The End [of NROLFSM]

Today was the last day of the NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission (NROLFSM) in Afghanistan.  While the concurrent U.S. led Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan (ROLFF-A) mission will continue, it was the last time that NATO would have a direct role in the development of sustainable rule of law capabilities for our Afghan Partners.  The ceremony involved the "casing of the NROLFSM colors" and partner nation flags at Camp Phoenix in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Here are some photos:

I commented to my fellow American servicemembers about why being an American is awesome during the rehearsal yesterday.  If you look closely at the first picture you'll notice how pristine the American flag is compared to the others, namely the German, French and Romanian flags...all of which look like they were dragged behind a car in the streets of Bangkok.  Those who have been there know exactly what I mean.

Cheers,
Ben

Truckin'

Just lounging around watching Entourage and wearing a trucker hat while playing sudoku.

FYI, the hat says "Diesel Boats Forever."  It's a submariner thing, but it's the closest thing I've found relating to the Navy in this landlocked environment and I therefore felt compelled to wear it!

I'm now in Kabul awaiting transfer to my next job which will be at Camp Eggers.

Cheers,
Ben

Four Hundred!

In recent years I let my physical well-being go for a variety of reasons.  One thing that this deployment has allowed me to do is recommit myself to fitness.  In so doing, I achieved something that seemed impossible less than six months ago.  On Tuesday, I completed my 400th mile since arriving at Camp Sabalu-Harrison.  As I arrived at CSH on May 28th, this means I averaged 3.6+ miles per day for the last 111 days!

In October I will relocate to Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan for the rest of my time in AFG.  I look forward to seeing another part of the country as well as performing a new role with our NATO partners here.

Next update:  Life at Camp Eggers.

Cheers,
Ben

On the Road Again

I ran the Heroes Wear Blue 5K today but did not beat my 20:50 mark from my 9/11 5K because the run coordinators failed to properly mark the first turn and the lead group (myself included) wound up running nearly a quarter mile extra.

The silver lining is that I still beat my Run for the Fallen 5K time (23:30) by nearly twenty seconds (23:12). Regardless of the mistake, I still recognize that I have the luxury (and opportunity) of participating in these races because I'm inside the wire.

Cheers,
Ben

[Going] The Distance

I was desperately crouched at the starting line....and finished the Patriot's Run 9/11 5K in Bagram earlier this morning (the day after 9/11 for safety concerns) in 20:50.

This was my third road race since arriving in Bagram:

Bagram Boilermaker 15K in 70:45
Run for the Fallen 5K in 23:30
Patriot's Run 5K in 20:50

I am running a Heroes Wear Blue 5K on 9/14 and hope to beat my Patriot's Run time...wish me luck!

Cheers,
Ben

Duty Calls

Things are continuing to go well.  I've been in AFG almost five months and have been fortunate enough to stay safe and do great things.   In addition to developing  sustainable capabilities in the Rule of Law for our Afghan Partners, I also had the honor of promoting a fellow naval officer and friend to the rank of lieutenant commander.



For those of you who may notice the beverages being consumed...don't be alarmed.  The beers were just "near beers."

Cheers!
Ben

Home Sweet Home

I just found out when I'll depart Afghanistan.  While I can't provide the specific date, I can say that I should be back in sunny SoCal around mid-April 2014!  Looking forward to seeing my boys and hitting the beach!