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Capt. Wesselo, a former Uxbridger now a helicopter pilot with the Canadian Forces, was assigned to Afghanistan for the first time in mid-December.

Halfway home. It's such a simple concept but here it is so meaningful. We have been given an idea of when we can expect to begin our journey home. There is now, all of a sudden, a visible end to our deployment, a light at the end of the tunnel. A date to start marking on our calendars. I have to admit at this point I have conflicting feelings. All at the same time you're happy, lonely, anxious, motivated and tired.
Weeks can pass here in the blink of an eye when you're busy, and yet if you have more than half a day of downtime hours can feel like an eternity. The first half of the deployment, in retrospect, seems like one long blink even though I know there were some very long days mixed in. I can't help but hope that the second half goes just as quickly.
A few weeks ago the Combined Services Entertainment show was at the base. CSE is the British version of a USO show, and it was absolutely fantastic. Hundreds of soldiers from every nation on the base gathered to hear an excellent comedian followed by a cover band for the three-hour show. It was a small but welcome escape from daily life to an event that really felt like being back home, minus the beer of course!
Talk has already begun to shift towards things we'll do after we get home, how we're going to keep in touch with the many augmentees who have become great friends and colleagues, and the occasional quip about how we'll spend the few days during our 'decompression'. It feels like we've barely gotten started and people are considering when they'll be back again.
The deployed Canadian helicopter unit has been doing some very good work since it arrived in theatre. We move people around who otherwise would have had to tag along on a road convoy, deliver small but urgently needed supplies, and provide overwatch for convoys and patrols. Seeing the grateful smile on a soldier’s face when he scrambles into the Griffon is what keeps us going. Hearing 'thank you' on the radio from Canadian units, escorting a Chinook carrying dozens of people, at the time you're actually doing the task, it seems like just another day at the office.
It's Roll Up The Rim time in Kandahar. They've even got Kandahar specific camouflaged cups! It's another small slice of normalcy that makes things here bearable. I'm far luckier than most though; while I hear the food out at the FOBs is pretty good, they don't have nearly as many comforts as those who live on the main bases.