Michael, Frank and others in “AWOL”

[e-mailing Claudia Joy] Dear Claudia Joy, it feels like an eternity since we kissed goodbye. I've been going 24/7 since we put boots on the ground in Kandahar. Mostly my days are taken up with shuras. That's Afghan for meetings, meetings and more meetings. I swear I've never had so much tea in my life. Frank's working with our NATO counterparts, though I think the officers from France would prefer he didn't try to speak French.

[e-mailing Denise] You should hear me parle de francais, Dee. I sound just like a native. There are 42 nations in the coalition and I'm liaison with all of them. There's some cultural differences and it can get confusing, but the assignment has its perks. The Germans have beer flowing in their base camp so I might just have to ask for a tour. I sure hope that baby Molly's easing up on her jiujitsu so you can get some sleep. I've seen Jeremy. The boy's settling just fine. Try not to worry about him, Dee, though I know that's easier said than done.

[e-mailing Denise] Hey Mom. I'm sweating my butt off here. I would give anything for a shower longer than three minutes. No worries though. Sergeant LeBlanc pushes us hard but I know he wants to keep us sharp.

[e-mailing Roxy] Hey babe, I think of you all the time. No matter what I'm doing, you and the boys are always with me. I bet Fort Marshall's a ghost town since deployment. Hope you're finding things to keep busy. That's it for now. Love you and miss you tons. Hugs to the boys for me and enjoy the peace and quiet.