sgtdub

08 May 2007, Let's do a comparison sample of two posts I could have done.
Number 1: I write this in the morning instead of evening like normal.

08 May 2007, I slept last night. Be safe and have a great day.

Number 2: Normal afternoon writings.

08 May 2007, Wish I had slept all day. Be safe and have a great day.

Which do you like?
Actually, it wasn't that bad. I'm rushing to get several things finished at once and when you rely on "others" to do their part, it gets hectic. The new guys that are here are doing a pretty good job so far. I'm impressed with the ones we received in the SECFOR. I'm coming close to taking a whole day off and get things organized, both in my room and the final bit of equipment that I need to get packed away for shipping home. My leaving here is still a little ways down the road, but will be here sooner than I can get ready, so as we say, "plan early, plan often"
In case you were not aware, the Taliban have kidnapped a french aid worker and 3 Afghans helping and have been holding them, demanding that the French 1,100 soldiers leave Afghanistan or they will be executed by beheading. The time frame was set for Monday, the day after French elections. The demand was to see a change in France's President and then an immediate pull-out of troops. Now, let me start off by saying that once again the insurgent supporting liberal media has not balked at this action one bit, an innocent person who is actually over here to help people, not involved in conflict at the slightest. Now, they do bark a little if it was a journalist, but really not that much, since that would be the ultimate story for a reporter anyway. But, I do have to laugh at all this too. The deadline came and went. Now, there was a change in the Presidency, duh! Chirac wasn't running, that was a given. However, Sarkozy is being described as an unapologetic pro-American supporter and conservative. Hurray for France!! Today on Al-Jazeera the Taliban announced they would allow France more time to get their country back in order and civilized before demanding the French troops leave. It seems France is in a state of riots right now and doesn't have time to worry about what the Taliban wants. I just laugh to myself. And what is one of the reasons France is up in arms at this moment? Apparently there was a reform bill going around attempting to lower the number of hours in a workweek from the already demanding 35 hours. ( I put in 17 just on Sunday, what was I thinking?) At the bottom of the report, the Taliban are claiming responsibility for the attack at Pol-e-Charki, but we expected that. As Sarge Charlie pointed out, another report is stating that the ANA soldier was mentally unstable and had received treatment a couple of times during the last year.
Be safe and have a great day.