Camp Eggers

I got a call yesterday afternoon from Mario saying he arrived safely into Kabul but couldn't talk because he was borrowing someone's iphone. I think everyone has an iphone except for us! I am so jealous.

Anyway, then I got a call from Mario at 1:30 am telling me that he made it to Camp Eggers fine. He was excited because the first person he met from his shop was a Captain from Utah. Mario quickly found out that his office has several LDS.

The following are parts of an email from him about his accommodations and first impressions. I spared you the mushy stuff.

Terri,

I'm getting settled a bit. I won't kid you, I was really struggling earlier. I didn't have high hopes for this place, but it was worse than I imagined when I first got here. I'm in a dirty and dark tent. The other guys in the tent don't clean up after themselves. When we went in to eat and I saw that the quality was a bit poor, it all started to hit me; cold tent, far from home, cafeteria food, communal bathrooms, six months, six months, six months. I couldn't eat much of my food and it took all my self control to not lose it.

After meeting the folks in the shop I feel a lot better though. There are three practicing LDS guys in my office, all of them cool. The other folks in the shop are great too; very friendly. They still don't have space for me and the other two guys I came in with. I'm actually using someone else's computer. The office helps me forget a bit that I'm not in the US. They weren't prepared for all of us at the same time so they're hoping I take a week or so to in process. They are literally asking me to make myself scarce for a few days. I don't know what I'd do with myself: eat, gym, eat, gym, what else???

I had one success already. One of the guys that will be working in my shop was billeted outside the compound (it really isn't that dangerous- green zone). I went over to one of the tents inside the camp and found and empty bunk and then went to the billeting office to have him brought in. He was one happy Sergeant. He thanked me for the effort.

There are some activities here that will help. There is a branch that meets Friday afternoons for service, sacrament meeting and Sunday School. The members meet for lunch before the service. The branch also has FHE on Monday evenings with a lesson or activity. The office has movie night in the office Thursday evening and since there are so many LDS folks, they can somewhat control what is watched (PG). Friday and Sunday morning are off time.

The job is interesting and it really isn't technical like I thought. It will be interesting and everyone in the shop likes the work and the others not in biometrics wish they were.

I met my Col, an Army guy and he is level headed and calm. I will have about five folks working for the shop, maybe more and so far all are cool.

I can call you from the office; perfectly legal.

This is my address:

Mario Perez

CSTC-A, CJ2

APO, AE 09356

Don't add anything else on the address label. DO NOT put my rank, nor put Afghanistan on the label. You may begin the care packages immediately. No need to put toletries since there are shelves of that stuff from everyone elses packages. I look forward to art and stories from Nathan and Zachary and letters from the rest of you.

Love,

Mario