Curmudgeon: An Unlikely Army Chaplain

Sequoiadendron giganteum

2010-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

When my parents came out to California for my graduation from my PhD program in molecular neurobiology a dozen years ago, I took them with me to visit Muir Woods National Monument across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. One of the last old-growth forests of coastal redwoods in California, Muir Woods has been protected from logging and commercial development since 1905.

We certainly didn't have trees like that in Michigan when I was young!

Anyway, I bought my parents a souvenir tree from the gift shop there. Now this sapling was not that of a coastal redwood, but rather of a giant sequoia. What had caught my attention was the claim that seqouias could grow in any climate in the United States, as long as the young tree got established well enough to begin with.

My Dad took this as a challenge, and planted the thing in a five-gallon paint can he'd filled with dirt.

For at least three years he grew the tree in that pot, dutifully bringing the plant indoors in the winter so it wouldn't get damaged by the cold, and then lugging it back outside once spring came. He eventually planted the young tree behind their house there in Michigan, on the edge of the woods onto which their property backs.

It was about six inches tall when they got it, and about a foot and a half tall when he planted it in the ground.

A dozen years later now the sequoia's trunk is several inches in diameter, and reaches almost as high as the roof of the house.

Because it had been planted along the border of the woods, the tree's branches tended to form on the side of the trunk away from those other trees, rather than being perfectly symmetrical. (I suspect this is not the first sequoia to have gotten its start in life that way!)

Dad was afraid the thing might fall over because of its lopsided growth pattern so he braced it up, and kept adding height to the top of the brace as the years progressed.

Now that my parents are going to be moving away, I'm sad that I'll not be able to monitor the fate of my once-tiny sapling anymore. At least according to the instructions which came with the plant when we got it, the tree has the potential to live hundreds of years, if not thousands.

Amazing.

One can see the typical coniferous leaf patterns of my Dad's Sequoiadendron giganteum in the photo above, if one looks closely. For only having been in the ground for nine years, the tree has grown at an astounding rate!

I just love botany!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

2010-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

Like music to my ears, Khao Niao Ma Muang is one of my favorite phrases in Thai.

This is because it's one of my favorite food groups (Sticky Rice with Mango), and something I've been craving for the past two years. For reasons I don't now remember, I didn't get to a Thai restaurant while I was home on leave during my Iraq experience, nor afterward.

So no ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง for Tim during that time!

However, one of the first things I did upon my arrival home was to take myself out to a Thai restaurant for lunch, and order some ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง for dessert. Heaven!

Truth be told, the mango wasn't as spectacular as some I'd had in Thailand over the past ten years, but that didn't much matter. The combination of sticky rice, coconut milk, and mango was enough to delight my palate anyway.

So much so, in fact, that I had ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง twice more over the next five days.

Yum!

I'm glad to be home!!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Oddness

2010-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Oddness.

For a while now, especially since leaving the demobilization station and returning to 'civilization', I've had a persistent sense of how odd it is to be home again after two years on Active Duty.

It all seems vaguely dreamlike.

Dreamlike to be back here, and dreamlike to have been gone at all.

Very odd.

I'm telling people I feel not unlike Rip Van Winkle, as I struggle to remember directions to places I frequented with great regularity before I left on my latest two-year adventure.

Oddness.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The Feast of St. Ignatius

2010-07-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, then-SFC McG and I left Summer Camp - South by van on our way to Iraq. We were up at zero-dark-thirty in order to be ready for our pick-up (which was late), and then had an eight-hour ride to the airport, an eight-hour stay at the airport, an eight-hour plane ride followed by a several-hour layover, and another four-hour plane ride before we got to Kuwait.

Fortunately for all concerned, then-SFC McG was a miracle-worker, and we left Kuwait for Iraq only 14 hours after we'd arrived -- avoiding the stay at the much-dreaded Camp Buehring altogether. Hooray!

Today I have a small get-together with friends from high school and college at my parents' place, as they get ready to move south to be nearer my brother-in-law and sister.

When I look back over the past thirty-one 31sts of July, it's pretty amazing to reflect upon the many and varied places I've been in the U.S. and outside the country as I've observed the feast of the founder of the Society of Jesus.

I sure am glad to be back in the States this year!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The comforts of home....

2010-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

After being gone, effectively, for twenty-five months, it's really great to be back in the States and able to wear civilian clothes. There *is* something to be said for not having to ask, any time I change my attire, "Will this make me look fat?"

When wearing the Army Combat Uniform (ACUs), I know it will!

I'd brought along civvies with me to Iraq, and to Kosovo, but had almost no opportunity to wear them, seeing as the edict from 'on high' came down that only Army uniforms could be worn. This was as true while we were training in the States as it was Down Range.

(This, of couse, assumes the willing suspension of disbelief necessary to see Kosovo as being "Down Range" in any real sense....

Unfortunately for me, as regards my haberdashery, however, since the Jesuits gave away my room while I was away and all the rest of my civilian clothes are locked away in cold storage, it's going to be a while before I have any real clothing options to choose from. I'll make the best of it, though!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Worth a thousand words

2010-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

20 July 2010

'Nuff said!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Change

2010-07-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

There was a song from the mid-80s that I liked (lyrics by Bernard Ighner, though I can't remember who the female vocalist was) which came to mind as my plane landed in California after being released from the demobilization process in Indiana:

It's a very evocative, lyrical piece, as I remember it. Suffused with sadness and not a little regret, the song conveys a message of hope, which is probably why I liked it the first time I heard it.

I was reminded of that song as my plane was taxiing to the jetway at the San Jose Airport. The first time I flew in there, in 1990, the place was a veritable 'Hooterville' -- and the first time I'd ever seen or used "skystairs" to disembark an aircraft.

Eventually another terminal was built, so that there were both the "A" terminal (the new one) and the "C" terminal. I guess they had plans to build a "B" terminal, but over the course of the next 15 years, it never materialized.

I began referring to it, almost immediately, as the "D-minus" terminal. "C" was far too generous a grade!

Imagine my surprise, then, upon landing and seeing that the "C" terminal has been razed, and both the new International and "B" terminals (I guess) are open for business. Moreover, there's now a huge new, multi-story parking structure, and bridges and tunnels that didn't exist a few years ago.

The place actually looks like a real airport now.

Who knew?

Everything must change....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

To sleep--perchance to dream

2010-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've not mastered the art of sleeping in a barracks.

This is probably due to the fact that I joined the Army at such an advanced age (some would call it my "dotage"), and since that time not quite four years ago, I've been fortunate not to have to endure that trial very often.

Don't get me wrong -- I love my Soldiers and am glad to spend time with them and to do whatever they have to do. The ministry of presence which we Army Chaplains perform seems to help Soldiers significantly, and I'm honored to be able to do it.

But after 30 years of living on my own, essentially -- with my own room all to myself, however small a space that might be -- I've still not managed to accustom myself to multiple occupancy.

While I was on the Iraq mission, I shared a room with then-SFC McG for a month as we were training up, and a few days as we went through DEMOB. That wasn't *too* bad, though it did take some getting used to, and I didn't sleep all that well. Once in Iraq, I shared my hooch with another Chaplain for three weeks upon arrival, and then with my boss Chaplain for two weeks before he left country to return to the U.S.A.

Not my idea of a great time, but I managed.

But the lead-up to my Kosovo mission was something else. The first three weeks saw seven other people in the room. Then in the Midwest, there were eighteen others. Finally, in Germany, there were thirty-one. I basically did not get a good night's sleep for three months.

Sigh.

One of the best parts about being home is that I'll have space to myself at night!

Now, if I can only get my sleep cycle to correspond with the time zone I'm in....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

There's no place like home

2010-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I arrived home in California last night!

Many thanks to the California Guard Chaplain and his wife and children, along with six members of the California State Military Reserve Chaplaincy, who met me at the airport! My friend Mary, representing friends from church, was there as well.

I'm especially grateful to Top, the first First Sergeant who attempted to square me away upon my joining the Army, who collected me and my gear at the airport. I was glad that he could go with me to Elaine's house, where Elaine had made her spectacular grilled cheese sandwiches for the two of us and my good friend Elizabeth, who joined us there.

There's no place like home!

Gratias tibi Domine.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Parting Shots

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Unit Ministry Teams of KFOR-12 (and I) welcomed our replacements enthusiastically a couple of weeks ago. Shortly before four of the five of us flew out of here on our way home, we all gathered for a group photo. (One of the incoming Chaplain Assistants was ill, and is not pictured.)

The Chaplains and Chaplain Assistants from KFOR-12 are to the left of the photo, while KFOR-13 UMTs are on the right.

Afterward, one of our Chaplains and and one of the Chaplain Assistants demonstrated why people from non-liturgical religious traditions should not attempt liturgical dance.

Or something.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Parting Gifts

2010-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned my buddies from the Ukrainian Army in previous blog posts. One of those guys, MSG S, speaks English quite well, while most of his comrades speak no English at all. MSG S and a couple of the Officers in his unit (plus one other Sergeant) came twice a week to the on-Post English classes which were coordinated by the Aviation Battalion, and which I took over once I arrived on scene with them (after my Battalion left).

Quite a number of times I wound up meeting with MSG S outside of class, because he was so intent upon learning as much English as he could, as well as he could.

Not long before I left for home, MSG S brought his Company Commander to my room, and we sat around and chatted for a couple of hours. (Actually, MSG S did most of the talking, as his Commander felt insecure about his command of English. I encouraged him to take the risk of making mistakes, since that's the best way to master a foreign language, at least in my experience.)

Several times MSG S came over at night to watch a movie with me. I gave him the "com" (the remote) so he could stop the movie whenever he felt the need to ask for clarification. I'd often tell him to stop it so I could explain some idiomatic phrase or other. Those evenings were quite enjoyable.

Several times he'd show up and have one of his young Soldiers with him, who'd watch the movie with us, but without understanding the language. So MSG S would hit "pause" every so often, just to make sure his friend knew the subtleties of what was going on.

This of course presumes that a movie such as "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" *has* subtleties....

The night I was *supposed* to begin the journey home at 0200, MSG S and his friend knocked at my door. I'd already given away the TV and DVD player (to him! along with a sleeping bag, some DVDs, a teapot, and some other stuff), so I was surprised to see them. They said they weren't going to stay, but that they had the young Sergeant had something for me.

They're all part of the Ukrainian Army Airborne Corps, and SGT B had sewn me a flag that their Airborne troops all fly. On top of their having given me a complete Ukrainian Army Paratrooper's uniform (replete with my name sewn on it, as well as Captain's rank), this was a very generous and thoughtful gesture on their part.

I can't wait to display it in my new office when I start work at the end of my terminal leave!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

DEMOB

2010-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

It had been raining not long before we arrived back at Summer Camp - North, but while our gear was being off-loaded and collected, the rains abated. My duffel bag and ruck sack managed to get a pretty good coating of mud in the process, but that's just par for the course.

The beds in this place are still as hammock-y as they were last summer, but I was grateful to snag a lower bunk this time. (With my knees as sore as they've been for the past few months, I was grateful not to have to clamber up to a top bunk.) My back rebelled against the lack of support, but I was counting on it being only for a few days, so I tried not to dwell on how uncomfortable I was.

After all, this was a *lot* better in terms of living conditions than they once were, and could just as well have been. It was *so* good to be Stateside!!

We had to report for the loathsome out-processing briefings at 0700, so I showed up at the DFAC for breakfast at 0615. I figured I was doing pretty well, given that I hadn't often even eaten breakfast while in Iraq or in Kosovo.

I saw a few of my Aviation buddies in the DFAC. They were dressed in civilian attire, and ready to board the buses home to Kentucky. I felt sad that I'd not be able to wish them all well as they left for home (finally!), because I had to attend briefings at the times their buses were leaving.

