What Life is Like in the “Green House”

With winter comes darkness at an earlier hour. As my readers already know, working during the day means using a latrine (aka head or port-a-john). I’ve previously written about using port-a-johns while wearing our combat gear and I’ve written about the treat of using a real commode in my building at night. What I’ve failed to share with my readers, however, is the experience of using the Green House in the winter, in the evening when it’s dark outside. Afghanistan is not known for their cleanliness, in fact, it is a very dirty, smelly, germ-loving country. Therefore, you can imagine what our “Green Houses” look like…..although they are typically cleaned out every other day, they are never really clean. The odor is not nearly as strong in the winter as it is in the summer. The winter challenge arises after dark in a poorly lit area, without any lights. They don’t have street lights or other lighting as we’d expect in the states. Some parts of the base have portable light stands which are fuel powered and they are randomly placed. Primarily, these are near the most populated or well traveled areas….near my work is not one of those places.

For those who are not bothered by coming into “contact” with the seat - or any surface in a Green House - this entry may be a little difficult to understand. For those, like me, who can’t bear the thought of coming into contact with any part of a Green House, you will likely understand my dilemma. This evening I got out of work a little later than normal and experienced a late night (dark) trip to the Green House. Simply put, you must be strategic in the dark. I usually keep a red flashlight and it stays attached to my M9 which I have with me at all times. This flashlight came in incredibly handy as I increased my situational awareness (SA as they say in the military) in the Green House. Every move was strategic and trust me when I say during the winter months, you will not stay in a Green House for very long.

Needless to say, my friend who walked me home from work this evening got a real kick out of my dilemma - I felt compelled to share the story. Our conversation was one of those which you really don’t want to talk about but my friend could not resist asking questions. Each question was asked with intense trepidation and each word was chosen ever so carefully! I answered each question as best possible. Together, we laughed and within minutes, agreed to change the topic without returning to our previous conversation. I can’t help but think that tonight’s conversation may have NEVER happened if we weren’t in Afghanistan……I know for sure that the basics in life are not discussed at home as they are here. We all realize that we are in a most vulnerable place and we don’t have an escape. Life – as we know it – can be taken away at any time. The seriousness of every minute we are fortunate enough to be alive for is ever so clear. From every siren and each subsequent trip to a bunker, we are all at the mercy of some pretty unforgiving humans who do not respect life or liberty as we, Americans, know it!

I am thankful to be an American and have learned to enjoy the sunshine, the landscape, and the few benefits of that which is around me. Mostly, the benefits are centered around the people I’ve been so fortunate to have met and gotten to know. I’ve met some great people, Great Americans! Some of these new friends, I will forever be in contact with – even after leaving here – others whom I may not be in contact with, however, if either of us ever needed help, we’d certainly be there for one another. The bonds which are made here are bonds which cannot be broken or forgotten about for many years to come. I am truly blessed to have met some great new friends….so, in a strange way, I do have some “thanks” for being sent to Afghanistan. It is incumbent upon each of us serving in this most dysfunctional country to find the good in all that we do and are forced to do, even though we may really not have wanted to be in this situation in the first place. I am thankful and will truly miss my friends who are so close to going home and returning to their family and friends. I know that my time is coming and I, too, can’t wait to be on the verge of returning to my family and friends.