Here we go again

It’s been almost a year since I’ve felt the urge to throw some words up here. My life is a fishhook. More to come.

30 Days Through Afghanistan: Day 6

30 Days Through Afghanistan: Day 5

30 Days Through Afghanistan: Day 4

30 Days Through Afghanistan: Day 2

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On the move

It’s been some time since my last post, as I’m preparing for deployment. Soon I’ll get back on the horse so-to-speak with Quiet Man in Afghanistan postings.

Air Force leader on Web 2.0

It’s always refreshing to see our senior leaders encourage the understanding and adaptation of new technology. A commentary by Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow, 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) commander, entitled, “The ‘happy’ medium between OPSEC and social networking: can it be achieved?” paints a pretty good image of the course we need to go and the foot-stompers that people in public affairs need to be making to not try and control information in this realm, but craft it and consistently build upon our strategic themes and messages.

Hearts and minds, indeed

 U.S. Forces Afghanistan’s Facebook page features an article from Al Jazeera on the Taliban’s new tactic of trying to win the hearts and minds of Afghani people through publication of a code of conduct .

Key quotes from the Taliban book are available here. Apparently some of the many challenges for Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Omar focus on consolidating his power and finding a new way to persuade people of Afghanistan that they are the same good people they were before Sept. 11, 2001. Of course this shouldn’t be an issue if you exclude mass killings, torture, oppression of freedoms and hostile community standards they imposed upon women.

The release of information is timely, in that Afghan elections loom closer. has openly invited Taliban members to take part in the Aug. 20 elections. The question is whether this new show of spirit will impact the polls, Taliban leaders have labeled an illegal election.

Wash on high, no bleach

A friend of mine Capt. Brad Kimberly who pens Blogging Iraq has some observations on something everyone thinks about before going into a war zone: laundry.

Laundry is just one of the many items the military contracts out at certain locations so the warfighters deployed there can focus on their main mission requirements. It has definitely made my deployments easier.