Braadar Urdu

Goin' through the motions by now? My folks have commissioned their sons into the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Don't they seem too young to have managed that?

(Title translation: Army brother.)  This post is a shout out to my little bro Steve, who celebrates a birthday today and begins his real period of military service tomorrow.  Two months ago he was commissioned as a shiny new 2nd Lieutenant, as was my cousin Liam, and I couldn't be prouder of them.  Since I was here and not there, I'll take the unusual step of posting photos from some places I was not (well, with exception...read on).

Two Huvanes at once...what the heck was the Army thinking?

U of Scranton commissioning, May 2010

As these two lieutenants begin formal schooling in active military service, I want them to know a few things...and not just that they are still kids to this suddenly very old-timer.  First, your family is behind you always, and will support you in everything that you do.  Crucially, you will encounter days that make you regret like hell the decision to join up.  Even as a Marine, I have experienced more than my share of those, and you joined the Army, for God's sake! (har de har)  Grit through them, and try to remember how noble it is that you made the decision to serve your country and earn something much greater than a paycheck.

Oath of Commissioning at U of Delaware, May 2010

Trust yourselves -- you are outstanding young men with great values, so lead by example.  Always take care of your soldiers...they've got lives, families, dreams of their own, and you owe it to them to do everything you can to enable their success.  And finally, you can make things better.  Don't simply go along with the way things are always done ('big Army' way?), when those ways can be improved.  Never quit trying...and you'll keep on making us all proud.  OK, unsolicited speech over!

2LT Goo breathes a sigh of relief with his sister Kate...

How cool it is to have bubbly nieces celebrate with you!

Here's the exception to my absence, to which I referred: With the help of smart people on each end, we managed an oath-by-Skype on the day reserved for family commissioning, one before the formal one pictured above.  So I had the honor and privilege of delivering the oath of office to my brother by the grace of modern technology.  Sure, two-way sound failed, but he could hear me, so it counted, alright?  It was surely the highlight of the early days of my deployment to pull that off.

Great shot by my sister Meg...whose husband served here with me.

But what is this young officer looking at?

This guy! The proud older brother, aka crusty old Marine.

Of course I owe the guidance of my own early service to my big bro Paddy the Squid, who led the way.  Notice my attentive godson taking heed of all this..."Are you saying that I'm next??"

While the rest of the clan gathered for the commissioning and graduation events, I came to appreciate that I've gained new lalahaa ("brothers" in Pashto) here.  It's funny how that works sometimes.

Is that a beer garden behind Joe and me? Now don't get any funny ideas...there are only nonalcoholic choices, believe me!

Despite my expression, I couldn't be flanked by better colleagues...

...or better cultural advisors, my lalahaa Esmat & Qais.

I count my blessings tonight, both for the family I'm blessed to have and the colleagues I'm blessed to work with.  It's impossible for me to imagine doing all that we do here (and managing to laugh about it) with anyone else, just as I can't imagine holidays without an enormous, raucous, loving family back home.  My eternal gratitude go out to all of you 'family' members, by blood or by bond.