full of love and care 🙂
Dennis, thank you for your service! Be safe and God bless you.
Karen great post! !!" Dennis thanks for all your doing to keep us free! !!!
Dear Dennis, thank you for the "Insiders Guide" to war looks like. My friend had 3 sons serving, the Marine is now home, the other 2 are in the Army. I'm sorry you have to be away from your family, but I am eternally grateful for your duty to serve and protect our country.
Karen, wonderful idea! Hope we see more from Dennis!
Thank you Major, for this posting and for your service to our country
Mt entire family appreciates and is so grateful for all the sacrifices you guys are making! Praying that God protects all our men and women in uniform whereever they may be.
karen, thank you for this insight. it's so easy for us to not have any idea what it's like over there.
please tell dennis how proud we all are of him and how truly honored we are to "meet" him here and that we're sending him our warmest thoughts and daily prayers his way…..xo
Thanks for sharing. I hope you get the comfort of your 'Starbucks' soon! Sounds like it is very much needed.
Karen, I agree with your sentiments in the post note exactly!
Dennis — I can't imagine what it must be like to live and work in this environment. I salute you and your comrades for doing what you do. You are truly appreciated. 🙂
I applaud Karen's decision to share your story. As a proud Canadian, I support our troops and allies in their missions abroad and closer to home. No sane person wants war/armed conflict etc. but sometimes it is necessary when unstable governments and regions around the globe pose a threat to humanity. I won't touch the political elements involved. That is a topic all its own.
God speed!
Daniel