Afghanistan Weather Forecast

Again, all our troops and all that have been referred to in this blog are safe.

They way I typically write this blog is by starting an idea and saving it as a draft, then continuing to work on it as I find bits of time through the day or over a couple of days. Ironically, yesterday morning I had started an entry about the weather that seemed pretty humorous at the time.

Part of our daily updates to the commander in the morning is a synopsis of the weather in the areas where we have people, and since our people are scattered across the entire country, we get a pretty comprehensive picture. All the weather conditions and all the forecasts were "Dust" or "Haze" across the board.

It seemed pretty humorous at the time, but by the time visibility was reduced to less than 1/2 a mile, and the wind was picking up, it had more of an ominous feel. When the news came that a helicopter was down, it became downright eerie.

I'm sure that the humorous moments will return, and I'm sure we'll be able to laugh at the small misfortunes that the future holds for us, but right now, our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers go out to the friends, families, and loved ones of our comrades in arms who have been taken from us.

Dear Lord, Make me an instrument of thy peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is discord, harmony
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is sadness, joy.

Oh Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

-St Francis of Assisi