Sorry for the long delay, but have been in transit and settling here in Kandahar the last several days. We had a few days of rest in Kuwait after arriving from Ft. Lewis, but have been busy here in Kandahar. No more playing soldier, I get to be a nurse again! I have started working now and am on Trauma Team. I am pretty excited to be chosen as I am truly an ICU nurse, but have ER experience. So it balances out. I will be working 24 hour shifts with rotating call and we can catch sleep when we can at work. Not a bad deal so far. My address is as below;
LT Stacy Syrstad
Role 3 Hospital MMU
APO AE 09335
I am happy to receive any mail. Honestly out here any piece of anything is exciting as you easily get disconnected from the real world. If you want to send anything, just ask me via e-mail.
Our barracks are really nice and the area is interesting. We have internet in our rooms we pay $100 per "drop" (person) per month, but its so worth it. Not really fast, but its there. Its really surreal; in the barracks its like college dorm, but nicer and then outside you are quickly reminded. I will keep you posted, due to operation security (OPSEC) we can't talk about too much and no pictures really; the internet is tied into Iran and phones via Russia...just imagine the tracking. Oh Vei! Oooh...and multi national all over like aussies, germans, lithuania, british, etc...its been fun to meet new forces.
Food is decent, lots of different cultural options to try. Getting used to some alarms and the humvees all over the roads...traffic is very busy here. Would be easy to get hit if not paying attention. Bikes seem popular and I am hoping to get one, or by one off someone who is leaving. The hosp is like 1/2 mile, so not a bad walk to work for me. I carry a pager and with mass casualties will be called in, so I must get there ASAP, whether it be running or a bike. A bike is safer :)
Hope this note finds everyone doing well and in good health. Take care and keep in touch :)
