Farewell Crib 6

Another beautiful, crisp, day in Bamyan. It's a Friday too, which means a day off (not lately, actually, but that's for another time). Thank goodness, right?

Not this time. Today the last contingent of New Zealand military Crib 6 will depart Bamyan, headed for home (in summer, I might add) and points beyond. Their time in Bamyan is done.

This is the fourth of four C-130 Hercules lifts to bring Crib 6 back home, dragging out the goodbyes over an entire week. In some ways, it's agonizing. Today's crew is most of the senior NCOs, warrant officer types. The warrant officers comprise the bulk of my friends from this group, as we are all a little older than the bulk of the Kiwi troops, and have a little perspective on what we are doing here.

Of course, the Commander is also on this flight. Originally, it felt like I was starting off on the wrong foot with him, and that we were headed for months of butting heads or worse, but turns out that we got along famously. My first four months here have been immeasurably better because of the great professional relationship I had with the Commander. I would like to think that we have become good friends as well.

I have to confess that this is hitting me harder than I had expected. I have been living overseas for the better part of 8 years now, and I am used to seeing people come and go. You would think I am old hat at this.

Guess not. I have made some real friends in this last bunch, as we've shared fun (although a little alcohol would've livened things up), work, more work, more work, bombs, bullets, idiot UN drivers, good food, bad food, mountain hikes, PT hell, bazaar shopping (and haggling), RISK, Stand-To drills, American Chopper midnight marathons, rugby (how could I forget rugby), bad DVDs (I especially like the ones where the voice comes over the top and says "The concession stand will be closed in ten minutes." No, I don't buy fakes, but I have watched a few with the gang.), wayyyyy too much chocolate, lollys (all candy is a "lolly"), and a bunch of other stuff I can't think of at the moment.

Originally Parade Day was going to be big and flash. A Brigadier was coming out, as well as a couple of Coalition commanders, a Political Advisor (sort of like me), and a couple other VIPs. Of course, this being Bamyan, the military says they could not fly in because of "high wind." I don't know what it is about this landing strip, but it seems to scare pilots. Dunno. In other words, it was just the locals, outgoing Kiwi Crib 6, incoming Crib 7, the Americans here, and the Afghan staff. More like a family affair, and, I believe that is how most of us prefer it.

Life with Crib 7 will be good, I know, but it is hard to focus on that at the moment. Today I just want to focus on the end of this chapter, not the beginning of the next one. To all my Crib 6 pals, Marie, Joe, Louise, Hailey, Monty, Adrian/Gary (long story), Murray, BJ, Cam, Kev, Maace, Becks, Marty, Wally, Woddi, CSM Jim, Steve, Cheery, Red, Harry, Dobby, Nigel, Skiff, Russ, Dan, JK, Bob, anybody I've forgotten (I feel like I am reading my acceptance speech at the Oscars -- "you like me, you really like me!") and of course Tim, God Speed. We'll catch up again somewhere, sometime. The Chinese don't say goodbye, they say "zai jian," for "see you next time.

Zai Jian, Crib 6.