I finally went on another trip after more than a month at Bagram. I was getting cabin fever and one of my other trips got pushed back to March. I know all my friends and family must think I’m crazy to want to travel around Afghanistan but how am I supposed to really understand this place if I don’t get out and see it and meet people?
This trip took me to Bastion airfield, Camp Leatherneck and Kandahar. If you’ve read my blogs before then you know I don’t like Kandahar. Well Kandahar moved up the list after going to Leatherneck. Wow!!! This place is desolate. One guy I talked to said he loves it there and he’d like it even more desolate. I think he was stealing meds from medical or something to have an outlook like that. LOL!!!
Leatherneck is a Marine Corps base and is all business. Everything is spread way out and it’s a bit of a hike to get anywhere. Our hosts had to make room for me and I could tell they weren’t all that happy about it but they were accommodating anyway. I was there to do some Soldier in the Spotlight stuff and my travel partner was doing legal stuff. It took us about an hour to knock out what we had to do and the rest of the time I looked around at the place for any sign of fun or a portal to another world.
They had no personal internet service, my cell phone didn’t work and I had to ask for a moment on the legal sergeants computer to send a quick email out. I was drowning in boredom. I couldn’t go anywhere without a battle buddy. It’s a shame when you have to be as concerned about your safety on a base as you do off of it. Seriously.
To keep myself busy I talked to the medical guys, one is a Navy commander, about what they do day in and day out. I listened to stories by the smoke pit. You know I’m bored if I’m standing by a smoke pit for entertainment. I hate cigarette smoke but the stories were too good to miss while I was standing around in the dark waiting to go to the living quarters. I cleaned Mad Max and he needed it. He’s very happy now. I worried about my friends back at Bagram not being able to reach me on my phone and thinking I blew up or something, ergo the quick email assuring them and my family I hadn’t.
For some odd reason I was famished during this trip. I wanted to eat all the time. Boredom really does equal shoving food needlessly down your throat I guess. I’ll get to that later.
So I get the bad news that the flight out of Marine Corps hell was not until 8 pm on day two. I started to wonder what I could get myself into during those long hot hours. Maybe I could count the burnt faces I was seeing everywhere. That was too funny. There are like 30 bottles of sunscreen sitting right there in the front of medical yet so many of the guys had two-tone heads. I wonder how many cancer cases are going to come out of that. I believe in skin protection but I am a women and it isn’t just about cancer, its about maintaining youthful beauty until gravity and age have their way, then its time to visit a doctor.
Luckily my travel buddy is pretty savvy about figuring out the flights and got us on a much earlier C-130. We still waited at the PAX terminal for a while but that was a drop in the bucket compared to the next day’s travels. While I was lying there on a cot and listening to some Marines and Brits talk about their weapons and how badass they are, my phone started working out of the blue. I’ll never complain about two things ever again, ATT and U.S. airports. Never. Make that three things because I’m going to add Kandahar to that list now that I have a little perspective.
So we make it out on our flight and get to Kandahar. I end up staying in the crappy overstuffed tents that they put us in the first time I came here but something was different. Something was missing. Hmmmm….let me think. Oh yeah, the smell. I didn’t smell anything remotely reeking of human waste. They must have fixed the cesspool issue. What a relief that was.
So the legal guy and I make our rounds visiting the units and I got to finally meet my headquarters PA counterparts. The Lieutenant Colonel was very nice and we talked about some good PA plans and stuff. I’m glad I could finally come down to Kandahar without fear of being kept there by them.
The person I was looking forward to seeing, my Navy buddy who moved down to Kandahar to work, I only got to see long enough to solidify our dinner plans and then I stood him up. Not intentionally. The legal guy got caught up in some stuff and we were running late. I felt terrible for it. I like talking to him. He’s a smart guy that I think will go far in this world. Now he thinks I’m a heel or something so I’m going to try and make it up to him. I can’t have my friends thinking I don’t care. That’s impossible for me.
I ended up having dinner with legal guy at TGIF. Yup, they got a TGIF there in Kandahar and it looks a lot like the ones back home. The biggest difference is the staff. They are all Indian I think and don’t know what waiting on someone really means but they were nice and helpful when asked.
I ordered a pasta dish and an appetizer. It gave me an upset stomach but luckily it only lasted for a little while.
The next morning we got to the air terminal at 630 for a 930am flight that ended up being a 930pm flight. Yes, my day was spent at a military airport but not all was lost.
The first time we thought we were going to be leaving on our flight we were standing inside the terminal waiting and we ended up talking to this hardcore Psy-Ops guy. Psy-Ops stands for psychological operations. These guys try to influence the population in our favor to help fight the insurgency. If we have the populations support, we can better fight the Taliban. Its about building trust with the people but there’s some manipulation involved, if you will.
Any way, this guy is an ass right off the bat. He finds out I’m public affairs and immediately starts to insult me. If anyone knows me, I bite back when someone comes at me this way. We went at it and then he explained that it wasn’t me he had a problem with but an Army PA specialist who wasn’t doing her job properly and was making him and his team, look bad. I told him that she obviously doesn’t know what her role is as a PA specialist because our job is to make our services and its people look their best. We are not the public media and we don’t serve the same purpose, thank god.
We ended up striking a rapport but with a few joking insults thrown in for fun. He is multi-lingual so I told him he was an asshole in four languages and he thought that was funny. Then he said I was heartless and mean for saying such things but that he is an asshole and I told him it’s a defense mechanism. He pretended not to know what that meant but if you know four languages then you’re obviously smart so I’m sure he knew what I meant. He called my rank insignia a seagull and I of course kept stressing that it was an eagle. He ended up giving me his combat patches because I was eyeing them since they were Afghan and I gave him my Navy “Don’t tread on me patch.” Sort of a peace-keeping deal.
For me that was an encounter between two professionals in different career fields not easily understood by the other reaching a mutual respect and understanding for the other plus I think he had a thing for me but I am not fond of assholes anymore no matter how good looking they are even if I think I know how to handle them.
I met two other very interesting people as well. One was an older Afghan linguist who works as an interpreter and the other is an ex-Navy/Army electrician. Both had very engaging stories to tell. The electrician had done something almost too unbelievable while he was in the Navy. He supposedly disabled an aircraft carrier at sea causing it to go dead in the water (DIW).
As he’s telling me this the cogs in my head are turning and I ask him how the hell do you do that to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier with four engine rooms and four screws? It’s apparently not something he’s proud of and he paid dearly for it but as he’s explaining it to me it becomes clear this guy is very smart. Maybe too smart.
He was a nuclear electrician and he somehow disabled each propeller one by one until the ship was sitting there DIW to prove a point to his chain of command. It was an unbelievable story but no less entertaining.
My new Afghan friend liked talking about god and how Christianity and the Muslim religion have a lot of similarities and that its not the religions that cause so much disharmony in the world but the disagreements between man that are the root cause of the hatred felt and the wars fought. I’m not deeply religious but I agreed with him. Believing in something that helps people be good and caring toward each other is a great thing no matter its foundation. I love learning about all religions and I have a healthy respect for the Muslim religion because in its truest form its about peace and prosperity for everyone. As a women though I cannot abide by the restrictions those that practice the religion place on women. I like having a choice and I wish more women had the same.
He gave me his phone number so I could call him and we could meet up to talk some more. He also taught me that one of my favorite Dari sayings has two meanings. “Khush timora!” means your killing me as in “You are getting on my nerves or striking a cord with me,” but as a joke usually and it is also used to express ones feelings for a beautiful woman as in if a man see’s a woman so beautiful that he is taken by her beauty he might say, “You are like nothing I have seen before, khush timora!” I thought that was so beautiful.
I have been making an effort to seek out people I can learn from and its paying off. I also made another friend not that long ago, an interpreter as well and he offered to tell me his stories about Afghanistan. I love that. Despite what they have been through watching their people and country suffer so much that they are still willing to share it with me so I can share it with you. That is the best.
Before I end this long blog I have to talk about my hunger. I don’t know if it’s the stress of traveling or what but I was so hungry during this trip. In the morning at the Kandahar airport I got tea, coffee and donuts for me and the legal guy for breakfast. I figured we’d be gone by lunch. Lunch came and went and we’re still sitting there at the terminal. By two o’clock I’m starving and the spy-ops guy gets some kabob (cooked meat with naan bread). I’m trying not to stare at him and his food but I can’t help it.
I practically beg the legal guy to call someone to bring us some food, which he does but in the mean time I’m scrounging around for snacks or something. Finally the spy-ops guy hands me his food and says I can have it. I don’t even ask him if he’s sure, which is something I do a lot but at this point I was a dog staring at him while licking my mouth just waiting for him to drop something on the ground so I could eat it. LOL!!!
Finally after I ate that and a slice of pizza that finally arrived shortly thereafter, the legal guy looks at me and asks if that’s going to keep me over for a while. I laughed because it was almost as if he was insinuating I eat too much. Whatever.
My next trip should be very interesting, as I will be working with the Afghan Army again.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Crazy Crossfit Workout with Army
In addition to doing my journalist thing while visiting Gamberi I worked out with the Army captain who came with our group. She is a powerhouse of energy and motivation. She is a personal trainer who plans to open a cross-fit gym when she gets back home from this deployment. Now when I heard the words cross-fit I had to ask what it was and it sounded tough and interesting so I tried it with her. Just doing the legs exercises alone was enough to make me want to crawl home to momma. She had a list of 20 exercises with pull ups between every single one of them. I couldn't do a pull up to save my life but I did the best I could. By the end I was crawling around in the sand afraid to stand up for fear my legs would burst into flames.
Believe it or not I joined her the next day for another session and almost killed myself with a stack of water bottles. She had me trying to do an exercise where I had to balance the water bottles in one hand and lay down and get up while keeping them balanced and my arm straight in the air. I had to give up on that crazy exercise after almost eviscerating myself with the 25lb pack of water bottles. Instead I used them as added weight while I did sit ups. We ran between those exercises with a 40lb sandbag and I was supposed to do handstand pushups too but when I almost suffered a concussion I gave up on that too and just did regular pushups. Still after all that I challenged her to a race with the sandbags and I lost but it was fun. I hope we get to work out together more. She'll have me ready for the beach this summer for sure.
Believe it or not I joined her the next day for another session and almost killed myself with a stack of water bottles. She had me trying to do an exercise where I had to balance the water bottles in one hand and lay down and get up while keeping them balanced and my arm straight in the air. I had to give up on that crazy exercise after almost eviscerating myself with the 25lb pack of water bottles. Instead I used them as added weight while I did sit ups. We ran between those exercises with a 40lb sandbag and I was supposed to do handstand pushups too but when I almost suffered a concussion I gave up on that too and just did regular pushups. Still after all that I challenged her to a race with the sandbags and I lost but it was fun. I hope we get to work out together more. She'll have me ready for the beach this summer for sure.
An update from the War Front
I now work for a new brigade and things are going good. I like them and they seem to like me well enough which is good because if they didn't I'd be sitting in Kandahar now. That would have sucked. It's still a possibility but I'm praying to stay here at Bagram with the snow capped peaks of the Hindu Khush mountains and the familiarity of friends and coworkers.
My new boss told me that Afghanistan is my oyster and I can travel where ever there's a story that involves our brigade. It's ironic how differently I look at being here compared to when I first arrived. Back then I didn't want to hear anything about a convoy, leaving the office much less the FOB and now I'm looking for places to go and stories to cover. I know my friends and family don't want to hear that but I can't help it. In order for any experience to be truly worth while you have to get out of your comfort zone and take a chance. Yes bad things can happen but so can good ones and if we hide from the bad ones we will miss the good ones too.
So my first mission for the brigade was back to Gamberi Garrison. The mission there is being assessed for changes and such and I was going to cover the civil affairs mission. Civil affairs involves reaching out to the local community to see what is the best way to build a relationship with them of trust and cooperation. I think its a very important mission and in order for Afghanistan to stand on its own the Afghan soldiers need the support of their people. Civil affairs is one way to build that relationship.
The FOB was a little different from the last time I was there. There were some improvements in the support services for the U.S. Soldiers and more build up. The base is relatively new so there will be a lot more changes.
I was looking forward to seeing the ANA colonels that run the show there. I got to visit with and interview one of them so I was happy for that. I can't really talk about the mission related meetings but I felt truly lucky to be able to be a part of the grass root efforts being made by the ANA and the brigade to try and reach out to the local villages. I was the only women at the meetings and I was given a lot of stares, some warm and some not so much by the village elders. I smiled to myself because I was privileged to be there and see the relationships my government wants fostered so we can succeed at this war and go home.
I love some of the traditions they have here like Chai tea and sweet treats when you visit with the Afghans. I never complain about the tea. I love it. Also I have received nothing but the utmost respect by the Afghan men or at least the ones I have interacted with. I'm sure there are some who can't be trusted but I have been lucky to not deal directly with any of them. They have a different way of looking at women than American men but I haven't found it to be bad even though I am a military woman. It doesn't seem to matter to them, I'm still a woman. Of course I can't see myself being the domesticated matriarch who stays home to care for the kids but I respect their culture and find they have a strong family unit, something that's lacking back home.
One of my favorite people here is Zaki, the linguist and he came with us to Gamberi too. We've become friends and he's very funny. I have a twisted sense of humor and so does he so we get along great. Our last night at Gamberi one of his interpreter friends invited me for tea with some of the other interpreters. These guys all grew up in Afghanistan and have a tight knit bond that's like a brotherhood. I was honored to be invited to share tea with these guys and hang out.
We played cards and I drank a lot of tea with dried blackberries. It was so much fun and they were complete gentlemen but very competitive with the card games as I would expect from any dedicated card player. Reminded me of card games back home except there wasn't any real yelling or arguing. Someone is always going to be accused of cheating. Afterwards I spent some time talking to another one of my favorite interpreters. He had been feeling down when he is usually very happy and comedic so I was concerned. His best friend is my friend too so I asked him to try to lift his spirits when he can and I tried to tell him that he'll be ok and he will succeed at his goals if he works hard. Believe me, I've been through those phases before too.
So all in all it was a good trip and a memorable one. We left this morning and said goodbye to a couple of stray dogs, one who let me take my picture with her. I hope I have more adventures like this.
My new boss told me that Afghanistan is my oyster and I can travel where ever there's a story that involves our brigade. It's ironic how differently I look at being here compared to when I first arrived. Back then I didn't want to hear anything about a convoy, leaving the office much less the FOB and now I'm looking for places to go and stories to cover. I know my friends and family don't want to hear that but I can't help it. In order for any experience to be truly worth while you have to get out of your comfort zone and take a chance. Yes bad things can happen but so can good ones and if we hide from the bad ones we will miss the good ones too.
So my first mission for the brigade was back to Gamberi Garrison. The mission there is being assessed for changes and such and I was going to cover the civil affairs mission. Civil affairs involves reaching out to the local community to see what is the best way to build a relationship with them of trust and cooperation. I think its a very important mission and in order for Afghanistan to stand on its own the Afghan soldiers need the support of their people. Civil affairs is one way to build that relationship.
The FOB was a little different from the last time I was there. There were some improvements in the support services for the U.S. Soldiers and more build up. The base is relatively new so there will be a lot more changes.
I was looking forward to seeing the ANA colonels that run the show there. I got to visit with and interview one of them so I was happy for that. I can't really talk about the mission related meetings but I felt truly lucky to be able to be a part of the grass root efforts being made by the ANA and the brigade to try and reach out to the local villages. I was the only women at the meetings and I was given a lot of stares, some warm and some not so much by the village elders. I smiled to myself because I was privileged to be there and see the relationships my government wants fostered so we can succeed at this war and go home.
I love some of the traditions they have here like Chai tea and sweet treats when you visit with the Afghans. I never complain about the tea. I love it. Also I have received nothing but the utmost respect by the Afghan men or at least the ones I have interacted with. I'm sure there are some who can't be trusted but I have been lucky to not deal directly with any of them. They have a different way of looking at women than American men but I haven't found it to be bad even though I am a military woman. It doesn't seem to matter to them, I'm still a woman. Of course I can't see myself being the domesticated matriarch who stays home to care for the kids but I respect their culture and find they have a strong family unit, something that's lacking back home.
One of my favorite people here is Zaki, the linguist and he came with us to Gamberi too. We've become friends and he's very funny. I have a twisted sense of humor and so does he so we get along great. Our last night at Gamberi one of his interpreter friends invited me for tea with some of the other interpreters. These guys all grew up in Afghanistan and have a tight knit bond that's like a brotherhood. I was honored to be invited to share tea with these guys and hang out.
