Got some more pics posted today.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mark.schubert/BAF6
A mixture of a few things including some more action shots of the volleyball tournament, me standing next to a very tall and beautiful rose bush (even kinda makes ME look good!), the HVAC guys working hard to install some AC units, and the structures/heavy guys putting a memorial together in Camp Cunningham. Finally, there are some pics of Command Chief Dearduff, command chief master sergeant for Ninth Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central, who was visiting and just happened to stop by my office! While he was there, he recognized one of the Airmen on my team - TSgt Gagnon for all he's been doing on and off duty. Also Amn Aniya who works for the FET - Amn Aniya and 5 Airmen on my team had dinner with the CCM. Chief Dearduff is a really great guy and very knowledgeable - we talked with him at length and got some good insight.
It's always a good thing when we get the recognition of the DV's when they come to BAF. That means that we are doing some very special things here. While only a small amount of things get recognized, I see and hear what is going on with all we are doing and I can tell you I am very proud to be here and to be a part of this team. They are all working hard and getting things done - that's the main thing - and people are noticing - (I wonder why!?)
Some of the team got a private tour of the hospital today with CMS Cardozo. She is truly a wonderful Chief and someone we ALL can learn from. The more time I can get my Airmen around these good people, the more I will try. I announced the hospital tour at CC call yesterday to the entire group. I was very happy that 4 of them took me up on the offer.
It will soon be Col Lehman and I couldn't be happier for him. I know he is a little anxious and also looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to a great ceremony planned by our 1st Sgt (she's really good at this stuff) and it's not everyday you get to plan a Col pinning!
It's late for me and I've had a very busy day off - I'm going to bed. I must be up early to start my day tomorrow. Hope you all are well!
Mark.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
I'm really NUTS!
Just got a very nice package in the mail today - along with another half dozen cards and letters from supporters from Soldiers Angels. Those people are GREAT!.
The box came from the folks at SITA! Claudia and Tom put together a box full of various nuts (which I like to snack on) including 3 huge bags of pistachios! Thanks very much for that - I've got LOTS of movies to watch now too! So this FRI I'll be snacking on the pistachios and watching a couple movies when I get back from the hospital.
Work is going good.
The volleyball team came in 2nd overall and they all got some very nice certificates presented by one of the Task Force Commanders! The games were REALLY close and a point here and there made all the difference. The other team took all 6 games to finally beat them and win the tournament. There will be more volleyball tournaments before we leave and TSgt Lajoie and MSgt Gros-Hayes have pledged revenge! I wish them well.
We still have a 5K Memorial Day walk/run coming up that I'll be helping with - no, not running in silly!
Lt Col Lehman will be Col Lehman on Monday next week - I'm really looking forward to that and I'm sure he is also. He really deserves it and I'm very proud and honored to be working for him - at least for the next three months. We already have (officially now) a new commander at the 94th CES.
Another Memorial bonus (and unexpected) Skype with my friends in TN! That was pretty special to see of them. It was just wonderful to see all my friends and family over the holiday weekend. I just got off Skype w/Heidi and Aiden - Mr. "Oh Yeah!" man - Looks who's talki'n! I missed Shelley and Jeff. :-(
I do miss you all and my "normal" life. This is really quite a break - I feel like I just left everything behind - which has it good points and bad. Good that you all are so supportive and I really don't have anything to worry about and I can focus on what needs to be done here - because that IS important. Bad in the way that you all are figuring out all these ways to do things without me that when I get back, I won't have anything to do!
So I figure I'll just tell you all that I'm getting extended for 6 more months and pick up my new bass boat and fish for a while when I get back! (good thing Pam likes to fish and can keep a secret)
Thanks again for reading. Yeah, I know - I AM NUTS!
Mark.
The box came from the folks at SITA! Claudia and Tom put together a box full of various nuts (which I like to snack on) including 3 huge bags of pistachios! Thanks very much for that - I've got LOTS of movies to watch now too! So this FRI I'll be snacking on the pistachios and watching a couple movies when I get back from the hospital.
Work is going good.
The volleyball team came in 2nd overall and they all got some very nice certificates presented by one of the Task Force Commanders! The games were REALLY close and a point here and there made all the difference. The other team took all 6 games to finally beat them and win the tournament. There will be more volleyball tournaments before we leave and TSgt Lajoie and MSgt Gros-Hayes have pledged revenge! I wish them well.
