Shifting winds, changing seas

Going to go ahead and sidestep the usual apologies and excuses for stepping away from the blog. Short story is shore leave is awesome, and awesome guys like me have little time to kill, jotting down thoughts in an online blog, nobody reads.

Well, that's not true in the slightest. I lost my appetite to blog and drifted away from it. Today was the first time since the last post I've visited the blog and I was amazed at the number of hits. 2 thousand is adorable compared to mediocre sites, but this was intended for family and friends to spy on me while I was saving the world from Operation Sandbox 1.

That being said, I realize I barely touched the surface of Afghanistan and there is nothing about the last 2 and half years that I've been in Tampa. This post is intended to catch anyone up. If you're new to the blog, welcome! For those that visit, time to time, wondering why the hell they keep visiting a dead blog, no worries. Your patience has paid off.

Funny thing is, I'm leaving again. Not from the blog. But from Florida. The time to change assignments is upon me and I am actually headed out the door next week. Truthfully, I'm actually blessed to leave. Though I much rather remain in Florida, my career in the Navy was almost cut short and I was lucky to continue this crazy ride. Due to personnel cuts, my current job was overmanned and they were letting us loose as fast as they could. Another long story short: I'm changing careers. The good news is I get to let anyone reading this in on a different part of Navy life. Underwater baby! Harry's going subs.

So next week it's the 18 hour drive to Connecticut and a year in sub school. Going to be different and challenging, considering the lifestyle change and being back in a school setting. Speaking of which, I am going to have to cut this short, as I need to finish up packing and getting my apartment ready for the move. No worries as I plan on continuing this after all. Previous failures be damned, I will share my story with the world, despite the World asking me to stop calling. Plus those damn restraining orders always make these things tricky.

Tune in soon when I go over my adventures in Afghanistan, what I've been up to in Tampa, and how my road trip goes. I also plan to expand on what I blog about. I'm still me and I still have my hobbies. Probably will review some games, movies, rant about politics, etc. Till then. Later, shipmates.

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

About damn time.

Finally something worth writing about. Our mission to Haiti is finally over. What? You thought I cam back with the rest of the other Navy ships a couple weeks ago? Nope. MY ship was one of the very first ones in and the last to leave. Funny how that is. It was a bit frustrating to see the news coverage of the Comfort returning and how the media basically reported the US military's mission in Haiti was finished. We have over 3,000 people here on board, and we just now started dropping stuff off at Gitmo and heading home.

I'm looking forward to our return to Norfolk. We look to be back right before Easter, and I hope to be home that Sunday for the annual family brunch neighborhood get-together. However, i am looking forward to be able to go home and stay home for a couple weeks of leave, starting on the 5th. After my little vacation, I will be headed off to start another school to change my job's specialty and then head to Tampa Bay, Florida.

It turns out Germany wasn't to be. My rate's detailer likes to let multiple people choose the same orders and then feels that she can fix things by changing the orders without telling anyone. After about a month at sea, I got my orders which were totally different from the ones I was promised while I was in Iraq. No phone calls or emails. She emailed my orders to my Chief and that was that. Luckily, in all the ways to get screwed over, this is the best way how. It's not Europe, but I guess I can live with shore duty in sunny Tampa just fine. Plus, the school will give me a better job.

The past two and a half months have been long. The work output from my shop has been pretty minimal and it's honestly been us counting down the days since the beginning. Unfortunately, we never even know when the end was till about four days ago. We've had admirals, generals and other big-wigs onboard, and no one had any idea when we would be able to leave. Hell, we even had the CNO.

That's not to say we didn't accomplish anything. We dilivered an unprecedented amount of supplies, saved hundreds of lives and among other things, deeply touched the people of Haiti. What we thought might have been an opposite reaction, for the most part, the Haitians welcomed us with open arms.

It's just sad that with Haiti's current and past state, instead of truly helping the Haitians, we have simply empowered a culture of dependency. I'm afraid that I will never see or hear of a stable, prosperous Haiti in my lifetime. Unfortunately, I really don't know what could be done to trun it around for them for the long run.

I am looking forward returning to my family and to start school. I will write again once I am home and have a belly full of delicious food.

Still in Haiti; Can you believe it?

Well it looks like my estimated time of return was incorrect. So wrong in fact that it would seem we have another month and a half left of this mission. It will be the most time I've been out at sea for one period, (without stepping foot on land). Hell of a way to end a tour on the LHD 5.

The mission has been long and is starting to wear us down. Tempers are short and we simply desire a date of return. Yep, we don't even know when we will be back home. The longest they can keep us here is till the end of March. The soonest I can depart Bataan is April 1st. I figure I'll ride this humanitarian ride till the end, and walk away with a week and a half off time before heading to school.

Wait! Hold the phone. When did Sailor Harry ever mention that he was destined to go to school? Whatever happened to Germany? Well, plans change. Seems the detailer allowed several people to go for the same orders in Germany and figured I wouldn't notice the change. Could be a heck of alot worse. Ended up with a really great school and shore orders to Tampa Bay, Florida. Not bad. Now the plan will be to buy a new car and get ready for one of the hardest physical challenges of my life.

That being said, I'll be in the Virginia/Maryland area for an extra three months, and will remain Stateside for the next three years. I also will go ahead and re-enlist, meaning I will keep on going with the Naval tradition. Whether I'm sure of it or not by now, I have a sure feeling that I'm probably going to make a 20-year career of this gig. Not exactly the worse way to live your life.

I guess I can talk about Haiti and the good works being done there. We've sent sailors ashore, along with the marines, and the blue side has pulled it's weight. We've cleared rubble at three orphanages/Christian missions and built temporary shelters for the people in Grand Goave. The people are very appreciative and so far we have been welcomed with open arms. The Creole translators ashore come back for debriefs with us and they all pretty much tell the same story.

1) The Haitians recognize where the aid is coming from.
2) They prefer the Americans presence over the UN and especially their own government.
3) A genuine feeling of abandonment from the Haitian government and police force.
4) Very appreciative of all the aid and help that's come so far.
5) Medical aid and water are the biggest concerns.
6) Those with families in America and Canada would like to live with them.

We obviously will still be here for the next several weeks. We are still getting big shipments of aid to distribute to the shore. The big priority of our mission is to find evidence that we can turn over to the UN and the other organizations. The military will not make this a permanent mission, but will make sure those that will remain there will have the capabilities and are capable to remain independent.

We all want to come home. The ship and personnel have been in a deployable status since January 2009. Yes, January 2009. Though the "deployment" was seven months, the ship has been in and out of Norfolk, underway conducting exercises and operations off the US coast. Deployment 2000-infinity continues!