Why the hell is it always the really good guys?

I am in San Diego now, wearing the uniform and going through all kinds of pre-deployment processing. The day started at 5:00 am when 260 of us descended on an auditorium to be fitted for out deseret camoflauge uniforms. At 8:30, we began a 7 hour series of tedious Power Point presentations covering a wide range of topics- some complete crap, some quite helpful. And then out of the blue, a saw a Power Point slide I'll never forget as long as I live. I am having difficulty now just writing this.

We were being briefed on the seriousness of the threat in Aghanistan and Iraq. The presenter showed a couple videos of IED explosions from YouTube. Then they flashed up the slide- no graphics, just a copy of a casualty report from this April sent by Central Command detailing the loss of a sailor in Baghdad. The slide was meant to show that anyone, even a Supply Corps officer can be killed. Most of the sailors in the room seemed to get the point. All I saw was the name of an old friend, Phillip Anthony Murphy Sweet.

I met Phil when I was a crewmember onboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was senior to me by a paygrade, and an incredible Supply officer. A guy who was dedicated to his job as few ever are. He was a good friend, although he and I found ourselves screaming, yelling, and cursing at each other as loud and visciously as we could on a few occasions. No matter though, it was always about the job, and it seemed to strengthen our friendship over time. I hadn't seen Phil since August of 2000 when our ship came home from the Persian Gulf and he was transferred to a new command. I'll not forget the going away party we had in Lisbon, Portugal. I still have a ceramic tray I bought for him at the Maritime Museum there, but forgot to give to him.

Phil was an extremely gifted Naval Officer, but he was also a dedicated family man and a very loving father. That's a tough balance to maintain in the sea service, but it seemed to come naturally to him.

Fair winds, following seas, and Godspeed to you, Phil. I am a better man for having known you, and the world is dimmer without you.

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pamurphy-sweet.htm

Drifting far from home...

Originally uploaded by fetching

Some of the places and faces I'll miss.

T Minus Four Days....

The final few days at home are upon me. It's Wednesday. I report for duty on Monday morning after hopping a flight from Bakersfield to San Francisco. Five more nights in my own bed. That's it for the next 400+ days. Then begins the long journey to Afghanistan.

Steph and I got back from out quick little vacation late last night. Two days in Vegas where we we had a suite at the MGM Grand. My brother-in-law Don hooked us up on that one. Brian and I met Steph in Vegas on Saturday night after he and I attended a great, but short, 2 day M-16 rifle course at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Pahrump, NV. Sunday, the three of us saw Cirque de Solei's "O" at the Bellagio- a breathtaking show.

Monday, Steph and I stayed at the lodge in Zion National Park, then spent Tuesday exploring Zion and Bryce National Parks, with a brief stop at Cedar Breaks National Monument on the way home. We left Bryce mid-afternoon, and drove all the way back to Bakersfield. We could have gotten a hotel, but I wanted one more night in my own bed, at home with my wife, even if we would be exhausted.

And now, it's down to last minute details- documents, reservations, phone calls. E-mails to the guy in Afghanistan who I will be replacing. Mostly me asking him the key questions: Where will I be? What will I be doing? What's it like out there? And I get the inevitable response: I'm really busy right now, but I'll get back to you in a few days. Aargh. Understandable, I suppose.

Right now my thoughts are mainly with my new wife. Will she be OK while I'm away? Am I forgetting to make any arrangements before I go? She assures me she's going to be fine. But it's hard not to worry.