Ok, so the last 60 days in the States has been a whirlwind of traveling for work, the Reserves, etc. Even so, have a wonderful, Merry Christmas, and an even better, safe, New Years Holiday! :)

Also, I will be headed back to AFG in Jan, but only for 30 days this time. Then, back here to continue work in Virginia.

Cheers!

fini in sight...

Only a week to go, this will be my last post for a few days. I will be leaving for another Middle Eastern country in about a week, to await further transportation home. I am excited, but still staying focused on what remains.

Overall, I have experienced many things...and this trip was definitely worth the experience. I am glad to have experienced the following:

• my 1st earthquake,
• many indirect attacks: motars/rockets,
• photographing thousands of pieces of evidence,
• completing a marathon at nearly mile high altitude,
• meeting and working with people from: DOD, DOJ, CIA, etc.,
• working in a joint environment, with all branches, civilians, officers and enlisted alike...
• meeting and working with people from many different countries: Poland, Norway, Romania, Germany, Finland, Egypt, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, Turkey, etc.,
• photographing evidence, only to have piece of it (a cell phone) ring: scared as %&*#!,
• looking into the eyes of the most evil men I will likely ever encounter,
• seeing the remains of young, misdirected suicide bombers,
• photographing activities outside the wire,
• smelling death for days on end...

It was a great 8 months, and my coworkers/friends are the ones who made it bearable. Also, anyone who took the time to send a package/write/email, and ESPECIALLY those who did, and did not get upset when I didn't return the favor, THANK YOU!!

the "sexy" scoop...

If you read this article about CEXC-Iraq, you will have a much better understanding about me and what I do. While I am not in Iraq, the setup/purpose/etc. is the same, just a much different country.

"T minus fifteen..."

Almost there...only a few more weeks.

"CSI Afghanistan"...?

Often, that is how our Lab is referred to. Thankfully, there are no season-long DVD sets. jk

In these pictures, I am working the night shift. I am wearing the new Air Force ABU (Airman Battle Uniform). I am trying to kill two birds with one stone and do a few hours of Reserve duty, in addition to my normal daily hours as a DOD Contractor. It makes for some long days, but it will be worth it in the end.

Hope you are all doing well. I am "getting short"; down to about 25 days left here.

Take off, hoser! (part deux)

And another.

Take off, hoser!

Lance,

It has been a pleasure. Thanks to you for your friendship and to your family for their support. Farewell, Canuck! Get home soon.

Long live Jack Bauer and Dexter!!

"T minus thirty..."

Less than 30 days to go. Not that I won't (slightly) miss this place: the friends, the experience, the opportunity to continue my photography, no rent, "the horrible commute", etc.

All in all, it has been great, and while I am not done yet, I am getting to the point where I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Happy Birthday to...

...the United States Air Force! Today, September 18th, 2007, is the service's 60th anniversary. Read here.

I remember being active duty and stationed in Florida for the 50th anniversary in 1997. Here is to hoping I am around and still in (the Reserves) for the 70th. That means I will be past retirement age (38) and eligible to retire. :)

a 10K a day keeps the doctor away...

Ok, maybe not. But the base had a nice 9/11 memorial 10K today. Other than the fact that I have not run since 4JUL, I did OK. My time was about 3 minutes slower than I wanted, but I still did fine: 50:54.

I hope all is well, and I will have pictures up soon! :)

thankmntroops.org Video

Very nicely done:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMjLxZUar6k

courtesty of: www.thankmntroops.org

Bad day at the office...?

Well let's all be thankful that we are not the individual(s) who prompted tonight's announcement over the base PA: "Attention, attention, Task Force Med (the hospital here) is in short supply of type 'O Negative' blood. Contact them to donate ASAP.".

Anyway, keep that in mind the next time you think things are going bad for you. Don't forget all of the fallen comrade ceremonies that occur here 24/7/365 (nothing like seeing several hundred (thousand?) people lined up and saluting, along a darkened road waiting for a hummvee with a flag draped casket to pass by. The most recent was a coalition (Polish) KIA.

Harnessing my "mojo"

Sounds like the title to an ad in the back of a men's magazine, I know...but truly it applies to just being here and pushing through the work each day. I am temporarily 'running' the lab, which would not be possible without my two coworkers, Troy and Lance, who both make this situation feasible. This is just while Jerry is home on leave (Sunny Florida, hand-squeezed oranges, Disneyworld...*sigh*) through about mid Sep.

