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.