Oh well.

Our briefings (finance, VA, JAG -- I can't even remember them all at this point!) droned on and on and on, until it was time for lunch. I was able to meet up with a friend of mine who had been on med hold there at Summer Camp - North for a couple of weeks before we arrived, and I took him to lunch at the All-Ranks Club. (A bit pricey, but it was nice to be eating anything back home in the U.S. of A!)

My friend has recently become someone who goes to a lot of AA meetings, and it was a relief to be back in the presence of folks like him! I learned that he had some friends he wanted to introduce to me, so that sounded like fun, too.

The briefings resumed and consumed most of the afternoon and early evening. Truth be told, there was some interesting and important information put forward, and I'll be taking some of the stuff from the Veterans Administration back to give to my Dad, who's a Korean-War-era Army veteran.

Demobilization (DEMOB) involves a lot of hurry-up-and-wait, but if I remember to breathe, I've found (both at Summer Camp - South, after Iraq, and now here) that what needs to get done gets done according to a rhythm and timetable other than my own, and I have a much better time if I just go with the flow.

Of course, if it weren't 'sauna time', it would seem to flow a lot better, I'd bet! It has been ghastly hot and humid since we arrived.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Exodus

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

The airport from which we were to fly home is not really set up to handle large crowds efficiently (or even medium-sized groups, for that matter). The "sterile" area has seating for about sixty people; we were about 100 more than that.

I waited in the outer waiting area as long as I could. There are about 120 seats there.

(How do you spell "bottleneck"?)

Not only were we not permitted to take liquids onto the plane, we couldn't even bring fresh fruit from the DFAC with us. My orange was impounded, much to my chagrin. They missed the fact that my trail mix was not in an unopened, factory-packed condition (I'd made it myself), so at least I got to keep it with me, and nosh on it over the course of the next 18 hours or so.

The final wait for the plane seemed interminable, but we actually got underway not too long after the 1330 time we'd been briefed earlier that morning. Because the aircraft was smaller than originally projected (the repairs on the one we should have been flying on had not been completed, so we were sent a different airframe altogether), we were somewhat more squeezed for space on board the plane, and there was a rumor that we might have to make two -- or perhaps three -- stops on our way to the States.

The first leg of the flight took us only as far as Leipzig, Germany. This is becoming somewhat familiar to me, as I've stopped there on my way to and from Iraq, and now on the way home from Kosovo. The layover of two hours just about matched the amount of time it had taken us to get there.

Back on the plane, it was a relief (and a bit of a downer) to hear that we were flying non-stop to Indianapolis. At least we'd be Stateside when we next touched down, but the bummer was that the flight would be 9.5 hours long.

Oy.

My arthritic knees don't do well in confined spaces for extended lengths of time.

But at least we were almost back!

I tried to sleep, but seeing as about the only time I can sleep in a moving vehicle is if I'm driving, I wound up watching the four movies they had to offer.

The food which was served was actually very tasty. (Why can't U.S.-based carriers do at least as well??)

I called my parents at 202113JUL10 (9:13 p.m., 20 July 2010) as we landed at the Indianapolis airport.

By the time I got to bed that night, it was already 0030 the next morning.

But at least we were back in the States!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

All Aboard!

2010-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

We wound up having to collect all our gear (after it had been inspected by Customs agents, loaded onto trucks, and locked up, starting at 0200) on Monday morning, since the plane we were scheduled to board had reported mechanical trouble and was supposedly being serviced in some other country. Sigh.

It had been a long, sleepless night, and I'd thrown the key to my (single) room through the window of the very nice person who'd let me stay in my billet after the rest of the Mustangs had left. Fortunately, a kind and generous Senior NCO invited me to use one of the beds in the room he'd been occupying, so I was able to stow my stuff, get some food, and attempt some shut-eye later in the day.

I'd not had to walk to the truck with my gear (two of the Chaplain Assistants came to pick me up in the van), but the distance from my room to the road did a number on my knees, none the less! However, my temporary lodging in Mid Town was about twice as far from the truck than I'd had to walk, so it was a project to schlep my duffel bag, ruck sack, and day pack to that room and back!

Friends of mine who go to a lot of AA meetings talk about how they "trudge the road of happy destiny," but I suspect they have something altogether different in mind.

It was great to be able to see my Ukrainian Army friends one more time, and to see how they'd set up the TV and DVD player I'd bequeathed them. They live six men to a room, so I had it really easy, what with being alone in half the space they had!

We were given something of a reprieve, in that we didn't have to report again (with all our gear, of course) until 0615, rather than at 0200. I got there at 0545, and was amazed at how many others had gotten there before me.

I guess a lot of us were really ready to go home!

The Customs inspection went very, very smoothly, and all the bags got loaded on the trucks rather expeditiously. Then it was a matter of waiting around to board the buses for the hour-long trip to the airport. Fortunately, we got underway without much ado, and were off to the airport.

More later!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

CONUS

2010-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, if all had gone as planned, I'd have been back in the States a couple of days already at this point.

CONUS, in Army-speak.

That's "CONtinental United States" for everyone else.

I'm still not sure how to use the acronym in a sentence, because it seems as though it ought to take a definite article ("the CONUS"). I've never heard that phrase used, however.

In any event, after more than two years of being mobilized/deployed, and after having watched the two units for whom I served as Chaplain leave ahead of me, I was really looking forward to being back in the States according to schedule!

However, this is the Army, and as I'd been telling people rather consistently, "just stay in the present moment -- don't live in a future that may never happen."

It seems the plane which was originally scheduled to have picked us up developed some sort of mechanical problem, and had to land in a country other than Kosovo for repairs.

We found this out after having schlepped our bags to the staging area (for me, this was at some significant distance, and my duffel, ruck, and day pack weighed over 140 pounds -- *that* did a number on my knees and left ankle as I was-- very slowly -- making my way across the ever-present gravel!) at 0200, enduring the Customs inspection which started at 0300, being told we were "on hold" at 0400, and finally having been apprised at 0545 that we'd have to collect our luggage and repeat the drill 24 hours later.

Sigh.

We later learned that the delay would be an additional 4.5 hours longer than that.

It was a *huge* disappointment to me that all this meant I wouldn't be able to see my Aviators one more time before they departed for New York, Kentucky, Virginia, and South Carolina.

Powerlessness.

But it is what it is, and by not having dwelt in a future which can now never happen, I seemed not to have experienced as much Angst as some of those around me who'd approached the situation differently.

I guess my friends who go to a lot of those AA and Al-Anon meetings are on to something, because they've been telling me, for three decades now (one day at a time), that I might just want to try living in the moment....

No matter what it took to get here, it's good to be CONUS!

Even if I'm not quite home yet.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Flight time wrap-up

2010-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had less than a third of the missions via air here in Kosovo than I did in Iraq, and most of the missions I flew here were simply TF AVN taskings, and didn't have anything directly to do with Religious Support Operations.

(One could make the case, none the less, that since one of the missions of Army Chaplains is a 'ministry of presence', I was conducting that mission each time I flew. That might be stretching it, however.)

Ever since coming into the Army, and especially once I took my first ride on a Blackhawk (as terrified as I felt that day in Iraq), I'd wanted to work with an Aviation unit. Now that I had the opportunity, I thought I'd avail myself of every chance I got to be with Aviators as they did what Aviators do.

Before the 25MAY10, I'd never used night vision goggles before, as I may have mentioned. Now that my flying with TF Aviation is over, I've logged 31.8 hours of NVG time. Not bad for six weeks, eh?

Moreover, I've got a total of 41.1 hours of daylight flying (some of which probably could count as "night, unaided", but I decided not to differentiate, seeing as this really doesn't count for anything real).

That means, then, that I'll go home with a grand total of 72.9 hours of flying around Kosovo in helicopters.

There was at least one pilot here who didn't have that much time over the course of the deployment, let alone over six or seven weeks.

What a blast!

I love my job.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Alone again....

2010-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

My Aviators all left for the States recently.

Talk about déjà vu all over again!

For the second time in ten weeks I found myself watching everyone else in the unit I've been supporting leave -- without me.

Now, it's true that I've only been with Task Force Aviation for a relatively short time, but I've spent most of my waking moments with them during that time. So I've gotten to know a lot of them, and some of them, pretty well.

I'm very happy for them that they'll soon be home with loved ones and friends! I was just hoping to be able to be there while they experienced the flood of emotions which comes with going home after being away, in foreign countries, for so long.

But it was not to be.

So I'm back to feeling the grief which attends any and all loss. At least it's not completely unexpected -- I was told a couple of days prior to their departure that I'd be going with another group, very few of whom I know as well as I do the guys and gals in TF AVN.

Oh well. I'm sure in some (probably parallel) universe this all makes sense. I was unable to be with my Mustangs as they went through the demobilization process, too. Being here while they were there was a great sadness for me then, as this is now.

But this too shall pass!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Some more flowers and insects

2010-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

I just can't help myself. No matter where I am, if I have my camera, and there are flowers and critters around -- especially wildflowers -- I'll spend time photographing them....

Isn't nature grand?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Aviation visits the Church of the Black Madonna

2010-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not long ago a group of Soldiers from Task Force Aviation took a road trip out to the Church of the Black Madonna. As has been their wont for the whole deployment, they brought along a few soccer balls (they're called 'footballs' here), and one of the Sisters who lives and works at the Church was very happy to take a couple off our hands.

A bit later, without any publicity efforts on our parts, we were swarmed with children hoping to come away with a toy or two.

It seemed as though they were all smiles as we left.

I love it when Soldiers interact this way with others!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Typical sights in Kosovo

2010-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Most of the populace near where we live here just LOVE the United States of America. Many of the locals whom I've met have expressed a desire to move to the States, or at least to have their children move there.

I'm not sure I've seen more representations of the Statue of Liberty anywhere in the US than I've seen in these parts!

Another thing that's really common here is to have buildings, and especially houses it seems, painted with rather bright and surprising colors.

Some houses are very old and dilapidated, while others are clearly much better maintained. They can often be right next to each other.

A decade after the most recent war's end, one can still see buildings which were damaged in the war, and haven't been repaired or razed.

Who knew?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Happy Birthday!

2010-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of my Army buddies, who had been an undergraduate in ROTC when I was teaching in the midwest a decade ago, celebrates his birthday today.

He's an amazing Soldier, and a wonderful young man. He's been a great power of example for me over the past three and a half years as I've tried to learn how to be an Officer in the U.S. Army.

Besides his amazing intellect (he scared me when he was an undergrad, he's so bright), and his encyclopedic recall of military history, he caught my attention long ago because he was a violinist in his spare time.

Three combat deployments to Iraq later (from which, each time, he brought all his men home alive -- no mean achievement for an Infantry unit involved in significant engagements with the enemy), he's still going strong and will soon be promoted.

That'll be yet another of my student whom I'll have to address as "Sir" or "Ma'am"....

Happy Birthday, Jason! Sir.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Old Glory -- update

2010-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

A while ago I mentioned that I was on a flight which involved two helicopters. Now, while I was in Iraq, that was standard practice, but here it's not been as common. While we were on the flight, one of the Crew Chiefs flew a flag out the window as we were flying along. Our hope was that one of the crew of the other aircraft would be able to photograph the flag from their vantage point.

I found a couple of photos which they took.

(I'm actually glad to see that I'm not the only one who has trouble keeping the subject in focus while the aircraft is in flight....)

It's a grand old flag!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Part of the team

2010-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Because I'd been using another Soldier's flight gear exclusively for the past month, the person in charge of that sort of thing in the Lift Company notified me that I needed to sign a hand receipt for the gear.

At the same time, they made me a name tape for the helmet I was using, which identifies the wearer when the person's identity can't be otherwise determined (as when the darker eye shield is down during the day, for example).