Anyway, you may notice I don't email back or call as much...please DO NOT take it personally. It is simply because after working 180 consecutive days (OK, OK, I worked a half day when I ran the marathon) and now being down to about 65 days in country, I am just charging ahead, and trying to keep my focus (hard to do for me, harder to do for me here, haha). Not bad for what will be over 8 months and no break! :)

Those of you who use PayPal, please do yourselves a favor and go change your password. Mine was 'broken into', but thankfully PayPal recognized this and locked it down for me. It is all fixed now...what a pain dealing with from 7000+ miles away! lol

In the next day or so, I will be posting pictures to 'catch up' :)

"You are going WHERE??"

That is all I heard when I told people I was coming to Afghanistan. Well having seen photos from Troopers who reconstruct accidents on Minnesota highways, I even said "it is no more dangerous than driving down the interstate in Minneapolis"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070802/ap_on_re_us/minnesota_bridge_collapse

I guess I was right to some degree. When it is your time, there is little you can do. Thankfully, all of my family and friends are accounted for.

fast news

Here is a picture I took today for a fellow MAZDASPEED Protege owner/friend in TX whose car was featured in a magazine. Thanks for the copy, Vic!

Finally got the final anthrax immunization yesterday (it is a series of 6)...it is about time, it was 2003 when I started it! haha!

I have lost about 15 lbs in the last 2 months...does not have anything to do with running, since I haven't done ANY lately. Rather I think it is my diet, eating *a little* healthier. :)

Also, I booked my commercial plane ticket home to MN via Doha, Qatar...deja vu!! lol

At least it is NWA the whole way, so I will get my frequent flyer miles (about 7500 miles). :)

Really miss everyone, and cannot wait to see and thank those that have sent me things while I have been here. It is about to hit the 6 month mark, CRAZY! Only 3 more to go...

Stop Medal-ing!

I had a frame made with the finisher's medals/running bib I have received while here. There is a bib/medal from the marathon, a medal from the half marathon and one from the group 4 mile race I did. They have some russian guys that make them (usually next day) however you want for a relatively small amount of money. Here is their attempt, I think it turned out great. Now let's just hope it makes is home OK in the mail! ;)

Sorry for the reflection, but I don't have a CPL filter on my point and shoot, lol!

What a JERK!!!

http://www.houseofjerky.net/troops.html

...no, it is not a hint or anything! ;)

4th Combat Camera Squadron, March ARB (Riverside), CA...

I bet it never took Led Zepplin this long to find out they were headed to California...

After months and months of waiting and dealing with a super busy recruiter, I finally found out my 1st drill weekend will be 3/4 NOV.

So I should be back in the States around Halloween. Then a month of vacation time (read: aimless wandering, jk). NO, this does NOT mean I am MOVING to Cali, simply doing one weekend a month there. :)

Combat Camera, here I come! :)
Cheers...

What time is it, kids?...

The local time here.

Recent news...

Sorry, just trying to make up for the lack of posts lately. A Soldier from Virgina...killed about 3 hours or so from here.

Independence Day 10K

Just ran the Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Peachtree Road Race", a 10K (6.2mile) run around part of the perimeter...what a turn out, almost 1,000 people!!! So far, a great 4th of July. Those that are at home, have some bbq and a beer for me...ohhhh, and maybe today is the day I should crack open The Federalist Papers. haha!

As far as times, I think I did alright...53:47 if I remember right...not bad, since that is about a 9 minute mile.

Here is a story about it...it is funny, it is just now the 4th of July in Atlanta, and we are already done with the run. lol

"...one civilian contractor is killed for every four members of the U.S. Armed Forces."

Great article about the intricacies of being here, not in a uniform, this time.

Whoa! Address woes...

Wondering why the letter or card you sent me got returned? It is because the uninformed person who gave me my address before I got here (and emailed out to everyone) had it wrong. DO NOT use the CJTF-76 line, that unit NO LONGER EXISTS. Instead, use the address exactly as below, and it will for sure get to me:

John Herrick
TF Paladin
CEXC-A
APO, AE 09354

tangodown...

Here is a similar picture of me with an EOD buddy's weapon. I like it because you can see the camera. Anyway, when I get home later this year, I plan to get some TD gear for my AR-15.

The almost mile high club...

...No, not that one. This is one that I doubt too many people will ever join (or want to?). While not earth-shattering, it was a significant step for me. I had done two marathons already, finishing both, neither with stellar times. So when I found out there was going to be one here at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, I had to sign up.

