What a bad-ass day!!!

"Ok, here is how you put the round together to before you load it, this is how you aim. Any questions?" Said one of my ANP chiefs during a very wonderful class on the RPG (rocket propelled grenade) that he gave me and my squad. Some of us have been on the receiving end of these, so it was nice to finally be able to see it shot from the right side. The chief gave us a good class, and after ensuring the down range was cleared, I was allowed to shoot an anti-personnel round. It was better then I expected. I have had the opportunity to shoot many different weapons in the Army, but it is always fun to shoot something new, especially when it is a foreign weapon. It is good to have all of my soldiers knowing how to use one, just in case. It did not have much kick to it, but boy did that round travel fast. The chief shot a high explosive anti-tank round at the hill. I shot mine closer. The weapon is fairly easy to prep and aim, you just have to keep the front tilted upwards until you shoot. It was great fun, and if any of you ever get the chance to shoot one, take it. You will not be disappointed. SSG Russell Miller.

Merry Christmas....Santa's packin' heat....

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM SUNNY AFGHANISTAN!!! All of us here hope that it was an enjoyable holiday for all of you back home. We had the 82 Airborne singers come and perform some nice songs for us. I will try to get some of those pics up soon. As you can see, Santa made a stop here to pass out stockings and presents. It was pretty cool. He stopped to check out the RPK that the Afghan's use. Not as good as quality as our stuff, but it holds its own. So anyway, we had a pretty good dinner and passed out presents from different groups that sent them. From some wonderful lawyers in Portland, OR to the FRG and some 173rd Airborne supporters, and of course my wonderful wife and kids who handmade some delicious cookies and cards for the platoon. Everything was so great, except not being home with our families. Well, I have to get back to work, but I will up date again soon.

Thats some high speed looking ANP, and the food was good too...

So, that is a real high speed group of ANP soldiers. These are some of the soldiers that we have been training for the past 11 months. They are a good group of guys, and take to the training well. They are always excited to see us and do some new training. One good thing about doing the training is that they usually feed us lunch if we are there. As you can see, we had some lunch the other day and it was tasty. It was real simple, just rice, bread, and potatoes. They Afghanis just got done celebrating Eid, which is a big holiday for them. It is a 4 day celebration, kinda like Christmas or Easter for us. They kill sheep, eat alot, and just chill out for a while. But, things are back to normal for us and them. We are getting ready for Christmas here, and I have a bunch of stockings to put together for the platoon. We have gotten an overwhelming amount of support for the holidays and beyond. It is so great to know people are supporting us over here. I will get lots of pictures for everyone to see, and I heard that Santa Claus will be making a special stop here. We heard he will be coming in by helicopter with gunship support. We definitely do not want ol St. Nick getting shot down or anything bad like that. Well, a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all. I need to go prep some gifts, so enjoy, and more to follow in the near future.

busy, busy, busy

Well, it has been a while since my last post I just realized. We have been staying busy here with our ANP, training them and the like. It has really begun to look nice for the holidays around here. There is snow in the mountains, decorations around the FOB, and packages coming in by the truck load. And as you can tell from the blurry picture (sorry) it is getting colder as well. Just in the mornings and at night right now though. I am pretty sure that Santa will make his way here to pass out gifts and stockings to all. Some people here might get some coal, but most will get some nice treats, thanks to the great people who have been supporting us and sent stockings to us all. My wife and kids did make some yummy goodies for the platoon, and everyone was really thankful for the homemade goodies. There will be other gifts to come on Christmas, and I will get some nice thanks you letters out to those that are very deserving of it. i have a room full of boxes right now waiting to get passed out. Well, I need to get back to work, and also get some more holiday pictures taken for you all.

it's begining to look a lot like Christmas...