Sometimes the names on the helmets simply reflect the given or surname of the Soldier; at other times, the appellation is more colorful.

When I got my helmet back, the name they'd given me was "Chappy."

I really felt as though I were part of the team.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Patience

2010-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the aircraft have left Post to return to Germany, and thence to the States, Soldiers here in TF Aviation (and throughout KFOR-12) are getting even more antsy to get home.

I can't say as I blame them, but to be honest, I'm trying not to think about it.

After all, this *is* the Army, and things can change.

More and more folks are asking me if I'm excited about leaving, and each time I tell them I'll believe it when I see it. I mention to them that my experience has taught me to focus on doing the next right thing, and then whatever's going to happen will happen according to some other timetable than my own (usually).

By keeping my sights set on the near-term, on "the now," rather than on what *might* be at some indeterminate time in the future, I can stay sharp and see the mission through to completion.

But more than that, only be staying in the present moment can I have any possibility of conscious contact with a power greater than ourselves (as my friends who go to a lot of those AA and Al-Anon meetings put it). I've learned through experience that my God only exists in the present, and not in the past, nor in the future.

If I dwell in the past because of regrets or fears or resentments or whatever, I'm going to miss the surprises of finding God's presence in the "here-and-now." Ditto for attempting to live in the future because I find the past and/or present unacceptable. My God doesn't show up there. God only comes to me in the present moment.

So I'm not very excited about the return, whenever that might be. There's much to be done here before my mission is complete, and I'll keep my eye on that. At least for the present.

In so doing, I'll find the Presence.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Off they go, into the wild blue yonder....

2010-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful, sunny morning recently, our aircraft left Post for the last time, signalling then end of our KFOR-12 aviation mission using equipment which arrived here last October. About an hour before liftoff, I moved from one aircraft to the next, bidding my friends good-bye, dropping off bags of 'treats' for their trip, and praying for their safe and swift return home.

It would have been great to fly up the Adriatic coast with them, but alas! that was not to be.

Along with a number of other Soldiers, I watched their departure from atop the air traffic control tower.

In a gesture of farewell, my buddies flew over the Post flagpole (aircraft are usually not permitted to do so here) on their way to their destination.

Now to finish my handover to my replacements, and I'll be able to get out of here, too!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sunset flight, part 2

2010-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest of the photos from the sunset flight we took a short time ago.

Ah, beauty!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sunset flight, part 1

2010-07-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not long before I had to stop flying, we went out just before sunset, and as we were flying doors-open, I was able to get some pretty good shots of the western sky as we flew around. I hope you like them!

See why I love to fly so much?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Gearing up for going home

2010-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

The person in charge of supply considerations for the Lift Company of the Aviation Battalion I'm hanging out with decided I ought to sign a hand receipt for the flight gear that I've been wearing for the past month. The helmet and vest, and one of the pieces of technology which aviators carry, are all worth a lot of money, so I guess they wanted to make sure they'd get reimbursed if I lost any of it, or something. I'm grateful to have been able to use it.

The Sergeant who is responsible for making sure flight gear is serviceable actually made a name tape for the flight helmet I've been using, which delighted me to no end. The Crew Chiefs and a few pilots who noticed it thought it was pretty fun, too.

While I was in Iraq, my "little friend" (who can be seen in the photo above, if one looks closely) and I travelled all over the Multinational Division - Baghdad battlespace together (much to the chagrin of one of the Chaplain NCOs). He and I have spent a lot of time in helicopters here in Kosovo now.

In fact, now that I'm pretty much done with flying (sadly!), he and I have racked up more than 72 hours of flight time, which includes 31 hours of night-vision goggles (NVGs). Not bad for being a newbie to the world of aviation, I'd say. (It's actually more time than a couple of the pilots have logged. Go figure.)

One of the Warrant Officers in the Lift Company, a pilot who's been flying helicopters for many years now, upon hearing of how many flight hours I've amassed in the past six weeks, said rather dryly: "And to think I'd believed up until now that the Catholic Church only had flying nuns!"

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

They have arrived!

2010-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our replacements have begun to arrive!

Their aircraft showed up recently, and a number of us were there to welcome them.

This is very good news for those of us who are ready to go home.

Welcome, KFOR-13!! ¡Bienvenidos a todos!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Summer flowers

2010-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I saw these posies the other day and wanted to share them with you.

The daylilies, especially, remind me of home. All things being equal, I might actually get back there later this month....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Operation Rising Star -- Final Update

2010-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had the finals of Operation Rising Star yesterday, as part of the all-day entertainment extravaganza scheduled for the MWR outdoor stage. Over the course of the day they had a number of bands (including my aviators, though being that it was a Sunday, I was otherwise occupied), three comics on tour from the U.S., and a band who comes here about once a year.

The two comics I heard used some incredibly "flowery" language, which I found a bit surprising, but which the crowd loved. I felt offended by the incredibly mysogynistic 'humor' of one of them, who seemed to advocate violence toward women (or at least considered it funny). Oh well, at least I don't ever have to listen to the guy ever again!

I was asked by lots of people, over the course of the last week, whether I'd be singing my adaptation of "The House of the Rising Sun" again at the finals of Operation Rising Star. I consented, as long as I could sing something I really wanted to sing.

Yesterday morning I woke up with a scratchy throat and phlegm that just wouldn't quit, so I had great misgivings about whether I'd be able to sing at all, let alone get through "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot." I've never really attempted to sing this aria in public before a sizeable crowd, so knowing that I had the upper respiratory thing going on did not inspire confidence in me.

As I was on stage singing "Nessun dorma," I noticed the sunset off in the distance, since the stage faces west. The clouds were illuminated with hues of magentas and oranges and ruby reds, against the azure of the early-evening sky. It was somewhat distracting, to be honest, and I found myself wishing I could get out my camera to snap a few photos.

After I finished "Nessun dorma" I sang the parody of "The House of the Rising Sun" again. This time, however, all of the Very Important People on Post were there, including the Big Cheese himself. I'd printed up 100 copies of the lyrics, and I could see people in the audience singing along.

I heard later that the Big Cheese was not particularly enamored of my artistry (or perhaps it was the lyrics)....

From what I can tell, the majority of the rest of the crowd loved it.

SPC Jorge Cardona won the Operation Rising Star competition, and will in the running to go to the finals in Washington, DC this fall for the finals. Congratulations, Jorge!

I left the stage to go flying.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Independence Day

2010-07-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, America!

The weather here lately has been really rainy and annoying. We're hoping for at least enough sun so that the softball "World Series" can take place, as well as all the other outdoor activities that have been planned.

Because of the rain -- well, actually more because of the low ceilings and the lightning -- I've not been able to do as much flying as I'd have liked. My window of opportunity for flying is rapidly closing, so it's a been a disappointment.

Things have gotten so desperate I received a phone call two days ago from one of the senior Officers on the Brigade staff asking me to pray for good weather for today. I must admit, I'd like some better weather, myself!

At the moment, the sun is shining and there are only a few clouds in the sky, so perhaps the weather will cooperate.

In any event, Happy Birthday again, America!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Twenty-five years ago

2010-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've heard from a number of friends of mine from all over the country who go to a lot of AA and Al-Anon meetings that they're in San Antonio at the moment. It seems as though this year AA is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its founding, so sober drunks from all over the world are gathering in San Antonio to party down.

Sober of course.

Hearing about this giant confab of people in recovery reminded me that twenty-five years ago I found myself in Montreal, Canada the same weekend that AA was celebrating its 50th sober birthday.

What a coincidence, eh?

I normally don't like crowds. That weekend, wherever I went, there were hordes of people from all over the world who had large red or blue (or red and blue) name tags on, which listed their first name and last initial. (I guess that's because of the whole anonymity thing.)

Much to my surprise, I actually enjoyed being around them, and despite my inveterate shyness, I found myself striking up conversations with complete strangers. I met folks from all over the world that weekend. It was great.

I even ran into friends of mine from the States, whom I didn't know were going to be up there that weekend. What a surprise! One of them dragged me to the closing ceremony of their conference, in the domed stadium which was packed with people. That was quite an experience.

I suspect my friends in San Antonio will be having even more fun there than I had in Montreal.

Hooray for the Higher Power!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Operation Rising Star -- Update 03

2010-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

So several weeks ago now I got "voted off the island" (to mix metaphors) in the Operation Rising Star competition here in Kosovo. I wasn't surprised, but I was a little sad that it had happened when it did, because I'd really wanted to sing the week they were doing oldies from the 50s and 60s.

As I've mentioned before, karaoke is not really somthing I'd ever imagined myself doing before I came here. I'm not familiar with a lot -- no, most -- of the music that people sing at karaoke, so why bother?

Thus it had been a challenge to come up with songs to sing for this competition, because I figured it would be helpful to know them if I wanted to sing them in public. I'd have to sing from memory, which is always a challenge for my addled brain, and for unfamiliar music, I'd need to learn it without benefit of seeing the music on the printed page.

I don't learn songs well by ear, truth be told.

After I chose the song I'd perform for the "oldies" week, I was really looking forward to singing "The House of the Rising Sun." This was especially true after I decided that I'd 'adapt' the lyrics to our situation here in Kosovo. At the very least, since the competition is mostly a popularity competition, I could probably sway votes my way by getting the crowd revved up with the new lyrics I'd come up with.

Last Sunday I was able to sing that rendition of "The House of the Rising Sun" before the week's competition started. (The organizers of the show invite us losers back to sing before or after the actual competitors, so I took them up on that.)

As I suspected, the crowd seemed to love my adaptation of the song to our situation here at Camp Bondsteel. I've had lots of people ask me whether they could have a copy of the lyrics because they wanted to save them.

I had a great time singing it, and am glad others appreciated the effort!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Views from above

2010-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about the opportunity to fly around with my aviators is to get a different perspective on prior experiences. Wider perspective are usually a good thing, after all.

When my brain tells me there's at most one option, or perhaps no options at all, I become agitated, fearful, and eventually very depressed. I feel trapped and pessimistic. That's a problem with a lack of proper perspective.

But when I remember what my friend who go to a lot of AA and Al-Anon meetings have been telling me for over thirty years now, that if I remember to breathe and to say the Serenity Prayer, I can usually discover there are more options available to me than I'd convinced myself.

At the very least, I'll have reminded myself that I can have a really really big Higher Power in my life who's not lacking any essential skill sets necessary to deal with whatever mess I've made or find myself in.

A while back I wrote about a visit to a mosque on the top of a hill in a town not far from Post. We recently flew over that mosque, and it was great to see it from a different perspective.

We also flew over churches I've concelebrated Mass in: the octagonal one with the splendid frescoes adorning its walls and ceiling, and the Church of St. Nicholas.

Amazing how different things look from hundreds of feet up in the air!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The third year

2010-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

In light of yesterday's two-year anniversary of being on Active Duty orders (so much for one week per month, eh?), today begins the third year of being mobilized/deployed for me.

I'm grateful to know that my mobilization/deployment time is rapidly drawing to a close, but I've not started counting down days, as have many of my friends.

I found while I was in Iraq that if I didn't mark time, time seemed to pass more quickly for me, so I've continued that plan here. As I look back on the past eight months, that seems to have been true again.

I'm encouraging those whom I meet to focus on doing the next right thing, rather than on how many minutes or hours or days they have left here. I'm not sure whether they're taking me up on this suggestion, but it does have the net effect of reminding myself to keep focussed on what's really important.

Consequently, I'm enjoying myself now, rather than telling myself that I'll be able to have fun at some point down the road.

My friends who go to a lot of AA and Al-Anon meetings have taught me this truth, and I'm glad they have.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

A year ago....