We played cards and I drank a lot of tea with dried blackberries. It was so much fun and they were complete gentlemen but very competitive with the card games as I would expect from any dedicated card player. Reminded me of card games back home except there wasn't any real yelling or arguing. Someone is always going to be accused of cheating. Afterwards I spent some time talking to another one of my favorite interpreters. He had been feeling down when he is usually very happy and comedic so I was concerned. His best friend is my friend too so I asked him to try to lift his spirits when he can and I tried to tell him that he'll be ok and he will succeed at his goals if he works hard. Believe me, I've been through those phases before too.
So all in all it was a good trip and a memorable one. We left this morning and said goodbye to a couple of stray dogs, one who let me take my picture with her. I hope I have more adventures like this.
The Way Forward in Afghanistan
I have been here for two months now and the experiences have been more than memorable. They have changed my outlook as I knew they would even though two months ago I was scared to death about being here. I have learned more than I cared to about the Army and I haven't learned enough about the people or this incredible country that has been victimized by occupation for hundreds of years. I'm quite fascinated by it actually and I hope to see this country one day governed by its own motivating and trustworthy leader and a strong military force that will keep its people safe.
A lot of people back home don't really understand what it is we're doing here and I didn't either before I came. Afghanistan was on the back burner while Iraq took the limelight and the bulk of U.S. forces and efforts. Now that everyone is focusing on Afghanistan everyone wants to know how and when we'll be leaving. The President says we'll be pulling forces out starting in 18 months but anyone who's been here can tell you that isn't going to happen. We will leave one day but it's going to take more time than has currently been alloted to get this country on its own feet so that it can effectively protect itself from terrorists that will not be disappearing any time soon from future history books. Like my Army Major keeps saying, it's hard to fight ideology. You have to replace one ideology with another and prove that it is better for those you are trying to convince.
I can tell you that there are some amazing Afghan soldiers leading the way toward making security by the people for the people a reality here. I've had the unique opportunity to work and socialize with them and they have a tough job ahead of them and they know it. I wish the media would cover their efforts more instead of the bloody and devastating efforts of the Taliban and other insurgents. All that does is propagate the knowledge of their cruel successes in this country around the world to their counterparts who no less celebrate their little victories.
For the past few weeks I've heard the departing brigade complain about the incoming brigade and how they think they are better than all the rest. After sitting in on today's meeting with said brigade I believe their attitude definitely demonstrates that they do indeed think they are the best. That is because they are serious about what they do and the commander's plan is to make a difference and support the effort to free Afghanistan of the Taliban scourge and help train the Afghan military to be the impenetrable barrier it needs to be to keep out insurgents and let their country flourish. I have nothing but the utmost respect for that way of thinking. I'm hoping my future with this brigade proves to be the most memorable and important of my tour here.
Our leaders understand that Afghanistan is a Muslim country and they don't need to be like us and they never will be and that is a good thing. I believe the beauty of our world is that we are all different and if we can accept and try to understand each other then the good from each culture can influence others for the better. Most Muslims here just want to live their lives and have their families be safe from harm and oppression. As long as ignorance and illiteracy pervade here they will always be susceptible to the fear and teachings of an extreme ideology. Our job is to convince them we don't want to change their way of life and make them American. We only want the bad people to go away and that they don't have to fear them anymore because we won't let them come back and neither will their brothers in arms.
I've seen both distrust and complete acceptance of our presence here but with time and dedication to the safety of the populous most will know we are keepers of our word and their children can go to school without fear of retribution. Education is the long term key to a better Afghanistan. Just like any country, it will not be perfect. There will always be someone taking away from the mouths of the needy for personal gain but what we're doing isn't in vain. I truly believe that. So if I die here I want my friends and family to know that I fell in love with the vision of a better world starting here because those cruel oppressive extremists need to go and I'm glad I played a role in that. Afghanistan will forever have a place in my heart but I hope to leave it alive and well and go home to my daughter and share with her my experiences.
A lot of people back home don't really understand what it is we're doing here and I didn't either before I came. Afghanistan was on the back burner while Iraq took the limelight and the bulk of U.S. forces and efforts. Now that everyone is focusing on Afghanistan everyone wants to know how and when we'll be leaving. The President says we'll be pulling forces out starting in 18 months but anyone who's been here can tell you that isn't going to happen. We will leave one day but it's going to take more time than has currently been alloted to get this country on its own feet so that it can effectively protect itself from terrorists that will not be disappearing any time soon from future history books. Like my Army Major keeps saying, it's hard to fight ideology. You have to replace one ideology with another and prove that it is better for those you are trying to convince.
I can tell you that there are some amazing Afghan soldiers leading the way toward making security by the people for the people a reality here. I've had the unique opportunity to work and socialize with them and they have a tough job ahead of them and they know it. I wish the media would cover their efforts more instead of the bloody and devastating efforts of the Taliban and other insurgents. All that does is propagate the knowledge of their cruel successes in this country around the world to their counterparts who no less celebrate their little victories.
For the past few weeks I've heard the departing brigade complain about the incoming brigade and how they think they are better than all the rest. After sitting in on today's meeting with said brigade I believe their attitude definitely demonstrates that they do indeed think they are the best. That is because they are serious about what they do and the commander's plan is to make a difference and support the effort to free Afghanistan of the Taliban scourge and help train the Afghan military to be the impenetrable barrier it needs to be to keep out insurgents and let their country flourish. I have nothing but the utmost respect for that way of thinking. I'm hoping my future with this brigade proves to be the most memorable and important of my tour here.
Our leaders understand that Afghanistan is a Muslim country and they don't need to be like us and they never will be and that is a good thing. I believe the beauty of our world is that we are all different and if we can accept and try to understand each other then the good from each culture can influence others for the better. Most Muslims here just want to live their lives and have their families be safe from harm and oppression. As long as ignorance and illiteracy pervade here they will always be susceptible to the fear and teachings of an extreme ideology. Our job is to convince them we don't want to change their way of life and make them American. We only want the bad people to go away and that they don't have to fear them anymore because we won't let them come back and neither will their brothers in arms.
I've seen both distrust and complete acceptance of our presence here but with time and dedication to the safety of the populous most will know we are keepers of our word and their children can go to school without fear of retribution. Education is the long term key to a better Afghanistan. Just like any country, it will not be perfect. There will always be someone taking away from the mouths of the needy for personal gain but what we're doing isn't in vain. I truly believe that. So if I die here I want my friends and family to know that I fell in love with the vision of a better world starting here because those cruel oppressive extremists need to go and I'm glad I played a role in that. Afghanistan will forever have a place in my heart but I hope to leave it alive and well and go home to my daughter and share with her my experiences.
The Holidays and the New Year
After getting back from Gamberi there hasn't been much going on aside from the day to day as far as my adventures in Afghanistan. However I've traded those little adventures for some down time enjoying my Christmas presents and hanging out. The brigades are changing over so there are a lot of people running around and most are not happy about being here. Those that are going home just want to get out of here and those that just got here, it's all still sinking in. I haven't enjoyed the company of most except for my friend Zaki. He always seems to be happy.
I got to talk to Sari for a long time on Skype on Christmas eve and that was great. She loves her grandma so much and has so much fun with her. She sang me some songs and ran around the room as if high on sugar. I also talked to my mom, brother and niece. I opened my gifts from my mom and aunt. I also received lots of treats from my office which served as comfort food.
Now its time to throw the comfort food away and look forward to next year. My number one goal is just to get home alive and in one healthy functioning piece. Everything else is second to that. I want to commit to all the standard New Years resolutions like losing weight, improving my health and other improvements on my life. I really want to make it as a writer so I will work on that too.
Lately I haven't been wanting to write because I feel like I'm repeating myself or nobody really cares what I have to say but it's just a phase. I know I'll get the writer in me to wake up. Maybe she's just very tired right now and a little overwhelmed.
I got to talk to Sari for a long time on Skype on Christmas eve and that was great. She loves her grandma so much and has so much fun with her. She sang me some songs and ran around the room as if high on sugar. I also talked to my mom, brother and niece. I opened my gifts from my mom and aunt. I also received lots of treats from my office which served as comfort food.
Now its time to throw the comfort food away and look forward to next year. My number one goal is just to get home alive and in one healthy functioning piece. Everything else is second to that. I want to commit to all the standard New Years resolutions like losing weight, improving my health and other improvements on my life. I really want to make it as a writer so I will work on that too.
Lately I haven't been wanting to write because I feel like I'm repeating myself or nobody really cares what I have to say but it's just a phase. I know I'll get the writer in me to wake up. Maybe she's just very tired right now and a little overwhelmed.
Gamberi Trip Post Five
I let the days get away from me and I’m a week into my Gamberi trip. I’ve been going a little stir crazy without the Internet but I went without it before during my early days in the Navy. After having it though it gets harder to go without. I got to use it for a moment yesterday on someone else’s computer but the connection was beyond slow. It tests the best of patience but I at least got to post on Facebook that I’m fine.
I’ve been busy writing stories and taking lots of photos of different events for briefing the Brigade leadership. It’s been good to stay busy but I’m ready to leave this place. I’m even more ready for my move to Kandahar after the New Year because that means I’m past the three-month mark and I’ll have about four months to go. I can start saying I’ll be home this year and stuff like that. I watched a lot of movies today because I was given the day off by my Major since the ANA soldiers don’t do any training on Fridays. I finally got to watch the rest of “The International” and it was a good movie. I had started watching it when I took Sari to visit her Auntie Sarah in Malibu but Sari got very sick and I had to take her home and to the emergency room. I’d been hoping to see the rest of it at some point. I’d recommend it as a good action spy type movie.
In the movie one of the characters says something that has stuck with me, “Sometimes a man will find his destiny on the winding road he took to avoid it.” I figure sometimes you find your destiny after running headlong into it. Always in the back of my mind is the thought that I had made so much happen so I could come to Afghanistan that I hope my destiny isn’t to perish here and never see my daughter again. It would be like I asked for it or something. Not that signing the dotted line of a military contract isn’t like asking for it too but I pushed really hard to make my coming to Afghanistan happen and I hope I don’t have to regret it. The last couple days that I haven’t written about weren’t as active as the first few but there are some things to write about.
I got hit in the face yesterday with a soccer ball about 20 feet from the goalie when he kicked the ball back out toward the infield. It stung and brought tears to my eyes but nothing was broken or bleeding. I walked it off a little bit and then I got back in the game however I didn’t have much of an active role anyway. The Afghan interpreters and soldiers were hell bent on kicking each other’s asses and I’d have been collateral damage. Oh wait I was collateral damage. The goalie, who was an ANA soldier, felt really bad about hitting me with the ball and kept apologizing and then finally he let me kick the ball for him to the infield. I kicked it to one of my teammates so I felt I had contributed something to the game. I suck at sports and maybe that’s why I’m a good sport about losing.
After a volleyball game earlier in the week with the ANA General, he told me that he was purposely avoiding hitting the ball in my direction because he didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t like for guys to hold back when they are playing sports with me but I’m glad I didn’t take a ball in the face by him because I probably would have a broken nose or black eye. I join in for the camaraderie but if I think I’m a handicap to the team then I’ll make an excuse to step aside so they can do their best.
Everyone has been pretty nice here but I think the Army guys aren’t sure what to think about me though. I hang out with the terps a lot and work side by side with the Major and the Army bosses so I don’t spend a lot of time around the soldiers but I’m always smiling and saying Hi. Still, I get the feeling they think I’m being snooty or something. I like the terps though and I can hang out with Americans whenever. I won’t get the chance to learn and experience the things I have if I just hide among my peers all the time. I’ve been learning Dari, the dominant language of the Afghans from the terps and they are so funny. They have a good bond among them and they treat me well. I enjoy it. They were impressed that I didn’t take off after getting hit in the face with the soccer ball but that I came back in the game and continued on. They joked that I’m a soldier first and a woman second.
I’ve been busy writing stories and taking lots of photos of different events for briefing the Brigade leadership. It’s been good to stay busy but I’m ready to leave this place. I’m even more ready for my move to Kandahar after the New Year because that means I’m past the three-month mark and I’ll have about four months to go. I can start saying I’ll be home this year and stuff like that. I watched a lot of movies today because I was given the day off by my Major since the ANA soldiers don’t do any training on Fridays. I finally got to watch the rest of “The International” and it was a good movie. I had started watching it when I took Sari to visit her Auntie Sarah in Malibu but Sari got very sick and I had to take her home and to the emergency room. I’d been hoping to see the rest of it at some point. I’d recommend it as a good action spy type movie.
In the movie one of the characters says something that has stuck with me, “Sometimes a man will find his destiny on the winding road he took to avoid it.” I figure sometimes you find your destiny after running headlong into it. Always in the back of my mind is the thought that I had made so much happen so I could come to Afghanistan that I hope my destiny isn’t to perish here and never see my daughter again. It would be like I asked for it or something. Not that signing the dotted line of a military contract isn’t like asking for it too but I pushed really hard to make my coming to Afghanistan happen and I hope I don’t have to regret it. The last couple days that I haven’t written about weren’t as active as the first few but there are some things to write about.
I got hit in the face yesterday with a soccer ball about 20 feet from the goalie when he kicked the ball back out toward the infield. It stung and brought tears to my eyes but nothing was broken or bleeding. I walked it off a little bit and then I got back in the game however I didn’t have much of an active role anyway. The Afghan interpreters and soldiers were hell bent on kicking each other’s asses and I’d have been collateral damage. Oh wait I was collateral damage. The goalie, who was an ANA soldier, felt really bad about hitting me with the ball and kept apologizing and then finally he let me kick the ball for him to the infield. I kicked it to one of my teammates so I felt I had contributed something to the game. I suck at sports and maybe that’s why I’m a good sport about losing.
After a volleyball game earlier in the week with the ANA General, he told me that he was purposely avoiding hitting the ball in my direction because he didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t like for guys to hold back when they are playing sports with me but I’m glad I didn’t take a ball in the face by him because I probably would have a broken nose or black eye. I join in for the camaraderie but if I think I’m a handicap to the team then I’ll make an excuse to step aside so they can do their best.
Everyone has been pretty nice here but I think the Army guys aren’t sure what to think about me though. I hang out with the terps a lot and work side by side with the Major and the Army bosses so I don’t spend a lot of time around the soldiers but I’m always smiling and saying Hi. Still, I get the feeling they think I’m being snooty or something. I like the terps though and I can hang out with Americans whenever. I won’t get the chance to learn and experience the things I have if I just hide among my peers all the time. I’ve been learning Dari, the dominant language of the Afghans from the terps and they are so funny. They have a good bond among them and they treat me well. I enjoy it. They were impressed that I didn’t take off after getting hit in the face with the soccer ball but that I came back in the game and continued on. They joked that I’m a soldier first and a woman second.
Gamberi Trip Post Four
I know these experiences are going to be worth it in the end but today tested my patience with the whole thing. I feel like I’ve been turned into the Major’s bitch producing whatever wonderful product he can think of to make him look good. I know that’s not true and what we’re doing together is serving a greater purpose and is very important but I don’t know why I’m feeling so frustrated by the do this do that thing. I should be used to it by now.
I think what’s bothering the most is he tells me today that we’re going to stay here until Dec. 24. At first he said Dec. 29 but I gave him a look that I guess he interpreted as “I don’t think so” and he recanted and came up with the 24th instead. Even so I hated the thought of staying here for two weeks. I didn’t bring enough stuff to last me for that long and the camera the office let me take with me only has one battery and no charger and guess what. It died today. Thank goodness I brought my own camera but because I thought I’d only be here a week and the Major was adamant I pack light so I didn’t bring my battery charger. I had to explain to him that the Navy is not required to provide equipment to support these IA missions because it is expected the Army will provide everything needed to do the job they are asking of us so I brought nadda except for my own gear and now I find myself using it to do my job here.
I was so tense by the end of the day I got on the treadmill and pounded out an hour of running and fast walking just to get past the frustration and relax. Today the Gamberi OIC had invited some village elders to have lunch at the dining facility on the U.S. part of the base. Most of them were at least older than 50 and were very traditional Muslim men from a village just outside the ANA base. There were about ten of them and each shared part of the responsibility of overlooking the daily life of their village.
