Back at Phoenix

Camp Phoenix is the main HQ for US and coalition forces in Kabul. We convoyed from Camp Stone near Herat to the airport Sunday morning on August 3, our last look at our home for the last year. We saw the mud hut villages and locals tending a flock of goats along the way. We flew out on an Italian C130 (4 engine prop plane) packed in cheek and jowl for the over 1 hour flight to Kabul International Airport (yes, we call it KIA). We hung around for a few hours before our convoy took us over to the base. We are billeted into the same sorry grubby tents as we were when we arrived last 1 September. The difference is we have a lot of down time and we are headed home.
The last week in Herat had 100+ temps every day. We are now at 6000 feet above sea level so it is several degrees cooler, low to mid 90's. Kabul still has substantial air pollution, but we are obviously happy to be here.
I will spend some of the time working on an article with 3 other family docs around the world for American Family Physician journal on caring for military and their families when returning home from deployment.