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.
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