Well I am no Kenyan, and I had not really prepared like I should have (especially for this altitude), but then again, I didn't for my 1st one either, so what the heck.

Reporters from San Diego (where the 'real' version was held) even contacted some of us runners for interviews. They quoted me in this story.

Here is how it went: just like the actual course in San Diego (which this was meant to simulate), we attempted to run 26.2 miles. Except here, there were no bands, there was no big corporate sponsor presence, nor were there any of the typically thousands of people to cheer you along the way. Instead, there were 20+ mph dust-filled headwinds, the thin mountain air of 4895' elevation (hence the almost mile high club), and the joy of being passed by at least 100 diesel fume spewing trucks along the sometimes flooded route, usually bordered by mine fields.

I will keep this one short: I finished. While not the time I wanted; I was the last person to finish at 6:43:13, but I am glad to say I have run a marathon in a combat zone. Oh and that I finished vertically at that. And yes, the third time is a charm...my times do not seem to improve, so I think this was my final full marathon. Now it is time to stick to half marathons, and 10Ks, etc...just not at this altitude.

72 hours later, I feel great. Legs are still slightly sore, but that is expected. The guy who 'won' the version here, completed it in 3:10 or so. What a nut job...that is insane! All of this goes to show I don't run for fun, I do it because it is the little exercise I get here.

As far as the feeling of when I crossed the finish line, you can ask several of my friends who waited around (*forever* lol) for me, or you can just look at the pictures below. And if it looks like I had a tear in my eye, yeah I might have been proud, but rest assured, it was just all the dust in those killer winds!!

Joint Task Force Paladin before the run (approx 0430L)

The entire group of runners.

"Medic!!" haha!

Getting food from a Navy Corpsman.

Myself and Lance, the token Canadien, eh!
He did great, with a time of 5 hours even!

Me along the course...notice the Blackhawks and the barbed wire along the mine fields, right at the edge of the road. One girl running tripped and cut her leg on it, ouch!

"Operation HERRICK" ????

As some of you know, the U.S. call the mission in Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom

Well the Brits in the ol' U.K. call the same mission: Operation Herrick ...coincidence...I think not! jk

Also, thanks to my coworker Jen for the hat in the picture, which she bought from some Brits down in Kabul. Thanks Jen!

dos equis

A spanish beer > roman numerals > 30...ok, ok, it didn't work, but I thought it was clever. jk

Anyway, I let it settle in all day yesterday...being 30 is not bad at all! And after a little extra dining hall mac 'n' cheese and some dry cake, it turned out to be a great day. lol

Seriously, THANK YOU to everyone who sent me emails, cards, boxes, gifts, etc (virtual or real). They are great!!

It is nice not to be forgotten just because of distance! Cheers!

Running, rockets, chopsticks...

As some of you know, Sunday's San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon was postponed here due to important base events. It will hopefully be held Friday, the 15th. That is still another week to try and prepare. haha!

Like MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty said when he ran the same 2004 Twin Cities Marathon I did: "My goal is to finish vertically".

Some people outside the wire are getting bold. Too bad they never learned how to aim.

A coworker and I went to eat at the South Koreans' dining hall the other day. Rice was good, not a spicy food guy, but I will try anything once and not complain. Although I probably will not have the fish soup again...lol

Cheers everyone!

uh oh, only 3 more days...

I hope everyone has their finger's crossed...I will sure need it! On the other hand, I was fortunate enough to meet a few other participants here at BAF, and we all seem to have a similar pace...that is of course, except for "Lance, the fast Canadian"!

World's oldest camera...not really..

Not true, the camera obscura way outdates this...

PR what?...

Although I have seen the enemy's resourcefulness firsthand, and it is not laughable, as you would expect. Their PR efforts, on the other hand, leave quite a bit to be desired. LOL!

training for the marathon...

OK, since it is "All-American Week", (82nd Abn Div runs this place right now, can ya tell? lol), we had the option to do a unit run on Friday. I think I was the only contractor, but that is OK, since I am a reservist too, lol! A great time, since the last time I ran 'as a whole' was 12 years ago at basic training. The Air Force could learn a thing or two from the Army, and vice versa.
Anyway, here are pics from the run with my unit.








Before:










































During:








































After:

Almost famous...

Here I am in an article about my upcoming fun/torture next week.