Well, as you can see, the first snow has arrived in the mountains in the not so far distance to us over here. Yes it is getting colder here as well. But never fear, as the Army has equipped us with some great new cold weather gear. It is a 7 layer system that will stand up to some pretty brutal weather and elements. It has everything from silk weight undergarments to water proof gortex outer shells and parkas. I personally like the fleece jacket the best, and wear it all the time when it gets chilly. We have been slowly starting to decorate around here for the holidays. The hardest part about it is not being home with our families and loved ones. But I try to keep my soldiers and myself busy and we always talk about what we would be doing if we were home or what we will do on leave. It is great to have all the support that we have been getting from the home front. It makes a huge world of difference to have the car packages coming in the mail. We have started to put up some Christmas decorations around here. Yesterday, I was able to give out some tarps to a local school that does not have a roof. It takes a long time for reconstruction projects to get going, so we help out as best as we can before they start. We will be doing a big H-aid drop soon at school that has a couple thousand kids. I will have lots of photos of that when it happens. Well, thank you all for the continued support and love. I do pass the thanks of all my soldiers on to you all. Well, I must return to the numerous reports i am always writing, so more to come in the near future. SSG Miller

An early thanksgiving...

So, we did some nice things for a village today, in the form of humanitarian assistance. We took a whole lot of H-aid items to this village of over 2,500 people. That is a rough estimate of the number of people. It is probably a lot more than that though. We took about 3500 kilos of flour, 1500 kilos of coal, hundreds of shoes, sweaters, and backpacks for kids, as well as tarps and plastic for houses and some toys of course. It was really cool and hectic at the same time. We had some help from our ANP of course and the local village elders as well. After we unloaded all the goods, we had the elders and ANP divvy up the goods, as they know most all of the people and could make sure the poorer families got stuff before the richer ones. This was our biggest h-aid drop so far, and it went pretty well. We are trying to do more of these, especially with winter approaching. It also helps to have our ANP there and make them participate in it. It puts a good face on the local government and shows the people that we are all on the same side. I know a lot of you back home don't hear about these things that we do, but know that they do happen quite often. I am pretty sure that there was a reporter from a local radio station there as well. Well, it is almost Thanksgiving here, so I am going to get some sleep before our big football games tomorrow. Should be quite fun. Take care and gobble gobble. SSG Miller (Russ)

Today's luckiest man in Afghanistan....

This is exactly why driving laws, having proper equipment such as tires, brakes, and not being overloaded are very important when on the road. Luckily, the driver of this truck limped away with only a few scrapes, bruises, and maybe a small fracture on his leg. My squad came across this accident only moments after it happened and stopped to assist. We saw people frantically working to pull someone out, and thought the worst. We always travel with a medic, so he and I ran up to see ho we could help. I honestly thought that there would be no survivors or if so they would be in pieces. But by the grace of this guys higher power, he lived. As you can see, that is a large tree he went head on with, and ended up with his steering wheel in the drivers seat. Doc quickly evaluated him as I had a sit-rep called up and directed traffic around the accident scene. Soon thereafter, the drivers friends took him to the local hospital, so we let the scene to the ANP's. LUCKY. That's all there was to this. So, word to the wise, if your car feels funny, sounds a little weird, or you think there is no time to get somewhere, stop and check it out or slow down a little bit. You can afford to be a little late. Just some good advise from an experienced Sergeant.

a beauitful sunset over a mortar tube..

So, at one of my stations today there was a beautiful sunset that just looked cool as the shadows crossed the mountains. It wasn't quite as nice as the sunset on the Oregon coast when I was there on leave, but it was nice. As you can tell, I am back doing my thing over here like always. I also was busy admiring a nice 81mm mortar launcher my station just got recently. I think I will have them let me shoot a few rounds. That is always fun to put a few rounds down range...especially when they make a big boom! If you have never shot anything bigger then a pistol or rifle, then you would be in for a treat to shoot a mortar, grenade launcher, or something along those lines. I will defiantly get some pictures or video if I get to shoot the mortar for you all. Well, this will be a short one today, as I am tired and have some more work to do. Thanks again for every ones support. It means a lot to us over here to know we have people concerned for us. More to come in the near future....SSG Russell Miller.

I'm back...