We still have a 5K Memorial Day walk/run coming up that I'll be helping with - no, not running in silly!
Lt Col Lehman will be Col Lehman on Monday next week - I'm really looking forward to that and I'm sure he is also. He really deserves it and I'm very proud and honored to be working for him - at least for the next three months. We already have (officially now) a new commander at the 94th CES.
Another Memorial bonus (and unexpected) Skype with my friends in TN! That was pretty special to see of them. It was just wonderful to see all my friends and family over the holiday weekend. I just got off Skype w/Heidi and Aiden - Mr. "Oh Yeah!" man - Looks who's talki'n! I missed Shelley and Jeff. :-(
I do miss you all and my "normal" life. This is really quite a break - I feel like I just left everything behind - which has it good points and bad. Good that you all are so supportive and I really don't have anything to worry about and I can focus on what needs to be done here - because that IS important. Bad in the way that you all are figuring out all these ways to do things without me that when I get back, I won't have anything to do!
So I figure I'll just tell you all that I'm getting extended for 6 more months and pick up my new bass boat and fish for a while when I get back! (good thing Pam likes to fish and can keep a secret)
Thanks again for reading. Yeah, I know - I AM NUTS!
Mark.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
2 in 1!
I wanted to tell you I had a special treat yesterday! My son Skyped with me and I got to see three of my grandchildren! Friday was their last day of school so I hope to get more chances now to see them since they will be home more! I also saw my brother in FL - he and I talked for quite a while and I could tell you what HE is up to - but I can't cause that's a surprise too! :-)
Skyped with Mom and Dad on Friday - as usual - and that was also very nice. I love to be able to stay in touch and the Memorial Day thought that comes to mind is how in the world did those people who GAVE us our freedom do this! The mental challenge here is tough - I cannot imagine what they had to be thinking!
Mark.
Skyped with Mom and Dad on Friday - as usual - and that was also very nice. I love to be able to stay in touch and the Memorial Day thought that comes to mind is how in the world did those people who GAVE us our freedom do this! The mental challenge here is tough - I cannot imagine what they had to be thinking!
Mark.
What I like
I really like Sunday's because it's the Lord's Day! But also because it's RIB NIGHT! Ribs at the DFAC again tonight and they SURE were delicious! I skip lunch on Sunday's so I can get a little extra work in (since I take time out for church) and I load up on Ribs. They really are very good ribs - cooked all by local Afghans and the sauce and salads they have to go with it are perfect.
The rest of my day was pretty good. We have a team in the Memorial Day volleyball tournament headed up by TSgt Lajoie. They are pretty good and going to the finals. They ALMOST lost tonight, but were saved by a NET call on what would have been the winning point for the other team! So instead of 15/10, they reversed the score to 14 11 and continued to play the final game of the set - and TF (Task Force) Killer Bees (don't ask me where the team name came from) came back and WON THE GAME! It was pretty exciting and I'll be posting some action shots to picasaweb shortly.
I miss my wife! (Duh!) - She's out of town and away from the video camera so I don't get to Skype with her this weekend :-(. Busy week coming up for projects. Should be very interesting the next couple days!
Had a wonderful Chapel NeXt service today. A word from the Senior Pastor who is leaving and wanted to deliver the message. He's a Pentecostal guy and his delivery was fire and brimstone all the way! But the content was good - talked about things from 1 John - it's a book that is a litmus test to read if you "think" you've been saved.
http://net.bible.org/verse.php?search=1%20john%202:9&book=1%20john&chapter=2&verse=9
http://net.bible.org/verse.php?search=1%20john%202:9&book=1%20john&chapter=2&verse=9
1 John 2:9 "If anyone says, "I am living in the light," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness."
Good thing the Taliban and al-Qaeda are not Christians! :-)
Mark.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
What to remember
Wow - Lot's of good people out there saying some very nice things during this Memorial Day weekend! Thank you all!
I'm very proud to be here and carrying the liberty torch on for those who have gone before us. There are many fallen heroes - some who are close to me, some who have gone recently, and many, many more that I will never know - but I thank them all. A good friend of mine just wrote to me and said the phrase, "All gave some, some gave all!" How very true that is. And on this Memorial day, we remember those who gave it all for you and I.
