New York Trip

Good evening all!

Alas...I must report that my trip home has come and gone in a blink of an eye. I simply can't believe how fast the time went by and more importantly, how much our family crammed into a couple of weeks.

As you can no doubt tell from the pictures I have included, we took a trip down to New York City while I was home. Debra and I have been to NYC several times, however the girls have not and we decided to take advantage of my time home to do a "family trip". Given there is a wedding in the near future (not to mention grandchildren at some point) we thought it would be fun for the four of us to do a road trip. It has been quite some time since the four of us travelled together and we had a blast.

We drove down to Syracuse NY where we spent one night and then jumped onto a train the next morning to NYC where we spent three nights at the Roosevelt Hotel right in Manhattan. The hotel was within walking distance to all the major tourist attractions and we were able to take in as many as possible. We took the girls to see sights such as Central Park, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, and of course take in a Broadway Show (Chicago).

After New York we headed back to Ottawa and spent the next two days wedding dress shopping. I can't even begin to put into words what I felt when I saw Jennifer standing before me in a wedding dress...needless to say, it brought a tear to my eye. Unfortunately Jennifer's time was short and she had to fly back to Calgary to return to work, however a dress has been selected and an order been placed.

The remainder of my time in Ottawa was spent working on the house and enjoying Debra's superb home cooked meals....I should mention that during my time in Afghanistan I have lost some weight. I didn't realize how much until Debra hugged me at the airport and then had me weigh myself. Turns out that I had lost 16 pounds.....which as most of you know is not something I can afford to loose at the best of times. I did manage to put 9 pounds back on during the short time due completely to my wonderful wife.

Before I sign off for the evening, I must share that my return to Afghanistan was a much different arrival than my initial one. Being familiar with the country, environment, the job and of course the people, makes all the difference in the world. It felt "good" to return to Kabul and get back to work. That being said, I cannot overstate the immediate and complete sadness I felt when I said goodbye to Debra, Jennifer and Sarah.

I know this is very difficult for them and I have been truly blessed with such a loving and supportive family....

First Trip Home

I will be heading out very shortly for my first trip home. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to it...something about heading home, always makes a person feel great. I am really looking forward to taking our dog for a walk....taking my gun off....and hugging my wife.

I will be "out of theatre" for about three weeks and will continue to publish posts while I am away. I want the blog to capture the entire year of the Mission and I think the trips home and holidays are all part of the experience. I wouldn't be doing one without the other. During this trip home, Debra and I are taking the girls to New York City for a couple of days where we will take in all the sights, go to a Broadway show, etc. Debra and I have been to NYC a couple of times previously but the girls have not. There is just something about the vibrance NYC has and I have no doubt in my mind there may be some window shopping for a wedding dress.

The picture above was taken during a dinner to say farewell to S/Sgt. Dennis O'Byrne. Dennis (in the red shirt) has finished his year in Mission and is on his way back to BC. Dennis was our Advisory NCO and without a doubt, is the most efficient and organized person I have ever met. We are really, really going to miss him....just a super guy.

Cpl. Brian Pinksen

I just attended my fourth "ramp ceremony" since my arrival here in Afghanistan. Cpl. Pinksen is the 152nd Canadian to loose his life trying to make Afghanistan, Canada and the world a safer place.

At the ceremony tonight, the General spoke about how Brian wanted to be here and how much it meant to him to be part of the Infantry. Brian had said many times how the infantry was the backbone of the army. The worse the conditions, the more Brian liked it and the more he felt the need to participate.

He was severely injured while patrolling a small village as he walked down a narrow alley. They had to be out on foot, as the alley was too narrow for the armoured vehicles. The villagers needed protection and Brian was part of the team answering the call for help. An IED exploded causing injuries which ended his life several days later and stole him from his family and friends back home. He was only 21 years old...who knows what else he may have accomplished had his life not been cut so short.

My heart goes out to his parents in Newfoundland. I simply cannot imagine the grief they must feeling right now.