I departed FOB Blackhawk in what is my first step to returning home.

The convoy back to Kandahar Air Field (KAF) was stopped for a while when a civilian Afghan vehicle detonated an IED buried on the side of the road.  The signature weapon of this conflict did its job - two Afghanis died; four others were wounded.

American medevac teams were called in to help the wounded.

I miss the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment.  Rich in history and tradition, the unit made me feel a part of it.  What's more, on every mission the soldiers did their best, day in and day out.

Leadership is superb; morale is high.

Coming back to Kandahar, though, is a bit like entering one of Dante's circles of hell.  In this particular version of the Inferno, it's a toss up between the insane traffic and construction work or the pretentious attitudes of many of the ISAF personnel strutting around here like peacocks.

I don't much like it here.

As to some of our NATO friends - some must get a good workout in the morning when they struggle to put their uniforms on.  Apparently weight requirements are not an issue for them, and as a result it shows.

Be that as it may, I am looking forward to finishing up my work here and returning home.