Topic: Hello everyone!

[GroovieGhoulie]

Checking in from beautiful Bagram Afghanistan.  I'm in a holding area until I move out to my FOB (Forward Operating Base).  It's an Air Force-run show and not bad.  I am now kicking myself for not joining the AF.  Anyone who has served (and even some who haven't) will know what I mean.  I mean they have a DISCOTHEQUE HERE!!  Swallow that for a minute.  Forward deployed in a combat zone, and the AF brings a nightclub.  Amazing.  They put it right next to the massage parlor and the Orange Julius shop.  And I am NOT kidding about any of the above.  I REALLY should have looked harder at the AF.   

Well, I've been thinking about my recent financial "dilemma", and I decided, sort of.  Being that solid, but not perfect 750s are everywhere, and deals can be had, I would get a 750 to Cafe, since I figure I can do it piecemeal, thereby spreading the cash outlay over time.

As far as the CBX versus K0 goes, I can't decide, so I'll get both.  It'll take some time and some interesting financial maneuvering, but I think I can make it work.  Plus my dad has recently been in a VERY philanthropic mood, so that helps. 

My brother wants a 1000cc machine, and is leaning toward a CBR, so there I go, I can ride his.  It's weird, but a buddy has a CBR and the more time I spent around it, just walking around, looking at it, sitting on it, feeling it, rubbing it, smelling it...well I actually fell OUT of 'love' with it.  It just didn't have something that I came to love in my old bikes.  Age, character, patina, whatever, but it was lacking and I NEED it.

I think Jay Leno said it best: "I don't trust any motorcycle I can't see through."

Well said Jay...

Anyway, stay tuned for updates from the 'Stan.  Y'all will have to help keep me sane.  Up to a year of not being able to swing my leg over a motorbike.  Pure torture I tell you. 

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day GG, you're making me envious with your tales of adventure in the land of sand. (or is that rocks?) My old unit just returned from there, and all I hear in the sergeants mess at luchtime now is stories about that place, I'm so envious my skin is as green as "woodlands cam", ha ha!

I was chatting to an old friend today and he was telling me that he's now got 3 rows of medals, all attained in the last 10 years, and all I've got is my long serrvice medal, boohoo! Are there any vacancies in the US Defence Force mate? If I have to wait much longer for a deployment I'll just start my own damn war, ha ha! Keep your head down mate, I look forward to reading your "War Diary", ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[SteveD CB500F]

Welcome to the real timezone GG!

You'll find those lazy-ass Americans join in about mid afternoon. (Except for BurmaShave who seems to post on the "Shameless Post Boost" thread in the middle of (his) night. Oh, and Bob Wessner of course, who does not sleep)

[GroovieGhoulie]

G'Day GG, you're making me envious with your tales of adventure in the land of sand. (or is that rocks?) My old unit just returned from there, and all I hear in the sergeants mess at luchtime now is stories about that place, I'm so envious my skin is as green as "woodlands cam", ha ha!

I was chatting to an old friend today and he was telling me that he's now got 3 rows of medals, all attained in the last 10 years, and all I've got is my long serrvice medal, boohoo! Are there any vacancies in the US Defence Force mate? If I have to wait much longer for a deployment I'll just start my own damn war, ha ha! Keep your head down mate, I look forward to reading your "War Diary", ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

The Army is so short personnel that you (non-US citizen) actually might stand a chance!   

Not meant as a jibe to you, but just as fact:  The Army is SO short people, they (under guidance from the DoD) recently began accepting recruits who scored in the lowest third of the skills/proficiency tests.  That means these new recruits are just above (or are) functionally retarded.  Bad days ahead for the military.

Do a search on "MacNamara's 100,000" and see how badly and how long that little experiment messed up the military.  Do we now have "RumsNamara's 100,000"?

[Terry in Australia]

Not meant as a jibe to you, but just as fact:  The Army is SO short people, they (under guidance from the DoD) recently began accepting recruits who scored in the lowest third of the skills/proficiency tests.  That means these new recruits are just above (or are) functionally retarded.  Bad days ahead for the military.

Well if that's what it takes to get me a deployment mate, I'm prepared to "dumb it down" for the duration, ha ha!

[SteveD CB500F]

The British Forces are the same.

About 10 years ago the new government held a "Strategic Review"  

Now we have Afganistan, Iraq, Somalia and various other godforsaken countries in Africa to "police"

Small scale compared to the US but the R&R breaks are getting shorter.

The newspapers guess that we are 5000 recruits short at the moment.

[Rushoid]

Hey, GG! Here's a link to keep you entertained: www.chairforce.com

Take care, and thanks!

Lee

[kuyarico]

GG will you have internet access during your entire deployment? When my best friend was deployed in Baghdad, we communicated just about everyday. It made us all feel better about his deployment. Anyways, you have some pics of this fabled Discoteque?

Take care man.

Eric

[andy750]

Hey GG good to see you posting from a war-torn country and Im sure everyone on this board will be keen to hear about your cultural experiences (food, people etc) and "adventures" as long as they dont involve you getting shot! Take care of yourself, and I agree about pics from the disco and massage parlour girls 
cheers
Andy

[nickjtc]

Good luck out there and take care....watch your back. We'll all have to ride in spirit for you.

[toycollector10]

Hi GG, keep your powder dry. Just get back home safely after your tour of duty. From what I can make out there just has to be some sort of withdrawal from there soon. Keep safe.

[ic455]

Hey GG!  Disco 'til dawn, eh?  Hope everything is going well out there, keep up the good work.  Incidently, I was wondering what kind of sidearms ya'll are carrying nowadays?  A friend of mine says Glock, but I wasn't sure if that was correct or not.  Take care!!

[toycollector10]

Yep, we need pictures dude!!

[hopterfixer]

Can I throw in a third on the Air Force's easy living?  We (in the USMC) called it the Air Force Corporation.  We flew off of the boat once and spent a night in Kuwait at Ali Al Salem. The Air Force had heated and air conditioned tents. that were in better shape than some barracks I have lived in!  Of course one was condemned at the time, but that is another story.  Good Luck out there. 

[burmashave]

Hey Groovie, thanks for checkin' in.  Are those AF discos similar to the "inflate and go" surgical units used by the Army?  Be safe, and thanks for serving.

You'll find those lazy-ass Americans join in about mid afternoon. (Except for BurmaShave who seems to post on the "Shameless Post Boost" thread in the middle of (his) night. Oh, and Bob Wessner of course, who does not sleep)

Steve, that's so sweet; I didn't know you cared.  But it's early PM here now.  Should I wait until early AM to post it? 

[heffay]

hey gg... good to hear from you.  i don't envy you one bit as i have several "discotechs" and no sign of a war nearby... aside from the occasional kitty batting around bugs. 

come back safe and use those dumb ones for cover!

[GroovieGhoulie]

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone!

I am doing ok and should be moving out to my AO in a day or three.  Shouldn't be a long tour, but I know the withdrawal will suck.  On the upshot, I will come back and be able to buy a mess of bikes.  After reading the recently-active CBX thread, I am motivated more than ever to get one.

[6pkrunner]

I wish I had of kept my CBX, but it probably would have not survived the ravages of time from 1979 to now intact and unscathed.
Hope all goes well with your deployment in Afghanistan and that you get cycled back after your tour quickly.

Good luck!