ELECTION DAY(S)

(04-5NOV2008)

Election Day for me starts well before the first polls opened in the States, owing to the time difference and the fact that I have trouble sleeping sometimes. I'm up early and working mostly because I have things to do, but partly because I'm very curious how the day and night will go, and how it will all turn out.

I go through my day, with the news on in the background, waiting impatiently for the first results to come in. It progresses slowly through the afternoon, past dinner and into my bed-time. I watch most of the news from my bed, drifting in and out of sleep as the map of my country changes colors and Wolf Blitzer interviews holograms.

I'm awake when the election is called at 0830 Wednesday morning my time, and Barack Obama is our President-elect. It is hard to ignore that Republicans took a tremendous hit in this election, due in large part to the recent economic woes, but also to the sustained and persistent arguments against the ongoing war in Iraq.

I continue to watch the news, to see the reactions of pundits on both sides of the outcome, and by the emotional reaction of so many regular citizens. I'm struck by something a CNN reporter comments on; she reflects on how our peaceful transfer of power every 4 or 8 years stands in stark contrast to the often violent struggles for authority and control in many parts of the world.

Parts of the world like Afghanistan, for example.

I recognize that I'm in a fairly unique place during the election, geographically speaking. I believe Obama's victory will be one of those "where you were when-?" moments for my generation, like the Challenger explosion and, of course, 9/11. Being a part of something bigger than myself, and a part of history, is one reason I volunteered to deploy to Iraq last year, and to Afghanistan a few months ago. It will give me stories to tell my grandkids (though, my Mom is quick to point out it's hard to have grandkids if you keep deploying and don't settle down).

Unlike those in the States who go to bed after the election is called, or who stay up partying to celebrate or commiserate, I start my day and get to work.

I receive a number of emails from friends during the day, asking me how I, the troops, and others out here feel about the election. I feel some are fishing for a specific reaction, as if their own disappointment or elation will be justified by the warfighter who doesn't want a Commander-in-Chief lacking military experience, or by the trigger-puller who just wants to come home.

The truth is, the reaction to Obama's victory is very muted here, and conversations I have with my colleagues and the troops I interact with are mixed. Many are happy, many are disappointed. Most seem unfazed. It doesn't change our day-to-day life, at least not until Obama is sworn in in late January, and likely not even then.

Both candidates advocated focusing military attention on Afghanistan, and we've never been targeted for troop withdrawals. Indeed, thousands of Marines and a new Army BDE will be on the ground here within a few months, and that wasn't going to change regardless of who won the election.

Troops in Iraq will experience many more changes, of course, especially if Obama is able to follow through on his desire for combat troops to pull out within 16 months of his taking office. It will reduce the number of units in rotation, and hopefully serve to give soldiers more time between deployments, and this relief will of course trickle down to units deploying to Afghanistan as well.

The prevailing attitude here is one of wait-and-see. The waiting part we all have down to a science.

BDE = Brigade