GOING TO AFGHANISTAN

For those who follow my blog regularly, and have not heard,

I have accepted a job in Afghanistan. I will be be working

as a Sous Chef feeding American

and NATO Forces,

attached to "USFOR"

(US Forces, Afghanistan).
I leave in August. If I have a chance while I'm over there,

I will post pictures, and write stories about the good

things that the USA and NATO Forces are doing.

You know, the things that the media usually do not report about.

For those who would like to follow information on US Forces

Afghanistan, click the picture below to follow a link to Facebook,

so you can join the group and get regular updates.

To Visit Afghanistan Online, click the link here. This is great sourse to learn about the History, Geography, News, travel, and many other items about Afghanistan. Once it was the poorest nation in the world, but now as things are looking up, the new Government is trying to encourage investment into the Country.

(Emblem of Afghanistan)

For those who either hate Geography, or are not sure where Afghanistan is, look at the map below. It is land locked East of Iran, North of India and Pakistan, South of Russia, and West of China.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان

(Persian: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afġānistān)

د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت

(Pashto: De Afγānistān Islāmi J̌amhuriyat)

Kabul (Pictured above).

Population
2009 estimate
33,609,937

Government
Islamic republic
-
President
Hamid Karzai
-
Vice President
Ahmad Zia Massoud
-
Vice President
Karim Khalili
-
Official languages
Dari (Persian),

GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$21.340 billion

Topography

The Hindu Kush Mountain Range (Pictured Below) is the Western most sub-range of the Himalayain Mountains. The highest point in Hindukush mountain region is the Tirich Mir (25,289 ft).


Afghanistan has a harsh climate of the continental type and the severity of winter is accentuated by the altitude of much of the country. Summers everywhere are warm, except in the highest areas. The high mountains to the south shield Afghanistan from the summer rains brought to India and parts of Pakistan by the southwest monsoon. The lower parts of the country have a semi-arid or desert climate. In Sestina along the Iranian border hot, dry, dusty winds are among the most unpleasant features of the summer weather. Summers are sunny and generally hot, except in the higher mountains. Sunshine amounts range from six to seven hours a day in winter to as much as twelve to thirteen in summer.
Because of the large range of temperature conditions found in Afghanistan, there is both a danger of heat exhaustion or even heatstroke in the lower regions in summer and of exposure, wind chill, and frostbite in the mountains in winter.

As far as the War in Afghanistan which started on October 7, 2001 in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center, the United States and its allies have a strong presence in the Country, and are recieving reenforcements from Iraq, now that the surge which was launched in 2007 has led to a stable success.

Coalition:
NATO - ISAF
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Germany
France
Italy
Poland
Netherlands
38 other countries

Insurgent groups:
Taliban
al-Qaeda
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin
Lashkar-e-Toiba
Jaish-e-Mohammed
Hizbul Mujahideen
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan

No worries...If they try anything stupid, our snipers have the best spotters in the world...

I will keep in touch.

For those who send me emails on news and other info, I kindly ask that you stop until I return, so my inbox doesn't overload.

TTFN

Happy Fourth Of July

233 years and counting...

*****

I watched the flag

Pass by one day,

It fluttered in the breeze.

*****

A young Marine Saluted it,

And then he stood at ease..

I looked at Him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square

And eyes alert

He'd stand out in any crowd.

*****

*****

I thought how many men

Like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign

Soil

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes

Shot down?

How many died at sea

How many foxholes were soldiers'

Graves?

No, freedom isn't free

*****

I heard the sound of

Taps One night,

When everything was still,

I listened to the bugler

Play

And felt a sudden chill.

*****

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant

'Amen,'

When a flag had draped a

Coffin.

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the

Children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and

Husbands

With interrupted lives.

*****

I

Thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

*****

Of unmarked graves in

Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

Enjoy Your Freedom &

God Bless Our Troops

*****

The History of July 4th

July 3

The Battle Of Gettysburg "Day Three"

And Full Retreat on July 4, 1863.

*****

ON THIS FOURTH OF JULY

I

HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MY READERS

THAT I WILL FOCUS ON

IN GREATER DETAIL LATER ON THIS MONTH.

I VOLUNTEERED,

AND HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO

A ONE YEAR TOUR IN AFGHANISTAN,

COOKING FOR AND FEEDING THE TROOPS.

I LEAVE ON AUGUST SECOND.

WISH ME LUCK...

Royal Coldstream Guards Play "Thriller"

from

Michael Jackson's mega hit Thriller has been given this hilarious revamp by the army's world-famous Band of the Coldstream Guards - just a stones throw from Buckingham Palace.

The band marched in formations almost mimicking the famous choreographed zombie routine from the music video.