Time is Running Out

1Sgt does his “Jarod” impression.

Like an hourglass that has been turned upside down and the sand granules slowly deplete and amass on the bottom, so is the amount of time we have left on our deployment.  But the time is measured in days instead of hours.  Our ETT mission has officially ended and everyone is busy packing their bags and disposing of items they have accumulated throughout the year.  It’s amazing how much stuff and junk you acquire.

I am still tying up some loose ends and tomorrow I plan on delivering my last load of humanitarian assistance to the ANA family support center.  Today Omid, Mir Wais, and I sorted through large bags of clothing, first aid kits, hygiene kits, and blankets.  My plan is

Omid, my interpreter, sorting through bags of clothing.

to give one third of the items to the family support center for distribution to wounded soldiers’ families and widows.  Then the remaining items are going to be turned over to an Army SSG who is responsible for 7 regions.  He works closely with the Afghan National Police and has assured me the items will be distributed to needy villagers.  The demand is so great here that just about any village would qualify for these handouts.

Tomorrow I will also say my final goodbye to the ANA Sergeant Major, Religious Officer, and the Mullah.  I have some surprise gifts to bestow upon them provided they aren’t out on a mission.  I’m also excited about the opportunity to interview a former Mujahedeen fighter who was injured during the war with the Soviets.  So it should be an interesting day.

Teammates playing volleyball.

Meanwhile back at the camp, when we aren’t packing our clothes or preparing for departure, my teammates are taking advantage of the sunny weather.  The other day we played over three hours of volleyball while other teammates shot basketball.  I took an accidental elbow to my jaw while on the volleyball court and had a headache that persisted for two days.  But all is well now.  I will just add that to my extensive list of bumps and bruises …. lol.  This deployment has taken a toll on the body and I look forward to the day I wake up and don’t have to don any heavy body armor or carry a weapon around with me everywhere I go.

AF MSgt rules the basketball court.

I’m also doing some last minute shopping before departing here too.  I can’t pass up an opportunity to purchase some Afghan made goods like scarves, jewelry, and rugs.  I already have a place picked out for the rug in my room in our house and now we are contemplating changing out some of the other rugs as well.  It’s almost like planning a mission, because I have to wire the money to my interpreter, take pictures of the rugs for sale, and most importantly, have to get the wife’s approval on the change of décor.  Then I have to make the purchase and wait for mail day to send the items out.   I still think prints of big lions and tigers are manly and spruce up a room, but Mrs. T says that is not suitable for the dining room area.  So I have to trust her judgment and accept her choices … lol.

In this photo slide show you can see some of the many items available at the bazaar:

In local news:

KABUL – More than two dozens of suspected militants have been arrested on charges of carrying out militant operations in the fortified capital, Kabul, the Afghan intelligence agency said on Saturday. An official at the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said at least twenty-six people — in three separate groups — have been detained with some arms over the past three weeks. The militants were linked to the Taliban and the Hezb-e Islami led-by Gulbuddin Hikmatyar — the two leading militants groups in Afghanistan, the NDS spokesman, Saeed Ansari, told a news conference. The Afghan capital was under a number of coordinated attacks over the last one year as groups of suicide bombers, armed with rifles, had attacked key government buildings and guesthouse, favored by foreigners. A dozen of the detained militants were Kabul residents, who were charged for having hands in suicide attacks, providing ammunitions and arms to insurgents, Mr. Ansari said. Ansari added that the detainees confessed during interrogations that they were trained in the Shamshatu refugees’ camp on the outskirts of the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar. Meanwhile, Kabul police have also arrested 14 other insurgents on charges of planting bombs, launching rocket attacks on the capital and kidnappings over the past three weeks, Kabul Police Chief, Lt Gen Abdul Rahman Rahman, told in the joint conference with the NDS spokesman. (Pajhwok)

Nowruz Mission – Part 1

Prepping for the Nowruz mission.

For our ANA counterparts and Afghanistan, Nowruz is the celebration of a new year and for us it would mean a 12-hour mission to new places, new roads, and a new experience.  Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of a new year 1389 even though for us and our Gregorian calendar it’s 2010.  Nowruz has its origin with the Iranians dating back several thousand years and has been adopted by many Persian or Middle Eastern countries.  It’s interesting to note the Taliban banned the celebration of Nowruz, but after their removal in 2001, this rich tradition was restored.  Any time the Afghans celebrate a national holiday, it means gridlock traffic and a sea of pedestrians.  We knew this before leaving the camp and tried to plan accordingly.

