More from Spin

So my apologies on the failure to update my blog as regularly as I had.

  I am currently still out here at Spin Boldak keeping on with a similar schedule that I had posted before.  I haven't yet had a chance to download the pictures from the BBQ as the internet is much slower out here.  We've been running just about every morning outside here which is a great treat since the air quality at Kandahar is much worse due to the extra dust.

  Today, I was lucky enough to get to work with some of the working dogs out here.  There is a civilian company out here, where most of the handlers are from South Africa, but the dogs are trained in Florida.  Juanita and I observed obedience classes in group and also individually.  After that, I was able to participate in some bite work.  They had me suit up in a big thick suit with a neoprene sleeve underneath on one arm, but the rest of the suit was pretty thick and covered everything but my hands and head.  I did a full series with the dog where I approached the dog and her handler, then was told to leave.  After that I stood still even after being called back to talk with the handler again, and then he sent the dog towards me.  He stopper her halfway, and her tail was just wagging wagging wagging.  You could tell she was so excited, but she still listened and stopped halfway and laid down.  After that, he sent her all the way to me.  She took a couple steps back and came after me, I turned around and took small steps waiting for impact.  She was like a ton of bricks!!!  I was taken to the ground, and she didn't let up one bit until she was commanded to.  It was so intense, but I was smiling and loving every minute of it.  Her handler came up and they "escorted" me for a little bit.  She was a step or two in front of me the entire time, almost asking me to make a sudden movement or try something so she could go again.  It was so amazing, and the dogs were fantastic.  You could tell they loved their job, and their relationship with their handlers is amazing.  The handlers were describing that even when they are skyping with their families and they have a change in their emotional state the dogs pick up on it.  The dogs live with the handlers in their rooms, and the bond is only fortified by this. Anyways, Juanita videotaped the entire experience, and the handlers took some photos that I'll share.

  That's been one of the highlights out here, but we've been able to make friends with more people out here, and get to know some of the counterparts that we are out here with.  It's great walking across the FOB and running into people that we know.  It's almost like being back on a college campus where everybody is so friendly and quick to make friends with someone new.  I really love it and feel as though it was the sort of community I was missing back at Kandahar.  There were plenty of friendly people back at Kandahar but it's so large it's hard to make friends sometimes.  Anyways, i'll definitely be sad to leave here in the next week or so.

  That's about it for now- I'll work on getting some more pictures and possibly the video up.  Thanks so much for all of y'alls support while I'm over here.