Kandahar...and last few weeks...

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 :)

Departure Date

M-16 Motion Qual

Finally the time has come to depart the US!!! It felt at times it would never come and now that it's been set, its been jam packed days all the way. We currently have a 2 days pass to Seattle, with overnights; which I am grateful for. Its been awesome to take a break from that insane place of FT Lewis. I do also have an address now, which I may have mentioned before, but I am not giving it out until I get there as the Navy can sometimes (insert sarcasm...'hard to believe') change plans of where people end up.

Motion Qual in action

With leaving we've been issued more gear, more gear and more gear. Its been too overwhelming for me just yet to think about how I am going to compact some things down. I must get it together soon!!! We've also done a bit more with our M-16 for qualifications, as well as grenades and mines. I repeat it as a joke on a daily basis; but something really bad is happening if they are sending an ICU nurse cross the wire to throw grenades or set up mines. But this is all for just in case.

Blue Grenades...aka "Blue Balls"

Might be a bit for my next entry, but my next entry should be from Afganistan. God bless!

Training

Training is trucking right along....I have learned more Army lingo than I could have ever imagined to include such word and terms as I have translated below;

Galley=Chow Hall

You Tracking?=Are you paying attention? Do you understand?

Lets break...every 40 minutes

Glow belts=Safety reflection belts we must wear from dusk till dawn

Weapon appreciation-bringing it with you EVERwhere you go

Latrine=bathroom or as the Navy calls them, 'heads'

Cattle Car=large vehicle much like cow trucks

More acyronyms than I can shake a stick at like NVGs (night vision goggles), EST (simulators), PMI (something about instruction), ACU (uniform), etc....

50 Caliber Simulator

The Army is strange in its ways...but its still been fun playing soldier. This week was the biggest perk with Humvee drivers training completion. I can successfully operate an M1151 HMMWV independently. It was like being able to mudd in the coolest 4 wheel vehicle ever. We did a few night drives as well, and I was able to take some sweet pictures as below. The NVG's can play tricks on your mind, but the view is awesome.

Night Vision Goggle View of skyline

The rest of the past few weeks have been hit or miss with our schedule. We continue to have lots of white spaced time and days off. They have created more unneeded courses, like 50 cal (fun, but will never shoot one) and such to fill our space. Once we have gotten a day pass to Seattle, and we are scheduled to have 2 overnight liberty periods before we leave. Most all of us are of course excited, but eager to get over to Afganistan as well. We are replacing a crew that is waiting on us to get there and have thus been extended. Still glitches in communications, but its all good. We'll be there in the next few weeks. Still no definite word on departure, but sometime before 11 March.

FT Lewis

I have safely arrived and successfully completed just about 1 week of training. There was a delay in arrival due to snow storms in Virginia, and then my toiletries and makeup were stolen from my sea bag...that set me over the top after a long day of travel. But with the help of the people I knew from NMPS and some newly acquired friends, I made out okay. Of course I can live without makeup, but it sure makes me feel better when stripped of all other femininity.

This week has gone by very fast and has included; weapons issue (must keep M-16, M-9 on body at all times...or have ENS Locker aka my locker watch them), M-16 and M-19 qualification, Humvee simulator rollovers, cleaning of weapons, simulator shooting, of course uniform issue (cold weather, Kevlar and flack gear). Heavy flack jacket and wearing all gear has been rough on my body, but I am young and I am doing alright with a little help from my friends Aleve and Advil. Its fun to find new bruises and I every time I put my flack jacket on I keep thinking it will be lighter. It hasn't gotten lighter yet :) I will post a few pictures when I can.

The living arrangement could be better....but we have heat, beds and warm water...more than some get. The buildings are circa 1940's built and the beds are about that too. Since I arrived late I got stuck with a top bunk. The showers within the structure are open, but there is also a shower trailer with more privacy and lockers a few buildings down. Computer access is limited, but we do have it in certain buildings and we get time on most days in the evening for access. Important to note also, we are training with the Air Force and our instructors are Army people. They aren't the nicest, I will leave it at that. And they call the Air Force "chair force" for a reason. They are the biggest groups of whiners I have ever met. No disrespect to the ones I have met so far, they take ownership to their whining at least.

That's all on my end, still no address for Afghanistan, standing by :)

NMPS

This week has been processing. The Navy calls it NMPS (Naval Mobilization Processing Site). Its basically review of medical records (again!), uniform issue and basic briefs on things like fraternization, Sexual Assault, etc...It gives more people time to get stuff done they should have had done before now. There are about 130 people and we'll all be going to 1 of 3 locations for further training (Ft. Bliss, Ft. Dix or Ft.Lewis) before heading to Kuwait. Below is a picture of our gas mask pressure setting; 8 minutes of patiently waiting.

This week is also a great time to catch up (more!) on favorite American restaurants and coffee...Hello Starbucks! So eating like a fatty and getting the last chance of good food :) One of the girls, Cayce; her parents live locally and have been amazing host's for 2 meals so far this week. They have a beautiful home near the Chesapeake Bay and I know I have been very greatful for their hospitality.

The living arrangements here aren't terrible; much better than the BOQ in Sigonella, and I am betting much better than we'll have down the road the next few months. Things are going well and I look forward to the upcoming weeks. Eager to get to Afganistan and have the action start, but being patient...or trying :)

da dum

I am back in America (arrived 05 Jan) and am loving it! Oooh the conveniences! Its the little things in life my friends; the little things (Target, Starbucks, controlled driving, television, commercials, and the English language).

After traveling to Michigan and having some MAJOR luggage delays, frustrations, and just 1 angry outburst (related to my luggage), I alas enjoyed the time with my parents, brother and friends before leaving for California after 1 week. California just feels like home to me...though many friends have moved on via their military journey, it was great to spend time with those who remain. Of course, was very sad to leave, but I will be back. 3 days before my departure I got word that my deployment is still on track, just delayed by 1 week. I will still be reporting and processing through Norfolk and fly from there to FT Lewis (Washington State). It was frustrating to figure out a plan of travel, though it has worked out well for me to spend some time with my brother, Ben, and his wife Tanya for a few days in Cape Cod. Its been great to spend time with them and I am happy that I was able to see all my immediate family members. I especially enjoyed the time and entertainment of my grandmother, Mary. She is a pleasant little 89 year old who I got many of laughs from. In good humor and intention of course. Bless her heart; and my parents who primarily help her out.

Those who know me well know I am not a huge fan of sitting still all the time, so I am ready to get on to the next destination and get this show on the road. As I start training this upcoming week I will keep you all updated as my address in Afganistan becomes available.

Caio Caio for now!

Happy New Years

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Happy New Years celebration too! The weather here has been absolutely amazingly warm! Its awesome...in the high 70's during day and still warm evenings. My 3rd Christmas in a row in the sun! And no snow! The way it should be :)

As of tomorrow; 01 Jan, I am an LT in the Navy. Its an automatic promotion which falls just a few weeks after my 4 year anniversary of active duty. Had a nice little ceremony this morning with my boss; Kaz and my favorite corpsman, Maddy. Rose, another nurse who promoted 01 Dec and I had a party slash wetdown slash going away party with a group of friends. Some of us maybe didn't feel so great the next day :p

Buon Anno!