Oops, traveling down a one way street.

The roads through Kabul are like a plate of spaghetti with no real rhyme or reason.  For security and size restrictions we have to be cognizant of the routes we travel, otherwise, we accidentally tear down power lines, banners, tree limbs, etc.  Some of the more direct routes go through city markets, dirt roads, round-a-bouts or paved arteries filled with hundreds of potholes.  Due to the Nowruz celebration, several roads would be blocked off to facilitate throngs of pedestrians and others would be congested with traffic.  As such, we had to find new routes to bypass these areas and still get through the city in time to meet our mission time line.  To facilitate travel our maps are coded with street names we can remember like those of states, colors, objects, numbers, etc., since we can’t memorize the Afghan names and for the most part, signage is nonexistent.  Even the landmarks are given nicknames such as “Pigeon Mosque,” because large flocks of pigeons gather outside this mosque daily.  These nicknames help to familiarize and identify travel routes.  But today would be new territory and roads we’ve never traveled.

We departed the camp on time and I readily observed the additional security checkpoints established by the Afghan National Police (ANP).  They were there to detect any possible insurgent attack and protect the large crowds of people.  These checkpoints created bottlenecks which caused the traffic to back up.  Our first detour caused us to travel against opposing traffic down a one way street for a couple hundred meters.  It’s not good COIN, but the alternative would have taken an additional hour or two.  Just as we planned, the traffic was minimal and didn’t cause any problems other than raising a few eyebrows.  But our next planned turning point was blocked by the ANP and they wouldn’t let us enter the street.  So now it was back to “Oh crap, where do we go now?”  We were downtown near several ISAF facilities and figured cutting through their complexes might be a shortcut.  We quickly found out that wasn’t going to work because the road narrowed and we feared getting wedged between two walls with our lumbering MRAPs.  Since there was no place to turn around, we tested our backing up skills for several hundred meters and continued on our journey.

After making several more U-turns and circles, we made our way out of the city.  OK, we got lost and even with the aid of an interpreter who lives here, we still took the scenic route weaving around the city’s congested side streets until we could find our way out.

Camp Blackhorse as seen through my window.

Our first stop was a place near and dear to my heart.  It was Camp Blackhorse, my first duty station before relocating to my current camp.  Other than a few changes, it still looked the same.  Since we didn’t have much time, we stayed on the outside of the camp and dropped off our passengers who were scheduled to attend a conference.  I looked hard but didn’t see any sign of the camp dogs Liberty or Justice.  I hope they either found a good home or perhaps they were out wandering on the ANA side of the camp.

Our next stop was Camp Phoenix to conduct some other administrative business.    As we approached the main gate, I readied my ID card to show to the guards.  But not today, we were quickly waved through the security checkpoint.  Perhaps they read my previous blog entry about how cumbersome this was and how it posed a danger to us by backing up traffic on the main road.  Or perhaps common sense prevailed and there are better and safer methods to employ.

Kabul Intl Airport, military terminal.

While at Camp Phoenix, we received an urgent call to pick up some VIPs at the Kabul International Airport (KAIA).  For some reason, their Personal Security Detachment (PSD) was unable to make it in time.  Our patrol would take their place.  Originally we were going to augment the PSD and provide additional security for these visitors.  Our guests wouldn’t arrive until 1500 hrs, so we decided to visit the coalition PX and bazaar area.  But when we pulled up to the site, all of the shops, PXs, restaurants, etc. had disappeared.  It was like they were never there, except for the concrete foundations that were left behind.  To be cont’d ……

Relocating ANA Library?

SGT Major, are you going to eat that cake all by yourself?

I woke up energized and motivated for today’s tasking.  We have been planning for weeks to open up a new library for the ANA soldiers and relocate the literacy room to a larger room.    I attended our morning meeting and the Sergeant Major unveiled a large chocolate cake.  Not sure if he was planning on eating the whole cake by himself or not.  If so, he will have to do a lot more running than he has been doing … lol.