Who knows, if I just run the VA Beach half marathon in SEP, and the same in Philly two weeks later, then I would end up with four different ones of these by the end of the year, in addition to the three finishers medals I would have earned at each event!!...hmmm....

6600 miles away...

...At least I still feel at home next to a camera...

Horrible commute!!!!....

It is 16 steps to work every day. Man it tires me out! Just kidding.

My work, right next to my 'home'. Fascinating stuff, I know... lol

far flung friends...

Well, as promised, here is a recent pic of myself and Cory (from my old unit in MN). Notice he is sporting the Air Force's new ABU digitized tiger stripe pattern. Air Power!! jk

"Mondays, mondays..."

What better for a Monday morning than being woken up and rushed to the bunkers in helmet and vest, gotta love those mortars!

Busy day down south.

More suicide bombers...

Going to have to call my coworker in Gardez and make sure she was not caught in this, although I don't think she leaves the base much.

"How do ya like me now?!"

Not a country music fan by any stretch of the words, but Toby Keith made a visit to Bagram Airfield tonight, and I am really glad I went! He is a patriotic person, as he not only came here for a day and left (like you might expect), but he is here several days, visiting a lot of the smaller forward operating bases (FOBs) in remote, and sometimes far less safe, parts of Afghanistan. Truly a great person, love his lyrics-some made even Jen, the Marine, blush!

Here is a photo of us before the concert: LtoR, Jen (USMC), Ricky (USAF), me (HSA), "Agent X" (FBI) not shown for security reasons. ;)

"For you only my friend, special deal!"

Yeah right! And yet that is what they say to everyone who walks by at today's bazaar here on Bagram Airfield. It was opened today for the first time since the suicide bombing (which, coincidentally did not happen far from where we were today) in FEB. We only had a few minutes there, but it was still nice to get out of the lab and find some deals (boosting the poor Afghan economy, haha!!!):
Seasons 1-5 of "Scrubs" box set: $40
L.O.T.R. Trilogy (Ext. version): $30
Most movie DVDs:P $2 or 3/ea (recent hits, etc.)

The movies are not the same as you would find in Best Buy, but they are not simple DVD copies like you would make for a friend, either. The quality is somewhere in the middle, they come shrink wrapped, in boxes, etc. I think they are copied here in Asia, likely Thailand. Anyway, rumor had it that this was the last time the bazaar could sell DVDs, preumably because AAFES is starting to crack down on these types of things. I am glad I had my chance to buy while I could.

Also, my coworker Jerry haggled a little bit with a man to get some nice marbleware to send home to his wife, Jess. Anyway, I caught them both in action:

Happy Mother's Day...

Mom, Meshell, Alisha, and everyone else; Happy Mother's Day!

Also, thanks to some coalition warriors in Kandahar, here is a bad guy who won't be calling home to tell his mother the same!

i've created a MONSTER!!!

Hey, a lot of you are asking what you can send...so while magazines and books are plentiful here, I thought of two things that I can't find here that I would really enjoy:

-"Lo-carb (it's sugar free) Monster" energy drink
-Any teriyaki/regular beef jerky

Thanks!

happy anniversary to me...

...jk. It's true, 90 days in theater today. (12-15FEB in Krgyzstan, 15FEB-Present here). It remains to be seen how much time I will remain here, but it will be at least 90 more. At this point, it depends on the Reserve recruiter at Riverside...to be continued.

Zurawel > Herrick

Congratulations to my cousin Adam and his soon to be new bride, Katherine (Kat)! I am very excited for you both, wish I could be photographing your wedding in St. Louis this weekend, if not at least attending! Send me a link to the pictures and I will post it. I love you both, and welcome to the family, Kat!

anyone else...

Is anyone else training for the marathon (June 3rd)?? I suppose I should be, haha!! I barely have enough time to work/eat/sleep much less go for runs...maybe that is why I like to do it; it allows me to clear my head and get away for a little while.

While on lunch, I expectedly ran into Cory, from my last reserve unit (934th CF in Minneapolis, MN). Even though I am always glad to have my current coworkers, it is still a week-brightener to see a good friend from 'back home'. Great to see you made it safely Cory!
I wonder if he is a long-distance runner...hmmm....

In the next day or two, I will get a picture of Cory with the NEW Air Force utility uniform, it looks AWESOME!!

Busy week...

Operation Achilles in the Helmland Province (down south) is busy this week...

Afghan Emeralds...