One of the interpreters told me that their village was burned down by the Taliban and they moved into a tent close by the base. The goal of the meeting today was to build trust and understanding between the ANA, U.S. forces and the village so they will inform us if the Taliban try to operate from their village. They asked to have a school built for their children and some blankets and other basic supplies.To me this is a perfect opportunity to provide simple comfort items as a low cost and what they would give us in return is much more valuable. Information about the Taliban. It’s a win win.
Unfortunately it’s not that simple and as an outsider looking in the Army doesn’t make it simple either. I’m glad to be witnessing the raw relationship building that is happening here because this is where we have the opportunity to gain so much from giving so little but will we be able to win the trust of the village elders and their families? If we expect to leave Afghanistan and not have to come back, we have to succeed at this endeavor.
I think what’s bothering the most is he tells me today that we’re going to stay here until Dec. 24. At first he said Dec. 29 but I gave him a look that I guess he interpreted as “I don’t think so” and he recanted and came up with the 24th instead. Even so I hated the thought of staying here for two weeks. I didn’t bring enough stuff to last me for that long and the camera the office let me take with me only has one battery and no charger and guess what. It died today. Thank goodness I brought my own camera but because I thought I’d only be here a week and the Major was adamant I pack light so I didn’t bring my battery charger. I had to explain to him that the Navy is not required to provide equipment to support these IA missions because it is expected the Army will provide everything needed to do the job they are asking of us so I brought nadda except for my own gear and now I find myself using it to do my job here.
I was so tense by the end of the day I got on the treadmill and pounded out an hour of running and fast walking just to get past the frustration and relax. Today the Gamberi OIC had invited some village elders to have lunch at the dining facility on the U.S. part of the base. Most of them were at least older than 50 and were very traditional Muslim men from a village just outside the ANA base. There were about ten of them and each shared part of the responsibility of overlooking the daily life of their village.
One of the interpreters told me that their village was burned down by the Taliban and they moved into a tent close by the base. The goal of the meeting today was to build trust and understanding between the ANA, U.S. forces and the village so they will inform us if the Taliban try to operate from their village. They asked to have a school built for their children and some blankets and other basic supplies.To me this is a perfect opportunity to provide simple comfort items as a low cost and what they would give us in return is much more valuable. Information about the Taliban. It’s a win win.
Unfortunately it’s not that simple and as an outsider looking in the Army doesn’t make it simple either. I’m glad to be witnessing the raw relationship building that is happening here because this is where we have the opportunity to gain so much from giving so little but will we be able to win the trust of the village elders and their families? If we expect to leave Afghanistan and not have to come back, we have to succeed at this endeavor.
Gamberi Trip Post Three
I finally got a goodnights sleep and tried to run on the treadmill in the morning but I barely squeezed out a mile. I had pulled a calf muscle and was still trying to work it out.
Today I was invited to have lunch with the Afghan Colonel along with the Major, Zaki and some of the Army folks, including the Gamberi CO and XO.
I spent the morning working on all the photos I had taken the day before and building the storyboards and stuff. We left for the luncheon and ended up waiting for a while in the ANA Colonel’s office for a General to arrive. This time they didn’t inundate us with chai tea and candy and nuts. I was wishing they had. I love it.
Instead we sat there with the TV playing a bunch of provocative music videos like Shakira’s latest. I felt a little uncomfortable about it knowing how conservative the Afghans are about sex and scantily clad women. What’s even funnier is when the General arrived and he sat down to talk a moment before we went to the other room to eat, the videos were still playing in the background and I could swear one of the Colonels was watching the TV instead of listening to the General. Very odd yet intriguing.
We ate another fantastic Afghan feast of rice, curdled milk (tastes like yogurt) chicken, beef, veggies and naan (that awesome middle eastern bread). They had fresh hot peppers, scallions and cucumbers. It was so good. After lunch we headed back to our compound and I finished my storyboards and gave the bosses a good laugh.
I never saw this one coming but the Afghan General showed up with a large group of Afghan soldiers for a game of volleyball. Yes, we played volleyball. I got it on video and photos. They are very good players, even the General who I’ve so far failed to describe but now I must. He’s about 6ft 2in and well over 300 lbs. He’s a big boy but he can play some v-ball. He was impressed with my serving ability but not so much my playing ability. I leave a lot to be desired on the court….in any sport.
After several rounds of v-ball we went to the dining facility for tea and conversation. The General asked for me to sit across from him and Zaki translated for us so we could talk about Public Affairs. He told me he worked in PA for 13 years and knows how important it is. We talked about the future of PA in Afghanistan and what can be done to improve the ANA’s ability to get positive messages out to the Afghan people.
Since most of the population of Afghanistan is illiterate, I mentioned using photos and broadcast mediums to get messages out and he said they are working on the broadcast stuff but that photographs were a good suggestion. I wanted to continue on with the conversation and mention how influential it could be for his soldiers to do community relations projects for the villagers and have his PA guy cover that so they could show other village elders what they’ve done in the villages they helped but we were cut short because he had to get to another meeting. I really felt that was the best advice I could give but was disappointed I didn’t get to share it.
I love my job and getting an opportunity like this is one of the reasons why. How many enlisted PA specialists get to sit with one of the Generals of the largest ANA force in Afghanistan and talk PA and make suggestions for how to get positive messages to the local populations, letting them know they are there to help? Well I know of one.
It would be incredible if anything I said could go forth and make a difference in this war against the Taliban. Getting the people’s support is the best way to do that.
After tea and dinner the ANA soldiers and their General departed but not until we got photos together. About three or four soldiers wanted their picture taken with me. I felt a little like a celebrity but not enough to want to stay in Afghanistan. No thanks; I’ll take anonymity in the U.S.
Today I was invited to have lunch with the Afghan Colonel along with the Major, Zaki and some of the Army folks, including the Gamberi CO and XO.
I spent the morning working on all the photos I had taken the day before and building the storyboards and stuff. We left for the luncheon and ended up waiting for a while in the ANA Colonel’s office for a General to arrive. This time they didn’t inundate us with chai tea and candy and nuts. I was wishing they had. I love it.
Instead we sat there with the TV playing a bunch of provocative music videos like Shakira’s latest. I felt a little uncomfortable about it knowing how conservative the Afghans are about sex and scantily clad women. What’s even funnier is when the General arrived and he sat down to talk a moment before we went to the other room to eat, the videos were still playing in the background and I could swear one of the Colonels was watching the TV instead of listening to the General. Very odd yet intriguing.
We ate another fantastic Afghan feast of rice, curdled milk (tastes like yogurt) chicken, beef, veggies and naan (that awesome middle eastern bread). They had fresh hot peppers, scallions and cucumbers. It was so good. After lunch we headed back to our compound and I finished my storyboards and gave the bosses a good laugh.
I never saw this one coming but the Afghan General showed up with a large group of Afghan soldiers for a game of volleyball. Yes, we played volleyball. I got it on video and photos. They are very good players, even the General who I’ve so far failed to describe but now I must. He’s about 6ft 2in and well over 300 lbs. He’s a big boy but he can play some v-ball. He was impressed with my serving ability but not so much my playing ability. I leave a lot to be desired on the court….in any sport.
After several rounds of v-ball we went to the dining facility for tea and conversation. The General asked for me to sit across from him and Zaki translated for us so we could talk about Public Affairs. He told me he worked in PA for 13 years and knows how important it is. We talked about the future of PA in Afghanistan and what can be done to improve the ANA’s ability to get positive messages out to the Afghan people.
Since most of the population of Afghanistan is illiterate, I mentioned using photos and broadcast mediums to get messages out and he said they are working on the broadcast stuff but that photographs were a good suggestion. I wanted to continue on with the conversation and mention how influential it could be for his soldiers to do community relations projects for the villagers and have his PA guy cover that so they could show other village elders what they’ve done in the villages they helped but we were cut short because he had to get to another meeting. I really felt that was the best advice I could give but was disappointed I didn’t get to share it.
I love my job and getting an opportunity like this is one of the reasons why. How many enlisted PA specialists get to sit with one of the Generals of the largest ANA force in Afghanistan and talk PA and make suggestions for how to get positive messages to the local populations, letting them know they are there to help? Well I know of one.
It would be incredible if anything I said could go forth and make a difference in this war against the Taliban. Getting the people’s support is the best way to do that.
After tea and dinner the ANA soldiers and their General departed but not until we got photos together. About three or four soldiers wanted their picture taken with me. I felt a little like a celebrity but not enough to want to stay in Afghanistan. No thanks; I’ll take anonymity in the U.S.
Gamberi Trip Post Two
So my night was not so restful. My back hurt the night before so I made the mistake of taking an Excedrin with caffeine in it and I tossed and turned all night. I got a shower and barely made it to the dining facility for some much needed coffee and a pop tart. After a little bit we went to the landing zone to meet the leaders as they were coming in for their briefing. Two large helos came in and kicked dust up everywhere. My camera took it hard before I jumped behind the truck to protect it. I won’t continue to bore you with the ins and outs of a dog and pony show. I will say that what they discussed at their meeting was very important to the vision of the Afghan security forces someday taking over keeping their country safe.
I am very lucky to be right here witnessing the history of the relationship between our countries and how we’re going to work together to keep Afghanistan from ever becoming a safe haven for terrorists again. After the meeting all the Generals and Colonels got together for an Afghan meal and chai tea on the ANA side of the base and then got in their helos and flew away. I loved the food and they went out of their way to make sure I ate plenty. I took so many pictures that I was sure to have some good ones and I did. I put together a storyboard for the bosses so they could brief everyone on the event. I also made a funny storyboard about Zaki stealing the XOs cookies and then sitting down right in front of her and eating them. It took her a few seconds but she was on him trying to pull the tray away while he’s stuffing cookies in his mouth and fighting the keep her from taking them. It was so funny. T
hat night I ended up playing Guitar Hero of all things with the Army guys. Now I’m going to have to get that game, which will require me to decide which system to buy and play it on. I’m not a gamer by any means but that is so much fun. I like the Karaoke games too. That was it for me and day two.
I am very lucky to be right here witnessing the history of the relationship between our countries and how we’re going to work together to keep Afghanistan from ever becoming a safe haven for terrorists again. After the meeting all the Generals and Colonels got together for an Afghan meal and chai tea on the ANA side of the base and then got in their helos and flew away. I loved the food and they went out of their way to make sure I ate plenty. I took so many pictures that I was sure to have some good ones and I did. I put together a storyboard for the bosses so they could brief everyone on the event. I also made a funny storyboard about Zaki stealing the XOs cookies and then sitting down right in front of her and eating them. It took her a few seconds but she was on him trying to pull the tray away while he’s stuffing cookies in his mouth and fighting the keep her from taking them. It was so funny. T
hat night I ended up playing Guitar Hero of all things with the Army guys. Now I’m going to have to get that game, which will require me to decide which system to buy and play it on. I’m not a gamer by any means but that is so much fun. I like the Karaoke games too. That was it for me and day two.
Gamberi Trip
So I’m packed and ready to go. I adjusted my battle vest so it fit properly and attached my magazine holders and medical kit. I packed my rucksack for five days and had a camera backpack with the rest of my important things in it (my computer to be exact!) I had to lug all 150 lbs of it plus Mad Max to the office.
My major exclaimed to me a couple times during the days leading up to this much anticipated visit, “I’m not carrying your bags for you Jackson.” I had already heard from my co-worker that he doesn’t do that for anybody but it’s not like I expected him to. I finally asked him if he thought I was a weakling or something and the whole office just started laughing. Were they laughing at me or the response? Who knows.
At this point I don’t know what kind of aircraft will be ferrying us to Gamberi, a small Afghan National Army compound east of Jalalabad. I thought is was going to be a small rotary aircraft like the ones that take us to Kabul, the ones that scare me a little. Nope I was going to have the pleasure of riding in a Huey helicopter. I’m standing outside the flight-line where many types of helicopters are turning rotors and getting ready for their passengers and then I see it. The helicopter that is supposed to take nine of us and all our gear 70 miles across snow covered mountains and wide open valleys. I thought for sure that it was not our aircraft. It looked too small to be able to handle all that weight. I looked around for another helicopter more suitable but none of them were any where near us. I wasn’t afraid just doubtful.
We drag ourselves and all our crap to the helicopter and sure enough everything and everyone fits. I’m sitting in the middle between Zaki, our interpreter and another Army sergeant heading to another base on the way. I start to feel a little excited. I had never been in a Huey and I was anticipating the ride, which I new would be the coolest flight I’ve ever been on. I was not disappointed. As the rotors spinned up and the whole helicopter starts to shake with the vibrations of the engine I get this big ole smile on my face and the guy across from me, a handsome Army captain, says “This is your first time on a Huey isn’t it?” I nod my head because I can’t shake the smile from my face.
The copter starts to rise up from the tarmac and I can feel the torque trying to twist and turn the main body of the Huey but some mechanism keeps it from going out of control and everything stays as steady as it can for such an inventive flying design. We fly low across the flight line to await clearance to leave the airfield and then the copter quickly ascends in a way that surprised me. It’s faster than I expected.There I am about 5,000 feet in the sky seeing things like never before. Afghanistan is so beautiful. As soon as we were away from Bagram, I could see the twisted and uneven terrain of the valleys and they reminded me so much of California. There were canyons and cliffs and many many villages and farms nestled along the bottom of the Hindu Kush mountains.
The mountains were covered in snow, the valleys varied so greatly in terrain that some looked like desert and others like the colorful autumn of my own home state of Delaware. There were rivers twisting through it all and I could see the white water as it ran over boulders in the riverbed. Simply gorgeous. We landed to drop off the cute Captain and his sergeant at a base called Mahtarlam. According to Zaki it was named after a respected village elder named Old Man Mahtarlam. I noticed that most of the village had a rather advantageous vantage point over the small base. There were so many hills rising up around the base that I felt a little exposed. Anyone standing on the those hills could see right into the base and snipe someone. Apparently that has happened in the past. I was glad I wasn’t staying very long.
After refueling we were back in the air and I had managed to get a seat next to the window where I could get an even better look at the scenery. It’s amazing how seeing things I never imagined I would see can take my mind off all the other crap that I worry about daily. I didn’t care that I was in a helicopter that would be my certain death if a malfunction happened and we plummeted to the earth like a rock. Moments later we’re landing at Gamberi and the scenery is not so pleasing to the eye. It’s a very dry desert landscape near pebble-covered mountains and a large lake. I
am going to be here for five days with my Major and Zaki the interpreter. I’m here to cover the leadership summit between our Colonel and some ANA Generals. I was beyond pleased with the Huey flight and now I would see just what I had gotten myself into. Gamberi is where the Army will eventually embed 250 Army soldiers on a brand new ANA base built this year. The purpose of the embed is to train the Afghan soldiers in the effective tactics necessary to fight the Taliban and future insurgents. In theory it’s a great idea but only time will tell if it will be effective and the ANA will be trust worthy and capable. It is a bit unnerving to be stuck in the middle of an Afghan compound not knowing who is and isn’t truly fighting against the Taliban.
Just like everyone else here I put those thoughts aside because the mission is important and requires total focus. So I mentioned Zachy earlier. He is a young Afghan who has almost earned his American citizenship, here making a living by serving as an interpreter for the ANA Partnership team. He is very attractive and obsessed with working on his muscles. I enjoy talking to him about his culture and trying to confirm if my notions of his people are correct and so far most of them are. They are a simple people who live life in such a way to be admired for its honest simplicity. If they like you, it’s obvious and genuine and if not then they won’t even smile or acknowledge you. Quite simple and the fake smile in your face while stabbing you in the back bastards I’ve known could learn a thing or two from them.
The difference is the Afghans aren’t trying to get anything more from you than your trust and friendship so they don’t have to pretend. Of course there are the few that are the exception. So I spent the rest of the day getting settled in. I had heard the Major brag about the accommodations but all I got was a bed with the worst mattress ever. The rooms are small and can realistically only fit one person but if I know the Army they’d try to squeeze two or three people in there if necessary and the Army guys wouldn’t complain either. They’d say, “It’s better than a tent with 80 other people.” Can’t argue with that one.
I met the U.S. Gamberi commander and his executive officer. They seem a little indifferent to my presence but don’t give me a hard time. The Major and Zaki get straight to work on setting up for the next day’s big wig visit. I kind of linger in the background taking pictures.
My major exclaimed to me a couple times during the days leading up to this much anticipated visit, “I’m not carrying your bags for you Jackson.” I had already heard from my co-worker that he doesn’t do that for anybody but it’s not like I expected him to. I finally asked him if he thought I was a weakling or something and the whole office just started laughing. Were they laughing at me or the response? Who knows.
