I received an update letter from the Major in charge of Nate's unit letting us know that they are getting settled in Kandahar. One of the challenges that Nate has also mentioned several times is that it takes 30 minutes or more to get to work even though it is on the same base. The speed limit is 12 mph and there isn't a straight road on the entire base so it makes for a very slow go. Since the hangar that they work at is on the other side of the base from everything else (the gym, showers, laundromat, etc), the guys can't really do anything until they are back "home" when all they really want to do is sleep. They are working on putting a gym and some showers in the hangar where they work so that when there are no planes taking off and no planes to work on they can do some other things. They have also contracted to have an internet cafe installed in the hangar so the guys can call or use the internet to contact home. On the work computers they are very limited to what sites they have access to, so this would enable them to use skype, facebook, etc to contact home.
Now for some work details, which I almost never get! The unit they replaced was from Miramar (which is where Nate was originally supposed to be stationed). Some of the things his unit is doing is fixed wing air to air refueling so our aircraft can stay in the air longer for close air support and surveillance. They are constantly working on all aspects of the planes to keep them available for aerial delivery and troop transport as well as daily assault support.
VMGR-352 (we are VMGR-252) from Miramar logged 7897 flight hours while they were there and tracked 25,190 assault support requests. Each unit seems to build on the progress that the one before it made and adds their own specialty to it. It is a pretty impressive team effort. They overlap the units so that the one leaving can help the new unit become acclimated with everything to help make it a seemless transition.
Please keep praying for our service people and their families.
Quote of the day:
In the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
- Abraham Lincoln
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