Hey Y’all,

I’m still in Afghanistan and things are actually going well here… relatively speaking.

First, I think the summer heat has finally broken. It’s starting to cool down over here. I’ve actually seen clouds in the sky over the last few days. I never thought I’d be saying how cool weather in the 90s felt. I haven’t seen a sandstorm in over a week either.

Since I returned from R&R last month, I’ve been working at the headquarters. I’m sort of a jack-of-all-trades, but I’m primarily doing logistics. At first, it was a nice change of pace from doing long patrols and getting in firefights. Now, it feels like the movie Groundhog Day. I wake up and do the same stuff every day. Fortunately, I’m keeping really busy, which makes the time go by faster. Plus, having amenities like a good chow hall and a gym isn’t too bad either. Speaking of firefights, I finally got my Combat Action Badge!

Being here is kind of ironic though. I left my job in the States where I sit in a office and ship stuff. Now, I’m in Afghanistan, sitting in a office, and shipping stuff. There is one major difference though. I have never seen FedEx lose a giant box that weighs 400 lbs!

I’m actually getting ready to move somewhere else in the near future. If you plan on sending something to me, please try to get it in the mail by Sept. 10th. I’m not sure how long I’ll be in the new place — hopefully, not long. So I probably won’t send out my new address when I get there. Fortunately, the next big move from there is back to the States! I should be back by early next year.

I hope everything’s well. Take care.

KIRBY BURKE