Christmas in Kabul

Sorry I missed last Sunday's post - but it has been a busy time.......

Christmas in Kabul. Yes, even in a nation that is 99.99% Muslim you can have Christmas.

The war goes on and the insurgents don't celebrate Christmas, but in our way we had a good Christmas inside the wire. There were official events like the Christmas service you have on the right - but the best part was what we did ourselves in out little ad hoc group centered around the "FOB Naples Cigar Club." (NB: FOB=Forward Operating Base - as Staff Weenies, ours isn't a FOB, but we call it one anyway - tongue firmly placed in cheek. Naples is the name of our batch of trailers stacked together into some kind of FEMA'esque apartment complex we call our home. Cigar Club as in that at 2030, out little international gaggle gets together over cigars, pipes, cigarettes or whatever secondhand others are putting out and gossip like a bunch of old woman while trying to stay warm next to the HESCO barriers - more pictures below.)

The day before Christmas was a half-day (0745-1500, 7+hrs - that's a half-day here), but being that we are stuck in our 300x500 meter HQ compound, we escaped to the best escape - the garden in front of the "Yellow Building" for cigars, pipes and sunshine waiting for the main show ... Christmas Dinner! Working bottom left clockwise, we have the RAF Regiment Wg Cdr "Bish," me with the pet caterpillar, the Kiwi LTC, the US Army Maj. grandfather, Diane's USMC Col boyfriend, the British Army LTC Anachronism, and the Buffalo(e).


The good folks from Supreme did a fine job with Christmas Dinner - a very fine job. Name whatever German, North American, or British Christmas food and they had it, well presented and in quantity. More of the gaggle - the new ones include our Finn that can't seem to winterize, British Army's best Clue Questioner with the musical tastes of a person two decades younger (and friend) Trebs the Aussie LTC, and the breath of fresh air Royal Navy JAG, who always dresses up for the holidays.


In the CJ5 conference room we set up our Christmas party with a combination of pilfered decorations and consolidated goodie bag goodies.

Movies were the classic A Christmas Carol. Appropriate - but being that I was designated "make it work" guy - I was able to set the background while we socialized - "Beauty and the Beast" thanks to SJH and the good folks from 40 Commando, Royal Marines.

I actually have a picture of most of the "FOB Naples Cigar Club." Those seen above plus our Turkish Army MP Chief, plus Australian Navy, US Air Force, and Canadian Army. Guess which one is the Canadian?


A funny side-note - one of our Royal Navy Commander JAGs usually dresses like the rest of us - but as I mentioned earlier, she likes to dress correctly. Sailors are Sailors - but sometimes during the holidays - a woman wants to be a woman.

See you next Sunday!