It's incredible when you think about all the men and women who have fought in the many wars just in the last 233 (almost) years since our independence day. And these days, I am reminded by many of the supporters who write in that less than 1% of the US population is currently in the military (that includes both Active/Reserve, all branches). While that may seem like a lot (est ~2.3 million), there have been times when that number was much higher and the wars were fought with much less sophistication and many lives were lost in a single battle compared to the wars of today. At least for US military. The Haji we fight today haven't quite figured it out yet and they loose MANY more than we do in every engagement.
With that said, let us ALL remember those brave Americans who have fought before us - especially those of us who ARE in the military today. Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those American men and women who have left us. ALL Americans owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to our fallen warriors. For those of us serving today, we make their loved ones who are still here prouder than ever and honor them each time we put on our uniforms to serve. I encourage ALL military personnel to serve in remembrance of our fallen heroes - by doing so, we serve with pride and honor those courageous men and women who gave ALL!
Mark.
I'm very proud to be here and carrying the liberty torch on for those who have gone before us. There are many fallen heroes - some who are close to me, some who have gone recently, and many, many more that I will never know - but I thank them all. A good friend of mine just wrote to me and said the phrase, "All gave some, some gave all!" How very true that is. And on this Memorial day, we remember those who gave it all for you and I.
It's incredible when you think about all the men and women who have fought in the many wars just in the last 233 (almost) years since our independence day. And these days, I am reminded by many of the supporters who write in that less than 1% of the US population is currently in the military (that includes both Active/Reserve, all branches). While that may seem like a lot (est ~2.3 million), there have been times when that number was much higher and the wars were fought with much less sophistication and many lives were lost in a single battle compared to the wars of today. At least for US military. The Haji we fight today haven't quite figured it out yet and they loose MANY more than we do in every engagement.
With that said, let us ALL remember those brave Americans who have fought before us - especially those of us who ARE in the military today. Memorial Day is a day to remember and honor those American men and women who have left us. ALL Americans owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to our fallen warriors. For those of us serving today, we make their loved ones who are still here prouder than ever and honor them each time we put on our uniforms to serve. I encourage ALL military personnel to serve in remembrance of our fallen heroes - by doing so, we serve with pride and honor those courageous men and women who gave ALL!
Mark.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Good News!
Our first group of people just got back from an R&R (Rest and Relaxation) trip. The comments about the trip were very positive for the most part! One interesting thing to hear was they said the food is even better than it is on BAF! More selection and better quality! I was surprised because I thought the food here was excellent! I may have to go there just to find something to eat!
They also said it was hot, the trips were either free or inexpensive, and the beer was really good! The best part was the trip was relaxing. They got to take their mind off of being in a difficult environment where stress is high and there is lots to do. Some people handle this environment a lot better than others.
It was also brought to my attention that some people from the unit are reading this blog! I was very surprised and glad to hear that! I hadn't heard from anyone in the unit to date, so I wasn't really sure! I guess I never really thought people would be reading and just not saying anything. Remember, you CAN post anonymously and I would really like to hear your thoughts directly. Along that same thought, this is MY blog and MY opinion/view on things - if you are interested in how I think about the unit, please feel free to continue reading and you will likely enjoy an inside look at how I see things. Discussing negative feedback about any particular post with other unit members instead of discussing it with me won't help anybody. If you are interested in doing your part to help the unit, please let ME know if you need help understanding any of my statements.
The post highlighted below in particular sums things up pretty well: (in case you are just starting). I do encourage you to start from the beginning though because it would be like opening a book in the middle - you would only get half the story (which is always dangerous). If you don't read anything else, read this post:
http://ms-baf.blogspot.com/2009/04/inspired.html
That describes exactly how I really feel about being here and working with my team. It's not perfect and throughout these posts, it IS possible you may find an honest opinion here and there you may not agree with - I don't expect to please 100% of the people 100% of the time - that's just the goal. This blog is like our trip here - it is what you make it. If you look for the bad things, you will find them. If you make the days count, you won't have time for the bad things.
If you are a spouse of a deployed member here, I welcome you to keep reading and enjoying the first hand information. Yes - it DOES come pretty quick and I sincerely hope you are keeping in close touch with your loved one and are not surprised by what I'm telling you. The support from back home is crucial. I can tell you that it's not hard to spot the Airman that has issues to deal with and I do my best to make sure ALL of us here are as safe and comfortable as possible. It could be a LOT worse - but some of us just don't see it that way. It's not easy, but it is possible to smile around here - if you look for things to smile about. Some people you just can't please no matter how hard you try.
