NastyGram

Regarding the ‘opinion piece’ I did two blogs back, I just read a report in Stars and Stripes that in Sept 2005 the advisors to the President approved the concept for regional domestic infrastructure reconstruction teams here, but security is a major issue—DoS would like DoD to provide security, but DoD states they cannot concurrently staff a training mission that is fundamental to the military exit strategy and a new mission, and recommended DoS contract security from the private sector. This exposes an apparent two year gap between the implementation of the political military agenda and the implementation of the requisite political non-military agenda, which I maintain should have been concurrent, and which time gap I argue exacerbated to the point of unmanageability the long-term security aspect of the political military agenda.

On the “Home Front” (literally), Sheryl and I received a ‘NastyGram’ from our ‘Homeowner’s Association’ requiring us to paint some trim and awning supports on our mobile home. We received this notice one week before I shipped out, with only two weeks to fix it. I requested an extension of the deadline; no way I could address it, and left it in the very capable hands of a good friend, Ralph C. Ralph and Sheryl have decided what needs to be done, and I think they plan on doing more than the minimum required by the HA. If you could help in this, it would greatly relieve my concerns for Sheryl having to handle stuff like this while I’m gone, and also minimize the guilt I feel over saddling Ralph with more of a bite than he thought he would have to chew when he so kindly volunteered to handle this for me.

Semper Fi, Jon G.