Interesting story about the emerald trade here in Afghanistan...remind anyone else of Blood Diamond?

delayed...

Sorry for no new pictures lately, but there will be some this week! :)

...30th birthday one month away...hmm...

grab the "leish"...

Just warned about another disease to avoid here, as if malaria was not already enough.

Interesting story about it here in Afghanistan...only about 45 mins away...

What am I missing?...the caste system?...haha!

Ok, someone must be trying to tell me something!!...

Because my ISP is through India or Pakistan, (presumably based on my IP address) I get all these side bar ads inside my browser, even "Yahoo India" ads: www.simplymarry.com and the like. They say things to the effect of "Pick a wife today", haha!!

Gee, if only I was Hindu, lived in Islamabad or Karachi and was 22 years old! jk

"...clean your room!"

Quite a few of you have asked what the living conditions are like. They are butler huts, or "b-huts" for short. I still call it "the tent" even though it is not one, carry over from my days in Al Udeid, I guess.

I describe it as living in a plywood cubicle, which is esentially all it is. decent amount of space though (not as much as in the photo, I used a wide-angle lens), so I cannot complain. It is better than Al Udeid, Qatar, where I lived in a tent for 4 months. And I know, mom, it isn't clean, but it has been a long week! lol

the heat of summer...

things are heating up around here.

those *&%$ Soviets!!!

Well today's half marathon started at 0600L, a full 20-odd hours before the 'real' run in PA started. All went well, until the Mine Action Group (U.S. Army Engineers) blocked of the perimeter road to clear some old Soviet placed mines along side the road...the NERVE!! jk. Anyway, the course changed because of that, but we continued on the full 13.1 miles anyway, and am very glad I did; I ran it in 2:31:18, which is right about my average: 11min/mile. Anyway, Lance had great success as well, coming in at just over 2 hours. Not bad for almost 5000' of elevation! Here is a great article about it.

I want to thank Fred in LeHigh Valley for catering to us and who will be sending us T-shirts and finisher medals to boot.

Both Lance and I are still comtemplating/debating the full marathon on 3JUN. Maybe I will run it, and then not run anymore after I turn 30! (June 8th)...haha!!

Sorry, only this photo illustration to show (taken along the running course earlier this month)

ranger up t's

man this website has some good tshirts, especially this one: http://www.rangerup.com/miidmetee.html

busy day in the country...

The ceremony for this fallen soldier was almost 12 hours ago, but I couldn't make it since I was still at work from yesterday, a 19 hour day for me. Not sure what country he/she was from or how they died. Just know it was here on base.

new domain names...

*update*, thanks Jim. www.johndherrick.com and www.johnherrick.com now BOTH point here.

Soon, I hope to have a few more domain names pointing to this page. *jim*

"that boy sure is a runnin' fool"...

I signed up for the Lehigh Valley 1/2 Marathon, which will be this upcoming Sunday, wish me luck.

Also just signed tonight to run the June 3rd San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (full 26.2 miles), of which there is an Afghanistan version. Neat thing about the RnR Marathon is that it would be $100 to participate if I was in the States, but since they are holding a local military version, it is free...they will even have special finisher medals, etc.

I did this even though I always tell myself after running a full marathon, that it will be the last. haha! Maybe 3rd time is a charm and I will really quit after this one. :)

birthday present, part 2

...a lot of the gifts and things from the bazaar here are not even made here in Afghanistan (rather; India, Pak, etc.) so I looked for a long time to find Lindsey's birthday present, I knew it was right when I found a hand painted Beauty and the Beast matryoshka doll set. At least it hints at the *former* Russian influence of this place. Oh, and she didn't guess it with the hint I gave her.

the sexy photographer...

...for those asking what it means when you write out my address; CEXC (pronounced "sexy"), stands for Combined Explosive eXploitation Cell, and I am the sole forensic photographer.

Not much else is new, worked 9am yesterday-5am yesterday, whew. But it is paying off, experience wise and financially.

I miss everyone back home, but am doing well, thank you everyone who stays in touch, please be patient, I will write back as soon as I can!

"brick red or possibly a barn red"...

...I had the salesman, Abdul, at the local bazaar looking high and low for this exact rug. According to my mom, it needed to be "a little darker, not so bright, like maybe a brick red or barn red". I informed her that if Abdul was indeed Afghan, he has probably never seen a red brick or a barn in his life...but I relayed it anyway. We both got what we wanted, and now she has a hand-made rug headed her way. Way to be persistent, mom, it paid off! At least no one in this country can accuse us Americans of not knowing EXACTLY what we want!! lol

Keep your eye on the mailbox, Happy (early) Mother's Day!!...I hope you like it...then again, you better!! just kidding! Love you and Dad.