Well, here I am back from a enjoyable R&R in the states with my family. It was a wonderful and relaxing time as you might have guessed from the beach photos. Sorry if I have not posted in a while or responded to e-mails. We had some communication issues here the past week. But be glad to know everything is good here. Oh a little important information for all. We have a new zip code for us here. It is 09310. The rest of the address is still the same, but just the zip code has changed. Do not worry if you have mailed things with the old zip, they will still arrive, but the new zip gets things here a little faster. On a cooler note, the weather here is actually starting to cool off a bit. The highs are now in the 70-80's and the lows are down in the 50's. It is so much nicer then it was this summer. Believe me, we are all happy about that. Wow, it is already mid November. Thanksgiving is coming up and then Christmas will be around the corner. Thankfully we have AFN now so we can watch football. Oh, that is the Armed Forces Network. It is like TV in the states without the adds and the shows are a season behind. But the news and sports are up to date. I am a little behind on email and postings, so please bear with me as I hit the ground running since I have been back. More to follow soon with pics. SSG Miller.

A little R&R

Well, for all of you fans of my blog out there, just to let you know that I am doing ok and have not dropped off the face of the planet, I am home on some much needed R&R with my family. It has been so nice to see my little ones and hang out with them and my lovely wife. We have gone to the beautiful Oregon coast and had great weather while we were there. I will be able to have Halloween here with the kids as well so that is great. For all of you that have been sending the care packages, Thanks a bunch! We (all of my soldiers) do enjoy getting the boxes and appreciate it greatly. I am sure there will be a huge pile of mail waiting for me when I return. Oh, on that note, If you do send mail, there is a new zip code to ensure the mail arrives a little sooner. It is 09310. The rest of the address is the same, but just put in the new zip code. If you use the old one, no worries as it it still make it's way to us.

Schools in

A big thanks to all who have sent us school supplies over here to pass out. School is back in session and just about every time we go out, we take at least a small box of stuff for the kids. Just thought I would post some pics for you all to see and tell you that the kids and us all get a big kick out of it. This was just a small portion of the kids, but we got busy and forgot to take more pics. Just to let you all know, I will be on R&R later on in October, so it might be a while in between posts. Thanks again to all who send us stuff. Peace from the SWA...Russ

Fresh coffee care of my Dad

So, as it has cooled off here a bit, down to the low 70's at night, I have started drinking more coffee again. I know, cooled off to the 70's?? Well from being over 100 to 110, it is a big change. We are starting to get used to it. Anyway, I got some of my guys hooked on fresh ground coffee. They really like the grinder and filter set up my dad gave me before I deployed. We tried to give the locals some, but they wanted nothing to do with it. They were drinking their tea instead. It was good coffee, being freshly ground and brewed. Just wanted to let you all know that we are all doing good here and appreciate all the support and love you all send. Well, I am trying to play catch up on all kinds of work and posts, so more to come. Russ

So you want dinner?

So, we stayed overnight with some of our Afghan counterparts and had a great dinner. Yes we eat on the floor, but they always lay down a mat. I tell you the bread is great, as is the rice and beans. They make goat as well as some potatoes that have some sauce that is great. I wish there was some Afghan restaurants in the states because I would eat there. The best part is there are not very many dishes to wash. You eat with your hands and then roll up the mats when you are done. Well, I have a lot to do today, so I will get this posted and put some more pics up. Later, Russ

Avacados, and painful rain...

So, we were at a bigger FOB for some re-supply and they had lots of good looking avocados out. So, not getting such exotic stuff like that all time, a few of us indulged ourselves. I got about 11 of them, and thankfully they were not quite ripe yet. I have made some avocado and toast, guacamole, and it is so good. It is amazing how much you forget some of the conveniences of fresh produce, and 24 hours supermarkets. I know that it seems kinda weird to be all excited for some fresh produce, but it is a treat for us. So, anyway we got caught in a huge rainstorm as well. It just opened up in a matter of a couple minutes and was crazy. It hurt it was raining so bad. It is starting to cool off here now. That is a good thing. Also, Ramadan has started. That is the Muslim holiday that lasts for a month, where they can not eat or drink during the day. My terp gets up at like 0330 in the morning so he can eat and drink before morning prayer. Then he can not eat or drink until evening prayer around 1800. We try our best not to eat or drink in front of our terps or the ANP we work with, so as to show them respect. Well, I am way over due on posting this so I will get it going. Later...

