After an amazing and very productive summer we're just days away from jumping back off the cliff to return to Afghanistan. At least that's what it feels like! Although we've already been over there, the anticipation factor at the moment is similar to getting ready to leap off solid ground into a great unknown abyss that's always changing at the bottom of the pit. You just never know exactly who (or what) will greet you when you get there. That said, I'm personally very confident that members of the 95th MP Battalion will very quickly snag us up again for the long ride out to their new FOB (Forward Operating Base) somewhere near the Pakistani border.
The whole going back thing reminds me of that crazy song and accompanying dance of "Let's Do the Time Warp Again" out of the film classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- at least in the sense that all of Afghanistan seems to be permanently stuck in another dimension based on the realities of many hundreds of years ago. Afghans don't care even a lick about such things as Brittany Spears, other celebrity news, stranded miners in Chile, currency exchange rates, baseball, DC and EU politics, or anything else that the entire Western world is actively and continually obsessed with. Theirs is a world where debating about whether the prophet Mohammad ate watermelon or not (note that eating watermelon was never mentioned in the Koran, as pointed out by a prominent imam who therefore refuses to eat it either) is a far more relevant subject to consider.
It's another world over there, and another time too.
Anyway, I'm wrapping up the critical task of packing up today, with just enough gear for a month plus a few days each for near-entry and near-exit through the nation of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai has issues of its own: it's a Muslim nation where it's best to always wear long-sleeved blouses and very modest slacks if you're female, also a place where the big electronic signs that flash warnings about holding hands or kissing in public are to be ignored only at one's own risk.
When we finally arrive in Bagram we'll dig out the gear we stashed in a Conex there last spring, things like the required gloves and armor and helmets, although we'll have to bring everything else with us from the States.
Here's my packing list, posted here just in case that someone out there is headed in the same direction. I would have paid good money for this list earlier this year when I was completely clueless, and while I'm hardly a pro today this still might help some fellow traveler out there in some way:
MAIN PACK (checked baggage with mostly bulky and/or heavy stuff)
Extra-large poncho liner (serves as a blanket, sheet, or sleeping pad -- depending on location)
Small light sleeping bag (mummy type, the size of a football when stuffed into its case)
Desert boots (my heavy winter socks are already stashed and waiting in Bagram)
Duct tape, electrical tape, zip lock baggies of different sizes, and discarded plastic grocery bags
Electrical adapter plug (220 to 110 converter)
Desert sand Crocs (these serve as shower and B-hut shoes)
Micro-fiber bath towel (blot dry type, hope to acquire a real towel again when I get there)
Micro-fleece pull-over sweater (a mid-layer that can be worn under an ACU top)
Micro-fleece bottoms (sleeping bottoms or can be worn under ACU pants)
Floral black long sleeve shirt (a sleeping shirt)
Black 3/4 sleeve shirt (secret underlayer that won't show under an ACU top)
Plain olive green t-shirt (regular Army issue, should be Desert Tan but the PX didn't have any that day)
Olive green 2009 MP Anniversary t-shirt (looks like regular Army issue when worn under an ACU top)
Black 2010 MP Anniversary t-shirt (another second sleeping shirt and treasured prize possession)
Plain Burgundy t-shirt (got away with wearing this last trip, also looks nice over jeans while in Europe)
Underwear and socks
Several cartons of cigarettes and an economy pack of new Bic lighters
Headlamp with red, blue, green, and white lights (subdued colored lights are required in blackout FOBs)
Striped neon yellow reflective belt as required after dark in some locations
Standard issue desert beige webbing-type pants belt
Zip lock baggie filled with standard AA and AAA batteries
Knife (worn on the front of my IOTV in case of vehicle rollover or other emergency)
Ear plugs ("ear protection" aka "ear pro" for chopper flights)
Roll-style hanging toiletry organizer with a large tube of toothpaste, sun screen, essential face goo, hair ties, deodorant, foot powder, mole skin strips, bandage strips, nail clippers, tweezers, sample-sized soaps / shampoo / conditioner
CARRY ON / 72-HOUR PACK
Laptop in a thick neoprene sleeve with charger and mouse
Down vest (to help further pad and protect laptop)
IPod and charger
Kindle (ebook reader now with over 200 books on mine) and charger
Electronic cigarette batteries (four), nicotine cartridges, and charger
Bose noise-canceling headphones with fresh AAA batteries
Sony Cyber-shot digital camera with spare battery and charger
Thumb drives with manuscript, photos, scanned passport, databases, contact lists and other essentials
Long-sleeved beige plaid blouse (proper attire for Dubai)
Beige slacks (also proper for Dubai)
701st MP black t-shirt with tiger logo (especially soft, want it with me, also serves as a sleeping shirt)
Assorted Velcro name tags and patches
Spare underwear and socks
Snacks (jerky, gummie bears, power bars, Vitamin C hard candy, tea bags and Equal sweetener)
Toiletry zip-lock baggie with tooth brush, mini-tube of tooth paste, floss, lip goo, and eye shades
Hair brush
TRAVEL GARB
Passport pouch / ID carrier
Black slacks
Burgundy long-sleeved blouse
Zip-up cardigan fleece sweater
Underwear and sock
Running shoes (doesn't match the outfit, but needed for trips to the latrine over gravel in the dark)
Hmmm. Hard to believe that just about everything on this list will be used every day. I'd like to trim down the clothing list further, but it just isn't practical to do laundry more than a couple of times a week max. Fewer clothes would mean more hours doing laundry, which isn't possible in some locations, so there's no way around taking five t-shirts instead of just two.
Maybe TSA will read this list and get bored rather than tossing the contents of my main backpack yet again!
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