International goodwill

Lance (the Canadian MP, A-GAIN!) and Dave Dawson (HSA, Inc.) inside the lab.

weird weather, sunsets, quiet nights...

We get all kinds of gorgeous weather over here, thankfully the lab's spare SLR is never too far...

Pat Tillman...

Well, today has been 3 years since Pat Tillman's death. I am wearing his jersey to commemorate this. Nothing going on at the Tillman memorial USO, as far as I know. Was hoping they might have a memorial run today, like they do in the States, but no such luck.

Anyway, still working hard (still at 120+ hrs/week and still going strong), enjoying the heat and occasional cool showers. Just saw Blood Diamond last night, very good movie, I was suprised by it.

happy feet, part 2

One more photo for those picture-hungry folks. Yes, I really am that sunburned today. It was 120F today in the southern provinces (much lower altitudes)...at least it is trying to warm up back in MN, not sure about the temps in VA this week.

happy feet...

Well we all did well today at today's 10K. We crossed the finish line together, as planned. (From L to R): Kasey Wertheim (HSA), Me (HSA), Jen Truslow (USMC), Lance Gibson (Canadian MP).

Lance, "the fearless Arcadian" with a prized possesion...

Heating up, not just the weather...

Latest from the front.

birthday presents n more...

I am glad I am getting so many emails and you all are enjoying reading this. Soon, I hope to have a few more domain names pointing to this page. *jim*

Quiet week...we are all excited to do the 10K run tomorrow. Rumor surfaced today there is a USTFA-sanctioned 1/2 marathon next month that will occur here, on the same day as one in the States. We hear they are waiving the registration fee of $90, and sending over t-shirts, bib numbers, and finisher medals too. Can't wait to find out which one it is. Kasey and Scott, you might have to come back out for that one!

I totally forgot a few posts back when I mentioned getting a little caught up on movies...I found a gem: Stranger than Fiction. I really enjoyed it and think it allows Wil Ferrell to make up for Kicking and Screaming, lol!

Thank you Aunt Pam for the snacks; today, the lab is full of fat and happy people, including me! When I get home, don't be suprised to see me come visit you in NOLA. :) The weather here is starting to remind me of the South, it was about 85F today, and warming up fast! I am enjoying it.

I am missing my car, but that is not a big deal, it will be there when I get home...can't wait to get it out on the racetrack again. Sent the pic from my April 2 post to www.tangodown.com and they said they are going to put it on their website since a lot of the gear on the M4 is from their site.

My oldest Niece, Lindsey is having a birthday soon, I got her a nice present, and sent her a teaser picture of it, I am sure she can't guess what it is, though. Lindsey, take another try:

And no, it is not a DVD, rather something handmade.....don't worry Lizard, only 10 more days until you get to open it.

I once knew a mef addict...

...just kidding. Actually, I have been taking Mefloquine once a week as I was prescribed for anti-malarial purposes, but I am starting to think the negative side-effects I think I am experiencing outweigh the lone benefit of staying Malaria free. So I will be switching to the daily Doxycycline this weekend, I expect I will do much better on that.

On a lighter note, I am enjoying the work here, we are very busy.

Also, keeping an eye out for a Reserve unit to join, still have my sights set on 4th Combat Camera Squadron at March ARB, in Riverside, California. Will be emailing them soon to see about open slots. Thanks Josh for the help with that decision.

Also, I am very excited that a friend from my old unit in Minneapolis will be headed to my present location within 30 days. Can't wait to see you (see first paragraph in this entry before outprocessing the 934th ASTS)!

Very soon, I will take some pictures of the mud huts the locals live in to show you what it is like or if you want to see any specific pictures of what it is like over here, just ask.

Still looking forward to run the 10K saturday....anyone from back home wanna join me?? jk

Easter evening...

Our Canadian MP coworker, Lance is a little down tonight since 6 of his countrymen were KIA today, Easter. Not sure if he knew them or not, will find out tomorrow when/if they release the names. Hang in there, buddy. A really rough day for Coalition (ISAF/NATO) forces in general too.

Also, the blast we heard/saw earlier today was a mine field being cleared, we later found out. This is the most heavily mined country in the world, and the base still has plenty of mine fields (example is seen in the pictures in the last post).

