Mark's Weekly Letter

I thought this letter was appropriate to post today and it will give you a little insight to Mark's life right now at FOB Smart.

Qalat 2/19 - 2/27

All:

As with so many other weeks, I wish that I had time to write more than I know I'll be able to. Time, in so many cases, is a commodity that is in short supply and this week is no exception. With a complete turnover of the PRT expected soon, I find that I'm not only busy helping the outgoing military contingent tie up loose ends, but I'm trying to get to know (and coordinate with) the portion of the new contingent that has already come in. With that in mind, I'll try to fill you in on some of the highlights of the week.

Earlier this week, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the Sheik Mati Boy's Dorm. It's not complete yet, but it was close enough for the outgoing commander to schedule the ceremony. General Walsh was in attendance as well as the Provincial Governor, Minister of Education, and other VIP's. As is usually the case, I was on the sidelines, which I prefer in a lot of cases. I was able to give a lot of the school supplies that so many of you have contributed, but unfortunately I wasn't able to personally give them to the children. There wasn't time built into the schedule for me to do that, and since perimeter security was leaving immediately after the ceremony so did I. The Headmaster will distribute the supplies as needed to the kids when school begins for them later in March. I did get photos of the ceremony and the tables on which I placed the supplies. I'm sorry about that , but there are times that I have to "go with the flow" when security is an issue. I'll post the photos in the near future, but keep in mind that I didn't distribute the entire "mountain" of supplies, and there should be another distribution in the very near future. The setting will likely be less formal, and I'll be able to interact more with the kids. Having said all that, I want to thank all of you that have contributed supplies to these children. The time and sacrifice that you've put into this endeavor is greatly appreciated not only by me, but the children. I honestly believe that an educated Afghanistan is an Afghanistan that will be self-sustaining.

I don't have time to go into all of the patrols and activity "outside the wire," but let it be sufficient for me to say that we are reeling from all the damage that our four-day storm has generated. Roads have been eroded away, the stability of bridges have been compromised, and all of it needs to be "fixed".

Along with all that I've mentioned, there have been endless meetings and ceremonies as the current PRT prepares to go home. Some are leaving today. I won't bore you with the details of many of those meetings, but I want to mention a couple. One ceremoney was set apart to honor us civilians, and I have to tell you that it was a humbling experience. The commander expressed his gratitude for each of our individual contributions, and we were each given a flag that has been flown here at FOB Smart during our tour with this PRT. We were also each given a coin that commemorates our service here. I was also given the military PRT patch by someone who anonymously left it on the computer I typically work at in the Engineers' Tent. I get a little emotional thinking about the significance of these gifts. In some cases, the gift of flags flown in a combat environment is reserved for the military and I consider it a true honor to have received one. The coin represents membership (or in my case, adoption) of this PRT. It's humbling and it's an honor to be associated with these people. The patch seemed to symbolize acceptance at an entirely different level, since it was also a gift. I'm not entirely certain that I deserved any of it, but I will say that it has been an honor to serve with these people. I'm going to miss them a great deal. Words seem so inadequate here -- I wish you could feel what I feel toward these men and women, so that you could fully understand.

Another ceremony honored one of those individuals wounded during the IED attack several weeks ago. He is the only military person left here from that attack. The rest are currently home stateside. He received a Purple Heart. That was an emotional moment for all of us. What do you say to someone who has earned that reward? "Congratulations" seems inappropriate since nobody really desires to be wounded or killed. The only appropriate thing I could think to say was "Thank you." We all owe him and all those who put themselves in harm's way a debt of gratitude. They serve their country here and make sacrifices that all too often go unnoticed by many.

In closing, many of you are no doubt aware (but some of you may not be) that much of Marjah is now under NATO and Afghan control. Please keep all of our military and deployed personnel in your thoughts and prayers.

Love,
Mark