The Beginning Of The End

Well my role as Transportation Manager at FOB Shindand, now officially Shindand Air Base, is over.  Yesterday after two weeks of trying my replacement and I transfered my Property Book over to him.  This means that I no longer am responsible for any of the heavy equipment here on the bases.

With this I have temporarily come over to the CRSP Yard (Central Recieving and Shipping Point) to fill in until the Supervisor returns from his R&R.  The CRSP is the area of the BAse where all incoming materials have to go before they move on to the end user.  They are responsible for verifing the shippments and "Ingating" the materials.  It is also the point where all materials have to come as they leave the base.

A secondary aspect of this area is the Container Management operation.  This Department maintains accountability for all of the Shipping containers on the base.  Shipping containers are the big metal boxes that you see in the ports all over the world.  Most of those are owned by a company or orginization, and some are owned by the Government.  There is a system that intergrates all of the containers no matter where they are in the world and it also identifies the charges associated with the use.  There is big money in containers!

So probably until Monday I will be here watching the shop and then move over to the Airfield PAX Terminal for a week before I get ready to leave.  I volunteered to do this as I could not allow myself to just sit around for three weeks doing nothing before my departure, it just didn't sit well with me.  Trust me though there are people that would have done just that and taken advantage of the Company. Even though I don't know what I need to do specifically I will make myself as useful as possible here.

I did officially say goodbye to my men today which was hard.  I went to their morning brief before coming to the CRSP Yard.  It was hard for me, I almost cried, but didn't as I said goodbye to each one of them.  Now I know that I will see them over the next few weeks but all the same I needed to offically turn things over to John.  I will miss them all.

So the beginning of the end for me.  The start to the journey home. 

Lord Jesus, bless each man that has been so much a part of my life over the past year.  May each of us maintain the memories of our friends for the rest of our lives.  May I see those that you have me see again in my life.  Amen.