On a lighter note, the dining hall (army speak: DFAC) had a nice Easter dinner, which reminds me how I love the turkey here (and mac n cheese, and ravioli, but that is a different story!). Also, I had two pieces of cake. I figured after the 13 mile run today, i deserved it. Also, they had Jelly Belly jellybeans too...someone planned it nicely. :)

Watched The Prestige today after the run. Good, but think I liked The Illusionist a little better. Last night we watched The Departed which is a top 5 crime drama in my book. The night before that, we watched 300, also very good!!

I hope everyone is doing well and has/had a blessed Easter.

Easter run...mortars...etc...

Interesting attempt at our Sunday run here at Bagram...we went to run our 'normal' 8 mile loop, and after about 2 miles, it was blocked off. So we turned around and went the other way, then we found a way to go the entire 8 miles...then we figured we may as well go to the North PX and back, and make it a rough 13.1 miles total (calculated by our Candian, Lance...Lance, are you sure you werent thinking kilometers!! jk). Anyway, Lance and Kasey Wertheim can now claim they are half-marathoners, and as for myself, it was not the 1st time I had run this distance. All told, it took us just shy of 3 hours. Not a bad pace if you ask me, then again, I am the reason they didn't finish it sooner, at least I never quit. :) Also, we heard/saw what appeared to be a mortar round strike the central part of the base, so far we haven't heard any word about it.

At this point, I am cleaned up and I just ate so now it is off to the B-hut to watch a movie and then take a nice little nap. Beautiful weather today too, probably about 75F and sunny. Anyway, here are a few pics from along the way.

*yawn*

Happy Easter.

email

The best email to reach me at:
johndherrick@yahoo.com

Happy Easter...

Yesterday was Good Friday and tomorrow is Easter. After an early 8 mile run, I will be going to church...then to bed for a nap. We may also go on a photo hunt near the base perimeter as there are plenty of things to photograph out there.

Like most times when deployed, the holidays always seem quite a bit different when you are away from home, but true to form, they always make you appreciate being home the next time.

Going to run a 10K (the "GWOT TROT"*) next Saturday for the All-American Airborne Association (82D Abn). I don't run that often, so it should be a good time to back into it a little bit.

*GWOT: Global War on Terrorism

"Mortars, earthquakes and jokes, oh my!!"

This week just keeps getting better and better...my alarm clock today: a 6.2 on the Richter scale. No damage on the base, but it could be felt as far away as Pakistan, even India.

Hopefully next week is a little quieter around here.

Tillman USO...

Went to the Pat Tillman Memorial USO yesterday. Very nice facility. Saw his jersey (Cardinals, not ASU) and helmet on display. Will like to leave a 934 CF patch up on the wall before leaving here.

Afghanistan article...

Interesting article about Afghanistan. Thanks, Jim.

New Humvee, new vest, etc...

Our Humvee just got uparmored (500# doors!), and I recently was issued a new tactical vest, so I thought it would be appropriate to get a new picture with both. So far, my job has not taken me "outside the wire", and it likely won't...so do not have any illusions that I am in danger all the time. Most days I am in the lab with the camera, shooting away.

Fallen Soldiers and sunsets...

Beautiful sunset today. It was nice since an hour or two later was a Fallen Soldier ceremony. Two KIAs from a recent vehicle turnover, not even related to last nights mortar attack.

mountains 'n' me

Here is a pic of me in the lab...when i worked on night shift.
...and of the mountains right outside the fenceline.
If nothing else, it is beautiful here, surrounded on all sides by mountains.

today...

...we 'earned' the title of mortarita-ville*. At least it was short lived and everyone I work with is OK since it wasnt close to us. Should know more tomorrow about any casualties. Take care.

*Hope you gents at Balad AB don't mind us borrowing it.

care package mania

Wow, there are people out there with way too much consideration for me and my suddenly-very-nice-coworkers!! Thank you, all!!

DSN number

For those that have DSN access (If you have to ask, you don't), my number is 318-231-1176. I can be reached 24/7.

new address

For those asking, my new address is:

John Herrick
TF Paladin, CEXC-A
APO AE 09354

Still getting settings adjusted with the new blog, keep checking back. Hope to have johnherrick.com pointing to this soon. *jim*

Welcome...

Welcome to my new blog, it is about time I do this. No more long, semi-annual "catch up" emails. Check back soon for my 1st real post.