Indiana is flat, Afghanistan is mountainous

It's been 11 days since I've hit the ground here at Camp Atterbury. Temperatures here have thankfully risen past the freezing point which makes for more bearable living conditions but the melting snows do create different problems.

I've settled somewhat into a routine here at Camp Atterbury. Most days begin between 4 and 6 in the morning. We wake up, do hygiene and eat. Most days after that, we do classes from everything ranging from hot/cold weather injuries to CIED (Counter Improvised Explosive Device) to briefs about the culture and history of Afghanistan. Often, this is done through PowerPoint and it's a challenge attempting to stay awake for 8-10 power point presentations.

After classes, we'll generally split off into our respective sections and shops. My "shop" is the S1 shop which has the primary task of conducting the administration and personnel issues at the squadron/battalion level. As noted before, I have been assigned as the Assistant S1. The best way to look at this from a civilian side would be that I'm an assistant manager. We have several soldiers who work in the shop. As an infantry officer without any time in a staff position, I am often lost as to what to do, but I'm trying to learn - ever so slowly. I generally work there until around 8 pm and then we do PT. We're doing a program called "Crossfit" which is an excellent full-body workout which incorporate endurance and muscular strength activities. As one of the other officers said, "You may work behind a desk, but I'll have physically fit officers sitting behind desks." If you're interested, you can find the link here http://www.crossfit.com/.

There's not a lot of free time or personal time. Most days last from early in the morning until late at night. I'm learning that even when most soldiers may be resting, relaxing and recovering from the day, officers and non-commissioned officers (Sergeants) are busy through those times. I'll often collapse at the end of the day into my bunk and sleep until the next morning when it's all done again. We work 7 days a week, most days are around 17-18 hours. It's exhausting at times and exhilarating at others. I suppose my natural laziness is being challenged working here.

All in all, I'm having a decent time out here. Privacy is nil, but I'm OK with that. Hope all is well with everyone. Thanks for those who have written. God bless. J