wow, finally got this SLOW internet to work in my room, hopefully posting some more photos and stories soon have some great tent photos from afghanistan and some good photos of some award ceremonies we had here

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Something very different in the Arab culture versus the Western culture.  Even at the Kuwait international airport, menholding hands, kissing, and walking arm in arm is very common.  I think this photo depicts how far we have come as an army and military in mixing into the Arab culture during our counter-insurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.   U.S. Army Capt. Mark Moretti sits hand in hand with Shamshir Khan, one of the most senior Korengal Valley elders, on the Korengal Outpost in...read more

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The volcano ash that is affecting all flights out of Europe has been a challenge to us military transporters trying to get airlift here into the Middle East.  Lots of our airlift is contracted and even the Air Force planes ("gray tails") mostly go through Europe before hitting the Middle East, the stand-still has not been good.   We also had a fiber cut in out internet so things have been slow and I was not even able to get on this site for a while.  I don't even know how it is working now so...read more

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I was reading an Air Force Command and Staff College book last night on leadership. It is fascinating to learn about and study leadership. One section focused on core values and how a leader should demonstrate core values. One of the core Army values is loyalty: that one has always bothered me. Loyalty to who? To the unit, to the commander, to the nation, to your oath of office? It seems to me that often that value is confused to mean that you should be loyal...read more

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Tremendous conference in Kabul just occurred 11-12 April.  My organization was lucky enough to participate and have our director sit in the main room of the event.  The conference was an Afghanistan Civ-Mil ROC drill where the highest ranking military and civilian leaders discussed the way forward in Afghanistan for the rest of the calendar year.  Attendees included Ambassador Holbrooke, U.S. amabassador to Afghanistan, Gen. Petraeus, Central Command commander, President Karzai, Afghan...read more

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My boss was asked to represent the logistics side of U.S. military Central Command at this recent high level conference in Kabul.  Several good news releases in ISAF news wire (NATO's International Security Assistance Force)(acronym for coalition forces in Afghanistan) and the Central Command website.   My boss is the two star Air Force General seated directly behind General Petraeus. Major General Robert McMahon, Central Command Deployment & Distribution Operations Center Director, is seated...read more

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Really like the new DOD Website on www.defense.gov very user friendly with lots of links   some great photos too   A C-130 Hercules takes off on a support mission on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 6, 2010. The air crew, assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, provides combat support to U.S. and coalition forces. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeromy K. Cross   U.S. Navy members of a visit, board, search and seizure team from the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul...read more

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Lots of planning and alternate plans being made right now in my organization.  The security situation in Kyrgyzstan is focing us to make alternate plans to using Manas Air Base.  Due to operational security issues, I do not want to comment more on the situation.  We rely heavily on Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan for several transportation missions such as moving troops in and out of Afghanistan.  Any change in the schedules or locations of passenger flights causes a ripple in the whole military...read more

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From a NYT article, link and excerpt below.  We rely heavily on Manas, Kyrgyzstan and hope everything settles down soon.  From a transportation standpoint, the air base in Manas helps as a staging base for cargo and troops.   Full Article MOSCOW — Authorities in Kyrgyzstan declared a national state of emergency on Wednesday after large-scale antigovernment protests broke out and riot police fired on crowds, killing at least 12 people. The unrest threatened an American ally that hosts an...read more

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I had the chance to go off base in Kuwait and saw some local places in Kuwait city and closer to base.  We went to a great restaurant with Lebanese food and hookah pipes.  The place had great food to include : schwarma's, hummus, spiced potatoes, lamb, pita bread, and more.  The hookah pipe was a tasty grape flavor and just an overall great restaurant - looking forward to going there again couscous!!   standard hookah pipe!   medley of great middle eastern food

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