Hallows away...

Happy Halloween, everyone...or in Afghanistan, simply Happy Yakshanbe (Sunday).  Although in a city which mashes together traditional garb such as turbans with dudes in shiny purple suits on a daily basis -- and whose women are often veiled if not covered completely in ghostly burqas -- you could make the case that there are always some folks in costume.

Not only did their costumes kick ass, but the jams were fierce!

It's odd that I'm writing with the date in mind, because it wasn't relevant at all in my workday.  Once again I spent what would be an American holiday, or at least day of rest, on an advisor's assessment mission with the two colleagues who accompanied me to the Commando Brigade.  This time we visited the Afghan National Army's 201st Corps, headquartered just outside of Kabul.

 A rare instance in which I got away with a gate shot.

Now I join Afghans in looking mean for the group photo.

Each time a holiday rolls around lately, I play a mental game of recalling where I was for the past few...or how many different locations I've spent them in.  Independence Day (the one on July 4) was a good one for this game: Just in Marine service, I've spent two in Afghanistan, one in Israel, one in Peru, one in Hong Kong, one on exercises in Twentynine Palms (Calif.) and another on exercises in Camp Lejeune (NC).  Since I'm older than 12 and without kids of my own, I don't give a rat's behind about spending Halloween in a 'combat zone' -- aside from missing out on scandalously revealing costumes -- but Thanksgiving will surely be tougher.  I just extended my deployment by another month in order to properly transition to my successor, so November will come and go with me still in place.

Departing advisor Capt. Ridley is recognized by Paiman...

...and properly gives the Afghan shout out.

Trick or Treat!

In October, I spent a birthday deployed for the first time in over a decade -- the upside of flexibility as an individual augment in the Reserve, as well as just some fortunate timing.  That does not count Marine Forces Europe '09 (Stuttgart) -- which, despite the vastly superior locale, was actually much lonelier than this one (Danke schoen, you unfriendly Tubingers!).  So I've got to give huge props to my team, who managed to make this Month of AfghaniDan so memorable once they found out...and ironically, two of them sprechen sie Deutsch.  (Wish to correct my grammar?  Great!  Just drop a comment.)  We ended up with two gatherings in order to get full team participation...and a bonus dinner with Spokesperson Bashary in the mix, at Kabul's 5-star hotel.  I'm not trying to ham it up any more than usual below; there are just a ton of me photos because the cameras were out of my hands and they wouldn't let me escape any shots.

 The Wild Bunch.

Esmat & I dig "jar cake" (thank you, Jami!)

The surprise party I never expected gets started.

Dave and the K-Bar help me get it divvied up.

Banana-custard-chocolate-something goodness.

On the topic of special occasions, last week I voted by e-ballot for the first time...in the U.S. elections, that is.  I stayed neutral in the Afghan one.  Of course there must be a number of first-timers, since it's only this year that a mere 16 states began allowing it for deployed military and others, including government employees.  The practice is still controversial -- I know various voters' and privacy groups have weighed in on the risks of fraud and ID theft -- but I've got to say that it was convenient and downright practical for us.  Even the postcard applications for ballots by mail take forever, and following the process the whole snail mail way turns off a lot of potential voters who aren't exactly thinking election in July!  The info wasn't readily available anywhere, but the folks at Boulder County helped out...my hat's off to them for helping me be a good citizen (for once).

Yep, this is actually Kabul...Serena Hotel, Oct. 5th.

The Cult of Bashary: his hair, of course, was perfect.

World's scariest -- and best -- kebab chef.

Fareed joins me in scarfing down serving after serving.

The soul-crushing return to the gates of Eggers.

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Please allow me to take the unusual step here of plugging something that's not self-serving, from Tim at Esquire Magazine.  See below, and get in touch with them if your family fits the bill...

ESQUIRE MAGAZINE VETERANS PROJECT

For a major photographic portfolio in an upcoming issue, Esquire is looking for multigenerational families of combat veterans: sons or daughters who served in Afghanistan or Iraq, fathers (Vietnam), and grandfathers (World War II or Korea) who each served in combat and are willing to be photographed together representing three generations of American military history. Esquire has a long tradition of honoring American troops in wartime and we hope to add this unique portfolio of veteran families to that history.

If you and your living father and grandfather (or son and grandson) have served America at war and would like to participate in this project, please send a note with your contact information to the Esquire Veterans Project at veteransproject@esquire.com.

Thank you.
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 Last but not least...
An Oktoberfest memento (you rock, Jess & Saskia!)