Hello All,

Another update from afar. A friend of mine was able to visit some friends at another FOB and brought back some pictures to share. We fly there often to help resupply them since they are so in the middle of knowwhere and solely depend on us for getting them food and supplies. If we don't fly then they slow back on their eating and drinking until we do get there again. Here below are a few pictures and I've attached some labels as well so that we can get alittle bit of perspective to what we really have good back home in the states.

I love and hope all is well back home and thank you for all your continued support. If you haven't heard anything from me please know that you are in my thoughts, I do have a list of things to complete, and you WILL hear from me either through email, letter, or calls.

Tony

Arms Room (safe/closet)
Master Bedroom

3 Star View

Five Star View

The dining area

The Kitchen

Upper view of the water purification Center, those blue things are 12oz plastic water bottles

Water Purifications Center

Highway 23 for you all Ohio people or 16 for Savannah Brats

This looks easy but when you weigh in facts it's pretty difficult. That's little black water bladder weighs about 2,500 pounds and holds 800 gallons of water. The landing area is about 4.5 feet wide on top of a hill so the pilots have very little if any references to catch drift when dropping this load. So the pilots rely completely on not only the crewmmeber in the hole (hole cut out in the center of the aircraft so crewmember can hook up and call the load) but also the crewmembers on the right gun, left gun, and ramp for obstical avoidance. This load is dangling about 30 feet below the aircraft on one line and the crewmember is telling the pilot which way to position the 98 feet 10.7 inch by 60 feet wide aircraft overtop. By releasing the load to early or not in the propper spot could have the load roll down the hill into the FOB below or Aghan city below.

Waste management

The motar team (lets call them security)

The gym

The brown building is ths showers, the black containers are the water containers that have to be filled by water bottles, the water is heated by attracting the 110 degrees temps (enviroment controled temp), the white box is the generator that supplies the electric to the water pump creating the pressure. Each troop is allowed on shower a week due to the location and supplys available. This is only one of the FOB's that literally depends on us CH to get them supplies, if we can't deliver then they wait until we can.

A view of the alternate heli-pad

Five Star Latrines

Beginning a new month "April" what a month so far

(before I get started, it's 3 a.m., I barely passed english in college, and this blog doesn't allow spell check or copying and pasting from word)

Hello All,

Hope this finds that everyone had a good Easter and all is well back in the real world. Things here in JAF have began heating up. I used to be able to walk to the aircraft without even thinking about sweating and now it's just not the case. Temps have been getting up to the mid 30 C (you do the math, I have to) everyday and it's expecting to get soooo much hotter.
(130-140's) from what we've been told from our replacements.

We have a great chain of command here which in most all cases keeps us in as much high spirits as we can get from being from family and friends. Some of our soldiers have already left and returned from leave and hit the missions running without a hitch. Steve Koritko (our MTP - Maintenance Test Pilot) is taking care of our aircraft (all four) as best he can with what little he has. SSG Longo (our SI - Standards Instructor) is now on days training up some of our new crewmembers preparing them to become our future CE/FE's and doing excellent work. As well as our other IP -Instructor Pilot "Tom Petty" (not the singer, little smaller, bigger temper) keeps all the night guys on par and up to date. I'll try to get all of their pictures sometime tomorrow while in work. We all (day and night crews) try to meet up at the same time every evening to get together and eat some grub; pass a few words of incouragement (to say least). Always looking forward to Fridays; no necessarly because every friday is steak and shrimp friday but because on this day it's easily known that another week from our families has passed and were one week closer to getting back home to them.

And.... Scarlett and I let the families know that were expecting our first sometime in the month of October and she's doing great (I'll start attaching pictures as well when I get them) and keep everyone updated in the progress. Officially were on the 12 week and for those doing the math; Yes it's mine, LOL.... We are both very excited and have began looking for room decoration once we find out the sex (should be when I'm home on leave first week of april) the painting process will begin.

Whelp all, better be getting back to bed, I have to wake up in a few more hours. I thank everyone for their continued support, letters, emails, and packages and look forward to seeing you when I come home. Keep checking from time to time and I promise to take as many pictures as I can and keep you updated as best I can. As always, if you have questions or concerns ask away tonysiraqemail@gmail.com and I'll try best I can to answer them and post them when I can.

Take care,

Tony

Launching flares off the left side of the aircraft.

Pamplet drop

The Landing and pick up

Landing to my LZ (Landing Zone)

Creating a little bit of dust

All the pacs and gear getting on the CH

And the pac and gear getting on the UH

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Flying home and noticed these tanks in the side of the field

Black Hawk Guys striking a pose, actually the CPT is a pretty cool guy "for a blackhawk pilot"

The Stetson... For CAV guys the stetson hat is a pretty big deal. Once assigned to a CAV unit (usually Kiowa and Apache boys but in special occations like mine Chinooks and Blackhawks as well) buy their $200 plus hat, before they can wear the hat is must be broken in (unless your a commander or 1SG). The broken in ceremony takes place which consists of the guys gathering together as a group. In the states the broken in ceremony takes place as all gather together. The senior guys put all sorts of alcohol and whatever else they have on hand into the hat and then the patrons must drink everything in the hat before they can wear it for the first time. Now while deployed we don't have the good fortune of beer or alcohol so anything and everything gets put into the had for the ceremony. If "big if" I get a stetson, I will not be breaking mine in here and will wait until I get to the states.

The Gathering

The preparation (notice the man pouring water down the old A#$ AK47 barrel) the other gentlemen is pour a near bear (alcohol free beer) in the stetson

The Process before the drink

The Drink of the "ugg"

Finished Product

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From Left to Right ANA, cancer patent "SGT Burr" & Pretty Boy "SGT Jhose" preparing for a rehersal. Afghan troops that have never been on a chinook preparing for their first ride. We'll let them come over get on and practice getting off as if doing the real thing so there isn't much confusion.

Prior to rehersal

Rehersal

Rehersal

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Nice and pretty now, wonder what it will look like in a few months when the temps get up in the 130's-140's

Isn't she beautiful!

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Picture of a hogies (pronounced hag' gee's) truck bling blinged. I'll take more pictures of the vehicles with my stay here; some are pretty creative.

What can I say, it's always one of these three comments when I come into work

"I didn't do it" - "it wasn't me!" - "damn night guys"
Camels, Goats, Cow's oh my

Two Caves, possible home for "millions of bad guys" these guys are little people with hair out of control.