One day you're in, the next day your out....

Nelson and Fransisco, walked with me.

Biru, recreation center employee (dealer) always keeps me smiling!

Castor and Bryan (TASS) great friends, spades partner.

Maybe I need to catch some of you up on life over here; you need to know that people come "in" and go "out" so quickly; the PAX terminal is like a revolving door over here. Opening up to bring friends back from R&R (coming through Bagram) while others are heading out on R&R.

Here is brief synopsis of the first 4 months: First I am here alone; then comes in Michael. Yeah a friend and classate from my Camp Atterbury training. Then Ryan (classmate) came in, on his way to his final destination, and then he went out. Carl (classmate) came in on his way out for R&R. Kathryn (classmate) came in to teach a class, and then out she went. Alan (classmate) came in and Mike and I got to work with him until Michael went out. Then Matt (classmate) ran into me while in Atlanta on our way back from R&R, we returned to Bagram together, and then he went out.

Back home we refer to the mountain (Mt. Rainier) as being "out". Here we refer to friends as being "in" or "out". And that is just my camp classmates. I have plenty of soldiers and contractor friends that are going out to work other regions, or coming in from R&R with stories to share. When friends are here it is like the mountain being out, a beautiful thing!

I am excited that I have had the opportunity to see so many of my classmates over the course of these last 4 months. Especially since in class it was noted that I would be the only one assigned to Bagram.

So, the people in my life over here, are either "in" or they are "out", but they are never off my mind. As we all worry about each others safety and we keep track of the military activity and the happenings at each others forward operating bases (FOB), and the news surrounding it.

Thank you Xeni, Curlee, Bryan, Hector, Ray, Nelson, Leo, Gary, Fransisco, Castor, Levi, Biru, Jackie, Gabe, Melissa, Jan, and all of the rest of the people who have taken the time to become my friend, my walking partners and a reason to keep my head up and a smile on my face.

I hope someday you will all come to see the beautiful state of Washington, and that the mountain will be "out".