At this point I don’t know what kind of aircraft will be ferrying us to Gamberi, a small Afghan National Army compound east of Jalalabad. I thought is was going to be a small rotary aircraft like the ones that take us to Kabul, the ones that scare me a little. Nope I was going to have the pleasure of riding in a Huey helicopter. I’m standing outside the flight-line where many types of helicopters are turning rotors and getting ready for their passengers and then I see it. The helicopter that is supposed to take nine of us and all our gear 70 miles across snow covered mountains and wide open valleys. I thought for sure that it was not our aircraft. It looked too small to be able to handle all that weight. I looked around for another helicopter more suitable but none of them were any where near us. I wasn’t afraid just doubtful.
We drag ourselves and all our crap to the helicopter and sure enough everything and everyone fits. I’m sitting in the middle between Zaki, our interpreter and another Army sergeant heading to another base on the way. I start to feel a little excited. I had never been in a Huey and I was anticipating the ride, which I new would be the coolest flight I’ve ever been on. I was not disappointed. As the rotors spinned up and the whole helicopter starts to shake with the vibrations of the engine I get this big ole smile on my face and the guy across from me, a handsome Army captain, says “This is your first time on a Huey isn’t it?” I nod my head because I can’t shake the smile from my face.
The copter starts to rise up from the tarmac and I can feel the torque trying to twist and turn the main body of the Huey but some mechanism keeps it from going out of control and everything stays as steady as it can for such an inventive flying design. We fly low across the flight line to await clearance to leave the airfield and then the copter quickly ascends in a way that surprised me. It’s faster than I expected.There I am about 5,000 feet in the sky seeing things like never before. Afghanistan is so beautiful. As soon as we were away from Bagram, I could see the twisted and uneven terrain of the valleys and they reminded me so much of California. There were canyons and cliffs and many many villages and farms nestled along the bottom of the Hindu Kush mountains.
The mountains were covered in snow, the valleys varied so greatly in terrain that some looked like desert and others like the colorful autumn of my own home state of Delaware. There were rivers twisting through it all and I could see the white water as it ran over boulders in the riverbed. Simply gorgeous. We landed to drop off the cute Captain and his sergeant at a base called Mahtarlam. According to Zaki it was named after a respected village elder named Old Man Mahtarlam. I noticed that most of the village had a rather advantageous vantage point over the small base. There were so many hills rising up around the base that I felt a little exposed. Anyone standing on the those hills could see right into the base and snipe someone. Apparently that has happened in the past. I was glad I wasn’t staying very long.
After refueling we were back in the air and I had managed to get a seat next to the window where I could get an even better look at the scenery. It’s amazing how seeing things I never imagined I would see can take my mind off all the other crap that I worry about daily. I didn’t care that I was in a helicopter that would be my certain death if a malfunction happened and we plummeted to the earth like a rock. Moments later we’re landing at Gamberi and the scenery is not so pleasing to the eye. It’s a very dry desert landscape near pebble-covered mountains and a large lake. I
am going to be here for five days with my Major and Zaki the interpreter. I’m here to cover the leadership summit between our Colonel and some ANA Generals. I was beyond pleased with the Huey flight and now I would see just what I had gotten myself into. Gamberi is where the Army will eventually embed 250 Army soldiers on a brand new ANA base built this year. The purpose of the embed is to train the Afghan soldiers in the effective tactics necessary to fight the Taliban and future insurgents. In theory it’s a great idea but only time will tell if it will be effective and the ANA will be trust worthy and capable. It is a bit unnerving to be stuck in the middle of an Afghan compound not knowing who is and isn’t truly fighting against the Taliban.
Just like everyone else here I put those thoughts aside because the mission is important and requires total focus. So I mentioned Zachy earlier. He is a young Afghan who has almost earned his American citizenship, here making a living by serving as an interpreter for the ANA Partnership team. He is very attractive and obsessed with working on his muscles. I enjoy talking to him about his culture and trying to confirm if my notions of his people are correct and so far most of them are. They are a simple people who live life in such a way to be admired for its honest simplicity. If they like you, it’s obvious and genuine and if not then they won’t even smile or acknowledge you. Quite simple and the fake smile in your face while stabbing you in the back bastards I’ve known could learn a thing or two from them.
The difference is the Afghans aren’t trying to get anything more from you than your trust and friendship so they don’t have to pretend. Of course there are the few that are the exception. So I spent the rest of the day getting settled in. I had heard the Major brag about the accommodations but all I got was a bed with the worst mattress ever. The rooms are small and can realistically only fit one person but if I know the Army they’d try to squeeze two or three people in there if necessary and the Army guys wouldn’t complain either. They’d say, “It’s better than a tent with 80 other people.” Can’t argue with that one.
I met the U.S. Gamberi commander and his executive officer. They seem a little indifferent to my presence but don’t give me a hard time. The Major and Zaki get straight to work on setting up for the next day’s big wig visit. I kind of linger in the background taking pictures.
I almost killed him……
So we get some of the new guys from the replacement brigade and the PAO replacement turns out to be an obnoxious nerdy bragonaut who finds it amusing to see just how annoying he can be.
Right off the bat he’s in my face throwing his weight around trying to be pushy and intimidating all the while spouting about how wonderful a PAO he is and how much he knows. If my Army cohort says anything about what we don’t have or can’t get he rambles on about getting hookups and this and that and how he’s the colonel’s right hand man. At this point I want to throw up on myself but that’s the limit of my annoyance with him. I equate him to the “Look what I can do!” guy.
Fast forward to day three with Monstro, as I’ve come to call him in my head, and I’m on the computer trying to mind my own business and his monstrous ass is lingering in the background talking about something along the lines of his godliness and tossing a Nerf ball at the wall. Then he does the unthinkable. He purposefully hits me in the head with the ball thinking he’s being funny. I didn’t know what to say. I was dumbfounded. I had practically been oozing venom in his presence and he thinks this is how to befriend me? My annoyance went up a level and I imagined him exploding violently into a pile of ashes I could just sweep away and be done with.
Now it’s day four and my fantasy of ashes has not been fulfilled. I had come back to the office after standing a mundane headcount watch at the dining facility and I was going into the office to sit at my desk and start working on something but I can’t remember what right now because what happened next made me forget.
So Monstro comes in behind me and just as I’m getting ready to sit down in my seat he comes running in there acting like he needs to use the computer and grabs me by the shoulders as if to move me out of the way and then I lost it.
“Don’t f------ touch me. Don’t ever put your hands on me!” I growled when I turned on him and made it very clear he was crossing the line. He tried to act like I hadn’t affected him but he backed off and started diddling with something on the desk. He then said, “You don’t like me, do you?” The mean girl in me wanted to come out and say “Hell no! You’re an idiot!,” but I listened to the nice girl and said that maybe I just needed to get used to his weirdness but by the time that happened I’d be moving to Kandahar.
You would think that there would now be an understanding between us but this guy can’t help himself. He is who he is and obnoxious is a part of his personality so it is up to me to make do and not allow him to get to me. I think he likes getting to people and I don’t want to feed into his wormhole of victims over and over again.
Even with the best of intentions I walked out of the office cursing the next day. Why you ask? Because he infected my cohort with his selfish self-centered ways.
The story,
The day before, our 1st Lt asked if my cohort and I would take a look at an article he and the Major had written about working with the ANA soldiers and edit it for him. We did but both of us where putting a lot of changes into the article so it would meet AP Styleguide rules for the magazine he wanted to have it published. I also found it difficult to read. It was more like a report than an article.
He asked what I thought and I told him it needed to be rewritten because it didn’t flow well. He seemed annoyed because it was his work but that is what editing is all about, making someone else’s work better and yes it hurts a little.
He and the Major asked if I’d rewrite it for them and I was happy to so I spent an extra hour or so working on it before I went to my hut to chill before standing the other half of my watch. I was up late and the next morning I came in later than usual due to the watch.
Monstro is sitting at my desk and I go ahead and start making myself a cup of coffee before I sit down to finish the article. While I’m making my coffee I come back in the office for something and notice my computer is rebooting and I jump right on Monstro and ask him why he shut my computer down and he said he didn’t. I retorted with “I was just in here and my screen was up and now it’s rebooting so WTF?” He informs me ever so non-chalantly that “she” rebooted it and again I lost it.
I cursed all the way out the door about courtesy and the fact I was standing right in the next room and they knew it and all they had to do was ask me to log off the computer so asshole could use it. I ranted about the article and having worked on it late last night and was planning to finish it this morning but now I’d have to start all over.
Of course knowing the finickiness of computers I had saved it before I left the office but I didn’t tell them that. The point was they had been discourteous to me and I was tired of the Army folks thinking they can just push the Navy chick around. They deserved it and I don’t regret letting them have it.
The 1st Lt and Major were somewhat entertained by it as they heard the whole thing, especially when I walked right from my office to there’s in obvious anger and frustration and started bitching about it. They encouraged me to calm myself and soon enough they had me laughing at their sergeant and his continual addiction to buying gems. Even so I had to leave the office to cool off for a while. When I came back I was past the whole event and finished the article.
I only had the slightest doubt that I hadn’t written it to their liking but that doubt was erased the moment 1st Lt looked up from his computer and said, “You were right, this is much better. It actually reads like a real article. The new guys need to read this so they can know what it is we’ve been doing for the past year and how important it is.” He seemed genuinely impressed. I smiled letting him know that, yes I can actually write and they don’t call me a journalist for nothing. I know I’m a good writer but I don’t have to go around telling everyone I am because the proof is in the pudding as they say.
I know that Monstro is not going to change his behavior because he obviously doesn’t care about friendships or good working relationships among his peers. It’s not often I seethe dislike for someone but I guess I can’t like everyone nor is everyone going to like me. I’m still waiting for that pile of ashes but knowing me I’d feel bad if anything happened to his big ole nerdy ass.
Right off the bat he’s in my face throwing his weight around trying to be pushy and intimidating all the while spouting about how wonderful a PAO he is and how much he knows. If my Army cohort says anything about what we don’t have or can’t get he rambles on about getting hookups and this and that and how he’s the colonel’s right hand man. At this point I want to throw up on myself but that’s the limit of my annoyance with him. I equate him to the “Look what I can do!” guy.
Fast forward to day three with Monstro, as I’ve come to call him in my head, and I’m on the computer trying to mind my own business and his monstrous ass is lingering in the background talking about something along the lines of his godliness and tossing a Nerf ball at the wall. Then he does the unthinkable. He purposefully hits me in the head with the ball thinking he’s being funny. I didn’t know what to say. I was dumbfounded. I had practically been oozing venom in his presence and he thinks this is how to befriend me? My annoyance went up a level and I imagined him exploding violently into a pile of ashes I could just sweep away and be done with.
Now it’s day four and my fantasy of ashes has not been fulfilled. I had come back to the office after standing a mundane headcount watch at the dining facility and I was going into the office to sit at my desk and start working on something but I can’t remember what right now because what happened next made me forget.
So Monstro comes in behind me and just as I’m getting ready to sit down in my seat he comes running in there acting like he needs to use the computer and grabs me by the shoulders as if to move me out of the way and then I lost it.
“Don’t f------ touch me. Don’t ever put your hands on me!” I growled when I turned on him and made it very clear he was crossing the line. He tried to act like I hadn’t affected him but he backed off and started diddling with something on the desk. He then said, “You don’t like me, do you?” The mean girl in me wanted to come out and say “Hell no! You’re an idiot!,” but I listened to the nice girl and said that maybe I just needed to get used to his weirdness but by the time that happened I’d be moving to Kandahar.
You would think that there would now be an understanding between us but this guy can’t help himself. He is who he is and obnoxious is a part of his personality so it is up to me to make do and not allow him to get to me. I think he likes getting to people and I don’t want to feed into his wormhole of victims over and over again.
Even with the best of intentions I walked out of the office cursing the next day. Why you ask? Because he infected my cohort with his selfish self-centered ways.
The story,
The day before, our 1st Lt asked if my cohort and I would take a look at an article he and the Major had written about working with the ANA soldiers and edit it for him. We did but both of us where putting a lot of changes into the article so it would meet AP Styleguide rules for the magazine he wanted to have it published. I also found it difficult to read. It was more like a report than an article.
He asked what I thought and I told him it needed to be rewritten because it didn’t flow well. He seemed annoyed because it was his work but that is what editing is all about, making someone else’s work better and yes it hurts a little.
He and the Major asked if I’d rewrite it for them and I was happy to so I spent an extra hour or so working on it before I went to my hut to chill before standing the other half of my watch. I was up late and the next morning I came in later than usual due to the watch.
Monstro is sitting at my desk and I go ahead and start making myself a cup of coffee before I sit down to finish the article. While I’m making my coffee I come back in the office for something and notice my computer is rebooting and I jump right on Monstro and ask him why he shut my computer down and he said he didn’t. I retorted with “I was just in here and my screen was up and now it’s rebooting so WTF?” He informs me ever so non-chalantly that “she” rebooted it and again I lost it.
I cursed all the way out the door about courtesy and the fact I was standing right in the next room and they knew it and all they had to do was ask me to log off the computer so asshole could use it. I ranted about the article and having worked on it late last night and was planning to finish it this morning but now I’d have to start all over.
Of course knowing the finickiness of computers I had saved it before I left the office but I didn’t tell them that. The point was they had been discourteous to me and I was tired of the Army folks thinking they can just push the Navy chick around. They deserved it and I don’t regret letting them have it.
The 1st Lt and Major were somewhat entertained by it as they heard the whole thing, especially when I walked right from my office to there’s in obvious anger and frustration and started bitching about it. They encouraged me to calm myself and soon enough they had me laughing at their sergeant and his continual addiction to buying gems. Even so I had to leave the office to cool off for a while. When I came back I was past the whole event and finished the article.
I only had the slightest doubt that I hadn’t written it to their liking but that doubt was erased the moment 1st Lt looked up from his computer and said, “You were right, this is much better. It actually reads like a real article. The new guys need to read this so they can know what it is we’ve been doing for the past year and how important it is.” He seemed genuinely impressed. I smiled letting him know that, yes I can actually write and they don’t call me a journalist for nothing. I know I’m a good writer but I don’t have to go around telling everyone I am because the proof is in the pudding as they say.
I know that Monstro is not going to change his behavior because he obviously doesn’t care about friendships or good working relationships among his peers. It’s not often I seethe dislike for someone but I guess I can’t like everyone nor is everyone going to like me. I’m still waiting for that pile of ashes but knowing me I’d feel bad if anything happened to his big ole nerdy ass.
Getting in shape in Afghanistan
One thing about deployments is taking advantage of the workout time. With my hectic schedule back home it was difficult to work out if I didn't get it done first thing in the morning. Now I have time enough to workout twice a day if I wanted to and I have. Yes, this job is turning out to be somewhat boring here but necessary. I am jonesing for a new trip to work with the Afghans and it might happen next week but who knows. Everything is topsy turvy with the changeover of command happening.
I wish I were much busier than I wouldn't have time to think about how much I miss my daughter, friends and family. So I'm trying to fill that valuable time with writing, keeping in touch with friends and getting in shape.
The toughest part of getting in shape is changing my eating habits because I don't have the 20 year old metabolism anymore and I don't want to die of a heart attack. The food here isn't that great and you quickly get tired of greasy Pizza Hut pizzas, over-fried chicken from Popeye's or mystery meat from Burger King. I don't even bother with that stuff anymore.
The dining facilities are doubly revolting except for the U.A.E. dining facility which serves authentic Arab food but its very difficult to get down to it because its on the far side of the base. I'd eat there everyday if I could.
So I pick through the overcooked veggies and dried out meats for an appetizing meal but usually I just end up in my room eating a pack of ramen noodles and some crackers. Not healthy but its not fried either.
With that I've been gradually increasing my workouts and I'm up to an hour on the elliptical or bike or 45 minutes or so running on the treadmill. I love aerobic workouts but that alone isn't going to help me reach my fitness goals. So I've incorporated weight training and now I remember why I never was good about continuing it in the past. I hurt a lot afterwards!
Right now my back and shoulders are very stiff and sore and causing a tension headache. I know that it takes time for the muscles to adjust and for the achy soreness to turn into firmer healthier muscle but this part sucks and has always been the reason I would quit weight training.
I'm not going to quit though because if I ever had a chance to concentrate on building healthy tone muscle mass that will boost my metabolism and help me get more out of my running and other aerobic activities, now is that chance. When I get home my goal is to only have to do maintenance workouts which are less time consuming than the initial build up.
