Hey, I'm Brent.  Or Staff Sergeant Mayberry.  I'm a soldier in the National Guard, and right now I'm Africa.  I'm here with my unit to help implement AFRICOM's three-D strategy: diplomacy, development, and defense.  It's a unique mission, I think, heavy on civil affairs missions and training.  But that's because Africa is unique.  Traditions and cultures are different than those in the West.  Not better, not worse, just different.  I enjoy it because being here, learning what I'm learning, has opened my eyes, nudged me out of my comfort zone, and made me examine why we do what we do.  In short, my experience here has been pretty great, even though I miss my wife and my family and the States dearly.

That's all for now...more to come!