After the meeting I went to my metal storage container and loaded up 18 boxes of English books varying in difficulty.  Originally I was planning to give them to the village schools, but this act of generosity makes them a target for the insurgency.  The insurgents have already burned a lot of schools the US helped build, so instead of making them a viable target,  I am going to donate them to the ANA library to assist with their English classes and literacy programs.

Teammates celebrate the last time ammunition has to be inventoried.

After loading the books, I visited my teammates who were still segregating ammunition for the final time.  Our property book is almost clear except for the ammunition.  Unbeknownst to us, the ammunition is tracked by lot number.  The problem is we have been consuming the ammunition at the firing ranges and weren’t tracking the lot numbers.  We tracked the number of bullets, but not the lot numbers.  So now we have to submit some expenditure reports for the missing lot numbers.  The garrison has agreed to take the excess ammunition off of our hands.  After this transaction, we won’t own anything and will have to borrow MRAPs, crew serve weapons, and ammo for our missions.

Army SPC leads his ANA soldiers on a run.

I drove to ANA land and hundreds of soldiers were running off the hill sides with their US Army mentors practicing drills with their newly issued NATO M-16 rifles.  In my opinion, the ANA soldiers seem more receptive to their military partners training them instead of their overweight and overpaid US contractors.  Seldom have I seen a contractor train the ANA soldiers outside a controlled classroom environment and I have never seen them run with their trainees.  But I have witnessed the effectiveness of the Marine ETTs and Army mentors in the field with their ANA recruits and observed them on joint patrols together.  I also read recently where XE (formerly Blackwater) lost a 1.1 billion dollar contract to

New ANA soldiers practicing patrol drills.

train the Afghan National Police recruits.  Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) made a valid point when she said, “We’ve got 2 kinds of organizations that are performing the same functions, one responds to money, and the other responds to duty.”  Note:  As I mentioned in the past, I am not opposed to contractors being well paid, but I am flabbergasted when the parent company charges the US taxpayers double and triple that amount.   I suppose its pure coincidence these large companies who receive no-bid contracts also contribute heavily to certain party’s campaign coffers. Taxpayers should be appalled and CEOs should be ashamed or at least feel guilty when they are tallying their profits!!

As I got closer to the old library building, I suspected the ANA were not ready to relocate the existing library books, tables, and chairs.  I didn’t see a truck to move the items and there were very few soldiers standing around.  While I waited for our interpreter to sort out the details, I entertained the soldiers milling about.  They were curious what was inside the boxes and one soldier who spoke broken English understood my purpose.  I handed out a few books and the soldiers paged through them staring at the pictures, while others practiced their rudimentary enunciation of the words on the page.  It didn’t take long before a dozen soldiers were swarming around my vehicle intrigued by their peers activities.  One soldier quietly stuck a book in his pocket and I had my interpreter Omid approach him.  The soldier proclaimed I gave it to him as a gift.  Omid explained these books were for the future library so all of the ANA soldiers could enjoy them.  The soldier was embarrassed and returned the book.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, the ANA officers decided it was better to wait until after the Afghan New Year before relocating the library and literacy room.  They tried hard to persuade me to part with my books, but I chose to keep a hard stance.  The deal was after the tables, chairs, and books were relocated, then I will donate these books to the library.  I want the ANA soldiers to operate on their own instead of us having to do everything for them.  So now we rescheduled for next week.  I am not holding my breath, but will wait and see.

ANA Canteen to buy snacks and goodies.

While at their building I walked inside and took a picture of their canteen.  This little store sells nuts, candy, soda, potato chips and other snacks to the ANA soldiers.  Outside the building there were several soldiers and Afghan civilians planting pine trees.  With the upcoming New Year, the country traditionally plants trees and this might be part of the government program similar to Arbor Day in the US.  Last year, 35 million trees were planted.  This year the plan is to plant 25 million saplings and fruit trees.  Hopefully they will fare better than last year, in which 30-40% of them were destroyed, used for firewood, stolen, etc.

Planting saplings before the New Year.

I returned back to camp and watched Old Glory flying freely in the wind.  It made me stop and think.  We are so blessed to live in the country we do.  Not only do I miss my wife, family, and dogs, but I miss the freedoms associated with being in America.  We take so many of our basic freedoms for granted and until you visit a place like this and see people basically struggling for survival, you can’t really appreciate what we have or have been given.  God has blessed America!

