TEN YEARS LATER
#6 Simple Amenities
February 28, 2012 Our Flag on an Afghanistan
Morning, Forward Operating Base, Edinburg,
Helmand Province.
February 28, 2012…Forward Operating Base Edinburgh, Helmand
province, Afghanistan…Today is Tuesday. It is sunny, but cold. There
is still mud all over the place. I've been fighting a cold that has crept
up on me. One of the Captains here who is a medical professional
gave me some cold remedy stuff and it seemed to have let me get a
good night's sleep. I was very thankful to him as well as another
soldier who handed me another remedy called "airborne" that helps as
well. There is no doubt these guys look after me.
Yesterday was basically a slow day. There was a bravo mission which I
hopped on towards the end of the afternoon heading into dusk. One
Afghan National Army person and one Marine were the patients. The
Marine had broken his ankle somehow and I'm not sure what the ANA
guys situation was. I got to fly with Capt. Kevin Doo. The two
patients were picked up in separate locations and both were
transported to another location where additional medical attention
could be rendered. I enjoyed the flight as well as continuing to be
more familiarized with the medevac calls. It is similar to staying in
shape. I learned that early this morning around 0500 hrs.
A call came in and I was notified of a mission. A Marine had a bad
case of pneumonia and needed to be evaced asap. I was invited along.
However, I was slow to get ready and was concerned that taking
photos in darkness would not work well. I am definitely a daylight
hours photographer. As I headed to the flight line I saw the birds were
already spun up. I decided to hang back and let the ops folks tell the
crew I would pass on this mission. Afterwards I felt like I had failed
but I also realized that in the future, I must be even that much more
prepared for the unexpected. Point noted.
So, now that I was up early, I had decided that
today would be a shower day for me. Sgt Aughe,
(who by the way has been awarded the
prestigious QUAD A NCO of the year for the
entire Army) walked me around and showed me
the shower that had been rigged up by the folks
here. It is really a great invention for a FOB such
as this. I think it is the one thing that sets this
place apart from all other remote FOB's in
country. It was very cold at 0500 hrs this
morning but I braved it anyway and tested out the
shower. It worked much to my surprise. I was
now the cleanest I had been a several days. What
a great feeling. I've now decided that the shower
thing here is winner and must be
repeated….often…!
While on mission the day earlier, I was pondering
a photo to take. There were two patients. One
was Afghan Army, the other was US Marine. Both
had injuries but were non life threatening.
However, looking at them, I realized that side by
side with the medic in the background and the
mission in the air, it typified in photo what really
is going on here in reality. Sometimes what I try
to convey is the unobvious, blatantly. Such is the
reason I took that photo.
The morning before last, I observed the head of
the chow hall making an incredible omelet that I
never saw on the menu of things we get to
choose from to eat for breakfast. I was so
startled that I asked LCPL Joshua Eddwers if I
could take a photo of his masterpiece. I
promised him I would make him famous on my
website if he in turn promised to make me one of
those so I could be a kind of restaurant critic for
his place. (like there is anywhere else out here to
eat)…! So the photo of "chef Joshua" is not just
for him…it is for me in hopes of getting to sample
this mouthwatering looking omelet.
In the mean time, the other photos are of things I see
on a day to day basis. The MWR tent is where I send all my dispatches
electronically. The photo of the shower is to give each and every one
of the audience a snapshot of what I try to describe in words.
Everywhere I go on this small FOB there is a US flag flying somewhere
at some time. It always is a reminder that what is going on here is
because of what happened back home…ten years ago. Such is life
today on forward operating base Edinburgh "Edi" in Helmand province,
Afghanistan in 2012. The more things change, the more they stay the
same.
Perhaps today will be busy. If it is, I will be present. But if it is not
busy, that too is a good sign. If we are having a busy day here, it
means someone just a short flight away is having a bad day. There are
plenty of stories here whether it is busy or not. I like boring. So do
the families of Marines out in the field. I will enjoy being busy when it
is not busy. If there was never another medevac mission here, that
would be a good thing. But I know there will be some. The weather is
nice now. That is always an indicator of things to come.
Jim Spiri
jimspiri@yahoo.com
province, Afghanistan…Today is Tuesday. It is sunny, but cold. There
is still mud all over the place. I've been fighting a cold that has crept
up on me. One of the Captains here who is a medical professional
gave me some cold remedy stuff and it seemed to have let me get a
good night's sleep. I was very thankful to him as well as another
soldier who handed me another remedy called "airborne" that helps as
well. There is no doubt these guys look after me.