I'd like to do a half marathon in August. I have my sites set on the America's Finest City marathon and maybe in 2011 the Rock n Roll Marathon.
I do know that no matter how far I get with my fitness here that I will have to do everything in my power to make it a priority when I get back home. Even if its just squeezing in a walk in the evening with Sari.
You're never too old to change. That's what I say.
I wish I were much busier than I wouldn't have time to think about how much I miss my daughter, friends and family. So I'm trying to fill that valuable time with writing, keeping in touch with friends and getting in shape.
The toughest part of getting in shape is changing my eating habits because I don't have the 20 year old metabolism anymore and I don't want to die of a heart attack. The food here isn't that great and you quickly get tired of greasy Pizza Hut pizzas, over-fried chicken from Popeye's or mystery meat from Burger King. I don't even bother with that stuff anymore.
The dining facilities are doubly revolting except for the U.A.E. dining facility which serves authentic Arab food but its very difficult to get down to it because its on the far side of the base. I'd eat there everyday if I could.
So I pick through the overcooked veggies and dried out meats for an appetizing meal but usually I just end up in my room eating a pack of ramen noodles and some crackers. Not healthy but its not fried either.
With that I've been gradually increasing my workouts and I'm up to an hour on the elliptical or bike or 45 minutes or so running on the treadmill. I love aerobic workouts but that alone isn't going to help me reach my fitness goals. So I've incorporated weight training and now I remember why I never was good about continuing it in the past. I hurt a lot afterwards!
Right now my back and shoulders are very stiff and sore and causing a tension headache. I know that it takes time for the muscles to adjust and for the achy soreness to turn into firmer healthier muscle but this part sucks and has always been the reason I would quit weight training.
I'm not going to quit though because if I ever had a chance to concentrate on building healthy tone muscle mass that will boost my metabolism and help me get more out of my running and other aerobic activities, now is that chance. When I get home my goal is to only have to do maintenance workouts which are less time consuming than the initial build up.
I'd like to do a half marathon in August. I have my sites set on the America's Finest City marathon and maybe in 2011 the Rock n Roll Marathon.
I do know that no matter how far I get with my fitness here that I will have to do everything in my power to make it a priority when I get back home. Even if its just squeezing in a walk in the evening with Sari.
You're never too old to change. That's what I say.
The Replacements
This week has been a busy week for everyone but me. I've done much observing and was hoping to be at another base teaching Afghan soldiers by now but the new crew ruined that. There are a lot of new faces running around and its not because the troop surge is already happening. It's because the Brigade I work for is being replaced by another coming from North Carolina.
I think its a bad thing when one Army unit says how gung-ho another Army unit is and they are glad they don't work for the replacing unit. These are the same people that I thought were a bit too serious and now they are saying the new crew even scares them. Not good news. Perhaps I should be glad I'm going to Kandahar but time will tell.
Not only is a new Army unit coming in but we received seven new Navy IAs and only one looks excited to be here. He's already asking if he can go on convoys. The rest have that same glassy look I had when I got here. The look that says "I'm so out of my element. Why did I do this?" I tried to talk to the one female First Class in the group, because she really looked stressed out, about not taking the Army too seriously because its just in their nature to be all in your face and give chip on the shoulder type attitude. She didn't look convinced that she'd learn to deal with it.
I think my killing the Army with kindness thing is working because they are much more friendly towards me. Even the ones that initially either gave me the cold shoulder or challenged me in some way. I do have a gift for winning people over in the long run but it takes a lot of energy. I'm not sure why but almost everyone who gets to know me well often tells me that they didn't think too highly of me or they had a different impression of me in the beginning. I guess I don't make very good first impressions but I've learned that first impressions are rarely if ever who someone really is anyway.
So I wonder how this replacement Brigade will change things. They've already started muscling in on the way the current Brigade does things but I'm just here supporting the cause so I'm not going to be too concerned about it. The only thing that does concern me is their lack of a plan for continuing the Afghan Army training. To me that is the most important job here in order for us to leave this country at some point in the near future. We're not the only unit doing it but it would take away from the overall end state if the new unit decided not to continue with it.
The Afghan people are generally very laid back and not in a hurry and the soldiers are no different. That kind of mentality doesn't work well when your fighting the Taliban so we have to teach them to do things differently and be more aggressive.
I'm pretty sure they'll get the picture soon enough on how important it is to continue the training but for now my trip is cancelled so I won't get to interact with the Afghan soldiers any time soon. Kind of bummed about it. At least I don't have to worry about convoys and IEDs for a little while longer.
I think its a bad thing when one Army unit says how gung-ho another Army unit is and they are glad they don't work for the replacing unit. These are the same people that I thought were a bit too serious and now they are saying the new crew even scares them. Not good news. Perhaps I should be glad I'm going to Kandahar but time will tell.
Not only is a new Army unit coming in but we received seven new Navy IAs and only one looks excited to be here. He's already asking if he can go on convoys. The rest have that same glassy look I had when I got here. The look that says "I'm so out of my element. Why did I do this?" I tried to talk to the one female First Class in the group, because she really looked stressed out, about not taking the Army too seriously because its just in their nature to be all in your face and give chip on the shoulder type attitude. She didn't look convinced that she'd learn to deal with it.
I think my killing the Army with kindness thing is working because they are much more friendly towards me. Even the ones that initially either gave me the cold shoulder or challenged me in some way. I do have a gift for winning people over in the long run but it takes a lot of energy. I'm not sure why but almost everyone who gets to know me well often tells me that they didn't think too highly of me or they had a different impression of me in the beginning. I guess I don't make very good first impressions but I've learned that first impressions are rarely if ever who someone really is anyway.
So I wonder how this replacement Brigade will change things. They've already started muscling in on the way the current Brigade does things but I'm just here supporting the cause so I'm not going to be too concerned about it. The only thing that does concern me is their lack of a plan for continuing the Afghan Army training. To me that is the most important job here in order for us to leave this country at some point in the near future. We're not the only unit doing it but it would take away from the overall end state if the new unit decided not to continue with it.
The Afghan people are generally very laid back and not in a hurry and the soldiers are no different. That kind of mentality doesn't work well when your fighting the Taliban so we have to teach them to do things differently and be more aggressive.
I'm pretty sure they'll get the picture soon enough on how important it is to continue the training but for now my trip is cancelled so I won't get to interact with the Afghan soldiers any time soon. Kind of bummed about it. At least I don't have to worry about convoys and IEDs for a little while longer.
The Army Mentality
Of all the things I've had to conform or get used to here the hardest has been the mentality of the Army. Mostly the enlisted Army that is. I'm curious about their boot-camp training. Do they train them to be intimidating towards others and each other? And of course they try to use that intimidation on me but I just look at them like their crazy. Example.
I had to give a PAO brief at the monthly commanders meeting (monthly is weird for me too). I was briefing on the events of the upcoming month and my moving to Kandahar after Christmas.
Unbeknownst to me, my Major was planning an under the table deal where he was sending me to Kandahar early so I could get settled in before the replacement command got in. That is not what the plan was in the Colonels mind because he wanted me to stay until everyone flew out in January. Like I said, I did not have this tidbit of information at my disposal so.....upon announcing my departure date the Command Sergeant Major (CSM) said, "Who told you you were going to Kandahar after Christmas?"
Before I could answer I hear a dominating voice behind me ask, "When did I tell you you were leaving? Remember, I came into your office and told you when you were leaving!" This came from another Sergeant Major (SM) who I had by now forgotten his less than a minute walk into my office, where he just flat out said that an order came out from higher headquarters and they were taking most of the IA billets and mine was one of them so I'd be moving right after the change of command. I don't remember much more than that. Very disappointing news for me because you know how much I love Kandahar.
After he leaves my Major comes in and tells me that he'll get me down there after Christmas so I can get settled in because he fears the relieving brigade will leave me high and dry. He did not inform me that this was against what was wanted by the big boss.
Back to my embarrassing moment.....
So I'm standing there in a room full of senior officers and senior enlisted staring at this intimidating angry Sergeant Major who's skin tone was turning from dark brown to bright red, if that's possible and I just smile at him and turn back to the Colonel and CSM when addressed by them and reply that I prefer Bagram to Kandahar and I'd rather stay here anyway so I look forward to working with the brigade until they leave.
My response lifted the mood in the room and the Colonel seemed satisfied with my answer and laughed to himself but I could feel the SM's eyes burning holes in the back of my neck. I had made him look bad so I couldn't exactly blame him.
It wasn't ALL my fault so I warned my Major that the beans were spilled about his plans for me leaving early because he hadn't made it clear that it was a drug deal and the angry red faced SM would be coming down here to yell at me about it.
He actually seemed scared at the thought of having to talk to the SM and I pointed at his gold oak leaf on his chest and said he can handle him but he didn't seem convinced. The big mean SM never came to see me but I think the back of my neck is scarred from his laser vision.
I really work hard at being dedicated, professional and highly skilled at my job and then I go and do something like this. Every once in a while I screw up but at least I can recover from this because next week I plan to impress everyone with the level of training I provide to the Afghan PAO and the soldiers. We have a good interpreter who is going to translate my brief into Dari, the local language. I'm kinda excited about the whole thing.
As far as other examples of intimidation there's the attitude from soldiers either junior, equal, or higher ranking who talk in a tone that is unfriendly and aggressive and they expect what? For me to shiver with fear or drop and give them 20 (I might do that one day just to get a reaction). Seriously, honey gets more bees than piss and vinegar. Makes me glad I didn't join the Army. I'm too nice for them and not every encounter is a pissing contest for me.
Don't get me wrong, maybe this attitude is what makes them successful warriors in the fight to keep America free and the terrorist threats at bay but I don't believe it needs to be a way of life for them. Oh well, I'm sure you're getting a good laugh at the Navy chick trying to operate in an Army world. Glad to oblige.
I had to give a PAO brief at the monthly commanders meeting (monthly is weird for me too). I was briefing on the events of the upcoming month and my moving to Kandahar after Christmas.
Unbeknownst to me, my Major was planning an under the table deal where he was sending me to Kandahar early so I could get settled in before the replacement command got in. That is not what the plan was in the Colonels mind because he wanted me to stay until everyone flew out in January. Like I said, I did not have this tidbit of information at my disposal so.....upon announcing my departure date the Command Sergeant Major (CSM) said, "Who told you you were going to Kandahar after Christmas?"
Before I could answer I hear a dominating voice behind me ask, "When did I tell you you were leaving? Remember, I came into your office and told you when you were leaving!" This came from another Sergeant Major (SM) who I had by now forgotten his less than a minute walk into my office, where he just flat out said that an order came out from higher headquarters and they were taking most of the IA billets and mine was one of them so I'd be moving right after the change of command. I don't remember much more than that. Very disappointing news for me because you know how much I love Kandahar.
After he leaves my Major comes in and tells me that he'll get me down there after Christmas so I can get settled in because he fears the relieving brigade will leave me high and dry. He did not inform me that this was against what was wanted by the big boss.
Back to my embarrassing moment.....
So I'm standing there in a room full of senior officers and senior enlisted staring at this intimidating angry Sergeant Major who's skin tone was turning from dark brown to bright red, if that's possible and I just smile at him and turn back to the Colonel and CSM when addressed by them and reply that I prefer Bagram to Kandahar and I'd rather stay here anyway so I look forward to working with the brigade until they leave.
My response lifted the mood in the room and the Colonel seemed satisfied with my answer and laughed to himself but I could feel the SM's eyes burning holes in the back of my neck. I had made him look bad so I couldn't exactly blame him.
It wasn't ALL my fault so I warned my Major that the beans were spilled about his plans for me leaving early because he hadn't made it clear that it was a drug deal and the angry red faced SM would be coming down here to yell at me about it.
He actually seemed scared at the thought of having to talk to the SM and I pointed at his gold oak leaf on his chest and said he can handle him but he didn't seem convinced. The big mean SM never came to see me but I think the back of my neck is scarred from his laser vision.
I really work hard at being dedicated, professional and highly skilled at my job and then I go and do something like this. Every once in a while I screw up but at least I can recover from this because next week I plan to impress everyone with the level of training I provide to the Afghan PAO and the soldiers. We have a good interpreter who is going to translate my brief into Dari, the local language. I'm kinda excited about the whole thing.
As far as other examples of intimidation there's the attitude from soldiers either junior, equal, or higher ranking who talk in a tone that is unfriendly and aggressive and they expect what? For me to shiver with fear or drop and give them 20 (I might do that one day just to get a reaction). Seriously, honey gets more bees than piss and vinegar. Makes me glad I didn't join the Army. I'm too nice for them and not every encounter is a pissing contest for me.
Don't get me wrong, maybe this attitude is what makes them successful warriors in the fight to keep America free and the terrorist threats at bay but I don't believe it needs to be a way of life for them. Oh well, I'm sure you're getting a good laugh at the Navy chick trying to operate in an Army world. Glad to oblige.
Thanksgiving in Kandahar and other reflections on my fellow warriors
Ahhhh....Kandahar. Any other name would not smell so.....well so crappy. Actually this time I was not awash in the stench that once plagued this large military airfield in Kandahar province. They are actually cleaning out the open cesspool and moving it to a less conspicuous location. Another good thing was the living quarters for transient personnel. They moved everyone into a solid building with much more room and indoor plumbing. Nice!
I was invited to Kandahar for Thanksgiving with the commander of the brigades southern unit. I actually had a very busy day. We arrived at about 9 a.m. and got settled into our living spot, I actually got a lower bunk without having to move a bunch of crap around, which has been the case in the past. Then we checked in with the commander and joined everyone for a big Thanksgiving dinner. Of course I had to find a way to be the odd man out and I did.
When we got to the location for the meal they were still setting up. I was very thirsty after walking around in the dry desert air so I grabbed a cold Coke out of the bin of ice and started drinking it. Now before I did that I asked my Army cohort if I'd piss anyone off by getting a drink since I noticed no one else was diving into the sodas. She said very casually, no. I was enjoying the cold slightly burning fizzy sweetness of the cola when a grumpy sergeant walks up to me and wants to make sure I don't leave the can sitting out on the table because they want everything nice and orderly when the commander arrives. So what else does she say too? "Well you are the only one drinking a soda right now so...." Jokingly I retorted with "Well I am the only "Navy" person here so I guess I just wanted to stand out." She didn't think it was funny. She was the coordinator for this event so I can understand her heartache but wow, where was her holiday spirit?
The rest of the day went fine and I had a good meal and watched the Army folks enjoy themselves. They were so happy because they will all be home with their families by the beginning of January. I was happy for them. Even the grumpy sergeant.
After dinner, my cohort took me to meet my future boss. By the end of December I will be living and working in Kandahar for the brigades higher headquarters. They want to be a joint command so they took most if not all the IA billets so most of us Navy folks currently working in Bagram for the brigade will be moved to Kandahar. I hate the idea because I've grown fond of Bagram but the decision is way bigger than me so I just have to suck it up.
After the meal and with a bursting belly, I met up with the current PAO for the 143rd Sustainment Command and he gave me a thorough introduction to the types of products they put out and he introduced me to all my PAO counterparts that I will be working with. He did a great job of familiarizing me with the places I'll spend most of my time while there. I'll most likely be doing video which is great because I have always loved the broadcasting part of my job. One thing is for sure, a field day is needed when I get there. The white clay dust coats everything and how the computers keep on working is beyond me. I know it doesn't have to be so dirty because I went to the Media Operations Center and their place was clean and organized. Made me wish I was going to work there.
Another bad thing about Kandahar compared to Bagram is that it gets attacked more often. Earlier this week a missile hit and injured four Romanians. The Taliban headquarters originated in Kandahar City so they are very much a constant and agressive threat in this part of Afghanistan.
This morning while waiting to board our flight back to Bagram the base alarm for a missile attack went off. Luckily it didn't land anywhere with people so we were able to get on our flight within an hour of our scheduled time.
I know that if I convoy to any areas in the southern provinces of Afghanistan, I will be in far greater danger than in the north. However, my fears have lessened significantly since I've been here because I know I'm surrounded by some of the best Soldiers around. Their confidence and training make them a very hard target. Yes, the Taliban has succeeded at killing and wounding many of our men and women but the numbers would be far greater if it were not for their bravery, instinct and determination to beat the enemy and free the Afghan people of this most terrible of threats to their freedom and safety. No matter the governments goals for this country, the Soldiers here want to make things better for the people.