Old Glory flaps freely in the wind.

Excess Humvees to BAF

My team is still trying to clear up the property book and we have given away or transferred everything possible, but we still have some excess up-armored Humvees to dispose of.  When we merged with the Brigade, our vehicle fleet doubled in size.  We managed to transfer 90% of our vehicle fleet except for two Humvees that aren’t as heavily armored as the other ones.  The closest place to dispose of these Humvees is Bagram Air Field (BAF).  As you already know, BAF is not our favorite place to visit and dealing with the BAF-fites is always an adventure.  Unfortunately, it was a necessary evil to clear the property book and only the BAF-fites could assist us.  We all promised to be on our best behavior, salute the officers, and try not to get upset at the bureaucratic processes in place.

AF Captain and SMSgt secure Humvees for transport.

Since we lacked the proper vehicles to transport the Humvees, we coordinated with our ANA counterparts for a joint mission.  They would provide the tractor and trailer and be integrated into our convoy.  Two of my teammates help secure the vehicles on the  .  The ANA soldier boasted about having more experience and he wanted to chain the vehicles down himself.  That is quite a change for an ANA soldier to step up like that and volunteer his services.

When I walked back to camp, I stopped at the gate to see how Bernie was doing.  The new soldiers who arrived are dog lovers and renamed the puppy, especially after I pointed out the puppy’s anatomy of being a boy… lol.  Bernie was sound asleep taking a

Bernie is taking a puppy nap.

puppy nap between two cement blocks and had his chin propped up on a piece of wood.  He didn’t have a care in the world.

The original plan was for 4 ANA LTVs and the tractor and trailer to join us at 5:20 am to depart for BAF.  I originally tried to go to sleep around 10:30 pm., but my new B-Hut mate has a severe case of sleep apnea and makes choking sounds in his sleep.  If he isn’t bellowing and gasping, then he is talking loudly in his sleep.  I also think he has restless leg syndrome because he constantly crashes into the thin plywood walls.  I last looked at the clock around 1 am and my alarm went off at 4 am.  Fortunately I wasn’t driving and would be the truck commander today.

Afghan men hoping to get hired for the day.

All of my teammates gathered at the MRAPs at 5 am and we prepared for the mission.  The ANA was on time, except they were missing 3 LTVs.  Never did find out what happened with them.  Driving to BAF, we drove through a different part of the city.  In the Pashtun market, the unskilled laborers were crowded at an intersection hoping to get hired for the day.  So

Afghan National Police providing security.

many people migrate to the capital city in hopes of finding a more prosperous life, but quickly find the competition is fierce and the wages are low.  Established Afghan businessmen are keen on maximizing profit by paying low wages to these unskilled workers.  I think they have taken a page from the business models US contractors

Afghan mud-brick house.

are using here in country.  They charge a hefty price, but maximize their profit by exploiting cheap labor.

Security in the city has definitely increased.  The ANP have established more checkpoints and armed policemen are seen throughout the city.  I think as more ANP are trained, this will continue to be the trend.  But the

Tending the sheep.

ANP still has an image problem due to corruption, theft, and bribery.  These issues are constantly being addressed and it will take time to win the people over and for the ANP to modify their behavior.  Hitting passing cars with the butt of their AK-47s only causes resentment among the populace.

After leaving the city, we passed through some smaller towns and more agricultural areas.  The farmers were busy tending to their livestock and the small shops waited on customers to buy their goods or produce.  An

Elderly Afghan man thumbs his prayer beads.

older man sat on a tin box threading his prayer beads through his hand.  I could only wonder if he was a wise tribal elder or just an elderly gentleman who has survived over 30 years of war.

Potholes on road leading to BAF.

It has been quite awhile since our last convoy trip to BAF.  The roads are in much worse shape than I remember and the potholes have spread like a bad disease.  It didn’t help matters that the slack in my seatbelt wasn’t retracting properly.  As a result, I was bounced around the inside of the MRAP like a rag doll.  I’m certain to have some new bruises when this mission ends.  To be cont’d ……..

