Made it to the Sandbox

Journal Entry 14 Jan 2011

Finally made it to Afghanistan today; it only took 3 days from the time we left Camp Lejeune, NC. We arrived at Camp Bastion via C-17 cargo plane, one step closer to what will eventually be our home for the next year. Camp Bastion, a British enclave adjacent to the Marine Base at Camp Leatherneck, is aptly named as it is the last bastion of western civilization you’ll see before heading out into the vastness that is Afghanistan. We stepped off the C-17 and into prehistory. The bitter cold air pierced my skin and the scent of burning refuse filled my nostrils. Fine, powdery moon dust swirled about my feet as I looked around and surveyed the expansiveness of Camp Bastion/Leatherneck. These two camps formed a vast metropolis where once there was nothing but dirt and rocks. What we have built here in the past year is nothing short of an amazing feat.
Day one at Leatherneck was nothing more than an adjustment period. Marines had an opportunity to round up their baggage for what seemed like the hundredth time, in order to re-pack for our short stay at Leatherneck and follow on movement to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Delaram II. This should be the last time we have to do the seabag drag. I spent the better part of the afternoon taking key folks around the Division Headquarters to meet their counterparts. It turned out to be an opportunity to reunite with some fellow Marines that I hadn’t seen in very long time. Marines say that Quantico, VA is the crossroads of the Marine Corps, but just about every Marine in the Corps today has passed through this place at some point in the last few years.
One of the first guys I ran into was Ed Garland, yet another example of how the latter part of my life has revolved around and been shaped by the wars in Southwest/Southcentral Asia. Ed and I have been friends and brothers-in-arms for over 20 years now. We were both part of the first of what has become three campaigns in this part of the world, Operation DESERT SHIELD/STORM. Ed was a Corporal in Regimental TOW Platoon, 24th Marine Regiment when I showed up to the unit in the summer of 1990. He was a warrior who loved nothing more than to “tie one on” and engage in the time honored warrior tradition of bar fighting. He was also a guy you wanted in the fighting position with you when the balloon went up. We fought in Desert Storm together and were commissioned as Second Lieutenants some years later, Ed a couple of years ahead of me. Although we never stationed in the same places together, we managed to stay in touch over the years. Even though we would go months, sometimes years without talking, when he did get hold of me it was like we had just spoken the day before.
Ed looked exactly the same as I remembered, maybe a few more wrinkles and a little less hair, but more or less the same. He took me around his shop at the Regional Command (Southwest) headquarters and introduced me to every one of his Marines. He couldn’t help but brag about each and every one of them. That’s the kind of leader he is and always has been. His Marines would follow him anywhere, to hell and back if he asked.
While I was at the Division I also ran into Ray Gerber and Mark Thieme. Ray and I served together in 3d Battalion, 8th Marines during a tour in Al Anbar Province, Iraq in 2005. He was the Intelligence Officer when I was the Battalion Operations Officer. Mark and I attended the Expeditionary Warfare School together in 2002-2003 and ended up working together at the School of Infantry, East in 2006-2007. Both of them are on the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit staff and were at Leatherneck planning upcoming operations involving their Battalion Landing Team. Both are great Marine Officers who will bear mentioning later in this treatise. The last guy I ran into was Doug Downey. He and I were classmates at The Basic School and Infantry Officers Course in 1995-1996. He was also one of the thirteen Lieutenants that came out to my wedding when Teresa and I were married in April 1995. It was great to see Doug. Although we’d spoken and exchanged emails a few times over the last 15 years, I hadn’t seen him since the wedding. I was saddened to hear that he and his wife of five years were getting divorced. On a good note, they have no children together and still remain good friends. Teresa and I have seen several marriages end up that way during my career. The Marine Corps is hard on marriage and relationships in general. I’m just glad I found the right partner in Teresa.