I'm so proud serving here with them and seeing face to face how tough they really are. I feel like the weaker service compared to them but we do our jobs to the best of our ability too and we are the best Navy in the world. When we are on the oceans sailing our ships into harms way, that is when we show the world what we are made of. Salt and core values is what we are made of. Not to mention the 10,000 IAs currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa and the thousands that have served in the past. They make the fight that much more successful and should be recognized for their contributions.
I'm not the same Sailor I was before I came here and more changes in my outlook on life and my fellow service men and women are to come. "Aye aye" , "hoo yah", "hoo rah" and all the other ways we acknowledge that we understand in the military.
I was invited to Kandahar for Thanksgiving with the commander of the brigades southern unit. I actually had a very busy day. We arrived at about 9 a.m. and got settled into our living spot, I actually got a lower bunk without having to move a bunch of crap around, which has been the case in the past. Then we checked in with the commander and joined everyone for a big Thanksgiving dinner. Of course I had to find a way to be the odd man out and I did.
When we got to the location for the meal they were still setting up. I was very thirsty after walking around in the dry desert air so I grabbed a cold Coke out of the bin of ice and started drinking it. Now before I did that I asked my Army cohort if I'd piss anyone off by getting a drink since I noticed no one else was diving into the sodas. She said very casually, no. I was enjoying the cold slightly burning fizzy sweetness of the cola when a grumpy sergeant walks up to me and wants to make sure I don't leave the can sitting out on the table because they want everything nice and orderly when the commander arrives. So what else does she say too? "Well you are the only one drinking a soda right now so...." Jokingly I retorted with "Well I am the only "Navy" person here so I guess I just wanted to stand out." She didn't think it was funny. She was the coordinator for this event so I can understand her heartache but wow, where was her holiday spirit?
The rest of the day went fine and I had a good meal and watched the Army folks enjoy themselves. They were so happy because they will all be home with their families by the beginning of January. I was happy for them. Even the grumpy sergeant.
After dinner, my cohort took me to meet my future boss. By the end of December I will be living and working in Kandahar for the brigades higher headquarters. They want to be a joint command so they took most if not all the IA billets so most of us Navy folks currently working in Bagram for the brigade will be moved to Kandahar. I hate the idea because I've grown fond of Bagram but the decision is way bigger than me so I just have to suck it up.
After the meal and with a bursting belly, I met up with the current PAO for the 143rd Sustainment Command and he gave me a thorough introduction to the types of products they put out and he introduced me to all my PAO counterparts that I will be working with. He did a great job of familiarizing me with the places I'll spend most of my time while there. I'll most likely be doing video which is great because I have always loved the broadcasting part of my job. One thing is for sure, a field day is needed when I get there. The white clay dust coats everything and how the computers keep on working is beyond me. I know it doesn't have to be so dirty because I went to the Media Operations Center and their place was clean and organized. Made me wish I was going to work there.
Another bad thing about Kandahar compared to Bagram is that it gets attacked more often. Earlier this week a missile hit and injured four Romanians. The Taliban headquarters originated in Kandahar City so they are very much a constant and agressive threat in this part of Afghanistan.
This morning while waiting to board our flight back to Bagram the base alarm for a missile attack went off. Luckily it didn't land anywhere with people so we were able to get on our flight within an hour of our scheduled time.
I know that if I convoy to any areas in the southern provinces of Afghanistan, I will be in far greater danger than in the north. However, my fears have lessened significantly since I've been here because I know I'm surrounded by some of the best Soldiers around. Their confidence and training make them a very hard target. Yes, the Taliban has succeeded at killing and wounding many of our men and women but the numbers would be far greater if it were not for their bravery, instinct and determination to beat the enemy and free the Afghan people of this most terrible of threats to their freedom and safety. No matter the governments goals for this country, the Soldiers here want to make things better for the people.
I'm so proud serving here with them and seeing face to face how tough they really are. I feel like the weaker service compared to them but we do our jobs to the best of our ability too and we are the best Navy in the world. When we are on the oceans sailing our ships into harms way, that is when we show the world what we are made of. Salt and core values is what we are made of. Not to mention the 10,000 IAs currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa and the thousands that have served in the past. They make the fight that much more successful and should be recognized for their contributions.
I'm not the same Sailor I was before I came here and more changes in my outlook on life and my fellow service men and women are to come. "Aye aye" , "hoo yah", "hoo rah" and all the other ways we acknowledge that we understand in the military.
The Tough Stuff
I've deployed before, a few times before to be exact and none of them have been as emotionally hard on me as this one. Even so, I'm glad I'm here having the experience of a lifetime. I've heard others say that they wasted six months or more of their lives here but they obviously can't see the bigger picture. I try to point out the uniqueness of this experience even though we are surrounded by thousands of people here, in the scheme of things the numbers of those physically supporting the war in Afghanistan or any war are small.
The difference between this deployment and my past ones, is the fact I'm a mom now and that brings a whole other dynamic to the table. I have family and friends that I love and cherish and deeply miss when I'm gone but my feelings of homesickness were far more manageable than they are now. A part of me wants to stay home and raise my daughter as nature intended but I have lived a life of self sufficiency and I've never lived in one place for longer than three years since I graduated high school and barely longer than that before I graduated.
My mom tells me stories of how she couldn't turn her back on me because I'd run off. From the time I could walk, I would go on mini-adventures looking for something but even I don't know what that something was. I just liked to travel and see things and I was never satisfied just being in the same place with the same people doing the same ole things day in and day out.
I think that is why I chose the Navy over any other service because of the myriad of travels I could do in a short period of time. My first West-Pac included 12 port visits and having experienced that solidified that I had made the right decision.
So here I am, a traveler and adventurer, but now I'm a mother who needs to be there for her daughter because it is what I want and so she doesn't grow up not knowing who I am but yet I feel like I volunteered for this deployment because the adventurer in me needed a change of scenery and perspective. I knew I'd be deploying at some point in the future but I figured it would be on my last tour in the Navy but when that assignment came across my desk, I had this overwhelming feeling to go and to this day I don't know why. A year before that I would have found any excuse possible not to leave Sari but back then I didn't know who I could trust to care for her either and she was so young and dependent on me, I'd have felt like I was abandoning her.
Now I think I picked the right age to go because what is turning out to be so hard on me is that she doesn't even care that I'm gone. Yesterday when I finally got to Skype with her she didn't even want to talk to me after not talking to me for a week but instead she wanted to go watch one of her movies. I sucked down the pain I could feel rising up in me because I had to rationalize that she is just too young to understand and that all her needs are being met by her loving grandmother. Children at this age are all about wants and needs so absent parents aren't exactly what is missed.
It's still very hard because I love her so much and I just want to be there for her but being here is my way of being there for her because I have plans for our future and this is one step in the right direction for that future. It's a tough sacrifice but its what I have to do to ensure that Sari and I have what we need to succeed at a better life for us.
I just don't want a future where I leave her time and time again. I know that is not the right plan either and I will do my best to ensure a balance between my need to see the world and my responsibility to being there for her. Besides, she's going to be a traveller too and we will have many adventures together before she goes off on her own to see the world and find her own answers to life.
The difference between this deployment and my past ones, is the fact I'm a mom now and that brings a whole other dynamic to the table. I have family and friends that I love and cherish and deeply miss when I'm gone but my feelings of homesickness were far more manageable than they are now. A part of me wants to stay home and raise my daughter as nature intended but I have lived a life of self sufficiency and I've never lived in one place for longer than three years since I graduated high school and barely longer than that before I graduated.
My mom tells me stories of how she couldn't turn her back on me because I'd run off. From the time I could walk, I would go on mini-adventures looking for something but even I don't know what that something was. I just liked to travel and see things and I was never satisfied just being in the same place with the same people doing the same ole things day in and day out.
I think that is why I chose the Navy over any other service because of the myriad of travels I could do in a short period of time. My first West-Pac included 12 port visits and having experienced that solidified that I had made the right decision.
So here I am, a traveler and adventurer, but now I'm a mother who needs to be there for her daughter because it is what I want and so she doesn't grow up not knowing who I am but yet I feel like I volunteered for this deployment because the adventurer in me needed a change of scenery and perspective. I knew I'd be deploying at some point in the future but I figured it would be on my last tour in the Navy but when that assignment came across my desk, I had this overwhelming feeling to go and to this day I don't know why. A year before that I would have found any excuse possible not to leave Sari but back then I didn't know who I could trust to care for her either and she was so young and dependent on me, I'd have felt like I was abandoning her.
Now I think I picked the right age to go because what is turning out to be so hard on me is that she doesn't even care that I'm gone. Yesterday when I finally got to Skype with her she didn't even want to talk to me after not talking to me for a week but instead she wanted to go watch one of her movies. I sucked down the pain I could feel rising up in me because I had to rationalize that she is just too young to understand and that all her needs are being met by her loving grandmother. Children at this age are all about wants and needs so absent parents aren't exactly what is missed.
It's still very hard because I love her so much and I just want to be there for her but being here is my way of being there for her because I have plans for our future and this is one step in the right direction for that future. It's a tough sacrifice but its what I have to do to ensure that Sari and I have what we need to succeed at a better life for us.
I just don't want a future where I leave her time and time again. I know that is not the right plan either and I will do my best to ensure a balance between my need to see the world and my responsibility to being there for her. Besides, she's going to be a traveller too and we will have many adventures together before she goes off on her own to see the world and find her own answers to life.
Kabul, Afghanistan Trip
Yesterday I flew on a small military commuter aircraft to the Afghanistan capital city of Kabul. Basically we, my Army PA counterpart and I, show up at the airport three hours before our flight with enough crap to last us a week for a flight that takes all of 10 minutes. Literally, from the time the plane taxis down the runway to when its wheels down at Kabul International, 10 minutes.
Once we get to KIA (Kabul International Airport) we get picked up by our hosts, the Afghan National Army training team, in three fully loaded MRAPS, each with a mounted 50 cal. machine gun pointing whichever way seems most threatening. We go from one MRAP to anther to see who has room for us and we load our gear in the second one. I'm a little nervous because this is my first time in an official, fully functioning, combat ready MRAP. I gave the guys a good laugh apparently when I failed to know how to close the back door.
I kept getting yelled at to put my foot in the MRAP because I was going to chop it off if I didn't close the door in exactly the manner it needed to be closed. Since the door is armored and heavy, it has a hydraulic system on it. I had to turn the release valve on the door, which is wide open, then I have to hold the 'close' button until the door closes all by itself, then I can push the lock down. It took me three good tries but I finally got it. I could hear them over the radio cracking up and making sarcastic comments about giving training on closing the door. I told them I would gladly give them training on closing their mouths but they declined. God forbid something crazy happens like a roll-over or something and I'm the one trying to open the door. We're doomed. :)
We convoy from KIA to Camp Phoenix, the main camp in Kabul where they throw us out of the MRAP and tell us to be ready by 7 am the next day for our convoy to the ANA (Afghan National Army) base. Such hosts, I felt so loved. We ended up in another wonderful transient tent where we had to muscle ourselves into a couple of lower bunks. I won't go into boring detail about that dusty, overheated, women with attitude place. It's the usual thing here I guess.
Well my cohort and I walked around the base taking some pictures when two Chinook helicopters came in for a landing in the middle of the running track. They kicked up one hell of a dust storm.
The next day we get ready to head out on the convoy to the ANA base. I was in the back of one of the MRAPs when I started to smell what I thought was something burning. I looked around and I din't see anything wrong and I figure it must just be all the electronic gear in the MRAP warming up. I jump out and continue to adjust my pain in the ass combat vest, with nine million pounds of ammunition strapped to the front of it, when I notice white smoke billowing out from under the MRAP. I yell to the guys and ask if its normal for their MRAPs to smoke like that and they unanimously shouted no.
One of the guys got into the vehicle and turned it off. Apparently when the other guy started it, the start button got stuck and stayed on after the engine was going so it burned up. I love the smell of electrical fires. Not really but it takes me back to my electrician days.
So we get another MRAP and finally head out to our destination. The streets of Kabul were busy and people drive like maniacs there. Most of the roads are in terrible shape with pot holes and large cracks everywhere. One of the sergeants made the mistake of trying to adjust the communications radio while standing and when the truck hit a pothole his helmet hit the ceiling with a loud thud. That's why we wear our kevlar helmets in those things. So we don't get a concussion, not to mention if we get attacked. We don't have time to put our protective gear on if that happens.
I'd like to paint you a picture of Kabul city but its difficult when you're seeing it through the dust speckled windows of a fast moving MRAP. Mostly the place is a shambles with trash, mud structures, crumbling buildings and poorly irrigated farmland everywhere.
Moving on to the ANA experience. It wasn't what I expected it to be. I was expecting the soldiers to give me the cold shoulder since I'm a woman but they didn't. They weren't exactly welcoming but not rude or anything.
The ANA base is a basic facility with solid buildings and large training areas. Today's mission was for the ANA soldiers to complete vehicle maintenance orientation and then get their certificates of completion.
We parked the MRAPs and I was told I didn't need to bring my weapon with me but I just looked at the sergeant and said, "I don't go anywhere off the FOBs without my weapon. I can carry my M16 and still take pictures. In Bosnia I carried two weapons and my video gear. I got this, plus I don't want to be left with no options if something goes down." He just smiled and agreed.
My Army buddy and I were the only females there so there was a lot of staring. The soldiers continued with their training and would smile or say hello to me when walking by. I became more and more comfortable about being around them but I was still very aware of my environment and looking out for anything odd.
There was a stray dog at the camp that is very fond of the American soldiers because they bring her food and gentle petting. I was told the ANA soldiers aren't nice to her. It made me wish she could come back to our base with us.
After all the training was completed, we had to set up the vehicles for a photo. The Army guys couldn't seem to decide what to do so I stepped in and told them where to put the vehicles so we could get the best photo possible. This Army E7 gets in the middle of it and starts having a pissing contest with me and says he can handle it so I tell him to handle it then because no one seems to know what to do. It gets resolved with no bloodshed and they end up doing what I told them to do and the photo turns out fine.
That's one thing I don't like is someone telling me how to do my job when they don't know how to do my job. They just want to exercise authority. I know when to pick my battles and today I wasn't going to be pushed around by some flexing Army sergeant.
A part of me wants to think that he didn't like me telling his guys what to do in an authoritative manner in front of the ANA soldiers. Might make him look bad having a woman tell his guys what to do. Whatever, no harm, no foul.
Once the trucks were in place we set up the soldiers in front of the them for the ceremony and photo. During the ceremony an ANA General shows up to congratulate his soldiers and give them some words of motivation and encouragement.
Earlier I had asked one of the sergeants why he had hand sanitizer hanging from his combat vest and he said for the germs when he shakes hands with the soldiers then he says I probably don't have to worry about it because its not likely any of the soldiers are going to shake my hand because I'm a woman. It is what it is with them so I didn't much care.
Because of that conversation I wasn't expecting the General to want to shake my hand but he did, a couple times. He was very amenable and because of his acceptance of me the other leadership warmed up to me as well and they asked if I would take a picture of them together. Of course I obliged. I'm all about making friends or at least coming to an understanding. My cohort just stayed off and didn't interact with anyone from the ANA.
I was glad for the experience and I hope that these men will someday proudly protect Afghanistan's people from the Taliban and others like them.
Once we get to KIA (Kabul International Airport) we get picked up by our hosts, the Afghan National Army training team, in three fully loaded MRAPS, each with a mounted 50 cal. machine gun pointing whichever way seems most threatening. We go from one MRAP to anther to see who has room for us and we load our gear in the second one. I'm a little nervous because this is my first time in an official, fully functioning, combat ready MRAP. I gave the guys a good laugh apparently when I failed to know how to close the back door.
I kept getting yelled at to put my foot in the MRAP because I was going to chop it off if I didn't close the door in exactly the manner it needed to be closed. Since the door is armored and heavy, it has a hydraulic system on it. I had to turn the release valve on the door, which is wide open, then I have to hold the 'close' button until the door closes all by itself, then I can push the lock down. It took me three good tries but I finally got it. I could hear them over the radio cracking up and making sarcastic comments about giving training on closing the door. I told them I would gladly give them training on closing their mouths but they declined. God forbid something crazy happens like a roll-over or something and I'm the one trying to open the door. We're doomed. :)
We convoy from KIA to Camp Phoenix, the main camp in Kabul where they throw us out of the MRAP and tell us to be ready by 7 am the next day for our convoy to the ANA (Afghan National Army) base. Such hosts, I felt so loved. We ended up in another wonderful transient tent where we had to muscle ourselves into a couple of lower bunks. I won't go into boring detail about that dusty, overheated, women with attitude place. It's the usual thing here I guess.