My Personal Perspective

Judging by the influx of comments lately, my blog entries have caused some academic debate and flow of ideas.  Due to lack of time, seldom do I ever get a chance to respond to reader’s comments or questions.  But tonight I am going to make time and provide some feedback and opinion.  My opinions are solely mine and based on what I see, hear, read, and experience.  I take a chance in doing this, because certain people will cherry-pick my comments or take them out of context and publish them.  But since I started this blog almost a year ago, I stand by everything I have written.

First, we are here to seek out the Al Qaeda. They are not nearly as numerous as the Taliban, but they are present and active in this country.  They just keep a much lower profile than the Taliban and allow them to do all the dirty work.  I am convinced if the Taliban wins this war, the Al Qaeda would have a sanctuary to plot attacks against the United States and other European countries.  Although my ANA counterparts think the Al Qaeda has been defeated, I respectfully disagree with them.

Who are the Taliban or insurgents?  I think of them synonymously, because as a combatant or soldier, they are the enemy.  Anyone who raises arms and plots attacks against me or my brothers in arms is the enemy.  I don’t have the ability to distinguish the difference, but when they choose to attack our forces, it really doesn’t matter; quite simply they are the enemy and a target of opportunity.  I understand most of the insurgents are not doing this for an ideological cause.  Instead, they do it for money or other causes.  But this still doesn’t change the equation, because they are making a personal choice with consequences.  As such, when they make the wrong choice, then they become a target.  The Taliban is also composed of or allied with various terrorist organizations, splinter groups and thugs to include the Haqqani network, Hekmatyur, and others who help promote the poppy and opium trade.

The dynamics of this war and country are so diverse and complex; I could probably write an encyclopedia by exploring the various aspects.  Trying to understand the cultural diversities of the tribes and various ethnicities is perplexing in itself.  Then throw in the mix of the central government trying to establish itself and appear legitimate, coupled with training the Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Army (ANA) so that one day they will be responsible for the national security of their country only adds to the perplexity.  I might also point out that the central government has an insurmountable task to appear legitimate without the corruption.  The endemic corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and fraud of the central government are only adding fuel to the Taliban’s acceptance by the citizens.  In all fairness, the people aren’t given much of a choice, because the Taliban rule by force and fear.  Lastly, the enemies we are fighting aren’t just indigenous to Afghanistan, but travel from Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Chechnya and other neighboring countries because they have been brainwashed in madrassas or misguided by imams, mullahs, or clerics.

Much of the blame for the current state of affairs can be attributed to the lack of education. Due to lack of education, people are unable to make decisions and blindly follow the promulgations of these warped ideological miscreants who take advantage of the citizens’ weaknesses.  The Taliban are acutely aware of the value of an education and this is why they have made a concerted effort to destroy the schools we repair and build.  Bottom line, they would have a much harder time controlling educated people who are able to make a decision or question the legitimacy of what is being asked.  Since the ousting of the Taliban in 2001, thousands of schools have reopened their doors and hundreds of new ones are being built.  The children are thirsty for an education and want to learn.  Unfortunately, there still exists a whole generation who were not given this opportunity and are easily swayed or manipulated.

As an Embedded Training Team (ETT) member, I have seen the results of this tragedy.  Even in my limited travels, I have seen enough of the tip of the iceberg to formulate an educated opinion.  I can’t imagine living here and growing up with 30 years of war.  Peace is a foreign concept and whether or not Darwinism applies, I don’t know.  But what I have witnessed it the resilience of the Afghan people to overcome even when the odds are stacked against them.

It is my hope and my prayer, that one day the children of Afghanistan will be able to appreciate peace and prosperity.  In the interim, the war continues.  Operation Mushtarak appears to be a success and now the media is openly reporting about similar plans for Kandahar and other major cities.  My hat is off to General McChrystal and his strategic planners.  The only barometer of success I have is reading the local paper and soliciting opinions from my ANA counterparts.  My own personal litmus test is when I visit the villages and see the reactions of the local citizens.  Until then, my wife Liisa and I are still collecting school supplies to distribute to the poor children who can’t afford these items.  In the near future, I will have a chance to deliver them and perhaps then I will be able to render an updated opinion.

Student volunteers (from left) Brian Garland, Ashley Hawley and Jenna McMahon of University of Tampa's Peace Center with 150 boxes of donated school supplies they helped pack for shipping today in Tampa for the School Supplies for Afghan Children project.