2010-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a year ago today, then-SFC McG and I arrived back at Summer Camp - South to begin our demobilization process after our all-expenses-paid vacation in Iraq.

On one level it's hard to believe it's been that long, actually.

On another level, I'm very aware of being on Active Duty orders for exactly two full years now.

While it's good to be where I am, it will be good to get home....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Shadows in flight

2010-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

The other day we were out flying with the doors open so it was easy to take photographs of the landscapes below.

When I was in Iraq I loved being able to see the shadow of the aircraft below us as we flew along, though sometimes it was difficult to make out given the mostly monochromatic nature of the terrain beneath us.

Occasionally, as we fly along through narrow valleys, if the sun is at just the right angle beside us, it's easy to see our shadow on the carpet of treetops rising up the hillside beside us.

This happened that afternoon. I even managed to get a semi-decent shot of one of those shadows. (Given my tremor, and the motion of the aircraft, this is no mean achievement, unfortunately!)

I'm not sure why it delights me so much, but the "why" is not really all that important, is it?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

More flowers at the FARP

2010-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

We stopped for hot fuel the other evening when I was out flying with my aviators, and as everyone except the pilots must leave the aircraft, I found myself once again waiting by some HESCO barriers while the refuelers did their thing.

I couldn't help but notice some really lovely flowers blooming amidst the gravel.

Amidst the noise of the aircraft's engines, and the heat of the late afternoon, the beauty of these blossoms seemed to indicate, as my friend Brian used to say, that God was showing off again.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Landscape Architecture

2010-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend who does landscape architecture for a living.

I suspect he's never done anything like this, however!

Only in Kosovo!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Mount Duke in the summer

2010-06-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived here in Kosovo at the end of October, and Mount Duke already had a lot of snow on it. These days it has almost no snow.

A number of our Soldiers are going to climb to the summit in the near future, now that most of the snow has melted. I, however, will not be among them.

My knees, ankle, and feet have not fared well over the past two years of walking constantly on gravel. (What's with that, anyway? The Germans have a base here in Kosovo that has sidewalks, and lawns, and gardens, and masonry buildings -- and almost no gravel, from what I've seen -- so I know it's possible to build something different from what we have....)

Because of the condition of my joints, I'll not be making the trek up the mountain, much to my chagrin. I'll bet it will be a great adventure!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The ghost town

2010-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are a number of towns we fly over that once were thriving, but were abandoned after the most recent war here. Several of these towns had been populated by ethnic Croatians.

There's a very large -- abandoned -- Catholic church in one of those ghost towns. It looks to be a very impressive and beautiful edifice. I've since learned that the war happened just a few years after the church was built.

I call this place a ghost town, but there are actually two old people who live there. They're very poor, and I can't even begin to imagine how tough their lives must be.

It seems hard to believe that a town of this size could just disappear. My friends who go to a lot of AA and Al-Anon meetings have been telling me for years that resentment shuts us off from the sunlight of the spirit, and that it's the number-one killer of alcoholics. The fact that people were driven away from a thriving town bears witness to the awful and destructive power of resentment.

God help us all.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

One foot out the door

2010-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

We recently went flying one afternoon when it was pretty hot, so the crew decided to fly doors-open. Since I had flight gear with the monkey tail, I volunteered to sit in the rear compartment so I could monkey-tail myself to the floor, and be free to move around while the aircraft was in flight.

This represents a huge change in outlook for me, as I had made sure while I was in Iraq that I was very securely belted in every time I flew. One of the my aviation buddies had said something a propos of one of the new pilots in their unit which described me well: "He just doesn't trust the aircraft."

I hadn't looked at it that way before, but that was definitely telling my story!

I figure I've come a long way, in terms of my acrophobia, since becoming Chaplain to these aviators! I'd have never thought this could be possible.

It was a beautiful afternoon for flying, and I was able to get some great shots of the Church of the Black Madonna from the air.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

More flowers

2010-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Some of my new aviation buddies took a short trip (by ground) to the Church of the Black Madonna one morning, and they took me along as the resident subject matter expert.

While we were there, I saw some flowers which caught my eye.

Seeing the snapdragons proved to be a delight because they reminded me of home, and all the snapdragons I've had in summer gardens over the course of my life.

I've enjoyed my time here (for the most part), but it will be good to get home!
Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sling loads

2010-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

UH-60 helicopters are very powerful vehicles, capable of lifting very heavy loads. Those loads are slung underneath the aircraft while the bird hovers a few feet above the heads of the the Soldiers who attach whatever's to be picked up to a surprisingly small hook.

I had the opportunity recently to participate in sling load training -- at night. I'd never done anything like this before.

So there I was, standing out in the middle of a field, holding the sling high above my head, looking through night-vision goggles at a rather large helicopter coming right at me as I was buffetted by the rotor wash from its blades. Because of the night-vision goggles, depth perception is diminished somewhat, adding to the surreal nature of the experience.

Another Soldier stood directly behind me, bracing me against the force of the blast of air coming from the rotor blades.

The load we were attaching to the aircraft was a 4300-pound block of cement. It would have been great to get photos during this training, but seeing as we were all using NVGs (and I don't have NVGs for my camera), it wouldn't have worked very well to have a camera flash going off.

It was a blast, and not just because of the rotor wash!

I love my job.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Views from above

2010-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Much of the flying I’ve been doing over the last month has been during the late afternoon or early evening. The sunsets I’ve witnessed from the air have been inspiring and I’ve been filled with gratitude and awe to be in this place at this time doing what I’m doing.

This is a beautiful country, except for the trash (as I’ve mentioned again and again). One advantage of flying around the countryside in the evening, beyond being able to get the wider view of the terrain, is that the trash is not so visible.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Flowers at the FARP

2010-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

If it’s not too late at night when we’re flying around, the pilots will often stop at the FARP to get “hot fuel.” However, the FARP closes down at night, so sometimes they have to get “cold fuel” upon completion of a mission. I had heard the terms before this deployment, but wasn’t sure I knew the difference.

“Hot fuel” means the aircraft is running, the rotors are spinning, and passengers (PAX) and Crew Chiefs need to exit the aircraft during the refueling process. PAX go wait in a holding area at some distance from the helicopter, while the Crew Chiefs stand by while the refuelers do their thing. “Cold fuel” means the refuelers come to the aircraft which is not running.

At one point during a daylight flight, we stopped at the FARP to get “hot fuel.” In accordance with the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP), I exited the aircraft and moved over to the PAX holding area while the plane was being fueled. I noticed some lovely flowers blooming there, amidst the gravel, and paused to try to capture some of their beauty with my camera.

I love my job!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Flight gear

2010-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of my buddies loaned me his flight gear, which includes not just the aviator helmet and vest, but also the monkey’s tail. This consists of a couple of long straps which connect together and to the back of the vest. The other end can be clipped to one of many metal rings inside the aircraft. A Crew Chief who’s ‘monkey-tailed’ to the helicopter doesn’t have to be belted into a seat. This permits the aviator to move around inside the vehicle without fear of falling to his death.

At times, though, the monkey tail is long enough that if the person were to fall out of the aircraft, he’d be dangling from the monkey tail.

That part doesn’t appeal so much to me, I’ve got to admit.

Recently I was able to go flying one evening when it was really hot (for Kosovo) and muggy. The pilots and crew decided they were going to fly with the doors open because the weather was so warm. I asked whether I could sit in the back compartment, next to the open door. The only other time I’d done something like that was when I was flying on the Commanding General’s helicopter one evening in Iraq.

One of the Crew Chiefs suggested I should monkey tail myself in.

I didn't have that much confidence in myself (or the gear, evidently), so while I did use the monkey tail, I also buckled the lap belt (but not the shoulder harness).

I'm sure my friend Saffar, who died a few years ago would have something rude to say about this.

That being said, however, the views were great and the ride was a lot of fun!

Little by little, I'm overcoming the fear of heights and of being on those aircraft.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Operation Rising Star -- Update 02

2010-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

About ten minutes before Operation Rising Star was to start, I received a phone call from the Executive Officer (XO) for the MEDEVAC Company. I had been badgering those folks for the previous few weeks about when they were going to do training with their hoist, so that I could get hoisted out of a woods by helicopter.

He called to let me know that they had a hoist training mission that was going to lift off at 2045, and that they were inviting me to ride along and participate in the training.

Dilemma.

I figured if I went to ride the hoist, I’d have to leave the Operation Rising Star competition early, which would almost certainly not be in my best interest (in terms of the competition), but if I didn’t take the opportunity to get extracted from a woods via air, I might never have that chance again (at least, not voluntarily, anyway).

Now, I had no pretensions about winning Operation Rising Star, especially after realizing it’s mostly a popularity contest. More to the point however, is that I’m old, and have no desire for a singing career. Everyone else in the competition is young, and a couple of them *really* want to become professional entertainers. If this experience can help one of them achieve that goal, I believe he should have that opportunity.

So, I showed up to the competition, and saw that I was scheduled to sing last. That’s actually a great slot to have been given, but I asked to go first, so I could leave early and go for a helicopter ride.

Wouldn’t you know it? I stepped out on the stage, took hold of the microphone they had for me, and started singing “Being Alive” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.” I realized almost immediately that the microphone was not working, even though it was turned on. So I just kept singing.

I’ve been told I have a big mouth.

Truth be told, I didn’t really need the artificial amplification. However, the woman who organizes these events came out on stage, took the mic from me, and disappeared. Moments later she reappeared, walked stage left and took a microphone from the emcee, and brought it back to me.

I just kept singing.

It was quite discombobulating, and I flubbed a few words, but I think everyone else was so distracted by the extraneous movement that they didn’t notice.
I was pleased with how I sang, and that I sang something I knew that probably no one in the room had ever heard before, but which had meaning for me. It’s become clear that many people value a person’s ability to mimic the style and sound of someone else who’s famous. I don’t see the sense in trying to sound like someone else, however. If I become an impersonator, the music I’m singing remains the “intellectual property,” if you will, of the famous person.

Since the notes and words of songs I sing almost always “belong” to someone else, why would I even want to have the delivery be that of someone else as well? I don’t get it.

I hustled myself off to the Lift Company hangar to retrieve my flight gear and then to the MEDEVAC Company Command Post (CP) to get the pre-mission briefing. As has happened so often when I’ve showed up at their CP, the MEDEVAC personnel were gathered around their large-screen video monitor as two of their own were killing zombies. (It’s a rather strange video game, which must be oddly compelling, since they always seem to be playing it.)

During the pre-mission briefing, the Pilot in Command (PC) gave a run-down of how the training would proceed, and what was expected of each of the personnel involved. He also – somewhat sheepishly – mentioned that in the event of a catastrophic problem with the aircraft while the hoist was being used, the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) dictates that the hoist cable is severed by means of a small explosive charge.

That part was not a surprise, because I’d heard of it before, but it did sound a bit ominous, none the less.

MEDEVAC Crewman riding the Jungle Penetrator with only one of its legs extended. (stock photo)

We moved out to the aircraft on the MEDEVAC landing pad, put on our night-vision goggles (NVGs), and took off. I love flying while wearing NVGs. We flew a short distance to a part of the Post that had an open field next to a small woods. After the aircraft landed in the field, one of the medics and I moved out across the open field and into the woods.

It was a very hot evening, and the woods was filled with brambles and bugs. (The next day, my buddy mentioned that he’d found a number of ticks on himself after our return; I hadn’t.) At a smallish clearing, my friend took out a large red glowstick which he activated. Seen through the night-vision goggles, the glowstick looked very bright green. (Everything looks green through NVGs.)