Rememberence Day

So, it was business as usual today, on this solemn day that has affected us all. Well, kinda

sorta. We ended up at a very nice Ceremony at a large FOB that we re-supply at. It was very moving for all of us. There were a few soldiers and civilians that shared stories of how 9-11 affected them. One guy was from NY, and his dad and brother are both firefighters. It is also his birthday, so he had called in sick to work and his brother and dad went fishing with him, so they were not in the initial call. He was very emotional, and it spread through the crowd as well. Before we left for the days mission, we had a moment of silence followed by a prayer for everyone. Yes, us Federal employees had a prayer at work. Go ahead and tell all the liberals and atheists. Anyway, I hope all of you took a few moments to remember, and pay respects to all those who were killed and to all the rescue workers who made the choice to go in and try to rescue survivors. I also think of the soldiers who have gave their lives, some of whom were people I knew.

Well, other then that, things are good here. We are all waiting for it to cool of some more, as it is still warm here most days. I hope to be home in just over a month on R&R!!! I need the break and it will be great to see my family. My kids are frowning up so fast. It will be nice to have a break and just relax for a while. I thank you all for reading my blog and sharing it with people you know. We are making good progress with our Afghan police. They are starting to get better equipped and they pick up all the training we give them. It is great to teach them something, and then watch them put it into use on patrol. I feel better each week knowing we are making a difference. Well, time to sign off, so take care and more to follow...Russ

Mail Call!!!

So, we get mail delivered by helicopters most of the time here. It is pretty exciting when we hear the choppers coming. We all run out to the HLZ (helicopter landing zone) after they touch down. The birds are usually Chinooks, so they kick up lots of dust and the blast from the engines is terrible. They have two engines that blow right out the back, so when you approach the rear ramp, it is like a super sized hair dryer. But it is defiantly worth it to get mail and such. As you can see, we just got a load of packages from a great bunch of people from a Portland Oregon law firm. I put the boxes out and the stuff went fast. My troops send out a big thanks to all of you who help contribute to the packages. As you can see, my gunner was excited about the fudge stripes. We all enjoy the little pieces of home that everyone sends in the mail to us. You forget about the little comforts in life, and it makes you appreciate them more being deployed. Don't be confused though, there are good chunk of those we like to call "fobbits". These are the people who never go outside the wire and run missions, live and work in air conditioning, and have no idea what we who run missions do. I know they take care of stuff like chow and pay, but some of them live way to nice for a deployment. There are still troops over here who have it worse then us too. They only shower about every 3 days and eat worse food.

Well, there is also a pic of a little traffic jam in one of the bazaars. It is not to bad, as we actually have sirens on our HMMWV's like our patrol cars back at Lewis. They are quite nice for clearing traffic, camels, donkeys, and kids. I like to play different music through some of the areas over the PA system. They locals like it, and clap and smile and wave to us. It is pretty cool to see them enjoy some good music. If I can ever get this site to upload my videos, I will post them. Well, it is getting late here and I should sleep. Was driving for about 4 hours today. Stay cool and more later.

Oops, watch out for flying water bottles...

Ok, just a little safety note for everyone. Be very careful if you toss someone a water bottle, especially if it is frozen and the guy who is supposed to catch it is not looking. Ok, let me set up the story. I was trying to give some of my ANP water, and they were in the back of a hi-lux truck, (basically a 4 door ranger) and as I tossed the last of 5 bottles, which was a frozen .5 liter bottle, the guy who had been catching them bent down to pick up another bottle he dropped, and WHAM!! Another guy got clipped right above the eye by the bottom of the bottle. I felt so bad when I saw it and ran over to see if he was ok. It didn't seem too bad until I got up to him and there was a gash above his left eye and it was a bleeder. I hollered for Doc, who was right there helped get the guy a bandage. We were on the move, so he had to wait about 5 or 6 minutes to get fully treated. After we stopped up the road a little bit, Doc got going on some sutures. The ANP soldier was pretty cool, he really did not want stitches. I felt so bad for the accident, but he was like "hey, it wasn't on purpose." Doc got him cleaned up good, and we had the guy come back so we could finish up better at the camp. I figure I will do something or get something nice for the guy. Least I can do. Anyway, just another bit of excitement here in Afghanistan. Remember, catch, duck, or make sure your buddies can.