I’m wrapping up my final week in Afghanistan.  It’s strange.  I’m ready and excited to get home, but I’m sad to leave good friends I’ve been working with. The transition process is draining.  There is so, so much I’ve learned here and so much of it was new.  I can say for a fact I learned new things every single day being an artilleryman working in an Air Force world.  My replacement is ready to go, and I hope I’ve passed him all the information from my brain and experiences.  The good news is he has an amazing team to help him, even if I didn’t get to transfer every single tidbit of knowledge!

In my last week, I’ve said tons and tons of good-byes.  I’ve visited the post office several times to mail things I don’t feel like carrying.  I’ve made calls and used help to search flight times to see when I get to leave.  I’ve packed and cleaned.  I’ve caught up on sleep and I’ve swiffered my room.  I’ve given away items and sold some.  I’ve kicked myself for not sending more through the post office.  I’ve balanced my thoughts on whether I would prefer to be stuck in Afghanistan or Kuwait, as if I really have a choice in the matter!  I’ve happily introduced my replacement in meetings and felt happiness when I saw the team functioning just like clockwork without me.  I sat in the wings and giggled uncontrollably with another lady as we waited for our replacements; the video brief telling them they might hear the incoming fire sirens “a few times” during their deployment.  I’ve transferred the files from my unclassified computer that I need.  I’ve finalized a letter of recommendation for a young man I deployed with 15 years ago.  I’ve enjoyed meals with friends, soaking up the last moments of chit chat and fun stories, talking about the “good old days” when we were still stationed up in Kabul at the Resolute Support Headquarters.  I’ve made plans for how to stay in touch with the friends not on Facebook.

And one memory I want to keep, that was special in its own special way, was watching the royal wedding.  I know, it seems funny.  But being in a NATO environment, there are things that are very special to certain countries.  I think some of the Brits scoffed about only the Americans being interested in the wedding, but that was not the case for us.  We have a liaison officer that works on the floor with us and she insisted the spare televisions showed the wedding.  There is another British officer who works with us who decorated his whole office with flags and served tea, coffee, and cakes.  And the British Air Commodore who I report to, who is equivalent to a U. S. one-star general, was busy watching on his television in his office when I went to get him for our scheduled “tour” of our work area.  He and his aide told me immediately we all picked an awful time on the calendar!  So instead of immediately heading out for the tour, I sat in his office and watched the procession of the princes.  How many other Soldiers get to say they watched that in a Air Commodore’s office?  After the princes arrived, we headed out to the floor to start the tour.  The team briefed him well, and then we paused our briefings so we could watch the bride walk down the aisle, starting them again when they met at the front of the church.  Just a special, surreal moment which is special in a NATO environment!

I’m ready to start the next adventure, but I’m always going to hold this whole deployment experience with my special memories.