Transfer of Authority

I woke up for the last time in Aibak and went for a run on the treadmill. After breakfast I washed some laundry and packed my equipment. I sat down with the new commander to discuss and tried my best to answer his many questions. After lunch it was time to leave for Mazar-e Sharif and Camp Northern lights. We took the shortcut to avoid the centre of MeS, even though traffic was light. CNL was overcrowded and our accommodation was in the spare tent. At 1500 we joined the FIN-brief which was followed by coffee with cake. The transfer of authority (or TOA for short) ceremonies started at 1800. With that I was no longer commanding officer of the provincial office but became "unemployed" instead. At 1900 the CO PRT wanted to see all his new commanders in his office. I joined that meeting, because a private feedback between the commander and myself was scheduled to follow. I got good feedback from the colonel. When I asked him if he would be willing to recommend me for international duty in the future he agreed and told me to send him an email.

There was free pizza for all at the Finnhouse. I had one beer with my slice, smoked a cigar and went to bed. In the night the wind increased to gale force. The tent shook and flapped in the storm so that some guys moved their beds to the middle of the tent to avoid the noise of the tent tarpaulin flapping against their beds. Of course the air was hot, dry and thick with dust.