Boots on The Ground

In the Army they say always be flexible and that's exactly what we had to do when it came to rolling out for this deployment, the initial plan was to meet up at 6pm get weapons, accountability, and have family time. From there we we were supposed to roll out to the Air Force Base and fly out at 330am. Well plans changed and we were told to meet up 8 hours later at 2am...then plans changed again and we were told to meet up at 1pm the next day. Third times a charm, we were finally able to go through and fly out around 11pm on Wednesday.  It was hard watching all the families say their goodbyes, seeing the ones staying behind crying. We flew from Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, from there we flew to an Airport SE Germany, I cant remember the name, both of those flights were around 8 hours. We laid over in Germany for about 7 hours. We left there and flew into Kyrgyzstan, after we rested there we took a two hour plane ride into Afghanistan.



Even though the sun had already started to set it was still so hot when we landed  at Kandahar Airfield, we were showed to living quarters which is just a big tent with lots of bunk beds. Afghanistan is very hot and very dry, with lots of dust and rocks everywhere. I look around and cant believe I'm actually here.

On our second night here we had a rocket attack, luckily it was on the other side of the post, but no matter where you are when the alarm sounds you have to get down on the ground for two minutes and then seek cover in a bunker until you hear all clear on the PA system.

Until the rest of the surge gets here, we are pretty much just on a stand by status we still have to establish our company office and inventory our equipment. Once all the other troops get here we will mostly likely leave Kandahar and roll out to a smaller site to provide communications for a combat unit which means we will see alot more action. Just gotta stay alert and alive.

I have posted my address, at this time I really don't need anything because I haven't even gotten my tuff box yet which I packed full of stuff, but a few people were asking for it.


This will take you to my pictures

Florence, Caronta
B Co 307, 86th ESB

APO AE 09355 

Please don't put my rank or Kandahar of the address, it could hinder me getting  the mail.

Time Has Come

After all the preparation and training, the time has come for us to roll out to "The Box". Many people have asked me how I feel about, I'm writing this on Monday with about 42 hours until we get on the plane. I don't really feel anything right now, I'm sure as time ticks closer and were issued our weapons and actually get ready to travel its gonna hit me. I can say that I am a bit nervous and a bit anxious but I'm confident and faithful in the Lord to see us through the next year.

We will have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, we have a formation at 6:00pm and that's when will be issued our weapons and have our passports & I.D. cards inspected. From there we are going to march over to the gym hang there for a while so families can say their goodbyes and all that good stuff. We will load buses and head down to Hickam Air-Force Base where we have a 5 hour window of when we can fly but we should be gone by 3:30am. We will go from Hawaii to Chicago to Germany and then into Afghanistan. I can only imagine how it will be when we touch down, I know there will some in-processing but I just have a feeling it will be a long day.

I just wanna thank all of you who read, for keeping up with my journey and keeping me in your prayers. I just ask you to continue. I will post my address in Afghanistan when I get it. The next blog you read will be from Afghanistan.