Yesterday was basically a slow day. There was a bravo mission which I
hopped on towards the end of the afternoon heading into dusk. One
Afghan National Army person and one Marine were the patients. The
Marine had broken his ankle somehow and I'm not sure what the ANA
guys situation was. I got to fly with Capt. Kevin Doo. The two
patients were picked up in separate locations and both were
transported to another location where additional medical attention
could be rendered. I enjoyed the flight as well as continuing to be
more familiarized with the medevac calls. It is similar to staying in
shape. I learned that early this morning around 0500 hrs.
A call came in and I was notified of a mission. A Marine had a bad
case of pneumonia and needed to be evaced asap. I was invited along.
However, I was slow to get ready and was concerned that taking
photos in darkness would not work well. I am definitely a daylight
hours photographer. As I headed to the flight line I saw the birds were
already spun up. I decided to hang back and let the ops folks tell the
crew I would pass on this mission. Afterwards I felt like I had failed
but I also realized that in the future, I must be even that much more
prepared for the unexpected. Point noted.
So, now that I was up early, I had decided that
today would be a shower day for me. Sgt Aughe,
(who by the way has been awarded the
prestigious QUAD A NCO of the year for the
entire Army) walked me around and showed me
the shower that had been rigged up by the folks
here. It is really a great invention for a FOB such
as this. I think it is the one thing that sets this
place apart from all other remote FOB's in
country. It was very cold at 0500 hrs this
morning but I braved it anyway and tested out the
shower. It worked much to my surprise. I was
now the cleanest I had been a several days. What
a great feeling. I've now decided that the shower
thing here is winner and must be
repeated….often…!
While on mission the day earlier, I was pondering
a photo to take. There were two patients. One
was Afghan Army, the other was US Marine. Both
had injuries but were non life threatening.
However, looking at them, I realized that side by
side with the medic in the background and the
mission in the air, it typified in photo what really
is going on here in reality. Sometimes what I try
to convey is the unobvious, blatantly. Such is the
reason I took that photo.
The morning before last, I observed the head of
the chow hall making an incredible omelet that I
never saw on the menu of things we get to
choose from to eat for breakfast. I was so
startled that I asked LCPL Joshua Eddwers if I
could take a photo of his masterpiece. I
promised him I would make him famous on my
website if he in turn promised to make me one of
those so I could be a kind of restaurant critic for
his place. (like there is anywhere else out here to
eat)…! So the photo of "chef Joshua" is not just
for him…it is for me in hopes of getting to sample
this mouthwatering looking omelet.
In the mean time, the other photos are of things I see
on a day to day basis. The MWR tent is where I send all my dispatches
electronically. The photo of the shower is to give each and every one
of the audience a snapshot of what I try to describe in words.
Everywhere I go on this small FOB there is a US flag flying somewhere
at some time. It always is a reminder that what is going on here is
because of what happened back home…ten years ago. Such is life
today on forward operating base Edinburgh "Edi" in Helmand province,
Afghanistan in 2012. The more things change, the more they stay the
same.
Perhaps today will be busy. If it is, I will be present. But if it is not
busy, that too is a good sign. If we are having a busy day here, it
means someone just a short flight away is having a bad day. There are
plenty of stories here whether it is busy or not. I like boring. So do
the families of Marines out in the field. I will enjoy being busy when it
is not busy. If there was never another medevac mission here, that
would be a good thing. But I know there will be some. The weather is
nice now. That is always an indicator of things to come.
Jim Spiri
jimspiri@yahoo.com
All photo’s and Website © 2012 JimSpiri.com, All Rights Reserved
Photo by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE...A
photo of an Afghan Army soldier next to a US
Marine being medevaced to a location for medical
treatment via members of the New Mexico
National Guard. Medic in background is Sgt
Hayes.
Photo by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE...
Blackhawk medevac from NM Guard seen in nice
reflection in the morning light
Photo by Jim Spiri, 2-28-12. USMC CH53
helicopters departing FOB Edinburgh.
Chow hall, FOB Edinburgh
Photo by Jim Spiri...2/28/12 Typical muddy day
seen here.
The wonderful
shower that makes
my day!
Head of Chow Hall
Joshua Eddwers,
from Yuma, AZ
shows off his
masterpiece
Inside of chow hall
Getting a Haircut, FOB
Edinburg.
