Last week we had a hasty visit from the top of the food chain when GEN Petraeus stopped by for the standard “grip n’ grin” session with ABU company. After our battalion finished closing another base here in the Pech he flew in to solidify our reputation as the biggest BAMF’s in Afghanistan.

Here my CO gets a COIN from the bosses bosses bosses boss…I think… He gave out coins to guys for various things, including having three years or more deployed. One of our guys was even in the 101st …

A curiosity of living in a mountainous valley I had not experienced was living within a cloud. From our outpost I can see thick mist roll across distant peaks, slowly fogging them from our view. Slowly the days dim without you fully realizing the weather is coming, not that the day is leaving. Soon the uppermost peaks are shrouded in thick white cloud and mist begins to fall lightly on your sleeves. Finally the sun sets to impenetrable darkness while the clouds continue to fall lower and lower. You think …

Well I’ve been much busier than I bargained for, so here’s the first 2011 update:
We had a few (possibly too many) guys on R&R the last month, so I’ve been filling in for nearly five different jobs. It wasn’t terrible, just that taking the ball while running was a lot like drinking from the fire hose.
The only real update in the past few weeks, however, is that it has finally gotten cold enough to show some snow. I realized I hadn’t really updated any photos since, like, October. I’ve gotten …

Here is the view from my new “office.” Also I have included some shots of my new room, which family (mom) always want to see but soldiers never think about. As always, click on the photo to see the entire album and the full-size pic (Britt).

Sun streaking over the Pech Valley mountains are breathtaking in the morning. But winter is truly setting in; the sun used to rise at 0430 and now doesn’t make it up until after 6 a.m., and is gone by 6 p.m.

Here is our awesome front …

I am officially at my new place of duty, COP Honaker Miracle, in the infamous Pech Valley, where I’ll be taking over as the Fires Support Officer for Alpha Company “Abu” (a-boo), 1st Battalion, 327 Infantry Regiment “Above the Rest.” It’s amazing how the Lord continually weaves his mysterious way in my life. I reasonable did everything in my power to prevent switching to this job, and then when it finally happens, it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to me. This COP is larger, …

Here are a few pictures from our Combat Action Badge presentation (and if you click the picture it will link to the rest of the album.)
We started out by also reenlisting and promoting my Gunnery Sergeant, SFC Houston. Thanks goes out to SSG Martinez for taking these pictures with my camera. Now I can actually be in a few! Then I simply worked my post processing magic.

This was my first time reenlisting a Soldier. It was definitely an honorable day, and I’m glad I didn’t screw up the oath.

Below our …