It's 2am. Time for a Post!

Holy crap, I can't believe it either. You got an email in your inbox saying there was a new Sailor Harry post. I figured I had given up on it to. Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you are. I couldn't sleep, so what the heck, I guess I'll knock one out if anyone's interested. No? Doesn't matter.

I was going to title this post "I'm Tired", then drag on and on about all the things I'm tired of in my life. If you couldn't tell by my posts here, I procrastinate and was going to be a theme of tonight's writing. But after three paragraphs of me bitching, who would want to read about that depressing crap? You all want to know about the war, 'amiright?

Afghanistan is going well, or as good as it can be, I guess. To be honest, kind of boring, actually. I don't know about you, but maybe I've played too many COD games on the Xbox and watched Black Hawk Down too many times. But this is Paktika! On the border of Pakistan. Shit is supposed to be real! GET SOME, and all that. Right?

Don't get me wrong. I know I am wishing for the wrong thing. I should be happy with my six months of summer camp and look forward to being home in six months, not a scratch on me. And why should I complain? For lack of a better word, this deployments been easy and fun to boot. I'm in a foreign country wearing civies and a beard, being able to shoot a lot of guns I've only dreamed about handling before, and doing things I never thought I'd get to do. I mean, I never pictured my self picking up a 240 machine gun and shooting it from the hip, while smoking a cigarette at the same time. Or taking two MP5 sub-machine guns and shooting them at the same time (one in each hand) just the day before. God Harry. Shut up and enjoy it while you can.

Skype works... most of the time, so I can still keep in contact with home, face to face even. It is nice to enjoy a cup of tea with your mom, or chat it up with the girl friend. Skype is a wonderful thing. I really wish I took advantage of it in Iraq.

Pakistan is really starting to piss me off. I'll leave it at the whole Osama bin Laden thing, but you would be stupid and terribly naive if you think no one had a clue he was there. You would be even more stupid if you thought the buck stopped there. Let me just hint that being on the border makes Pakistan's intentions very clear. Excuse my francais but Fuck Pakistan.

I can tell you this, loud and clear. I'm doing well, Afghanistan is still crap, and the gym is kicking my ass. I miss everyone back home but I'll be seeing you all soon enough.

America, F**K YEAH!

In this joyous occasion, I would like to serenade you with a patriotic hit. A song that should be played around the world as loud as possible. From every mountain top, in every valley. On every street corner, and of course, every cave along the border of Afghanistan/Pakistan... Or custom built terrorist mansion in Islamabad. Warning, strong language.

America, F*** Yeah (Click the link "Play" at the bottom of the page.)

Afghanistan - One Month In

What can I say? You do one war zone, you gotta do the other. "War zone". That's funny to say. When you grow up as a child and fantasize about "Saving Private Ryan" in the woods with sticks, or playing Call of Duty, this place doesn't strike you as a war zone. Don't get me wrong, as cliche as it might sound, I am at the Tip of the Spear.

Being on the border of Pakistan might not sound appealing to most sane people. Add that to a list composed of descriptive components such as "tiny base", "Afghan security", and "Haqqani's backyard". To put it bluntly, it's real here. Iraq was a bad neighborhood. This is something different. For one thing, this is a country with people that operate at a tribal level. Interacting with them makes me feel like I'm starring in an episode of Stargate SG-1.

The people, the culture, the terrain... Almost everything is different.

I'm writing this post at a spur of the moment, I really haven't thought of anything to actually write about. However, I view this like getting back in the gym: Once you start back up, its easier to keep doing it rather than just talk about it. In the next couple of days I'll start posting meaty entries. I'd like to quickly cover what happend for the months missing. I'd also like to restart the POTD posts.

A New Year. A New Post.

Let's start the New Year off right with a new post! Finally I have a true reason to come back home to this blog. 2011. A shrine to me.

Truthfully, I am posting today to tease you all to the actual reasoning why I've started up again. Yes I could go on about my time spent back home or back in Norfolk. I could spend the time to regale stories of my weeks at Ground C School. And it seem appropriate to tell the tales of moving to Florida, experiencing Tampa, coming to SOCOM, what my job there was like, falling in love, breaking down barriers, reuniting long-lost twins, saving the world... OK. Anything less than that and there is no excuse. And wouldn't it be crappy if I didn't tell any of you reading this any of it? Yes. That's why this post sucks and I shouldn't dare wonder why more people don't read this.

Truth be told, I only have a couple short hours but was desperate to tell this so it would get me back here posting again.

I have big, big news. Expect more information as time progresses. Let me put it this way. Six months outside the US. More later. Till then - Sailor Harry