Shipping Out

[Airborne Rifles]

Hey Grogs, I wanted to let you all know I will be deploying to Afghanistan in the next few days.  This is a community that really makes me feel at home even if I don't contribute a whole lot and I just wanted to say I'll probably be contributing a lot less over the next few months, though hopefully I should have pretty easy access to internet.

The area to which I am going in southern Afghanistan is pretty bad right now.  If any of you are religious as I am I would appreciate whatever prayers you could offer for safety and success.  My wife and two kids have a great support community here at Ft. Bliss and I consider many of you to be a support to me in a way.  I've been reading some of your posts since I was in high school and I stumbled on wargamer.com looking for scenarios for Steel Panthers II.  Thanks to you all for being here and I look forward to hopefully continuing to read and contribute from downrange. 

[Steelgrave]

Keep your head down, brother. God bless and a safe return.

[TheCommandTent]

Good luck and stay safe, you'll be in my prayers.

[Staggerwing]

Prayers aplenty that you keep safe. Same goes for those you serve with. Keep us updated on how you are doing- to the extent permitted, of course  ;).

[son_of_montfort]

Stay safe and thank you for your service!

[Boggit]

I wish you the most incredible luck, should you ever have need of it - hopefully the need won't arise.

Try not to fret about the deployment. You can't influence that you're going and what will be, will be. It's much easier to be fatalistic than mess with your head in worrying about the worst that might happen, when the chances are nothing serious will. The butterflies in your stomach when you dwell on stuff is natural and normal. Don't forget the odds are with you. You will be surrounded by guys who will not only know and do their job right, but will look out for you and care more than you might imagine. Stay focused on your job, work with the team, don't take silly chances and come back safe to tell us about all the funny things that will invariably happen.

You and your unit have my sincere and best wishes for a safe return. God bless. :)

[Toonces]

Wow, I'm not happy to hear this.

Make sure you send a snail mail address to someone here- Longblade, JH, Gusington, etc.- and we'll get a care package together for you a bit into your deployment.

I've never been to Afghanistan, but that whole region of the world sucks.  If we can send you a little something a few months in to take away the sting, so much the better.

Stay safe.

<S>
Mike

[em2nought]

Wishing you the best of luck!

[Gusington]

Good luck AR and prayers for a speedy, safe return. And like SoM says above, thank you for your service.

[mirth]

Take care man. You'll have my thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

[GDS_Starfury]

Be good and keep sharp.

[Smuckatelli]

How many days do you have? I may be able to send a culture & language iTouch to you.

[LongBlade]

Wow, I'm not happy to hear this.

Make sure you send a snail mail address to someone here- Longblade, JH, Gusington, etc.- and we'll get a care package together for you a bit into your deployment.

I've never been to Afghanistan, but that whole region of the world sucks.  If we can send you a little something a few months in to take away the sting, so much the better.

Stay safe.

<S>
Mike

+1

Send me a PM with a snail mail addy. I'll put something together.

[Greybriar]

Keep your head down and your feet and powder dry, Airborne. Say a prayer and so will I. And as my dad told me when I shipped out, "Don't volunteer for anything."

Stay in touch when you can. We will be thinking of you. Good luck and God bless.

[Airborne Rifles]

How many days do you have? I may be able to send a culture & language iTouch to you.

Thanks Smuck.  I'm leaving in the next 48 hours but I did send LB my mailing address in country.