Jungle Penetrator is deployed; note how thin the cable is! (stock phot0)

The helicopter approached our site and hovered overhead. The on-board medic deployed the Jungle Penetrator (JP), which hit ground right where we were. The medic with me unfolded the JP, got me situated on it, and strapped me to it. There are three legs which fold out horizontally, at 120 degrees from each other. I sat on one of the legs, and put each of my own legs over each of the others. As the JP began to be reeled up to the aircraft, the medic with me faced me, put each of his legs over each of mine, strapped himself in, and I grabbed onto his flight vest, as if in a bear hug.

I hadn’t really thought much about what being hoisted would be like, so I was surprised (and a little concerned) when the JP began to spin around in a circular motion. (Of course, since the cable was being reeled in by means of a circular motion, it was going to spin around, but I’d just not thought the experience through beforehand.)

Crewman riding the Jungle Penetrator with only one JP leg extended. (stock photo)

It was a weird and surrealistic experience, spinning around at the end of a very, very thin cable (did I mention how thin the cable is?), bear-hugging a medic who was sitting on my legs, both of us wearing NVGs and seeing the ground dropping away below, as the underside of the aircraft got larger and nearer.
I was very aware of how unlikely it was that *I* should be doing something like this for the first time – as old as I am, with my experience of having being assigned a draft number during the Vietnam Conflict, and in light of my rather severe acrophobia (fear of heights).

It was awesome!

Once the medic and I were inside the aircraft (lying on the floor of the rear compartment), the helicopter moved rapidly away from where we were picked up, circled the Post, and landed again in the field, so we could repeat the experience. It was still hot and humid, and the brambles were still sharp, and the bugs still buzzed and bit, and the JP still spun around as we were hoisted out of the woods and up to the hovering Black Hawk, and it was as much fun the second time as the first.

At the end of the mission, upon returning to the MEDEVAC CP, I found other aviators killing zombies. One of them mentioned that I’d been “voted off the island” at the end of the Operation Rising Star show earlier in the evening. I was not surprised, nor did I regret my decision to go train with my MEDEVAC Soldiers.

I would make the same choice again, if given the chance.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Of rainbows and rotors

2010-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve posted several times about the rainbows that I’ve seen over here in Kosovo during this deployment. The other evening we were getting ready to fly a mission, and as one of the pilots was up on the pylon checking the rotor, I noticed a rainbow off in the distance. It made for a great contrast.

I wondered whether we’d even be able to fly that night, but the clouds parted, and we were aloft for a bit more than two hours.

A great time!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The flag flying

2010-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

One morning we were out flying and another aircraft participated in the same mission. Because there were going to be two aircraft flying to the same destination at the same time, one of the Crew Chiefs wanted to fly a US flag out his gunner’s hatch so the personnel in the other aircraft could photograph the event.

I’ve not yet seen whether the photos taken from the other helicopter turned out, but it was pretty exciting to watch the Crew Chief unfurling the flag out his hatch and struggling to hang onto it as we were moving along at a pretty good clip.

It would have been a bad thing, I suspect, to have had the flag take off on its own.

It’s a grand old flag.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Flowers in the cockpit

2010-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

In our Lift Company, we only have one female pilot. She’s been flying helicopters for many years, and is really good at what she does. As she and her co-pilot were getting the aircraft ready to fly one morning, I noticed flowers blooming in the field just beyond the landing pad. I figured that since local workers were mowing down all the rest of the wildflowers that morning, I’d just pick one stalk of the flowers, and put it in the cockpit above the pilot’s seat.

She saw the flowers as she climbed into the cockpit, and asked her co-pilot if he were trying to butter her up. He is still a fairly new pilot and they were going to be doing some training in addition to the mission they were flying.

I confessed to having put the flowers there, and that I had no need to curry favor with her.

She smiled broadly, took the flowers down to give them a sniff, and them put them back up where they were, and we took off on our flight.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sustenance

2010-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

While I was in Iraq, many kind folks sent me treats for Soldiers once I determined that I wanted to bring M&Ms to the aircrew members on whose aircraft then-SFC McG and I flew on. A number of friends have continued that practice since I’ve been here. I am grateful to one and all for your generosity!

(Since I’ll be home in the States quite soon, please don’t send *me* any more treats! However, if you wanted to send treats to the next Task Force Aviation (TF AVN) Chaplain, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind!)

Irrespective of where the Aviators are from, they seem to like those treats.

Until this year, I’d never eaten a Gummy Bear. It turns out that a number of the Aviators really like those things. However, there’s at least one pilot (younger than yours truly, by the way) who eschews Gummy Bears “because they’ll pull my teeth out.” Just the other night I overheard another pilot telling his co-pilot, “Yeah, I saw Mr. E’s teeth in a glass by the sink last night. That was pretty gross.”

My parents have sent me 18 pounds of Black Forest gummy bears in the past month, once I learned of the hankering of Crew Chiefs (in particular) for those goodies. I’ve lost track of how many snack-size packs of M&Ms I’ve given away over the past two years, but if you consider there are at least four crew members for each flight, and I did over 160 missions in Iraq via air, that was a lot of M&Ms while I was Down Range, at the very least!

There’s an ancient spiritual maxim which states, “Go where you’re fed.”

I figure the sustenance might as well be sweet.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The crew chief's seat

2010-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after I started flying a lot with my Aviation Battalion, one of the Crew Chiefs allowed me to use his flyer's helmet and one of his buddies arranged with the pilots of the aircraft to let me sit in the Crew Chief's seat during the flight. (That Crew Chief sat sideways on the seat where I’d usually sit, with the door of the aircraft open, and did his job from there.)

I’d done quite a bit of flying while I was in Iraq, and had had a few flights here in Kosovo up to this point. The opportunity to sit in that seat was a first for me.

Passenger seats in the aircraft have a four-point restraint system: two lab belts and two shoulder harnesses. In Iraq, the first time I went outside the wire via aircraft the Crew Chief belted me in, and once the aircraft began to move, I cinched each of the belts as tightly as they could go, I suspect. Having never flown via helicopter up to that point, and knowing I was flying off the relatively safe Post into what was a complete unknown to me, I was very aware of how hot the ambient temperature was, and that I was wearing full battle-rattle.

I was, in a word, terrified.

At some level I suspect my broken brain had the rest of me convinced that if I were just belted in tightly enough, that would help keep the aircraft in the air, or something.

Not very rational, but then, how rational was it to have joined the Army in my dotage?

What those belts did do, especially as securely fastened as I had them, was to keep me pretty much immobilized, and facing forward. There’s not much to see in a Black Hawk if one only faces straight ahead. If I happened to be seated next to a door, I had a difficult time looking outside the aircraft if I couldn’t pivot at all in my seat.

Not the best approach to that situation, I’d say.

Over the course of my time in Iraq, and the more than 150 flights I took, I pretty much always kept those belts as tight as I could get them, I’m ashamed to say.

The Crew Chiefs are belted in using a five-point restraint system which allows them to move forward far enough to stretch outside the aircraft through the hatch in front of them. (The extra belt comes up between the legs.) Crew Chiefs need to be able to see the helicopter’s wheels, for example, as the aircraft is landing. The only way to do that is to lean out of the window, which would not be possible with the other kind of restraint system.

It felt weird to face forward and be able to see outside the helicopter. I was very aware of being able to move forward in the seat, and toward the open hatch – especially when we were turning sharply to the left, and I was facing the ground while still looking straight ahead! It was exhilarating.

I did find myself hanging on to the seat or to the upper hand-hold much more tightly and often than my friends do, though!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Flowers at the hangar

2010-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was on my way out to an aircraft one morning, since I was going flying, and found myself walking through a field of wildflowers as I moved from the hangar to the runway to the landing pad. Some of the grasses and flowers were knee-high, and gave the area a sense of being a meadow. Lovely.

Fortunately for me, I’d actually arrived at the hangar a bit early, so I had time to stop to photograph the flowers I’d otherwise have overlooked, passed by, or actively ignored.

They're mostly just common weeds, but commonness, in this case, doesn't preclude idiosyncratic beauty.

I love it when life is like that!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Luau

2010-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

The month of May was Pacific Island Heritage month for the U.S. Army. The good folks at Morale, Welfare, Recreation (MWR) determined that a great way to observe this theme would be to celebrate by having a luau, replete with a roasted pig, and traditional Polynesian dance. It turned out that a sizeable percentage of those dancers came from Task Force Aviation (TF AVN), though I suspect there were only a few actual Pacific Islanders among them.

The afternoon was bright, but not particularly warm. I was grateful not to be among the dancers, not least for the fact that I don’t look good in that get-up, and I know I’d have been uncomfortably cold.

Lots of people got involved to make the evening a success. There was abundant food, and it was delicious. The music and dancing reminded me of wonderful times I’ve spent in Hawai’i and Fiji. It’s been more than a decade since I’ve been to either of those places, so the association with those pleasant memories delighted and surprised me.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The rain in Spain...

2010-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

My new Battalion Commander has asked me to help out with a couple of community/educational outreach programs that Task Force Aviation (TF AVN) has been carrying out since their arrival in Kosovo. Both involve teaching English: we teach high-school students off-Post, and Soldiers from other NATO partner nations on-Post. It’s been a blast so far.

I love teaching. It doesn’t really matter what the subject might be (as long as I know at least a little more than the students do!), but I’ve long suspected that I’m not as comfortable with youngsters as with adults or young adults. The high-school students are highly energetic and entertaining, but spending time with them can be incredibly draining as well. There sure is an awful lot more drama with and among them than with and among our coalition partner Soldiers!

Some of these youngsters want very much to better themselves, and they come to class ready, eager, and willing to learn. Others seem to be there just to socialize with friends or because there’s nothing else to do. (Given the staggering unemployment rates here, there almost certainly isn’t much else to do!)

Irrespective of their motivation for being there, almost all these youngsters love to mug for the camera. This is especially true of the young ladies in the group, but it is not unique to them. Most of the students want their photos published on facebook, although occasionally I’ve gotten a note from one or another of these young people who have asked to have a photo removed.

The coalition Soldiers who come to class (irrespective of whether they’re Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish, or Greek) have a good time, but are definitely there to learn. One of the young men whom I’d gotten to know before I started helping out with these classes already speaks English pretty well. He’s a great resource in class because he’s able to speak Russian, which both the Ukrainians and Poles understand, and he’s able to explain to them what I’m trying to say when I’m not able to do so effectively enough.

No matter where it is I happen to be teaching, I’m loving being around other people who are making the effort to learn something new. It’s great fun to be part of that kind of activity which builds up, rather than destroys. I believe the participants in these classes have the opportunity to come away from them changed for the better – and that goes for the teachers as well as the students!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

And evening came....

2010-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was out walking one evening recently, as the sun was setting beyond the Aviation hangars. I’ve been mobilized or deployed now for almost two full years, and I’m aware of getting tired. Now that I’ve started doing a lot of flying late at night with my new friends in Task Force Aviation (TF AVN), I’m aware of how tired I am. It’s been a great ride so far, over the past almost-two years, that’s for sure!

The color of the clouds reminded me of how important it is to pay attention to my surroundings, even (especially) when I’m tired. Had I been trudging along, wrapped up in thought, or just completely lights-out and self-obsessed, I’d have missed the transient and fragile beauty of those few moments.

A lot of my comrades here are also pretty tired of being here, but they’re a bit grumpier about that than I am (I know you’ll find that hard to believe). Many are counting down weeks and days, and are convinced they’re not having any fun now (in many cases, because they’re not permitted to drink alcohol here), and that they’re incapable of having fun until they’re back home (or at least, somewhere else other than here).