Update:  Not long ago, I read about a village where all the of citizens were displaced by the Taliban.  The government labels them as IDP or “internally displaced person” and provides them shelter.  This was the same village where I met an 8-year-old boy who inspired my decision to collect school supplies. Whether he was one of the several hundred IDP, I will never know.

Tomorrow … I will catch up on the last 2 days, all the pictures and the mission we went on today.  I will also detail some new “Armyisms”, but first, I want to get my facts straight before I write about them.  I promise you, they are doozies!

Education & ANA Discussion – Part Two:

Attentive ANA classroom.

My conversation with the ANA soldiers continued.  I relayed a conversation I had yesterday with the ANA Mullah about Taliban Mullahs; the ANA Mullah had told me the Taliban Mullahs are not really Mullahs and use this title to their advantage to control the uneducated followers and villagers.  As such, out of fear and respect for the title, the people are easily influenced.  Every week, coalition forces are capturing or killing Taliban Mullahs who are often serving as Taliban commanders or province shadow governors.  Even the Pashtun ANA soldier I asked about agreed with this fact and said, “They are not Mullahs, they are only using the name of mullahs.”

ANA platoons practicing marching drills and learning discipline.

Running out of time, I opened up the floor so the ANA soldiers could address questions to me.  Admittedly, it’s much easier to ask the questions than it is to answer them.  But I was feeling self-confident and I was curious to see what they had on their minds.  The first question asked of me was concerning whether or not we [Americans] are trying to help rebuild Afghanistan.  I explained my country and other foreign nations have donated millions and billions of dollars for this purpose to build up the ANA and ANP so they can take back the national security of their country.  I also remarked that “We can’t do this by ourselves and it’s important we work together as a strong team and together we can beat the Taliban.”  I explained how important it is for them as soldiers to learn about tactics, weapons, and education so the Taliban can be defeated.

The last soldier I interviewed wanted to know my opinion about the Taliban since I had asked the classroom so many questions about them.  “The Taliban are extremist Muslims and trying to take over your country and want to implement their own Sharia law” I responded.  I explained that I can’t “look at an Afghan and tell whether they are Taliban unless they point a weapon at me and shoot at me.”  I also explained the importance of talking to the villagers so they will tell us who the Taliban are and the location of the IEDs.  I made it clear that IEDs are not just killing US and NATO soldiers, but they are killing the ANA and ANP as well.  In fact, more ANA and ANP soldiers have been killed by IEDs than coalition forces.  Lastly, I shared with the class my personal experiences of being exposed to enemy gunfire, mortars, rockets, and RPGs, but how that hasn’t deterred me from helping.  And  then I  reiterated: “Together as a strong team, we can defeat the Taliban.”

Attentive ANA classroom.

The questioning session was over and the Religious Officer thanked me for my time and for everything that Americans have done for them.  Now it was time to hand out the notebooks, pens, pencils, and sharpeners to the ANA soldiers.  At first it was an orderly process, but then it turned chaotic.  Some of the soldiers thought we were going to run out, so they started swarming around the Mullah and the Religious Officer handing out the supplies.  At one point until they got order, I backed away and stood behind the table using it as a barricade to keep my distance from the unruly crowd.  After a few barking commands from some officers and others, the students returned to their seats and we personally handed out the supplies ensuring everyone got an equal share.

ANA Mullah passing out pens before the class converged on him.

We left the classroom and returned to the Religious Officer’s office.  There was still a large bag of pencils and pens left over and he was handing them out to other soldiers like candy.  He also shared with me about my conversation the other day with the ANA Mullah.  The Mullah thanked him for helping to answer my questions, because apparently I make him nervous at times with the difficulty of my questions.  I had suspected that, but now I had confirmation.  I just hope this doesn’t deter the Mullah from attending future conversations, because our dialogue is always educational.

Fat Boy is trying to climb out, while Runt Runt and Bonnie sit inside their box.

Upon returning to camp, I stopped to get an update on the puppies.  The interpreters returned Fat Boy, so now all three of them including Runt Runt and Bonnie were in the box together.  As you can see by the size of Fat Boy, it’s understandable where he got his nickname.

