Notes From Afghanistan Part 2

Last week was a busy week for the RP and myself. We held our first service as the Religious Ministry team on Sunday the 5th and haven't really let off the gas since. I did the invocation for the Turnover of Authority ceremony on Tuesday and we immediately went out to visit one of the companies for a few nights. We got back on Thursday and then on Friday headed back out to visit another company coming back in on Saturday night, just in time to get ready for the meetings and services on Sunday. And now we are back out with another company for a few nights. Right now I am doing part of my duty as chaplain and posting photos on Facebook for the families to see their Marines and give them a small glimpse into what is going on out here.

We got our first batch of mail and care packages last Sunday, though I know there are many more still at Camp Dwyer. We are supposed to get another batch on Thursday so that means a bit of work for RP and I to get them all sorted this weekend so we can get the stuff organized and ready to ship out to the companies as soon as we get room on a convoy. And it seems that all we do is ride around on convoys from one place to another. I am keeping track of the number of convoys and am curious to see how many I will end up riding in by the end of our deployment.

Yesterday afternoon I got to see my first ever USO show. Four deployments later I finally get to see one. This is definitely one positive change from being on a submarine for deployments previously. It was a group of three female comedians who flew out to our FOB to do a show and then flew right back out to another location. They were pretty good and it was nice to have a bit of a live comedy routine to liven up the day.

Care Package Requests for June 2011

I now have a better idea of what we have from the previous unit and what we need for not only the Marines but also for the Afghan people we are here to serve. Any of the regular readers who want to drop some stuff in the mail or pass this list and address along would be greatly appreciated.

Care Package Needs June 2011

The ones in bold are especially needed right now


Afghan Children: School starts here in September, so we're trying to get the supplies early
Coloring Books—Culturally appropriate-Animals, etc
Text Books (English and Math)
Any kind of study aids
Shoes
Socks
Crayons
Colored Pencils(Solid Wood kind)
Pencils(Solid Wood kind)
Notebooks and Paper
Backpacks
Soccer Balls (Deflated)
Kick balls (Deflated)

Marines:

Socks (Brown, Green, Black)
Foot Powder
Razors (We are especially low on these)
Shampoo
Body Wash
Candy (Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, Werther’s, Twizzlers, BlowPops) This gets to the kids as well
Beef Jerky
Drink Mix (Single packets of Propel, Propel Zero, Gatorade, Kool Aid, Coffee, Tea, etc)
Baby Wipes
Gum
Chex Mix, Trail Mix
Granola Bars
Sunscreen
Hand Lotion
Food spices, flavorings and condiments
Tuna Packages

Chapel and Chaplain:

Letters from children to decorate the chapel and dining halls
Pancake Mix (Just add water kind only)—Will try to do pancake dinners in the field
Syrup
Chex Mix-Turtle and Honey Nut Flavors

Anything you want to send from the above lists. If I don’t use it, it will get put in the general pot

I thank you ahead of time for anything you send.

Mail Any packages to:

Chaplain Russ Ferguson
1/9 H Co S-1
Unit 74095
FPO AE 09510-4095

If someone wants to send something bigger (like a small fridge :))contact me at bubbleheadchaps@gmail.com and I’ll give you a list of things that would make help my ministry in a big way.

Notes from Afghanistan

We are safely in our new home for the next seven months. We got here a few weeks ago and are in the final stages of taking over from another unit that has started their journey home. They did some great things out here making this place better for the locals and we are looking to make it that much safer before we finally leave.

Based on my first impressions of the place, I wasn't too sure there was anything but open space and dirt (what they affectionately call moon dust out here because it is like baby powder). However, I got to get out with a convoy the other day and was surprised at how green this place can get near the major river that runs through our area. It was also nice to get near the district center and see what the hub of activity looks like in Afghanistan. One good thing about my job is I get to travel around frequently to see my Marines. This also allows me to see the area and meet some of the locals, both of which I am looking forward to doing.

My RP and I have assumed the duties of ministry in this area so tomorrow is the first day of preaching on the FOB and we are getting settled in. We are also expecting mail tomorrow and with that the first batch of care packages specifically for 1/9. We have been sorting the ones from the previous unit this last week and getting those out to the companies to make room for all the love people are sending specifically to 1/9. The next post after this one will be an updated request list. The American people are extremely generous to those deployed out here and we are very appreciative, even if most of the service members fail to tell people that back home. The care package items are quite the draw that gets people to stop by the chapel and we have plenty to give them thanks to all of you who send stuff our way.

It looks like there will be few if any photos to post on the blog over the next few months. The computer rules around here are pretty strict due to recent security leaks, etc. I am still trying to find a way to get them posted here and will do so as soon as I can figure a reliable method that stays within the rules.

Greetings From Afghanistan

We arrived at Camp Dwyer in Afghanistan yesterday morning at about 9am. From there it was getting settled in and walking around getting a feel for the layout of this base. It is pretty impressive here as it is the larger base that we will report to and such. We are only here for a few days before we head out to our area of operations. We are scheduled for a good deal of training over the next few days to orient ourselves with the area, culture, specific procedures, etc. I am ready to get to our final destination, but it is nice to have a decent place in the rear to come back to. There are about 5 dining halls, an MWR tent from which I am typing this right now, a gym, a PX, laundry facilities, etc. I think I have to come back up here around once a month, so it will be a nice break. I know that my RP will like the break as well.

