Sunday, September 25, 2011

All access

Today the roads were finally opened up for travel.  After three weeks, I was pretty tired of being cooped up on my small compound, so a short trip across the street to ISAF was a good break.  Even though the Green Zone is right across the street from us on the other side of Massoud Circle, it is not within the confines of the "secured" Green Zone and therefore we must travel via armored shuttle.

I can't wait for when it starts turning colder.  When that happens, they typically open up the area to walking between camps.  As it turns out, insurgents are weather sensitive and solar powered.  They don't fight when it's cold or wet and they don't fight at night.  We all knew this in Iraq as well since the incidents of IEDs and other attacks drastically decreased during the winter months.

I had some unfinished business at the ISAF compound since before the Kabul attacks a few weeks ago, but this was the first opportunity I had had to come back to complete it.  Because of the meetings I regularly attend, I had to get an escorted visitor's badge every time I attended.  I think the staff of the company's meetings I attend got tired of having to escort me and they sponsored me to get an all access ISAF badge.  Score...

So as it appears, more doors are opening for me now.  As soon as I'm completed with a new document standardization software tool, I'll be able to travel the whole country to distribute and train everyone on how to us the software I'm creating.  Now, having this badge will make things a lot easier, so I'll have unrestricted access to not only the U.S. run compounds, but also the bases run by our NATO partners as well.  Kind of a backstage pass, and I've got all access.  But for now, I'm just happy the roads have reopened and I have access back to ISAF.  That way, I can go and sit at one of the European run cafes and contemplate my existence over a good cup of coffee.

More to follow.

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