Recent Blog Blackout

I have chosen not to update my blog over the last several weeks due to my son's deployment. The unit has deployed to Afghanistan and most of the soldiers are in their duty stations.

I heard from my Soldier when he was in about 4 hours out of Kabul preparing to enter Afghanistan via military transport. They were tired since the flight was very long and crossed several time zones.

Recently, I heard from him again - by phone and email. He is "somewhere in the mountains" of Afghanistan in a remote operating base. The Soldiers have assumed the care of three dogs who were adopted by the Soldiers that just left Afghanistan to come home. The dogs accompany the Soldiers on patrol and assist in guard duty patroling the wire at night. He describes the area as ruggedly beautiful and the people as poor and very uneducated.

On the first patrol, many of the Soldiers contracted a mild food poisoning and plan to schlep a refridgerator to improve sanitary conditions at their remote outpost. During the winter months that was not necessary because perishables could be kept in an underground locker but with the weather warming, that appears to be a bad idea. When they are not patrolling, they are working to improve their temporary outpost.

As he does his job in Afghanistan, I am pleased to say that the peace work at home has not stopped. Chicago held a large peace demonstration last week. It was significant because the march was held on the Mag Mile where activists were arrested last year because the City of Chicago had forbidden access. We were well guarded by hundreds of police in riot gear in what can only be described as a show of intimidating force. There were no arrests according to the Chicago Police. Prior to the Chicago March, a weeklong vigil dubbed Camp Bring Em home was staged by a new Chicago peace Coalition called the Anti-War Majority at the office of Dennis Hastert. Following the march for the next week Camp Bring Em Home was moved to the offices of Rahm Emanual. One of the anchor groups of the Anti-War Majority, the Christian Peacemaker Teams, received the news that three of their members held hostage in Iraq were rescued...and on their way home to their families. The fourth, Tom Fox an American citizen, had been found dead in Baghdad a few weeks ago.

I will post pictures of the activities in Chicago as I have time.