I’ve been suggesting to them (because I’m suggesting to myself) that if we allow ourselves to have a good time today – in this particular moment – we’ll actually have a good time today. When I was in Iraq at Camp Liberty, there was very little in the way of beautiful landscaping, for example, and it was certainly an option to permit the almost-overwhelming drabness to monopolize my attention. But had I allowed that to happen, I’d have missed the occasional and surprising instances of beauty which fed my spirit and delighted my senses.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Operation Rising Star -- Update

2010-06-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

So a week ago we had the first round of "Operation Rising Star," the Army version of "American Idol" (which I've never seen). Six of us performed that night. The genre was "Rock."

I'm not a devotee of rock music, nor have I ever been.

Finding something to sing was a challenge. Further complicating things was the fact that that weekend the competition was scheduled for Saturday evening -- when I have Mass.

Fortunately, the MWR Director (whom everyone calls "Mom" -- though she's younger than yours truly) accommodated my scheduling conflict, so I performed last.

I sang "Fragile," made famous by Sting. It was subtler and more introspective than what the other guys sang (for some reason, no women signed up for the competition). And as this event is mostly a popularity contest -- and my Mustangs have all gone home, and my Aviators don't really know me yet -- very few "fans" of mine were there, compared to the hordes who were there to support the others.

I came in dead last.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Hold the mail, please!

2010-06-07T06:00:00.001-07:00

Now that I've been mobilized/deployed just shy of 24 full months in a row it looks as though I might actually be coming home sometime sooner rather than later.

To that end, then, the Army suggests not sending any more snail-mail to me over here in Kosovo from this point on.

There's light at the end of the tunnel.

(Let's just hope it's not an oncoming train....)

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Crew chief

2010-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I went on an early-evening flight with several of my new Aviation buddies recently, and the senior Crew Chief on the flight asked me if I wanted to sit in his seat during the mission.

He sat in the passenger seat where I often sat when then-SFC McG and I were flying around the Multinational Division - Baghadad battlespace during our time in Iraq, though he had the door open beside him.

We flew with the window open where I sat, and though I was securely belted in, I must admit I found myself hanging on to the handhold above the window. A lot. Especially when we were turning the aircraft in such a way that I was looking forward, but directly at the ground.

It was a blast!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Casey at the bat

2010-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The softball league has been a great diversion for personnel looking for something to do with their free time here on Post. The Aviators have fielded several teams, so it's a bit hard for me to keep track of who's playing when.

Moreover, Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings are times when many games seem to be scheduled. I find myself otherwise occupied at those times, for some reason....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Recognitions

2010-06-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mr A and Mr Z were given awards by the Command Chaplain for their many years of faithful service to KFOR Unit Ministry Teams over the past five rotations. It's customary in the North Dakota Army National Guard, it seems, to present "Straight Arrow" commendations to those who perform laudably.

These two gentlemen have set us up for success, as they did for our predecessors, and for those who came before them, and for those who came before them.

We have been blessed to work with them.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The moon, again

2010-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had a full moon again recently, and I managed to get a photo of it, despite my tremor.

For all the trash that litters this place, the skies are clearer than I'd have imagined. Perhaps that's due in part to them not burning their trash, but rather just throwing it out wherever they find convenient.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Twilight time

2010-06-02T06:00:00.001-07:00

There have been some splendid sunsets over here since I've been here.

It's easy to see how the ancients deified their experience of beauty.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

English club

2010-06-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

My new Battalion Commander asked me to help out with the English Club the Aviators have been conducting twice per week in a nearby town. The Officer who's been taking the lead on this since Task Force Aviation arrived needs a break so he can carry out his other duties, and get some time in the cockpit flying helicopters.

The students are all high-school age, and love mugging for the camera.

Some don't take the classes very seriously, but others work diligently and have made great progress. They're delightful young people, and I came away from our afternoon with them completely exhausted.

I love my job!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Strutting their stuff

2010-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

My friends the Crew Chiefs actually let me help them while they were removing and replacing the rear strut on one of the aircraft the other day.

Now, I suppose that one needs to understand the definition of the word "help" in this context.

Think of a little kid "helping" Dad fix something in his workroom, and you get the idea. I removed some screws holding part of the skin on the aircraft, and I held a light so my buddies (shown here) could have some light while they worked inside the guts of the helicopter.

After having spent so much time in the hangar with these guys as they worked on this aircraft, they began to refer to it as "my" aircraft.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Tail end

2010-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

I wrote a while ago about how I was able to jack up one of the aircraft so my buddies could work on the rear landing gear. I then watched as they worked together as a team on this part of the aircraft.

These guys are really good at what they do, and they have fun doing it!

I'm glad to be with them.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The Easter Candle

2010-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that the Feast of Pentecost has come and gone, the Easter Season is officially over. That means we won't be using the Easter Candle again, which is probably just as well, since there's almost nothing of it left.

Due to the vagaries of the Army Supply System, the new Easter Candle we'd ordered in January (for the first weekend of April), never materialized. We were forced to use the stub of a previously-owned-and-operated Easter Candle, instead.

Now, I'm generally all in favor of recycling. I'm especially aware of the benefits of recycling since being here in Kosovo, what with all the trash that's dumped alongside roads and rivers here. But when it comes to liturgical recycling, I have to draw the line.

Here on Post, where we have three Catholic communities meeting for liturgy (U.S., Polish, Ukrainian) many times each week, the Easter Candle has burned long and brightly. For that reason alone, it would have been nice to have gotten the new candle we'd ordered.

As it is, the stub of a candle we started out with at the Easter Vigil is now rather pathetic. It's even shorter than the liquid-paraffin-filled candles we have on the altar. Good thing we're not a Stateside parish where we'd use the candle at funerals and baptisms over the course of the rest of the Church Year!

This one would never make it through the rest of the year.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Waffle House

2010-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

My new Battalion hosts a Sunday morning Waffle House in one of the aircraft hangars each weekend.

I'd heard about it ever since arriving here in Kosovo, but seeing as I also heard that it's such a treat it's always crowded, and the wait can be a long time, I'd not ever participated until after my Mustangs left. With them gone, the lines for breakfast are nothing like they used to be.

So I decided I'd show up early on the morning of my first Sunday in the Aviation Battalion, just to be sure to get a waffle (or two) in time to be able to celebrate Mass on time.

The First Sergeant for the Lift Company (they're the ones who fly all of the non-MEDEVAC flights) makes all the waffles. Aviation crewmembers set up the tables and chairs, serve the waffles, and then do the cleanup afterward.

Patrons donate whatever they feel is appropriate for these delicious waffles, and whatever's left over from covering their expenses goes to buying school supplies for the local students to whom members of the Battalion teach English.

With six different flavors of waffle batter, plus eight different toppings (not to mention the different syrups, jams, jellies, and honey), Sunday morning Waffle House is a great way to begin the day.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Operation Rising Star

2010-05-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Each year for the past several years the Army has conducted what it used to call "Army Idol" but which it now calls "Operation Rising Star." (I guess the nice people from "American Idol" sued them or otherwise convinced them they couldn't use the former name anymore.

In any event, Active Duty posts around the world hold this singing competition each year. Winners from each place travel to Washington, DC, to the finals. Evidently the overall winner is guaranteed a look by some major recording studio or other.

The woman who runs the MWR program here (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) convinced me, after hearing me sing karaoke for the past few weekends, that I should sign up for the competition.

So I did.

Now, one needs to put this into its proper context: One of my friends who sings karaoke is a voice student from Juilliard School of Music in New York. A couple of the others have been performing publically (but not professionally) for years, singing the kind of music that goes over well at this kind of thing.

One of the questions on the application form was the following: "Which American Idol is your favorite, and why?"

I've never watched "American Idol," so I'm sure I got that question wrong.

We're supposed to sing in the following genres: Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Broadway, Oldies, Country, and whatever we'd like (assuming one lasts that long). This is not very good news to one such as myself.

I sing opera arias in foreign languages.

Therefore, we'll see how long it is before I'm "voted off the island."

Or is that a mixing of metaphors? (I haven't seen that one, either.)

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Night flight

2010-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I got to go on a night mission with some of the guys in my new Battalion. I'd been on lots of night flights while in Iraq, and while they were generally cooler than daytime missions (only in the mid-100s some nights, rather than in the mid-120s), there wasn't as much visual interest as would be the case during the daytime.

At least when we were flying around Baghdad at night, there would be some lights from cars and houses and street lamps, but when we were out in the boondocks, there was nothing at all to see.

The night mission here was much different, because I was able to borrow a crew chief's helmet and use night-vision goggles. Wow! What a difference!

We did a lot of flying over heavily wooded areas, where there is not much in the way of artificial lighting. Without the goggles (I turned them off at one point), I could see almost nothing. (There was an almost-full moon that night, so there was some ambient light.) But with the goggles engaged, the landscape was eerie shades of green.

Some of the guys had explained that newbies to the night-vision experience would often get really bad headaches or become nauseous, but I had neither.

I just had a great time for the rather long time we were out there flying around!

Blessings and peace to one and all,
Fr. Tim, SJ

Distinguished Visitors

2010-05-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago we had a whole passel of visitors to our home away from home here in Kosovo. Because of being the only member of Task Force Mustang still here (and still not on all the relevant email distribution lists for my new Battalion, Task Force Aviation), I didn't find out about the mandatory-attendance meeting we needed to show up for, until just before it happened.

Consequently, I was just wearing what I'd been wearing all day thus far that Sunday -- my PT uniform. (I wasn't the only one who showed up in PT gear, but we were definitely in the minority.)

The Distinguished Visitor who came calling introduced the eleventy-seven members of his entourage, and then spent some time talking about how the Guard is all about "stability" and "predictability" as far as future deployments are concerned. He then asked if any Soldiers had some "hard questions" for him.

When my Mustangs left a few weeks ago, many went home to the States with no job to return to. This proved to be immensely stressful for some Service Members and their families. The fact that we were not officially told the unit would be leaving early until only six weeks before the departure date -- while rumors about early release had been swirling for months -- didn't help the situation much.

The first questioner asked a pretty tough question, I thought. While the Distinguished Visitor answered him, I made up my mind to challenge the notions of "stability" and "predictability" in terms of what had just transpired for my Mustangs. I figured this might not be a very politic thing to do, but the man had brought up "stability" and "predictability" himself -- and he had asked whether we might have 'tough questions' for him.

Furthermore, I said to myself, "Self, what's the worst they can do to me? Send me to Iraq? Oh wait, they've already done that!"

So I asked my question.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

International Military Pilgrimage

2010-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Many of my parishioners went to Lourdes, France for the 52nd annual International Military Pilgrimage recently. It might have been nice to go, but seeing as both the Polish and Ukrainian Catholic priests would be there, I decided to spend the weekend here rather than there.

I'd been there thirty years ago, and am grateful that so many of my friends were able to experience Lourdes for themselves.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

More flora

2010-05-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

The wildflowers at the camp I visited recently looked beautiful.

There were even some terrestrial orchids in bloom. I've always loved orchids, though I've grown many more epiphytes than terrestrials.

As I mentioned, ain't nature grand?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Habemus Episcopum!

2010-05-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

It was announced yesterday that the Archdiocese for the Military Services will be getting a new Auxiliary Bishop. When I was attempting to get a Commission as a Chaplain in the Army, I met Bishop John Kaising, a former Army Chaplain himself, who eventually signed off on my becoming a Chaplain.

He suffered a heart attack a few months later, and died.

(I'm hoping there was no causal connection there.)

Anyway, the Vatican announced officially that CH (LTC) F. Richard Spencer, currently the Deputy Command Chaplain for United States Army Europe (who's visited us here in Kosovo several times already), will be ordained Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

More fauna

2010-05-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I recently traveled up to the place that SPC C and I visited a number of times over the past seven months. I was able to fly up there, which was a lot more fun for me than driving up has been.

There were lots of flowers blooming, but what really caught my eye was a tiny blue butterfly. It was unlike any I've ever seen.

