Bo Burks

DAY 104 (261 M&Ms)

Welcome to my diary as a soldier deployed in the Global War on Terror.

Dust Storm, Flood, Dust Storm

The last 72 hours of weather have been amazing.  Since Saturday, we’ve had a front move through and I saw some things I had never seen before.

On Saturday, as the cold front came pushing across the desert it brought dust. The whole sky was translucent. We could see a fair distance but the blowing dust diffused the sunlight and gave a strange brownish color to everything. Most of visible spectrum washed out and the natural light didn’t seem to have a direct source. Physically, the dust was so fine it was imperceptible until you opened your mouth. It quickly got into your teeth and felt and sounded like pumice.  Even stranger was that it didn’t seem to affect my eyes. Back home, the only situation close would be some sort of dry foggy condition with the air filled with 800 grit sand.

The next day brought thunderstorms. This was also a deployment first. Until now, the only rain we have had fell from a solid overcast cloud. This weather was real thunder and lightning like back home. It brought fast heavy rain; too fast for the desert. A one inch rain in this environment is trouble. Trouble like flooded; offices, living quarters, buildings, equipment yards and roads. We had troops out part of the night bailing, pushing, and mopping trying to hold back the water. The roads were so bad that most of them were temporally closed.

This afternoon, I walked out and the dust storm was back. Less than 24 hours after the heaviest rains I’ve seen; dust blotted out the sun again. Just as quick as the rain washed it off; a new coat of Afghan dust began it's methodical build up on everything. All I can imagine is the heavy winds brought the dust from a part of the desert that was missed by the rain.

I knew I left home last year but the last three days sure confirmed it.

Thanks to all for the boxes, letters and prayers.

Bo

A special thanks to “Badger Buddies” from Franklin Wisconsin. The volunteers there and the Franklin Public Library support deployed soldiers. I have received boxes of books and goodies. The kind that disappear the fastest are the homemade sweets and Valentines cards.  Check them out and help if you can or sign a soldier up at www.booksforsoldiers.com