It'd be a lot cooler if you did

It's been a few weeks since I last updated this thing.  Reliable internet is about as prevalent as literacy around here, and I have been doing some traveling of the countryside the past few weeks.  I hope that is an acceptable excuse to explain why I have not posted in over a month.  The part of Afghanistan that I am in is mostly agricultural, with small family farms surrounding mud-walled compounds that dot the countryside.  The FOBs are usually in the middle of grape and wheat fields, which are two of the largest cash crops that Panjwa'i district farmers produce.  The number of legitimate farmers planting these staple crops pales in comparison to Afghanistan's top exports: Narcotics.  The illicit farming in the surrounding fields is staggering given the amount of poppy and marijuana cultivation that goes on.  90% of the world's opium is produced in Afghanistan, and much of that production is in the southern portion of the country right near where I currently live.  The Arghandab valley is known for opium fields, but it's climate is best suited for marijuana.  It grows like a weed here and is the way many Afghans put food on the table. 

All my top bros call me ditch weed

Currently all the poppy fields are empty, but the Marijuana fields are getting ready for harvest.  If the wind is right, the smell of pot is overpowering and the running joke is that even MREs (Meals ready to Eat - Meals rejected by Ethiopians - Mr. E's - Mysteries - you get the idea) start to taste good and help satisfy the munchies that a stroll through one of these fields gives you. 

General Order number one governs bad behaviors by soldiers, and includes a strict ban on drug and alcohol use.  We routinely do drug screening for the soldiers, just to make sure the temptation to pick some of the local foliage doesn't go without consequences.

The smile is because the Redskins are 2-0

The local Afghan population is pretty ambivalent to the illicit trade that goes on, but the bad guys get a big chunk of their income by 'taxing' the farmers and transporters of the harvest. 

I am planning on decorating one of these 6 foot monsters as the Christmas tree at my aid station.  I will definitely upload some pics of the Sticky Xmas Tree, and instead of cookies, Santa will probably enjoy some space brownies.  Of course I am kidding, kind of.