The day was pretty chilly, so I coaxed one onto my finger, in the hope that the warmth radiating from my hand might induce it to spread its wings. Alas, that was not to be!

I also saw some interesting aphids, though I wasn't able to get as good a photo of them as I'd have liked.

Ain't nature grand?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Punning around

2010-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was in one of the hangars when my buddies said they needed to do some work on one of the helicopters, so they asked me if I'd like to ride the brakes (as I wrote about previously). Once the aircraft was in the hangar, my friends needed to remove the rear wheel so it could be service.

That involved having to raise the tail up off the ground, of course. In order to do this, they brought in a small jack, which was placed under the tail section. As one of the Soldiers began using the lever to pump up the jack, I asked whether I might be able to help.

So I jacked up the tail section until the rear wheel could be removed. Amazing that a device so small could perform such a feat!

Now, in Army parlance, "jacked up" usually means "broken" or "a complete mess." I made that connection rather quickly, and mentioned it to my friends, who laughed.

Not long thereafter, I saw my new Battalion Commander coming out of his office, so I called out to him, and told him I wanted to speak with him for a moment.

I trotted over to where he was, and I told him I had just spent the day in the hangar with his Soldiers. He asked me, "Have those Aviators corrupted you yet, Chaplain?"

I laughed and said he needn't worry about that.

I then looked down at the ground, and in a very different voice, said, "Sir, I need to tell you something, and I want you to hear it from me in person, before you hear it from someone else."

I looked up, and said, "Sir, I jacked up one of your aircraft," while I feigned a pained expression on my face.

The looks on his face were priceless. I wish I'd had a super-slo-mo camera recording the interaction!

He seemed obviously trying to maintain a sense of composure. (Remember that I'd only been the Task Force Aviation Chaplain for a couple of days at this point.)

He asked, rather too calmly, "What exactly did you do, Chaplain?"

I grinned a very large grin, and said, again, "Sir, I jacked up one of your aircraft!"

The looks on his face were again priceless, as he was clearly trying to make sense of the change in my voice, the big grin, and the enthusiasm behind my latest statement.

Once it dawned on him what he thought -- and I suspect, hoped -- I was actually saying, he made a pumping motion with his hand as he said, "Oh, you *jacked up* one of my helicopters!"

He was not as impressed by this fact as I was, evidently....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

In the catbird seat

2010-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

My new friends in Aviation have been letting me hang out with them as they've worked on aircraft, so I've been learning a lot about helicopters. After having flown so often while I was in Iraq last year, I developed a real appreciation for the aircraft which moved me so safely and often around the battlespace.

Just the other day I found myself in the cockpit of one as my new friends towed a helicopter from a landing pad into a hangar so it could be serviced. They asked me whether I'd like to work the brakes, so I jumped at the chance. This gave me an opportunity to sit in the cockpit -- another first for me, and something I'd never imagined myself doing.

While I was inside the aircraft, other Soldiers walked alongside it, making sure nothing untoward happened to it while it was being moved.

Now, any real aviator would find simply working the brakes on a helicopter being towed to be merely trivial, but as it was something heretofore unexpected and unimagineable to me, I found it fun and interesting.

What a blast!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sitting on top of the world

2010-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I've adopted and been adopted by the Aviation Battalion here, I've begun spending a lot of time in the rather large aircraft hangars here on Post. Then-SFC McG and I did a lot of travel around the Multinational Division - Baghdad (MND-B) battlespace when we were in Iraq together before I came to Kosovo, and while I got to know a few of the aviators (because they came to Masses I celebrated), I didn't really come to know much about Army Aviation.

I've been warmly welcomed by the pilots, crew chiefs, and maintenance personnel in the various Companies which make up my new Battalion. It's been a delight thus far to get to know them, and they've kept me busy!

Recently, one on my new friends, a crew chief (in Iraq, they were the gunners), invited me to climb on top of a helicopter as he was doing his daily inspection of the aircraft. This was something I certainly never expected myself to be doing, and given my acrophobia, was both exciting and terrifying at the same time.

I developed a great appreciation for the power and reliability of those aircraft when I was in Iraq because I flew so many religious support missions on them. The chance to look under the skin of one of them, to see how things work, was intriguing, and I jumped at it, despite my fear of heights.

I felt pretty awkward up there, on top of that bird, and quite afraid I'd do something to damage the equipment. It felt weird climbing over one of the huge rotor blades, not least because of my poor old arthritic hips, and having been told to be careful not to break one instrument up there in particular.

That hurdle surmounted (quite literally), I was able to peer inside the inner workings of the various engines and pipes and circuitry which enable the helicopter to take off, fly, and land safely.

That morning again, as has so often been the case over the past three and a half years, I found myself wondering, "How can it be that I find myself here in this place at this time?"

God has a weird sense of humor.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The Sentinel

2010-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that SPC C is home with his family and friends, I'm left here without a Chaplain Assistant assigned to me. However, this does not mean that I'm completely without recourse.

SSG L, who is the Chaplain Assistant assigned to the Deputy Brigade Chaplain here, has been helping out with my weekend Masses here on Post, and he usually accompanies me when I need to go off-Post. (On those occasions when he's not free, someone else is 'deputized' to be my personal security detail, so I'm never without necessary protection.)

SSG L has recently been accepted to law school in South Dakota, and will begin his legal studies this Fall Semester after his return from Kosovo.

While I miss MSG McG, and SPC C, it's great to know I have SSG L as the Sentinel watching over me.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The inmates are running the asylum

2010-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Readers of my blog may remember my having mentioned our excellent Albanian- and Serbian-language translators, Mr A and Mr Z. They've been an integral part of U.S. Army Chaplain Team efforts over the past five KFOR rotations.

I found out yesterday that both of them are being furloughed at the end of the month, because they didn't score well enough on some English proficiency exam or other. As is common knowledge, both here and back home in the States, the multinational forces here are downsizing, and as a consequence the number of support personnel here on Post (and elsewhere) is, quite naturally, shrinking.

The only criterion for a translator being kept on, from what I gather, is performance on the exam I mentioned above.

As some of you know, I can be pretty picky about English grammar and syntax. My biology students have often grumbled about losing points for misspellings and poorly-written sentences. "I didn't know this was an English class," many would kvetch.

That being stated, I have had no problems understanding the English spoken by either Mr A or Mr Z. I trust them to translate accurately what I've said; with them, this has never been a concern of mine. Their English is fine!

Exam performance alone might suffice as a criterion for retaining translators working for other Staff sections here, but for what we Chaplains do, it is definitely not enough!

The Army "Unit Ministry Team" usually consists of a Chaplain and Chaplain Assistant. In practice, for what we're doing here in Kosovo, the Unit Ministry Team also has another member: our translator. This is especially crucial because Chaplains/Chaplain Assistants switch out every time a new KFOR rotation arrives.

Our translators provide much-needed continuity, over the span of years, in terms of what we have been tasked to do in Kosovo: to build up relationships of mutual trust and understanding with religious leaders across our Area of Operations (AO).

Mr A and Mr Z

Mr A and Mr Z are the "institutional memory" for what Chaplains have been doing over the past five KFOR iterations. Politicians come and go, and therefore interpreter continuity is not as important a consideration as it is for Chaplain teams. The religious leaders for whom Mr A and Mr Z interpreted during KFOR-8 (and KFOR-9 and KFOR-10 and KFOR-11) are the same religious leaders they're interpreting for during KFOR-12.

In all likelihood, those same religious leaders will be dealing with Chaplains from KFOR-13 (and beyond, presumably).

Those religious leaders know and trust Mr A and Mr Z. In turn, because of their long association with those Bishops, Muftis, Priests, and Imams, Mr A and Mr Z are able to contextualize for incoming KFOR rotations what's happening in the present, in terms of what's gone on historically -- over the span of many years, and not just during the previous KFOR iteration.

That sets up incoming Chaplain Teams for success, and for furthering the accomplishment of the mission we've been given as Chaplains who meet with those important religious leaders.

This is of critical importance to our mission as Army Chaplains.

But the unelected, unappointed, lowest-bidder civilians for whom the interpreters actually work don't care about that.

"Go ahead and file an I.G. complaint," a civilian is reputed to have said, relative to this situation. "We have a contract, and by the terms of the contract, all that matters is the score on the test."

I understand and fully support civilian oversight of the military in the United States. It's one of the things that makes us a great nation. However, that civilian oversight is performed by civilians who have been *elected* according to Constitutional norms, or who are *appointed* by those elected officials, and then approved by duly-elected representative bodies.

In this situation, it sure seems as though unelected, unappointed, lowest-bidder civilians are dictating how the military conducts its business.

I do not understand this, especially since it has the potential to damage significantly what Chaplains have worked for -- under military orders -- for so long to accomplish here.

A few months ago, for example, I was able to meet with a religious leader who'd not agreed to meet with KFOR personnel since KFOR-9. My interpreter was able to fill me in on what had transpired during the past two rotations, and how we might overcome the pitfalls encountered by our predecessors.

His insight and wisdom were spot-on, and we managed to snag an hour-long meeting with the individual in question. What a difficult hour that was, as it turned out! But I was at least somewhat prepared for what eventuated (though I psychically felt as though I'd not be able to sit down for a week afterward), and therefore didn't feel 'ambushed' by what transpired.

I communicated the person's concerns to the appropriate personnel back here on Post, and I count the interaction a success, albeit an uncomfortable one.

Had it not been for our interpreter's "institutional memory," I wouldn't have gotten to meet with the religious leader in the first place, because I wouldn't have known how to make that happen, and even if I'd been able to finagle a meeting somehow, I am quite sure I'd not have been prepared for what actually occurred.

Sure, Liaison Monitoring Teams (LMTs) file lots of reports, which eventually get copied into some archive or other. Perhaps someone could wade through the many gigabytes'-worth of those files for the past five years and get a sense of what's gone on. But I defy anyone to do that, and come up with the "institutional memory" possessed by our translators!

When either Mr A or Mr Z calls up a Bishop (Orthodox or Roman Catholic) or a Mufti or a Priest (Orthodox or Roman Catholic) or an Imam, the person on the other end of the line knows who's calling, because they've been dealing with Mr A or Mr Z for so long now. In a culture in which relationship is so important, this consideration cannot be dismissed lightly.

After so many years of building up these relationships, for no reason other than "the terms of the contract," the Chaplain teams from KFOR-12 and beyond are now going to have to reivent the wheel.

Mission effectiveness be damned, evidently.

Thanks, Mr. Unelected, Unappointed, Lowest-Bidder Civilian. I didn't realize you were signing my Operation Orders (OPORDs) and Fragmentary Orders (FRAGOs) now and determining how the Army is to accomplish its mission.

This situation gives new depths of meaning to the phrase "civilian oversight of the military."

The inmates are truly running the asylum.

(This is, as ever, just my own personal opinion of what these civilians are doing....)

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

A chill wind

2010-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

For the last ten days my unit was here in Kosovo, for the most part, we had great weather. The days were warm and sunny, and the nights cool and calm. It reminded me of the best of California weather, actually.

Once my people left, it began to get pretty hot here (relatively speaking, of course, since I've been to Iraq...), which was all the more noticeable after I discovered the vehicle I've been using doesn't have a functional air conditioner. (Again, I've been in Iraq in a vehicle with no air conditioning when it was well over 100 degrees well after nightfall, so this is relative annoyance here!)

That being said, last night it was barely over 40 degrees Fahrenheit (according to the thermometer), and pouring down rain as I left karaoke night and hoofed it back to my hooch.

Three days ago it was 80 degrees; last night with the wind chill, it was in the 30s.

What's up with *that*?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Adoption

2010-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Since I have a lot more time to myself now that my whole Battalion is back in the States, and I'm the only one from TF Mustang left here in Kosovo, I sent a note to the Battalion Commander of the Aviation unit here asking if I could "adopt" them.

