Monday, July 4, 2011

Stuff...

So another month has come and gone since my last post. I don't have any excuses to offer but I can certainly explain my absence. First, I want to thank all of you for your words of encouragement and your prayers for me and my team. Second, I think it's important to note that it hasn't been that I didn't have anything to post. Lots has happened this past month and, on most any given day I could have written about some little thing that happened here on FOB Lagman. But the reality is that I haven't had the desire to share the mundane, day to day things that we do here while waiting for bad things to happen. In fact, I've been wrestling with what this blog actually represents and which direction to take it from here forward. I'll try to explain...

After my last post, I got some heat from certain people over the contents of the blog. I was pretty sure I hadn't posted anything that was in violation of the rules that govern social media use by members of the military but, just to be safe, I ran the entire blog by the operational security officer for the FOB, the PAO for the FOB, and, ultimately, the PAO for all of RC South. In the end, I needed to remove about four lines of text from the entire blog. In and of itself, removing a few lines was no big deal but reading back through all my previous posts gave me pause.

As you all know, my blog is mostly light-hearted, hoo-yah, go Navy in nature with as much humor as I can muster thrown in to keep things positive. By and large, that's the kind of guy I am. I love life, I love to laugh, and despite the length of my indentured servitude to the USN I'm still grateful for all the opportunities the Navy has given me. But as I read through most of my posts, a feeling of shame came over me. I felt like, up until my last post, I was painting a Pollyanna picture of something much darker than most can imagine. Much of what I know (or think I know) about this war and the machine that powers it I can't post for fear of reprimand. Most of what I feel must similarly be put aside for private conversations best reserved for the time after I return home. As I re-read my posts outlining our time at Dix and most of our time here I realized that I may have been broadcasting the wrong message to you all and for that, I apologize.

So, faithful followers, before proceeding with any further posts, a disclaimer...

THIS BLOG IS NOT INTENDED TO, IN ANY WAY, GLORIFY, PROMOTE, OR ENCOURAGE CONTINUATION OF HOSTILITIES AGAINST ANY GOVERNMENT OR ENTITY. THE AUTHOR ONLY WISHES TO PORTRAY THE LIGHTER SIDE OF OUR CURRENT CONFLICT AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, KEEP THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THE ORDERS OF THOSE APPOINTED OVER THEM AND DEPLOYED IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE PUBLIC MIND. THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE US NAVY, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

If reading between the lines here changes your opinion of me or what I write then so be it. I just want to be sure that there is no misunderstanding about the serious nature of what is taking place here in the middle east. In other words... this isn't all fun and games...

10 comments:

  1. I love you, Eric, whether you're a Pollyanna or a pessimist. I can't wait for you to come home to us! XOXO. - Me

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  2. Sir, and I address you as Sir, Eric, out of respect for who you are, a surgeon, an office in the U. S. Navy, and a very human, human being. I'm sure this post was hard to write. You made yourself vulnerable to the whole world. You confessed your own hubris, your own denial of the horrors of war, a denial that has been ripped away in the crucible of the FOB. I am your sister in Christ and a priest. I know a confession when I see one.

    You have humbled yourself sir and in doing so you have given us a gift. You have shown us that it is possible, for a man of you stature, a surgeon and an officer, to admit they were wrong. Indeed, it is right and proper so to do. I am also a R.N. and know full well the hubris of surgeons! And so Eric, I pray you are able to now forgive yourself. I pray you have already opened yourself to the forgiveness that God has already given you and have applied that to yourself.

    I feel sad that there has been only one comment to this post. Goodness, people! Our brother is walking in the Shadow of Death! He is standing at the gates of Hell. He is trying to be light in the midst of darkness and death, even as he wrestles with his own darkness. Pray for him, all you who pray, Send him your love, all of you, Pray and send for Eric and the men and women who serve with him, wrestling against darkness and death, the very horrors of war.

    So I continue to pray for you, Eric. May you be at peace. May you be free from suffering.
    May you know forgiveness. May you be healed, May blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and your companions, now and forever.

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  3. You are amazing. Your last post I thought was great and honet and true. I feel blessed to have you as family and am grateful for what you share and all that you can't share. Thank you for your service. My prayers are with you and your family always.

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  4. Remember you and your comrades this day. Prayers ascending. May you be strong in faith, hope and love. Be strong in the Lord, yet when you feel weak, remember God's power, God's love is perfected in weakness. Grace and peace to you all, now and forever.

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  5. Sir,

    I have read your blog as well as "The Sand Docs" from the beginning until this last post. My interest was mainly to try and get some information about the FOB. I am currently in MOB status at Ft. Bliss, and will be the OIC of a team coming in to replace the Signal counterpart in the very close future. I am looking forward to meeting you and your team when I arrive. "Keep Your Head High, and Your Powder Dry"

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  6. Though I haven't commented on your last post, I have thought many times about it and am proud of your courage, perseverance, and tact. I'm not always the best with words but simply want you to know that you have a lot of people who are proud of you. Thanks for serving in a more emotionally difficult situation than I'm sure I understand. I look forward to when you are home. -Chad

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  7. Eric - could you contact me, I'd like to ask you some questions about your service for an article I'm working on. Judy
    judith.holderman@gmail.com

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