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Guest Post from MSgt Joel Weber
MSgt/USMC, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan
Ramblings of a Deployed Mind – Week 10
Well, here we are starting Week 10 in this dusty, sun-baked box of chaos. The last week was quite the adventure! We wrapped up Easter quietly, but things quickly picked up again. The Sabres are out of the playoffs, NBA is on full blast now, and storms have been rolling across the southern and eastern U.S. This week, we’re keeping our families and friends back home in our thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, we also had a tragedy in Kabul, where we lost 8 brave Americans—please keep their families in your prayers.
As April came to a close, we’re rolling into a new month full of milestones. Mother’s Day, my 35th birthday (wow, time flies), my mom’s birthday, Memorial Day, and most importantly, my little girl Kara’s birthday are all just around the corner. Kara turning 11… it feels like she was just born yesterday. My little girl is growing up fast, and as much as it pains me, I guess that’s just the way life works.
I’ve been keeping busy here, working toward my Master’s Degree. Despite the long 14-18 hour days, I’ve been hitting it hard—finishing my papers with solid grades (99s and 100s). I’ve also managed to log 88 miles this month in my running. Most recently, I did a half marathon and a 10-mile run. The long runs are tough, but they do give me a little breather. At this pace, I might even exceed my goal of 600 miles for the year! Now that the temperature’s rising into the triple digits, I’ve had to start running at the crack of dawn—definitely not my favorite, but it’s the way it goes.
Exciting news: my little brother is about to join us here. He’ll be stationed up north, so I’ve got a good excuse to escape Camp Leatherneck for a bit! It’s gonna feel like a mini family reunion out here, and I can’t wait. There’s also a chance that my roommate back home might be coming over too, which would be amazing. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much interaction with our NATO counterparts this week, but hopefully next week will be different. I do love how the Brits talk though—just don’t call them “spunky,” as it means something completely different over here!
Also, one of the guys, Brian, who’s the real workhorse around here, is leaving for a few weeks at the end of the month for R&R. He and his wife are expecting their first baby, a girl. While I’ll miss him, we’re all excited for him to go home and be with his family. It’d be something if his baby girl shares a birthday with Kara. As for Chris, another Marine I work with—he’s entered a bench press competition today. His arms are literally bigger than my thighs, and we’re all betting that he’ll win his weight class and probably the overall championship by a landslide.
As I sign off this week, we’re all hoping to see some rebuilding happening in the southern and eastern U.S. and to witness, once again, why America is so great. God bless America, and I’ll be back next week with more updates. For anyone who wants to send something, my address has changed slightly, so here it is:
MSGT JOEL WEBER
II MEF FWD C6
UNIT 73920
FPO AE 09501-3920
Semper Fi,
Joel “Eeyore” Weber
MSgt/USMC, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan
Twitter: @Marines1994
P.S. Check out these great sites:
www.thesucklife.com
www.semperfimomma.com
They always motivate and entertain me, and I think they’ll do the same for you!
Here’s to starting the week on the right foot!