They don't have a Chaplain organic to their unit (that's "Army-speak" for "they don't have a Chaplain specifically assigned to them), so I figured that even though another Chaplain has been 'covering down' for them, perhaps they might be able to benefit from an extra pair of hands.

LTC B and I met the next day and spoke for about 30 minutes.

I now have a new, if temporary, Battalion home -- and I get to keep wearing the Mustang on my shoulder, to boot.

(Maybe I'll even be able to finagle an extra ride or two on one of their aircraft!)

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Happy Birthday, Sis!

2010-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of my younger sisters has a birthday this week, so I wanted to be sure to let everyone know that, so you can hassle her about being almost as old as I am.

She and her husband have rebounded amazingly well since their home burned to the ground a couple of months ago (with my piano in it, but hey! what's a vow of poverty for, anyway?). Thank God no one was injured in the fire, or as it was extinguished.

Happy Birthday, Little Sister! I'm glad you were born.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

They're (mostly) home!

2010-05-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

All of my Soldiers, with the exception of those who are on med hold, or who are going to schools while still on Active Duty orders, should be home with their families and friends by this evening.

Hooray for them!!!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Street signs

2010-05-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

The first time SPC C and I left the town where the Church of St. Joseph is located, I noticed the road sign bidding farewell to visitors. I kept meaning to take a picture of it, but since it was on the other side of road from where my seat in the vehicle was.

I finally managed to get a couple of photos though. Don't you just love the cow wandering down the road? I don't see that very often in Palo Alto...

I'm looking forward to saying "Good Bay" to this place one day, myself.

For the time being however, I'm practicing being satisfied with being where I am at the moment.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

The stork's nest

2010-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

There's a big stork's nest on top of a home in one of the towns not far from Post. I was hoping to be able to get a shot of the storks in that nest, but I suspect now that I'm not getting off-Post as much as I used to.

One afternoon as one of the Companies was having a cookout, I noticed a stork flying far above us. Much to my surprise, I later discovered I'd gotten a good shot of the bird in flight.

After having heard about storks for years, it was great finally to see one. They really are magnificent creatures.

Once again, I was surprised by unexpected and undeserved beauty.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Facebook

2010-05-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've taken literally thousands of photos since I began this deployment last July (on top of the thousands I took while deployed to Iraq). Digital cameras are a wonderful invention.

(Though to be perfectly honest, given my advanced age and all, I do prefer the Daguerréotype process of my youth.)

Now that my unit has gone home, I've spent quite a bit of time uploading photographs to Facebook -- something I'd never have imagined myself doing.

However, since so many of my guys and gals have Facebook accounts, it seems to be a fairly simple way in which to share those photos with them.

After all, if I wasn't snapping pictures of flowers or landscapes or rainbows, I was photographing my Soldiers.

I think, as I look back over them, I do a pretty good job making portraits of my photographic subjects. who knew?

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Disappointment with self

2010-05-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

There were many occasions over the past couple of weeks when Soldiers from my unit received recognition in one form or another. The Commanding General came to our TOC (tactical operations center) to award Meritorious Service Medals to most of the Battalion Staff (Officers and NCOs). The Battalion Commander presented a few of those himself to others in the Battalion, as well as Army Commendation Medals or Army Achievement Medals.

The Deputy Commander - Movement came to visit, along with the Command Sergeant Major, and presented the General's Coin to many of our Soldiers.

Everyone in Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) who did not receive a special medal was handed a Certificate of Appreciation by the Company Commander.

The Battalion Commander presented his Battalion Deployment Coin to selected individuals.

In short, everyone on the Battalion Staff (Officers and NCOs) was recognized publicly by the awarding of some special medal or other, and everyone in HHC received at least a Certificate.

Except me.

Brigade disapproved whatever award I'd been put in for (presumably because I'll receive something later), so as a consequence, I received no public recognition by the Battalion at all.

Nada.

Now I know this stuff is not about the shiny things. I get that, and I'm certainly not in it for ribbons and medals and such. Quite frankly, I feel disappointed in myself that I had the reaction that I did to this turn of events.

I guess it's all part of the grief I feel at my best friends from this deployment -- my whole unit -- leaving, while I'm staying behind.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sadness

2010-05-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

My unit arrived back in the States without me yesterday.

Perhaps because I've been mobilized/deployed continuously since June 2008, and I'm really getting tired of walking on gravel all the time in places that have precious little vegetation worth remembering, I'm feeling very sad right now.

Don't get me wrong: I'm really happy for all of them, and grateful they're almost home with their families and friends.

I still feel sad though.

I'll get over it.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Sleepless not in Seattle

2010-05-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I spent the night at the airport recently (about 14 hours' worth of the night) with all the guys and gals from my unit. They were hoping to get on a plane to get home to the United States, but because of the volcano in Iceland, everyone wound up coming back here to Post.

Battalion Staff keeping watch at 0200.

At one point in the middle of the night (0300) we were told they'd be boarding in about ten minutes. There was a crush of Soldiers by the exit door, as people expected momentarily to begin their long-awaited journey home. Perhaps twenty minutes later we were told to stand down, that because of the volcanic ash a new flight plan needed to be filed. They'd be able to board in about 30 minutes.

Eager but exhausted Soldiers waiting to board the plane at 0300.

Several hours later, we were all still crammed into the waiting area.

This was especially frustrating given that they'd already been delayed a couple of days for one reason and another. Without anything constructive to do on Post, those days seemed to drag on and on for many of them.

Knowing that all their luggage was on the plane already made it even more frustrating for those who were already impatient to get home to loved ones and friends.

I didn't get much sleep, but had occasion to have some really good chats with Soldiers. There were even some wildflowers growing beyond the fenced-in area just outside the exit door. Fortunately they let us out there (finally) while we were waiting, so at least we could get some fresh air.

As I've written before, I love finding unexpected and undeserved beauty in the most unlikely of places.

When it was finally decided that everyone would have to return to Post, we stood around outside in a sort-of formation as we waited (seemingly forever) for the buses and their MP (military police) escorts. Someone had brought along a football, which provided a welcome diversion during the wait. It's not as though it was a Mickey Mouse operation, or anything....

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

SPC C's favorite sign

2010-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Many months ago, as SPC C and I were on one of our first trips together "outside the gate" he started to chuckle as we drove through one of the small hamlets along the route we were traveling.

"Did you see that sign, Sir?"

"What sign?"

"The one advertising a dentist, I think. It had a name I'd not have thought of for a dentist's office. I'll point it out to you on the way back."

As it turned out, though, it was a couple of trips later before I finally noticed the sign.

Get it? "Axa Dent" (Accident)

I'm rather disappointed that even with my bad propensity for even worse puns, I completely missed that each of the times we drove past it, until SPC C pointed it out to me.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Macedonia 06 -- The Orthodox Cathedral

2010-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

When SPC C and I went to Macedonia a couple of weeks ago, we visited the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Clement of Ohrid (Свети Климент Охридски) there. Construction of the church was begun in 1972, about five years after the Macedonian Orthodox Church declared itself autocephalous (much to the chagrin of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has yet to accept that decision, from what I can tell). It was dedicated in 1990.

Not unlike other churches in this part of the world, the Cathedral of St. Clement of Ohrid has an imposing free-standing bell tower.

For being a relatively new building, the church has a very tradition feel to it.

The icon of Christ at the top of the dome was very difficult to photograph because there was so little ambient light, and the height of the ceiling was so great. Sorry about that! But you should get an idea of what it looked like, despite my poor photographic effort!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Smiles

2010-05-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, as my guys and gals were waiting for their tickets home, I happened to be walking from one place to another, and everyone I passed by smiled at me.

I love my job!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Karaoke outdoors

2010-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I decided to sing karaoke again because I'd had so much fun last weekend when I sang. This time, it was set up on the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) outdoor stage. Perhaps because my Mustangs are set to leave here so soon, there weren't many other Soldiers (or civilians) who participated, so as to give us Californians more of a chance to sing.

I tried out a song I'd never attempted before, and it was a bit odd to hear echoes of my voice off the surrounding buildings.

The enthusiasm of some of my guys and gals is something to behold, especially in light of how they sound when they're onstage. I have a great time watching them have so much fun.

I'm finding myself wishing I'd started doing this much earlier on in the deployment!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Many Moons Ago

2010-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I discovered that my small camera can actually take pretty good photos of the moon, if I'm able to set it down so that my tremor doesn't interfere with its light-gathering capabilities.

The moon rose after midnight, so it meant staying up late in order to try to capture the moon's beauty, but it was worth it.

Here are some photos taken over the course of three nights recently.

The wispy clouds on the third night were the portent of the complete cloud cover the fourth night, which prevented any more picture-taking.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

By the light of the silvery moon

2010-05-04T06:00:00.001-07:00

Late one night recently I was on my way to brush my teeth (as was the case in Iraq, this means going outside, though down a covered walkway and not nearly as far), I noticed how beautiful the waning moon looked as it rose over the Seahuts here on Post.

By the light of the moon I noticed one of the huge rabbits that are denizens of this place. I had my camera with me, so I carefully released it from the camouflage pouch on my belt, and attempted to photograph it. My camera doesn't do all that well in low-light situations, given the tremor in my hands.

But with a little help from Photoshop, you get the idea.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker

2010-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

SSG L and I went to a town now far from here, to the Church of St. Joseph, to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on 01 MAY. We'd thought for a time we'd not be able to go, because my Battalion had scheduled a cookout for that morning, but for some reason, the "good idea fairy" lost out, and we didn't have Battalion-level 'organized joy'.

That left me free to get off Post.

It's still a bit odd doing such travels without SPC C, but since he's officially off-mission now, I have to rent a Chaplain Assistant if I go outside the gate.

SSG L hadn't been to that church yet, so he was pretty jazzed about the opportunity.

Now that I think of it, SSG L has had a couple of "firsts" just in the last two trips he and I have taken: his first rides on a Blackhawk helicopter, and his first trip up to the town we visited (and to Jozefi's Restaurant, about which I've written before).

It was a beautiful, sunny late morning. The church was packed with people, and I understood very little of what my fellow priests were saying as we prayed the liturgy. The choir director insisted that I sing something a cappella during Communion, and I suspect not many of those present understood the words I was singing. Turn-about is fair play, I guess.

After Mass, we ate lunch in the rectory and then went to Jozefi's Restaurant for coffee.

Wonderful.

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ

So many days and a wake-up

2010-05-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have Soldiers all around me who are telling me, with great delight, "I have only five more days and a wake-up," or "I have two more days and a wake-up."

They are, of course, referring to how much time they have left here before they can get on a plane and get out of here.

Unfortunately, the number of days has been growing rather than shrinking. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it is a source of consternation and frustration and confusion and sadness for many of my colleagues.

With all this talk about "a wake-up" I've been thinking lately of how we wake up around here.

This place is so "garrisonized" that they sound Reveille every morning at 0600. When I was in Chaplain School, the U.S. flag (the National Colors) was raised each morning at the time Reveille sounded. Every morning we did PT at 0500 we'd have to stop what we were doing, come to attention, and "present arms" at the first notes of the tune.

Here in Kosovo, since the flag flies 24 hours per day, only the bugle call sounds.

At 0600 that's not so bad if I'm already up, but it's less than optimal on those rare occasions when I get to sleep in.

I can't remember any of the thirty-some Camps, Posts, Joint Security Stations, Forward Operating Bases, Patrol Bases, etc. in Iraq on which Reveille was sounded last year when then-SFC McG and I were there.

I guess this is just one of the many differences between this deployment and my year in Iraq!

Blessings and peace to one and all,

Fr. Tim, SJ