Things I'll miss about Tarin Kowt

I haven't been in the office much these past couple days -- I've been trying to make myself available only for particular issues and give the new guy a chance to handle stuff on his own. (I still check in for the 8:00 morning meetings and the afternoon reports.)

Although naturally I'll be happy to get back home, there will be quite a few things I'll miss about being here.

• Free laundry services with one day turnaround (these guys fold my clothes better than I do)
• Free food, particularly the Sunday surf & turf dinners at neighboring Camp Cole
• Exercising according to my own schedule (in the afternoons, as the sun is going down)
• People burning stuff in the firepit outside my building

• Having my own workspace (unlike in Kandahar or Ft. Hood)
• Lots of free time to study
• The extra $600 per month deployment pay (and no federal taxes)
• Not having to wear a beret (it does make a difference when it's really hot), and
• No silly formations, like for Friday safety briefs.

The free food thing is definitely one of the biggest.

September 8 was "Outback Night." Ironically, it took place at the U.S. dining facility at Camp Cole rather than the Australian "mess hall" at Camp Holland.

Ethnic features such as Nepalese and Mongolian stir-fry were also fairly common.

Nevertheless, I'll be perfectly happy with my wife's cooking...

...we'll just have to go out more often.