I got to sit in on the Land Component Commander’s BUB (Battle Update Brief) the first morning after a major battle was launched in Afghanistan. It was amazing…there were three screens on one wall; each one was probably 30 ft by 30 ft. There was a moderator who called on people to speak, according to an agenda set by the Commander. There were a hundred people in the room, and many, many more on secure video and phone, including the big cats in Washington. It was awe inspiring to hear it first hand, and know that my unit, (Central Command’s Deployment and Distribution Operations Center, or CDDOC), is in direct support of those marines that are pulling the trigger.
The job of the Air Force is to get the war fighter, their equipment, and the rest of the infrastructure to sustain them, to the right place, at the right time. I tell you what…when the president says 30,000 troops, it isn’t 30,000 troops. It is quadruple that because you have to build bases and keep them running, and you need to fly or sail/truck all that stuff in. The main issue that the CDDOC deals with is what has priority for airlift. Commanders all over the theater are fighting over airlift. The priorities are set each week by the Generals and the CDDOC facilitates the lifts and makes sure they happen. We are also involved in priorities for sea/land transportation and facilitate same…not as sexy as airlift, though. The priorities do change instantly, depending upon what is happening on the battle field. Believe it or not, we have metrics that we MUST meet. For example, the Marines have set a requirement for X number of gizmos by 1 March…our General gets his ass kicked if we don’t do it…and well, you know what rolls down hill (yes, it still all boils down to shit jokes for me…that will never change).
So, here is the scoop with me…I came to Arifjan thinking I was assigned to Operation Iraqi Freedom and assisting with the drawdown there. The CDDOC is just as intimately involved with that, but I won’t be. They’ve reassigned me to work Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and assisting with the plus up that is going on there. It came down needing a certain skill set at a certain rank, and once again, my number came up...I’m on my way to Afghanistan. I will be one of two CDDOC Liaison Officers assigned to US Forces-Afghanistan (the US command and control HQ, whose job it is to ensure effective integration and coordination with coalition partners and NATO/ISAF forces). The job will essentially be the same—synchronize and optimize airlift, sealift and ground transportation, to get the war fighter what they need, when they need it. And, right now, we need to increase the velocity of the movements…the war fighter is counting on us. (How did you like all those buzz words?) I’ll let you know more when I get there.
It was a great day today…we got a half day off! I got a long run around the base…it was just over 6 miles. I’ve been able to get a run in about every other day but I fell short of my goal of 20 miles a week (18.5 mi). I get to scype with my husband at least once a day...what a miracle!
I hope you’ve had a happy Valentine’s day, and Happy Birthday, Mom!
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