Well my cohort and I walked around the base taking some pictures when two Chinook helicopters came in for a landing in the middle of the running track. They kicked up one hell of a dust storm.
The next day we get ready to head out on the convoy to the ANA base. I was in the back of one of the MRAPs when I started to smell what I thought was something burning. I looked around and I din't see anything wrong and I figure it must just be all the electronic gear in the MRAP warming up. I jump out and continue to adjust my pain in the ass combat vest, with nine million pounds of ammunition strapped to the front of it, when I notice white smoke billowing out from under the MRAP. I yell to the guys and ask if its normal for their MRAPs to smoke like that and they unanimously shouted no.
One of the guys got into the vehicle and turned it off. Apparently when the other guy started it, the start button got stuck and stayed on after the engine was going so it burned up. I love the smell of electrical fires. Not really but it takes me back to my electrician days.
So we get another MRAP and finally head out to our destination. The streets of Kabul were busy and people drive like maniacs there. Most of the roads are in terrible shape with pot holes and large cracks everywhere. One of the sergeants made the mistake of trying to adjust the communications radio while standing and when the truck hit a pothole his helmet hit the ceiling with a loud thud. That's why we wear our kevlar helmets in those things. So we don't get a concussion, not to mention if we get attacked. We don't have time to put our protective gear on if that happens.
I'd like to paint you a picture of Kabul city but its difficult when you're seeing it through the dust speckled windows of a fast moving MRAP. Mostly the place is a shambles with trash, mud structures, crumbling buildings and poorly irrigated farmland everywhere.
Moving on to the ANA experience. It wasn't what I expected it to be. I was expecting the soldiers to give me the cold shoulder since I'm a woman but they didn't. They weren't exactly welcoming but not rude or anything.
The ANA base is a basic facility with solid buildings and large training areas. Today's mission was for the ANA soldiers to complete vehicle maintenance orientation and then get their certificates of completion.
We parked the MRAPs and I was told I didn't need to bring my weapon with me but I just looked at the sergeant and said, "I don't go anywhere off the FOBs without my weapon. I can carry my M16 and still take pictures. In Bosnia I carried two weapons and my video gear. I got this, plus I don't want to be left with no options if something goes down." He just smiled and agreed.
My Army buddy and I were the only females there so there was a lot of staring. The soldiers continued with their training and would smile or say hello to me when walking by. I became more and more comfortable about being around them but I was still very aware of my environment and looking out for anything odd.
There was a stray dog at the camp that is very fond of the American soldiers because they bring her food and gentle petting. I was told the ANA soldiers aren't nice to her. It made me wish she could come back to our base with us.
After all the training was completed, we had to set up the vehicles for a photo. The Army guys couldn't seem to decide what to do so I stepped in and told them where to put the vehicles so we could get the best photo possible. This Army E7 gets in the middle of it and starts having a pissing contest with me and says he can handle it so I tell him to handle it then because no one seems to know what to do. It gets resolved with no bloodshed and they end up doing what I told them to do and the photo turns out fine.
That's one thing I don't like is someone telling me how to do my job when they don't know how to do my job. They just want to exercise authority. I know when to pick my battles and today I wasn't going to be pushed around by some flexing Army sergeant.
A part of me wants to think that he didn't like me telling his guys what to do in an authoritative manner in front of the ANA soldiers. Might make him look bad having a woman tell his guys what to do. Whatever, no harm, no foul.
Once the trucks were in place we set up the soldiers in front of the them for the ceremony and photo. During the ceremony an ANA General shows up to congratulate his soldiers and give them some words of motivation and encouragement.
Earlier I had asked one of the sergeants why he had hand sanitizer hanging from his combat vest and he said for the germs when he shakes hands with the soldiers then he says I probably don't have to worry about it because its not likely any of the soldiers are going to shake my hand because I'm a woman. It is what it is with them so I didn't much care.
Because of that conversation I wasn't expecting the General to want to shake my hand but he did, a couple times. He was very amenable and because of his acceptance of me the other leadership warmed up to me as well and they asked if I would take a picture of them together. Of course I obliged. I'm all about making friends or at least coming to an understanding. My cohort just stayed off and didn't interact with anyone from the ANA.
I was glad for the experience and I hope that these men will someday proudly protect Afghanistan's people from the Taliban and others like them.
Friday the 13th in Afghanistan
Well nothing bad happened here on Friday the 13th. No Freddy's, no Jason's and especially no Michael Myers so yesterday was a good day. Today was an average day for me. Not a lot going on in the office but we're preparing for a trip next week. Can't discuss anything until after the trip is underway so I'll update about that next week.
I'll be flying in again so no concern about convoying yet everyone thinks I'm overly worried about convoys. I wonder why? Could it be the seven soldiers that died a couple weeks ago when an IED ripped through their MRAP and killed them? I don't know, that might have something to do with it. The death toll for October was the highest ever. The Taliban are getting desperate and they're not going to give up easily.
I just need to stop worrying so much though and just deal with it. The soldiers have to deal with it and I'm here to support them so I just need to suck it up like they do. They know what they are risking by being here. I signed up for the safer service compared to what they endure. I don't think I could handle their deployment schedule. One year or more deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and one home then back out again for a year or more. I'll take my haze gray over that any day.
On another note I put a proven strategy to the test and it worked. I have always just been too nice of a person and it never seems to yield any results. Well I had been trying since I left San Diego to get subsidy for my daughter's child care and I called and emailed several times checking on my application to see if anything was needed or missing and I was told they had everything. Well weeks go by and I hear nothing from them and the daycare hadn't heard anything either and by now I was frustrated and tired of calling and asking nicely for the status. So I went to the Chief of Subsidy and wrote her an email about what I had been put through and that I would have expected better professionalism and this and that. Two days later I've got my subsidy even though some things were missing from my file. I definitely write better than I talk so I used that to my advantage and it worked. Now I get to save $200 a month on child care. I still prefer to be nice but sometimes certain people only respond to aggressive people.
I think I have all the things back home taken care of now so that's a relief. I have only six months left here but it might as well be a year at this point. I know it will go by quickly and I'll be back in San Diego before I know it, slaving away at my job at Third Fleet. I like the job though and I like being busy. It makes me appreciate my time off and I feel like I've accomplished something.
I'm going to go ahead and work on an idea I have for a story so I'll end this boring blog here.
I'll be flying in again so no concern about convoying yet everyone thinks I'm overly worried about convoys. I wonder why? Could it be the seven soldiers that died a couple weeks ago when an IED ripped through their MRAP and killed them? I don't know, that might have something to do with it. The death toll for October was the highest ever. The Taliban are getting desperate and they're not going to give up easily.
I just need to stop worrying so much though and just deal with it. The soldiers have to deal with it and I'm here to support them so I just need to suck it up like they do. They know what they are risking by being here. I signed up for the safer service compared to what they endure. I don't think I could handle their deployment schedule. One year or more deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan and one home then back out again for a year or more. I'll take my haze gray over that any day.
On another note I put a proven strategy to the test and it worked. I have always just been too nice of a person and it never seems to yield any results. Well I had been trying since I left San Diego to get subsidy for my daughter's child care and I called and emailed several times checking on my application to see if anything was needed or missing and I was told they had everything. Well weeks go by and I hear nothing from them and the daycare hadn't heard anything either and by now I was frustrated and tired of calling and asking nicely for the status. So I went to the Chief of Subsidy and wrote her an email about what I had been put through and that I would have expected better professionalism and this and that. Two days later I've got my subsidy even though some things were missing from my file. I definitely write better than I talk so I used that to my advantage and it worked. Now I get to save $200 a month on child care. I still prefer to be nice but sometimes certain people only respond to aggressive people.
I think I have all the things back home taken care of now so that's a relief. I have only six months left here but it might as well be a year at this point. I know it will go by quickly and I'll be back in San Diego before I know it, slaving away at my job at Third Fleet. I like the job though and I like being busy. It makes me appreciate my time off and I feel like I've accomplished something.
I'm going to go ahead and work on an idea I have for a story so I'll end this boring blog here.
Random day in Afghanistan
Today was a good day mainly because my best friend LE sent me an awesome care package. She sent me the most awesome sheet set. They are an almost hot pink colored fleece twin sheet set with a pillow case. I'm sitting on my bed now enjoying the feel of their softness and comfort. She also sent me some wonderful smelling duck shaped sponges that have the soap already in them, some chocolate and an eye mask with hot and cold therapy. So thoughtful and it was nice to finally get some mail after a couple weeks. I have been begging though.
My day didn't start off good. I have been missing my daughter more than ever since I left San Diego. I think it's because I hadn't talked to her in a week and she was on a trip with her B'ma to Mexico so I was a little worried too. I set a date to talk to her for this morning and was looking forward to it. I had to get up early and go to PT with my other Navy cohorts and then shower before I could sit down and bring up Skype. I had just under an hour left to be able to talk to her before I had to go to work. I sent B'ma an instant message letting her know I was ready when she was and then I waited.
More than a half-hour went by before she called me and I was already crying. I thought I wasn't going to get to see my little girl and I wanted to so badly. It's really frustrating that I just can't pick up the phone to call her. The time difference and the conflicts between our schedules makes it difficult. Thank god I don't have a boyfriend back home to worry about too. That would be too much for me I think. I fantasize about the day that I get off the plane in San Diego and my lil singing Angel is waiting there for me and she runs into my arms and yells "Mommy, mommy, mommy!!" That will be the best day ever.
Well I got on Skype with her and she sang me Twinkle Little Star and Red Dog, Blue Cat, Yellow Fish. I told her I love her and she said, "I love you too, Mommy," in her cute little toddler voice. Apparently I have a very talented and bright girl to raise and I can't wait to get back to doing just that.
But first I have to make it through this tour. I know the odds are in my favor with regard to surviving without so much as a scratch but the thought of dying over here haunts my thoughts almost daily. I ask myself why should I be so special when so many have died here already. A few soldiers were just sleeping in their huts when a RPG crossed over their perimeter fence and made it their last sleep. Random shit happens just as well as planned attacks by the enemy and any one of us here could be the victim of those attacks and I think about that.
Every time they talk about going somewhere I get nervous. Going out of the FOB (forward operating base) is very dangerous even with the up-armored humvees and MRAPS, I don't exactly feel safe. They tried to assign me a future task to go to a remote base in the mountains via flight by myself to cover a story but I told them, not without a battle buddy. You guys didn't train me well enough to defend myself. You just gave me the basics. I don't mind going and being a part of a team but I refuse to go by myself to a base in a known dangerous area, with no one else on the team, in the middle of an Afghan National Army base. Since when did I sign up for special forces and shit.
I know I might be sounding like a wussy but I believe in a balance between supporting the fight and coming home to my family. Now if I've done everything I can to ensure my safety aside from hiding under my desk like a coward and I still die, then that is that and I hope I've taken care of every possible thing so that it lessens the burden on my family dealing with loose ends. I even wrote my daughter a last letter. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it but hopefully years down the road I'll be reading this post and think how silly I was to worry so much about it but then again maybe not.
My day didn't start off good. I have been missing my daughter more than ever since I left San Diego. I think it's because I hadn't talked to her in a week and she was on a trip with her B'ma to Mexico so I was a little worried too. I set a date to talk to her for this morning and was looking forward to it. I had to get up early and go to PT with my other Navy cohorts and then shower before I could sit down and bring up Skype. I had just under an hour left to be able to talk to her before I had to go to work. I sent B'ma an instant message letting her know I was ready when she was and then I waited.
More than a half-hour went by before she called me and I was already crying. I thought I wasn't going to get to see my little girl and I wanted to so badly. It's really frustrating that I just can't pick up the phone to call her. The time difference and the conflicts between our schedules makes it difficult. Thank god I don't have a boyfriend back home to worry about too. That would be too much for me I think. I fantasize about the day that I get off the plane in San Diego and my lil singing Angel is waiting there for me and she runs into my arms and yells "Mommy, mommy, mommy!!" That will be the best day ever.
Well I got on Skype with her and she sang me Twinkle Little Star and Red Dog, Blue Cat, Yellow Fish. I told her I love her and she said, "I love you too, Mommy," in her cute little toddler voice. Apparently I have a very talented and bright girl to raise and I can't wait to get back to doing just that.
But first I have to make it through this tour. I know the odds are in my favor with regard to surviving without so much as a scratch but the thought of dying over here haunts my thoughts almost daily. I ask myself why should I be so special when so many have died here already. A few soldiers were just sleeping in their huts when a RPG crossed over their perimeter fence and made it their last sleep. Random shit happens just as well as planned attacks by the enemy and any one of us here could be the victim of those attacks and I think about that.
Every time they talk about going somewhere I get nervous. Going out of the FOB (forward operating base) is very dangerous even with the up-armored humvees and MRAPS, I don't exactly feel safe. They tried to assign me a future task to go to a remote base in the mountains via flight by myself to cover a story but I told them, not without a battle buddy. You guys didn't train me well enough to defend myself. You just gave me the basics. I don't mind going and being a part of a team but I refuse to go by myself to a base in a known dangerous area, with no one else on the team, in the middle of an Afghan National Army base. Since when did I sign up for special forces and shit.
I know I might be sounding like a wussy but I believe in a balance between supporting the fight and coming home to my family. Now if I've done everything I can to ensure my safety aside from hiding under my desk like a coward and I still die, then that is that and I hope I've taken care of every possible thing so that it lessens the burden on my family dealing with loose ends. I even wrote my daughter a last letter. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it but hopefully years down the road I'll be reading this post and think how silly I was to worry so much about it but then again maybe not.
First trip to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
Well I got up early and was ready to meet everyone for the trip. We headed to the airport where we had to wait about three hours. That's normal show time for military flights. So of course the topic of discussion was what happened at Fort Hood and I was sticking to my theory. Apparently not a very popular theory with some of my other acquaintances but I stuck to my guns and argued my point. We didn't get into full blown arguments about it, just heated discussions. Someone wanted to argue that I wouldn't think he did this for religious reasons if he wasn't a muslim. I agreed I would not because most other religions don't believe killing non-believers and sacrificing yourself to become a martyr to prove your dedication to what you believe in is necessary but jihadist do. It was an interesting morning of conversation and my heart rate went up a little but I liked arguing my point a little.
So they get us out on the tarmac ready to load the plane. I ask which plane is ours and I thought they pointed to a little white prop plane. I swallowed hard and jokingly yelled, "MRAP please, these little planes make me nervous." An MRAP is the latest up-armored vehicles we convoy in these days. The fact that I'd rather convoy than fly in a little plane like that says a lot. I'm terrified of doing my first convoy. As luck would have it we were flying in a bigger military version of that prop plane so I felt a little better. The reason for my fear of flying in little Cessna's is their crash history. Way too many of them go down for this that and the other reason.
Our flight went smoothly and as we're flying over Kandahar, I see the vast difference between the geography of Bagram and this desert wasteland. Obviously there were far fewer natives living in this hardly hospitable part of Afghanistan. It's a bit warmer than Bagram as I'd expected and far far dustier. The sand is a fine light gray, almost white with a clayish texture. I can imagine the mess here when it rains.
The base was confusing to me but I wasn't familiar with it so that is likely why. I won't bore you with the details of getting a place to sleep just that we were put in a tent with women who obviously lived there full time and we were now invaders. Due to the lack of living space they had permanently assigned people that were living there for several months or more to these transient tents. We got stuck with top bunks and very little room to put our gear. I hadn't packed much but even finding a spot for my boots at the end of the day was a challenge. It turned out the residents were civilians there for a year and this was their home. I was astounded and thankful for my little hut at Bagram.
After taking care of the business we had come there for, we went to the bazaar. It was crowded with a slew of people looking for a good deal on handmade items and some knockoffs. I was looking for a blanket like the one I saw at Bagram. It is made of real fur and suede. The fur was colored and placed in a patchwork pattern on top of the suede. Simply beautiful but the guy wanted 150 for it and I wanted a better deal. I didn't find that blanket or any like it at the bazaar but I did find some other things for xmas presents and such. I'm not a very good haggler though so I'll have to learn that art. I was getting better by the end of the day though.
