Will and Julie Biesinger Family

Will's back from the HA mission to the Tag Ab Valley. He said it was cold and the timing was perfect for this mission!

This is Will with the Team's new Cougar...a 35 thousand pound vee-HICLE! - getting ready for the HA drop. The first stop was for medical aid.

Will said that Air Force LT Swabota told him that she/they saw 700 people in ONE DAY! They gave men, women and children vaccinations and aided any that had injuries or were sick. I was able to talk to Will on a satellite phone the night after this day in my morning of that day (do you need to let you head stop spinning to understand that?) I asked him if he had seen any women come to get medical aid. The women in Afghanistan will only come out if there are military WOMEN present...if there's not, they stay hidden in their homes. He sent me a picture today of the women he told me about over the phone...

and this is what he said in his e-mail to be about this picture...

"Aren't you glad you live in a place where it would be shameful for you to hovel against the wall of the medical clinic rather than this place where it's expected and even demanded that you do? I love you and celebrate your womanhood! You are everything to me and it brings me joy to serve you and honor you."


Seeing the picture of those women huddled against a wall is so heart-hurting-sad. I am so blessed.


There was a big worry that all the vehicles would not be able to cross a bridge to get into the Tag Ab Valley, which the French engineers okay ed only for the UAH's which are 12k lbs. Again, they were driving in the Cougar which is 35k!

Then, some marines on the same mission were driving too fast in their UAH and hit a rock and completely took the front tire and front end OFF. Will said the axle was even broken. There should have been a wrecker, which weighs 95k lbs, close during this HA, but there was not..and so Will's team had to wait and protect the MARINE's UAH...OVERNIGHT...

(this is Will...not looking very happy after spending the night in the middle of a scary place...in the cold, waiting for a wrecker to come get the MARINE'S UAH.)

until a wrecker could make it...He was very frustrated because Team Spike ended up doing things that were not...I (Julie) don't think...theirs to do. Because of these "assignments" Will was not able to see a single coat given out. I WAS SO SAD (AND MAD) when I heard that.

Will reminded me that he didn't need to see it, he was just glad that it was successful.

They made it back with the wrecked UAH being towed by the wrecker in their Cougar over the bridge which was only told could/should hold a UAH...Who wants to do the math on that one? Will said they made it "one inch at a time".

It was getting kind of dark, so this picture is very blurry..lots more pictures are coming soon from other soldiers who were present when the coats and supplies were distributed, but this is what Will said:

"anyway, lots to complain about but it was fun to drive through the "streets" of the towns and see 'clean' coats on a lot of the kids. they were wearing them...even though its not cold during the day...yet."

I think they can feel the warmth now!

...more to come!