There are regular streams of support mail coming in now. Some from back home at Dobbins and some from a web based group named Soldiers Angels. They really are good too and I've had the opportunity to give out some of their mail just today. There is more coming and I've put the word out that this is available to everyone. The letters are from caring supporters who enjoy telling us thanks for what we are doing to protect and defend our country. There are also a host of gifts coming for the Airmen like "Sand" and "Cool" scarfs for everyone! These items will sure come in handy for the Airmen as it looks to get much hotter and windier in the coming weeks.
We already got a taste for the wind last week at the Blackwater site (and others). I was out there for most of the day one day and came back with dirt and sand in every open crevice on my body. Most of the guys out there were more prepared than I and already had their military issued goggles on, balaclava's, and Boonie hats among other protective measures.
Well this week is over and it was a very good week overall. The wind died down to a nice breeze and the temperatures were only "hot" one or two days. Other than that, the clouds and light wind kept the heat from soaring and we made significant progress on projects.
Thanks again to Soldiers Angels and to all of you reading - commenting or not.
Mark
They also said it was hot, the trips were either free or inexpensive, and the beer was really good! The best part was the trip was relaxing. They got to take their mind off of being in a difficult environment where stress is high and there is lots to do. Some people handle this environment a lot better than others.
It was also brought to my attention that some people from the unit are reading this blog! I was very surprised and glad to hear that! I hadn't heard from anyone in the unit to date, so I wasn't really sure! I guess I never really thought people would be reading and just not saying anything. Remember, you CAN post anonymously and I would really like to hear your thoughts directly. Along that same thought, this is MY blog and MY opinion/view on things - if you are interested in how I think about the unit, please feel free to continue reading and you will likely enjoy an inside look at how I see things. Discussing negative feedback about any particular post with other unit members instead of discussing it with me won't help anybody. If you are interested in doing your part to help the unit, please let ME know if you need help understanding any of my statements.
The post highlighted below in particular sums things up pretty well: (in case you are just starting). I do encourage you to start from the beginning though because it would be like opening a book in the middle - you would only get half the story (which is always dangerous). If you don't read anything else, read this post:
http://ms-baf.blogspot.com/2009/04/inspired.html
That describes exactly how I really feel about being here and working with my team. It's not perfect and throughout these posts, it IS possible you may find an honest opinion here and there you may not agree with - I don't expect to please 100% of the people 100% of the time - that's just the goal. This blog is like our trip here - it is what you make it. If you look for the bad things, you will find them. If you make the days count, you won't have time for the bad things.
If you are a spouse of a deployed member here, I welcome you to keep reading and enjoying the first hand information. Yes - it DOES come pretty quick and I sincerely hope you are keeping in close touch with your loved one and are not surprised by what I'm telling you. The support from back home is crucial. I can tell you that it's not hard to spot the Airman that has issues to deal with and I do my best to make sure ALL of us here are as safe and comfortable as possible. It could be a LOT worse - but some of us just don't see it that way. It's not easy, but it is possible to smile around here - if you look for things to smile about. Some people you just can't please no matter how hard you try.
There are regular streams of support mail coming in now. Some from back home at Dobbins and some from a web based group named Soldiers Angels. They really are good too and I've had the opportunity to give out some of their mail just today. There is more coming and I've put the word out that this is available to everyone. The letters are from caring supporters who enjoy telling us thanks for what we are doing to protect and defend our country. There are also a host of gifts coming for the Airmen like "Sand" and "Cool" scarfs for everyone! These items will sure come in handy for the Airmen as it looks to get much hotter and windier in the coming weeks.
We already got a taste for the wind last week at the Blackwater site (and others). I was out there for most of the day one day and came back with dirt and sand in every open crevice on my body. Most of the guys out there were more prepared than I and already had their military issued goggles on, balaclava's, and Boonie hats among other protective measures.
Well this week is over and it was a very good week overall. The wind died down to a nice breeze and the temperatures were only "hot" one or two days. Other than that, the clouds and light wind kept the heat from soaring and we made significant progress on projects.
Thanks again to Soldiers Angels and to all of you reading - commenting or not.
Mark
Sunday, May 17, 2009
What to send?
Somebody sent me a bag of large, primium Pistachios - they are almost gone and I REALLY enjoyed those.
If you are looking for something simple to send, that would make me smile!
Mark.
If you are looking for something simple to send, that would make me smile!
Mark.
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