Bahrain

After returning from Afghanistan, I had a week to recharge in Kuwait. The following weekend found me in Bahrain for an initial site visit to my Soldiers there. Bahrain is an ever growing island in the Persian Gulf. Yes it's growing! This affluent Kingdom is "reclaiming" land by building sea walls around areas, then pumping out the water and filling it with sand. The hotel we stayed in (yes hotel at this location... NICE!) used to be on the beach. Now you cant even see the coastline partly from reclamation and part due to construction of high rises.
After the ruggedness of Afghanistan, Bahrain was a very nice getaway. My Soldiers work out of the Navy base there. They live in the city and commute to the base. As a result, there's much more freedom here. Bahrain is a more moderate Islamic state. There are clubs, 5 star hotels, and a rather european flare. Some of the Soldiers were commenting on how similar we all are. Sitting in a club, listening to a live Filipino band while having a beer, they can look around and see Arabs doing the exact same thing... having a drink after a long day. Too bad we can't all have such interactions.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was an article in Stars and Stripes about an incident in Afghanistan that gave me feelings of anger and sorrow at the same time. In an attempt to undermine the government, members of the Taliban had attacked a provincial subgovernor. They forced the man with his three young children (all under the age of 8) back into their car, doused it gasoline and burned them alive. War is hell, but what kind of person brutalizes children like that? Certainly the people of Afghanistan deserve better. Makes you want to pray Psalm 94.

The Wandering Chaplain