The only thing I really know about this place is that there is a lot of open desert around here and it is hot. I think it was 110 yesterday. Not all that bad, but the fact that at 6am we were in rain and 50 degree weather made the shock of that temperature that much worse. I hope to get some kind of decent internet access where we are going so that I can continue to update what it is like out here.

Today I will do some more walking around finding the chaplains and see what the worship schedule is like for tomorrow and the other days we are here as well as if I need to preach tomorrow. Plus, I might get an idea as to when I am heading out of here. I think it all depends on when the chaplain I am relieving is heading this way as there is a issue of rack (sleeping) space out there.

On Our Way to Afghanistan

We arrived this morning in Manas, Kyrgyzstan which is a short stop on our way towards our final destination in Afghanistan. It is run by the Air Force, so we are living in relative luxury right now. The small chow hall had more than I had even thought possible while deployed and even the sleeping quarters are pretty plush. We get mattresses. Much better than what we had out in Twentynine Palms just last month. I have no idea how long we will stay here waiting for our next flight, but it is nice to actually get a bit of rest after the fight here. It was about 15 hours in the air with a two hour layover in Germany to refuel the plane and change the flight crew. The base here has plenty of things to do, but I sense it will get old fairly rapidly. We are ready to get to our final destination and do what we are trained for.

I have heard that we have already had care packages sent our way and now we get to see who can make it to our area first, the postal service or Transportation command and the Marines. Because we don't really know our schedule and when we are flying out, my money is on the USPS.

Care Package Needs May 2011

So the time is drawing near that we will be heading out to Afghanistan. One thing I am using this space for is to relay care package needs from both the 1/9 Marines and the Afghan children that life in our area of operations to those out there who may be interested in sending some stuff our way while we are living in the desert. I have been told it will take about 3-6 weeks for things to get out to us so I wanted to start this list as soon as the mail address went active. Anything sent without a specific purpose will be distributed evenly among the companies and my RP and I will deliver the items as we get around the battle space visiting the Marines and Sailors. If you want the items to go to a specific person or group of people, please drop a note in the box indicating that. Also, if you know of any school teachers that want to send notes please do that as well. I intend to decorate our chapel with letters and cards from the kids.

Care Package Needs May 2011

Afghan Children:

Coloring Books—Culturally appropriate-Animals, etc

Crayons

Colored Pencils

Pencils

Pens

Notebooks and Paper

Backpacks

Soccer Balls (Deflated)

Kick balls (Deflated)

Marines:

Socks (Brown, Green, Black)

Foot Powder

Razors

Candy (Jolly Ranchers, Starburst, Werther’s, Twizzlers, BlowPops) This gets to the kids as well

Beef Jerky

Drink Mix (Single packets of Propel, Propel Zero, Gatorade, Kool Aid, Coffee, Tea, etc)

Bulk Drink Mix

Baby Wipes

Gum

Chex Mix, Trail Mix

Granola Bars
Sunscreen
Hand Lotion
Chapstick
Food spices, flavorings and condiments
Tuna Packages

Chapel and Chaplain:

Letters from children to decorate the chapel and dining halls

Pancake Mix (Just add water kind only)—Will try to do pancake dinners in the field

Syrup

Chex Mix-Turtle and Honey Nut Flavors

Anything you want to send from the above lists. If I don’t use it, it will get put in the general pot

I thank you ahead of time for anything you send.

Mail Any packages to:
Chaplain Russ Ferguson
1/9 H Co S-1
Unit 74095
FPO AE 09510-4095

If someone wants to send something bigger contact me at bubbleheadchaps@gmail.com and I’ll give you a list of things that would make help my ministry in a big way.

Way to Go USO

So this isn't an update on anything in the last few days but a huge thank you to the men and women volunteers at the USO at John Wayne International Airport in Ontario, CA. They have done some amazing work the last few days. It started on Thursday night when we arrived at 11pm after a 2.5 hour bus ride from Twentynine Palms after EMV. I happened to be on the first bus at the front and was the first one inside the USO on Thursday night, the first of about 650+ Marines and sailors they would host that night alone, not counting the next two nights with the rest of 1/9 and all of 3/6 getting home.

When we got there, they had cold soft drinks in every part of the USO for us to have along some great snacks. Additionally, they had someone on the grill non stop cooking hot dogs for anyone who wanted them. I have been in a few USO locations and this by far was the largest I have ever seen. It looks like they took over an entire terminal that isn't used anymore and just spread all kinds of love and kindness to our servicemembers. The volunteers took time to talk with each person as they walked in the door and were extremely patient dealing with so many Marines cramped in a space designed for about 150 or so. They were there in shifts all through the night and it was amazing to see that kind of dedication to take care of some hungry and exhausted Marines.

I talked with many of the volunteers (the two Navy vets were glad to talk with a non-Marine for a few minutes). One lady had never seen a chaplain come through and had all kinds of questions and enjoyed talking with me about what I did each day. I am so grateful there are dedicated people that will come in and meet servicemembers regardless of the hour they come through.

Thank you and continued blessings to the USO on their ministry to those they serve.