Tributes

I'd like to start this entry with a tribute the Cantor from my home Synagogue. While I can't be there at the event honoring his many years of service to the community back home, I can at least do this.

In addition to having been a frequent guest at his house growing up, I was also privileged to be among the many students he taught in preparation for my Bar Mitzvah. Although I was traumatized when he made me listen to a recording of myself singing, I ultimately forgave him. I had to listen to it once, though I was probably supposed to have listened to it daily--he had to listen to it regularly. And then my brother. And then my sister.

All of us have gone on to teach others. I know that the skills he gave me are what enabled me to lead at every level of the Junior Congregation program and to tutor others for their B'nei Mitzvah.

Ultimately, if there does prove to be a need for me to act as a lay leader to the small community over here, it will be just another community benefiting from his teachings.

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The role of religion over here is itself interesting. There is a chapel and a Chaplain staff. The Chaplain actually delivers a very universal non-denominational prayer before large staff briefs to the boss. Otherwise people have the opportunity to seek out co-religionists, use the Chapel, use the Chaplains, set up/attend bible studies, etc. Most of it is very subtle.

So it struck me as a very nice gesture to see a little pendant of the Patron Saint of Paratroopers on the display dog tags for all of the Catholic troops who have died as part of this Task Force over the years. For each member who has died there is a plaque in our main hallway to the JOC. On that plaque is a picture with a brief biography. Hanging on the plaque is a set of dog tags. It's very understated but very moving. I've read all of them a few times now.

We have one more being made. I hope it's the last. I know we tend to work in the shadows, but add to that the whole draw down process and focus on Afghanistan and it's like living in a different world.

But to support that drawdown, I'm actually looking at we can downsize w/in my specialty here. We'll see.

Otherwise, I finally got on wireless, but it was real spotty. Maybe not worth the trouble of driving over to the passenger terminal to use it. Oh well.

I also starting reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, by the author of The Kite Runner. So far, a few pages in, I like it better. We'll see.