Re: First Impression of Afghanistan

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Welcome to the armpit of the Third World. I feel like I could have warned you better. On Mar 20, 2014 7:57 AM, "Gabe Podesta" <[email protected]> wrote: > After nearly a week of travel I've made it to my semi-permanent temporary > home in Afghanistan. > > A year ago, when I was stationed at Andrews, my boss called a staff > meeting on a Friday morning. I was a week or so away from what proved to > be a week-long court-martial and was burning the candle at both ends that > week in preparation. I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat in the > conference room and discovered my hair was particularly greasy. I thought > back and realized that in my singular focus on the upcoming trial I had > managed to forget to bathe all week. As in, the last shower I took was on > Sunday night, a full five days earlier. > > I tell you this story so that you have some context for what I am about to > declare: Afghanistan is the dirtiest place on the planet. The air is thick > with smoke and dust. Everything--literally everything--is covered in a > coating of dirt (one hopes). My room is absolutely filthy and despite my > very best efforts all afternoon I've not made a dent in the cleanup. The > previous tenant left a vacuum cleaner, leading me to believe that he or she > made some effort to keep it clean and nonetheless the walls are caked in > black grime. This place is truly gross. > > Having said that, I'm glad to finally be here. I met my coworkers earlier > and it seems like the work will be interesting and the experience one of a > lifetime. In that last 24 hours alone I've flown in a C-17 and a Blackhawk > helicopter. My present duty station, McChord Field, is home of the C-17 > Globemaster III and yet I am now the sole attorney in the legal office with > the distinct pleasure to say I've actually flown in one. > > I suspect that the seven months will go by in a flash. Before you know it > I'll be unloading off the rotator back in the States. You may not > recognize me; I'll be the one that looks like I just emerged from a 12 hour > shift in a coal mine. > > Love and miss you all. Gabe > > Sent from my iPad > PS--Yes, my iPad works in Afghanistan. Who knew? MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.140.49.99 with HTTP; Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:57:32 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.140.49.99 with HTTP; Thu, 20 Mar 2014 07:57:32 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:57:32 -0400 Delivered-To: [email protected] Message-ID: <CAE6FiQ-FYCoc+98FSMvCDmcOUbdPiAROkBNB_-GjSV_fipmyBg@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: First Impression of Afghanistan From: John Podesta <[email protected]> To: Gabe Podesta <[email protected]> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001a1134f3cc2a54f004f50afde2 --001a1134f3cc2a54f004f50afde2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Welcome to the armpit of the Third World. I feel like I could have warned you better. On Mar 20, 2014 7:57 AM, "Gabe Podesta" <[email protected]> wrote: > After nearly a week of travel I've made it to my semi-permanent temporary > home in Afghanistan. > > A year ago, when I was stationed at Andrews, my boss called a staff > meeting on a Friday morning. I was a week or so away from what proved to > be a week-long court-martial and was burning the candle at both ends that > week in preparation. I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat in the > conference room and discovered my hair was particularly greasy. I thought > back and realized that in my singular focus on the upcoming trial I had > managed to forget to bathe all week. As in, the last shower I took was on > Sunday night, a full five days earlier. > > I tell you this story so that you have some context for what I am about to > declare: Afghanistan is the dirtiest place on the planet. The air is thick > with smoke and dust. Everything--literally everything--is covered in a > coating of dirt (one hopes). My room is absolutely filthy and despite my > very best efforts all afternoon I've not made a dent in the cleanup. The > previous tenant left a vacuum cleaner, leading me to believe that he or she > made some effort to keep it clean and nonetheless the walls are caked in > black grime. This place is truly gross. > > Having said that, I'm glad to finally be here. I met my coworkers earlier > and it seems like the work will be interesting and the experience one of a > lifetime. In that last 24 hours alone I've flown in a C-17 and a Blackhawk > helicopter. My present duty station, McChord Field, is home of the C-17 > Globemaster III and yet I am now the sole attorney in the legal office with > the distinct pleasure to say I've actually flown in one. > > I suspect that the seven months will go by in a flash. Before you know it > I'll be unloading off the rotator back in the States. You may not > recognize me; I'll be the one that looks like I just emerged from a 12 hour > shift in a coal mine. > > Love and miss you all. Gabe > > Sent from my iPad > PS--Yes, my iPad works in Afghanistan. Who knew? --001a1134f3cc2a54f004f50afde2 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <p dir=3D"ltr">Welcome to the armpit of the Third World. I feel like I coul= d have warned you better.</p> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mar 20, 2014 7:57 AM, "Gabe Podesta"= ; <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>> wrot= e:<br type=3D"attribution"><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margi= n:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> After nearly a week of travel I've made it to my semi-permanent tempora= ry home in Afghanistan.<br> <br> A year ago, when I was stationed at Andrews, my boss called a staff meeting= on a Friday morning. =A0I was a week or so away from what proved to be a w= eek-long court-martial and was burning the candle at both ends that week in= preparation. =A0I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat in the conferenc= e room and discovered my hair was particularly greasy. =A0I thought back an= d realized that in my singular focus on the upcoming trial I had managed to= forget to bathe all week. =A0As in, the last shower I took was on Sunday n= ight, a full five days earlier.<br> <br> I tell you this story so that you have some context for what I am about to = declare: Afghanistan is the dirtiest place on the planet. =A0The air is thi= ck with smoke and dust. =A0Everything--literally everything--is covered in = a coating of dirt (one hopes). =A0My room is absolutely filthy and despite = my very best efforts all afternoon I've not made a dent in the cleanup.= =A0The previous tenant left a vacuum cleaner, leading me to believe that h= e or she made some effort to keep it clean and nonetheless the walls are ca= ked in black grime. =A0This place is truly gross.<br> <br> Having said that, I'm glad to finally be here. =A0I met my coworkers ea= rlier and it seems like the work will be interesting and the experience one= of a lifetime. =A0In that last 24 hours alone I've flown in a C-17 and= a Blackhawk helicopter. =A0My present duty station, McChord Field, is home= of the C-17 Globemaster III and yet I am now the sole attorney in the lega= l office with the distinct pleasure to say I've actually flown in one.<= br> <br> I suspect that the seven months will go by in a flash. =A0Before you know i= t I'll be unloading off the rotator back in the States. =A0You may not = recognize me; I'll be the one that looks like I just emerged from a 12 = hour shift in a coal mine.<br> <br> Love and miss you all. =A0Gabe<br> <br> Sent from my iPad<br> PS--Yes, my iPad works in Afghanistan. =A0Who knew?</blockquote></div> --001a1134f3cc2a54f004f50afde2--