Update from the Field

Dear Family and Friends,

We are just two days away from the seven month mark! Already thoughts have started to turn towards and actual plans are starting to be made for our departure. Things are looking more likely that French ETTs will be replacing us too, so we will have a unique challenge to work through, unlike the average team of ETTs.

Everyone that is here is doing weill. We have quite a few of the guys either on leave, getting ready to come back or getting ready to head out. It is a tiresome process that starts with waiting around an airport here, then flying to Kuwait for more waiting around, etc. -- the old Army process of hurry up and wait. 1SG Walter is back from leave and Deborah, Evan and the older two boys are really doing well; he said that it was the quickest two weeks of the deployment!

As you know, a lot of the Pennsylvanians are in the 5th Kandak. They were busy this week with guiding the ANA medics to train Afghan Police n first responder skills; the training process ended with a "MEDCAP" for the police and their children, where they received a free medical screening and any prescriptions that they required. Unfortunately, we could not get a female medical professional to help out, so they were not able to provide service to any of their wives or older daughters; that's the way things go in Afghanistan.

This coming week we continue a staff training process with the brigade headquarters here in Jalalabad. We are taking them through the planning process and in the process, creating the plan for the hand-over here in the east to another ANA brigade and then our movement back to Darulaman.

I imagine that school is getting started soon for all of the kids back home, and we all hope that it gets off to a good start!

Warm Regards,

GEORGE M. SCHWARTZ
LTC, AR
Team Leader/Senior Mentor
1st Brigade, 201st Corps (ANA ETT)