Well, if any of you remember why I started this blog roughly three years ago, that main reason I've decided to pick back up with this is because I'm going on another deployment.
Back in 2008, I thought it would be a great idea to have a place to post my thoughts and experiences during my tour to Iraq. Despite being released from active duty last fall, the Reserve unit that I got assigned to in Knoxville, the 489th Civil Affairs Battalion, got tapped for a deployment to Afghanistan. Since February, I've been intermittently preparing for this deployment, spending a week at Ft Jackson, SC, a week back in Knoxville, and 10 days at Ft Dix, NJ.
Currently, I'm at Ft Bragg, NC, going through the Civil Affairs Qualification Course (CAQC). Upon completion on 18 May, I will officially be a Civil Affairs Officer. The best way to explain what a CA officer does is I am a liaison between the military leadership in a particular area of operations and the local tribes and clans that live within the area. I also coordinate with other government agencies (OGAs), international governmental organizations (IGOs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, my favorite description of what we do comes from one of my Non-commissioned officers (NCOs), who said we're like the Peace Corps...with guns!
After completing the CAQC, I will report back to Ft Dix for another few weeks of pre-deployment training. Then, I'm off to Afghanistan.
Hopefully I'll be able to update this blog about as frequently as I did the last time, providing my take on life in a combat theater. Not sure what the good Lord has in store for me, but I'll do my best to keep you posted.
It's good to be back....sort of.
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1 comment:
Good to have you back.
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