Blogs from Kosovo, Europe - page 8

The phrase “Groundhogs Day” has turned into military slang for any day during a tour of duty in a far away combat zone. The common reference is that all days are usually filled with unpleasant situations that continually repeat themselves day after day after day. As soldiers we tend to measure our time while deployed by many forms of milestones. First day of deployment, days until we get to go home, birthdays, hours until your R&R leave takes effect, and if things get real monotonous some even count time by how many meals we have left until the end of the week. So as I walk around Camp Bondsteel I hear soldier after soldier respond to my simple question, “How ya doing today?” with answers like… “Just another day in paradise” or “You know, same stuff ... read more

Just another week… Nothing exciting and yet every day is always so different. Okay, maybe there was some excitement; it’s just in how you look at things. One of my bestest buddies returned back to the rolls of KFOR 12. She has been gone since September after experiencing a family loss and is now back with us for the duration of the deployment. My roomie and I decided to throw a “Welcome Back” gathering in our room inviting friends from within the Task Force. Actually it was originally slated for a “We received entirely too much hot chocolate for Christmas” party, but turned into a terrific assembly of different ranks and generations as we re-integrated the laughter and spirit of one of our own. We had frozen many of our holiday cookies and candies received from ... read more

The end of the holiday season has come to an end but not without bunches of Santa sightings and holiday cheer. Families sent candy canes, holiday head gear, Rudolph noses and stockings galore. One of my co-workers received box after box from the great state of Alaska all filled with love and holiday cheer. Each stocking was filled with homemade cookies, candy, books and a special handmade ornament. My friend, the Transportation Officer, spent his evenings delivering those special stocking from so far away, bringing smile after smile to the faces of soldiers. There is always a unsuspecting surprise when grown adults receive stockings. “For me!” they say, and “this is the best!” can be heard as Santa walks away. If you turn around and look you can catch the quick smile that takes everybody back ... read more

The motto of the Pony Express that was first started back in 1860 was simple… The Mail Must Go Through. It started as 1,966 miles between Missouri and California in a time period where stage coach delivery could take up to 25 days of travel for a mere 1,000 miles and ships took months to cross oceans. Fast forward to now and we have so many options of communication available to us worldwide. From email and twitters to Skype and telephones. But to be honest, nothing can compare to an old fashioned letter or package. What all soldiers fondly refer to as “Snail Mail!” Early Christmas morning I had the distinct honor to go and work with our KFOR 12 Postal Detachment. Eleven dedicated and motivated soldiers who hail from five different states were up ... read more

I sit here alone with my thoughts. Christmas day is nearly over here in Kosovo. The night is quiet and the stars are twinkling overhead and I wish I could close my eyes and magically appear back home where I belong. With my family. It’s funny how we get in habits as we grow older. Doing the same things with the same people during the same time of year. Personally, I like it that way. I like to smell the turkey as it cooks slowly throughout the morning. I like to peel the potatoes and stir the gravy (of course that would not be perfect without a few lumps added in!). I can hardly sleep the night before Christmas because somewhere deep inside I still believe there is a Santa Claus. Who else could bring such ... read more