After that we went to the entertainment district. This consisted of a huge board walk that went around in a square with shops all along the outside of it. In the middle was a Canadian hockey rink (no ice of course), volleyball nets, a stage and a lot of dirt. We walked all the way around checking things out. I waited in line twice for almost an hour just to get some sweet iced tea. it was worth it but like everything here, you have to be patient.
As the day wore on, the smell was getting worse and worse and worse............. There is an open cesspool on the base, almost in the middle so no matter where you go, you smell it. It was getting so bad that my stomach started hurting. I ended up just sitting inside and reading my book to get away from it. This place had racked my last nerve, or so I thought.
I got pretty tired after the long day and headed to bed. I got myself changed and cleaned up and climbed into bed and just when I thought I could finally relax and get some rest, the smell was stronger than ever and nothing was going to make it go away. I finally fell asleep but my sleep was restless and I woke up from time to time and the smell was always there. I wanted to roll over and kick it out of my bed like a bad lover who's warn out his welcome.
When morning came I couldn't wait to get out of there. When we were waiting at the airport there was the threat of a delay to the afternoon. I was praying that wasn't the case and it wasn't. I was never so glad as to be in that small airplane, and this time it was the little white one but I didn't care. I slept the whole way until we were flying over Kabul toward Bagram. I could see how much more beautiful it was. The sky was full of fluffy rain clouds that cast intermittent shadows on the villages and green grass below. I saw half a rainbow peak out from a cloud and reach for the valley below but not quite making it. There were villages and large towns surrounded by mud walls everywhere and the beautiful mountains embraced them all. How I wished I could freely travel the countryside and see these places and take photos but I can't without risking my life. How sad that another country I'm a guest in is imprisoned by violence and hatred. It reminds me so much of Bosnia, right down to the three factions that want to rule here. So familiar yet here we're fighting a very determined and dangerous enemy.
So they get us out on the tarmac ready to load the plane. I ask which plane is ours and I thought they pointed to a little white prop plane. I swallowed hard and jokingly yelled, "MRAP please, these little planes make me nervous." An MRAP is the latest up-armored vehicles we convoy in these days. The fact that I'd rather convoy than fly in a little plane like that says a lot. I'm terrified of doing my first convoy. As luck would have it we were flying in a bigger military version of that prop plane so I felt a little better. The reason for my fear of flying in little Cessna's is their crash history. Way too many of them go down for this that and the other reason.
Our flight went smoothly and as we're flying over Kandahar, I see the vast difference between the geography of Bagram and this desert wasteland. Obviously there were far fewer natives living in this hardly hospitable part of Afghanistan. It's a bit warmer than Bagram as I'd expected and far far dustier. The sand is a fine light gray, almost white with a clayish texture. I can imagine the mess here when it rains.
The base was confusing to me but I wasn't familiar with it so that is likely why. I won't bore you with the details of getting a place to sleep just that we were put in a tent with women who obviously lived there full time and we were now invaders. Due to the lack of living space they had permanently assigned people that were living there for several months or more to these transient tents. We got stuck with top bunks and very little room to put our gear. I hadn't packed much but even finding a spot for my boots at the end of the day was a challenge. It turned out the residents were civilians there for a year and this was their home. I was astounded and thankful for my little hut at Bagram.
After taking care of the business we had come there for, we went to the bazaar. It was crowded with a slew of people looking for a good deal on handmade items and some knockoffs. I was looking for a blanket like the one I saw at Bagram. It is made of real fur and suede. The fur was colored and placed in a patchwork pattern on top of the suede. Simply beautiful but the guy wanted 150 for it and I wanted a better deal. I didn't find that blanket or any like it at the bazaar but I did find some other things for xmas presents and such. I'm not a very good haggler though so I'll have to learn that art. I was getting better by the end of the day though.
After that we went to the entertainment district. This consisted of a huge board walk that went around in a square with shops all along the outside of it. In the middle was a Canadian hockey rink (no ice of course), volleyball nets, a stage and a lot of dirt. We walked all the way around checking things out. I waited in line twice for almost an hour just to get some sweet iced tea. it was worth it but like everything here, you have to be patient.
As the day wore on, the smell was getting worse and worse and worse............. There is an open cesspool on the base, almost in the middle so no matter where you go, you smell it. It was getting so bad that my stomach started hurting. I ended up just sitting inside and reading my book to get away from it. This place had racked my last nerve, or so I thought.
I got pretty tired after the long day and headed to bed. I got myself changed and cleaned up and climbed into bed and just when I thought I could finally relax and get some rest, the smell was stronger than ever and nothing was going to make it go away. I finally fell asleep but my sleep was restless and I woke up from time to time and the smell was always there. I wanted to roll over and kick it out of my bed like a bad lover who's warn out his welcome.
When morning came I couldn't wait to get out of there. When we were waiting at the airport there was the threat of a delay to the afternoon. I was praying that wasn't the case and it wasn't. I was never so glad as to be in that small airplane, and this time it was the little white one but I didn't care. I slept the whole way until we were flying over Kabul toward Bagram. I could see how much more beautiful it was. The sky was full of fluffy rain clouds that cast intermittent shadows on the villages and green grass below. I saw half a rainbow peak out from a cloud and reach for the valley below but not quite making it. There were villages and large towns surrounded by mud walls everywhere and the beautiful mountains embraced them all. How I wished I could freely travel the countryside and see these places and take photos but I can't without risking my life. How sad that another country I'm a guest in is imprisoned by violence and hatred. It reminds me so much of Bosnia, right down to the three factions that want to rule here. So familiar yet here we're fighting a very determined and dangerous enemy.
Why did Maj. Hassan do it?
This morning I heard the devastating news about Fort Hood. When I got into my office I turned on the news and every national news station was talking about the shooting. At first I thought, wow another tragedy where a guy goes crazy and takes it out on the world. One of my fellow servicemembers at that.
As the media continued reporting new developments, they kept saying that they were speculating that he was upset that he was being deployed to Iraq and maybe this is why he did it. I thought about that for a minute and the more they said it the more it didn't make sense. Thousands of us are being deployed to the middle east. Some of us more than one time. He was an Army Psychiatrist who had never deployed before according to the media and believe me I'm no fan of the "media". They almost always screw some or all of the facts up.
Two things can't be denied though. Twelve people are dead and 31 injured while processing for their deployments and he was the one who did it. Now I am not a racist by any means and I'd be the last to assume a stereotype based on fear but something wasn't right about this whole thing. With him being of Middle Eastern decent, preparing to deploy to Iraq and killing as many of his fellow Soldiers as he possibly could, who were deploying as well, added up to terrorism for me.
I said to my co-worker that something wasn't right and it sounded oddly terroristic vices a shooting spree. Then they started showing the video of him at the convenience store the morning of the shootings, wearing traditional muslim garb and I lost it. I stated then and there that the act was premeditated and that even if he is not linked to any terrorist group, which I doubt he is, what he did was a terrorist act. His Muslim views went from what most Muslims believe in as dictated by the Koran to the extremist views of those who believe Jihad is the only way to deal with the "infidels" as we are called.
He's alive and will likely recover so only time will tell if he'll validate what I think is going on or I will end up sounding like a racist by assuming he's a terrorist because of his Muslim affiliation. The other thing is, if he did commit this act for Allah but won't admit to it, thus revoking his honor, which is held sacred but any devout Muslim, then it's likely his plea will be insanity and with his background in psychology he'll probably pull it off if he has made no actual terrorist connections. No matter what, the Taliban and Al Quaeda are celebrating.
Honestly I hope I didn't offend anyone or make anyone angry by reading this but what happened today was a tragedy for everyone no matter what type of act it was, terrorist, insane or otherwise. I lost 12 fellow service members today who were willing to put their life on the line for their country but never made it here to fight those they thought were a bigger threat than anything back home. I pray for the 31 others to survive and heal and for all of the friends and family feeling their loss today. There was no way to have seen this coming because we in the military tend to trust each other because we took an oath never to abandon or fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. Sadly, there are those that do.
As the media continued reporting new developments, they kept saying that they were speculating that he was upset that he was being deployed to Iraq and maybe this is why he did it. I thought about that for a minute and the more they said it the more it didn't make sense. Thousands of us are being deployed to the middle east. Some of us more than one time. He was an Army Psychiatrist who had never deployed before according to the media and believe me I'm no fan of the "media". They almost always screw some or all of the facts up.
Two things can't be denied though. Twelve people are dead and 31 injured while processing for their deployments and he was the one who did it. Now I am not a racist by any means and I'd be the last to assume a stereotype based on fear but something wasn't right about this whole thing. With him being of Middle Eastern decent, preparing to deploy to Iraq and killing as many of his fellow Soldiers as he possibly could, who were deploying as well, added up to terrorism for me.
I said to my co-worker that something wasn't right and it sounded oddly terroristic vices a shooting spree. Then they started showing the video of him at the convenience store the morning of the shootings, wearing traditional muslim garb and I lost it. I stated then and there that the act was premeditated and that even if he is not linked to any terrorist group, which I doubt he is, what he did was a terrorist act. His Muslim views went from what most Muslims believe in as dictated by the Koran to the extremist views of those who believe Jihad is the only way to deal with the "infidels" as we are called.
He's alive and will likely recover so only time will tell if he'll validate what I think is going on or I will end up sounding like a racist by assuming he's a terrorist because of his Muslim affiliation. The other thing is, if he did commit this act for Allah but won't admit to it, thus revoking his honor, which is held sacred but any devout Muslim, then it's likely his plea will be insanity and with his background in psychology he'll probably pull it off if he has made no actual terrorist connections. No matter what, the Taliban and Al Quaeda are celebrating.
Honestly I hope I didn't offend anyone or make anyone angry by reading this but what happened today was a tragedy for everyone no matter what type of act it was, terrorist, insane or otherwise. I lost 12 fellow service members today who were willing to put their life on the line for their country but never made it here to fight those they thought were a bigger threat than anything back home. I pray for the 31 others to survive and heal and for all of the friends and family feeling their loss today. There was no way to have seen this coming because we in the military tend to trust each other because we took an oath never to abandon or fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. Sadly, there are those that do.
Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
My first impression of Bagram Air Field, a military base northwest of Kabul in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, was just that, a military base. A crowded, dusty, makeshift base butted up against a huge tarmac with a jumble of different aircraft, some of which I would have been fearing for my life if I had to fly in them but again fearing for my life is nothing new here.
When I say makeshift, I mean makeshift. Every structure is built from a different material. There are old Russian cement buildings that are falling apart and the Russians didn't exactly go all out architecturally during their occupation of Afghanistan. They built the most basic structures which now serve as various headquarters for this, that and the other joint commands. Most other buildings are made from wood and steel or are conex boxes like the ones shipping vessels use to ship cargo. We have a lot of nice new ones with windows and everything ready to be occupied but they can't because their not electrically sound. Now they have to figure out what to do about that.
My little home is what a lot of the personnel here live in. It is basically sheets of plywood nailed together. It works well enough and I have my own space so I'm not going to complain, just describe them. Eight people live in what I would guess is a building that is roughly 55x15 feet and about 7 feet tall. It is pretty sound and solid and has stood up to minor earthquakes without any damage. Even so I have a feeling that someday they are going to replace these huts with those metal conex boxes (after I posted this I found out that that is the case).
For those of you who complain about paying for bottled water, you'd be very happy here if that were you're only concern in this world. There is bottled water everywhere stacked eight or more feet high free for the taking. No one should be dehydrated here. Also I hope you don't have a strong affinity for regular homegrown cow's milk because you're not going to get that here. What you do get is shelf stable, meaning it doesn't need to be refrigerated, odd tasting low fat milk. I've gotten used to it and I like it but other people look at it like pee in a box. They are that repulsed by it.
Internet service, kind of a sore subject here. I stood in two lines for about an hour each, one to sign up and one so they could set it up on my computer, just to be able to keep in touch with my most favorite people. Apparently AAFES has a monopoly on the services here. AAFES is the military store also known as NEX, PX or BX. Some people call it a racket but who knows. Anyway the cost is not cheap and everything here is overpriced. Then it leads me to ask myself, where is all this money going because I don't see the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) centers here having all that great of services themselves. AAFES profits are supposed to help the MWRs so that servicemembers can have morale boosting services that help them relax and reset. I'm just an E6 so what do I know.
Moving on. Traffic. For a base that you can walk from one end to the other in about an hour, there is a lot of traffic. Have you ever been walking and passed the same cars over and over again because they are inching along the road that slowly? Yeah, that is what we have here and most are diesels so you can imagine the pollution level. I swear if I don't get lung cancer after being here and running with all that crap in the air it will be a miracle. It's like smoking a lifetime of cigarettes. I exaggerate but to me any smoke is too much smoke.
Now this next one will make the NRA, my friend Chris and Texas happy. More people than not, including some civilians carry an unconcealed weapon everywhere they go. I have an M16, affectionately known as Mad Max, plus I carry a knife. Others carry M4s, M9s or some variation of and rarely does anyone get shot. How's that for validation in the fight to own and carry a gun. Even so we were all trained extensively in their use and safety and there are no curious kids here.
There is no alcohol either. They actually have O'douls fake beer and I have to ask myself what other reason is there to drink beer if its not to get a buzz because it tastes terrible and high in carbs. Yuk!
I'll have to continue to update this later because I have to go take a shower. That's another thing, I have to walk 100 meters to another building to go take a shower or use the bathroom. That is the norm here as well. Even so it's better than Ft. Jackson porta potties I can assure you.
When I say makeshift, I mean makeshift. Every structure is built from a different material. There are old Russian cement buildings that are falling apart and the Russians didn't exactly go all out architecturally during their occupation of Afghanistan. They built the most basic structures which now serve as various headquarters for this, that and the other joint commands. Most other buildings are made from wood and steel or are conex boxes like the ones shipping vessels use to ship cargo. We have a lot of nice new ones with windows and everything ready to be occupied but they can't because their not electrically sound. Now they have to figure out what to do about that.
My little home is what a lot of the personnel here live in. It is basically sheets of plywood nailed together. It works well enough and I have my own space so I'm not going to complain, just describe them. Eight people live in what I would guess is a building that is roughly 55x15 feet and about 7 feet tall. It is pretty sound and solid and has stood up to minor earthquakes without any damage. Even so I have a feeling that someday they are going to replace these huts with those metal conex boxes (after I posted this I found out that that is the case).
For those of you who complain about paying for bottled water, you'd be very happy here if that were you're only concern in this world. There is bottled water everywhere stacked eight or more feet high free for the taking. No one should be dehydrated here. Also I hope you don't have a strong affinity for regular homegrown cow's milk because you're not going to get that here. What you do get is shelf stable, meaning it doesn't need to be refrigerated, odd tasting low fat milk. I've gotten used to it and I like it but other people look at it like pee in a box. They are that repulsed by it.
Internet service, kind of a sore subject here. I stood in two lines for about an hour each, one to sign up and one so they could set it up on my computer, just to be able to keep in touch with my most favorite people. Apparently AAFES has a monopoly on the services here. AAFES is the military store also known as NEX, PX or BX. Some people call it a racket but who knows. Anyway the cost is not cheap and everything here is overpriced. Then it leads me to ask myself, where is all this money going because I don't see the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) centers here having all that great of services themselves. AAFES profits are supposed to help the MWRs so that servicemembers can have morale boosting services that help them relax and reset. I'm just an E6 so what do I know.
Moving on. Traffic. For a base that you can walk from one end to the other in about an hour, there is a lot of traffic. Have you ever been walking and passed the same cars over and over again because they are inching along the road that slowly? Yeah, that is what we have here and most are diesels so you can imagine the pollution level. I swear if I don't get lung cancer after being here and running with all that crap in the air it will be a miracle. It's like smoking a lifetime of cigarettes. I exaggerate but to me any smoke is too much smoke.
Now this next one will make the NRA, my friend Chris and Texas happy. More people than not, including some civilians carry an unconcealed weapon everywhere they go. I have an M16, affectionately known as Mad Max, plus I carry a knife. Others carry M4s, M9s or some variation of and rarely does anyone get shot. How's that for validation in the fight to own and carry a gun. Even so we were all trained extensively in their use and safety and there are no curious kids here.
There is no alcohol either. They actually have O'douls fake beer and I have to ask myself what other reason is there to drink beer if its not to get a buzz because it tastes terrible and high in carbs. Yuk!
I'll have to continue to update this later because I have to go take a shower. That's another thing, I have to walk 100 meters to another building to go take a shower or use the bathroom. That is the norm here as well. Even so it's better than Ft. Jackson porta potties I can assure you.
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