If you would like to hear the full audio from the meeting click here ANA Education Discussion

If you you would like to hear the radio story about this meeting with the ANA soldiers/students by WUSF reporter Bobbie O’Brien, click here My Last Tour: Educating Afghan soldiers

September 30 interview with WUSF Radio

Little girls pose for the camera during visit to orphanage

Here is the link to the latest interview with WUSF Radio’s Bobbie O’Brien. It aired yesterday during NPR’s All Things Considered and again this morning during Morning Edition on WUSF Radio in Tampa, FL. Topics included visiting a local orphanage, how some of the projects turned out at the old camp, possible corruption and impact on morale.

My Last Tour: Orphanage Visit

Orphanage visit

AF Major giving convoy brief

Today’s mission was to visit the In Allauddin Orphanage in Kabul City and deliver school supplies, toys, clothing, hygiene items, and bring some happiness to the parentless children.  My team in conjunction with the camp team members formed the convoy.  Later on we would meet with the Afghan National Police (ANP) for this joint venture.  Maj “O” the

AF Captain assisting ANP with gate security

convoy commander gave the morning convoy brief and detailed the events for the day.  Despite going to the orphanage, our security was paramount.  We would have gunners in the armored HMMVWs along with security on the roof.  The rest of the participants would stay armed and interact with the children.  My job was to capture the images with my camera.

Boys at orphanage dancing without music

We arrived at our destination and after parking the HMMVW, I was greeted by some young boys.  They were dancing without music and seemed very happy with our presence.   I was able to take two pictures before I was surrounded by the boys.  Meanwhile, the trailer was being unpacked with the goody boxes and folding tables.  Everyone including the

Army Colonel pitches in

Army Colonel helped to unload the trailer and segregate the boxes by gender.  The ANP also brought 2 female officers out for the event and they would be responsible for distributing the items to the little girls.

I peeked through the classroom windows and found more energetic boys.  One small boy gave me the thumbs up.  Prior to 2001, this

Children in a classroom

gesture was considered obscene.  But after 8 years of coalition forces using it, it has been adopted by the Afghan society.  I looked in another classroom and the teacher was still conducting class but allowed me take a photograph.  Notice how three boys are assigned to each desk.  Tonight after closer inspection of the photographs, I

School's water source

noticed one of the boys was wearing an Old Milwaukee hat.

In the center of the orphanage was the school’s water source.  I watched as several students washed their hands and faces and an older lady filled her tea pot.  In comparison to the schools I saw in other provinces, this one was in pretty good shape.  By US standards, it would

Provincial director handing out bags to the children

never pass inspection.  The plastic playground was adjacent to the well and seemed to be a popular place where the kids hung out.

The ANP arrived along with the provincial director of the orphanage and his staff.  As part of the COIN philosophy, the items are distributed by the ANA or ANP.  This gesture helps to put a positive face on these

Children happy with donated items

institutions because both of them have bad reputations and is slowly changing in the public eye.  This is also where mentoring from the coalition forces is effective too.  But it’s going to take time because the public views these organizations as corrupt.  Ordinary citizens are afraid to contact the ANP because they have been known to

Little orphan girl wearing "Sweet Heart" T-shirt

steal from the owner’s house or demand a bribe in the name of justice.  Similarly the justice system here is antiquated and ineffective unless you have money.

The local media decided to show up along with the ANP photographers too.  They filmed the children receiving their goody bags and several photo ops of the director and his staff handing out items to the children.  While this was going on, I noticed a little girl was watching my every move.  She wasn’t shy like many of the other little girls.  Instead she motioned for me to come over to her.  I couldn’t resist her beautiful brown eyes and expressions.  She was so precious and the logo on her t-shirt “Sweet Heart” said it all.  I

Little Afghan girls smile for picture

took a couple of photographs and then her friend joined her.  They really liked having their picture taken.  Afterwards, they would come up to my camera and I would show them the images.  They seemed to nod in approval.

I attended the press conference with the interpreter and later would sit down with the female director to learn more details about this orphanage.  The orphanage was built 28 years ago and there are only 2 facilities in the entire province for orphans and we were at the one of them.  The other orphanage houses the older kids.  This particular orphanage houses about 250 kids and the other one can hold 350 kids.  The director informed me they assist

Making flapping birds for children

sometimes with single fathers who are in the ANA and deployed to the field.

The female director (no name) who my interpreter referred to as the “boss” detailed some of the challenges the orphanage faces.  The facility is funded by the Afghan government and they only provide the most basic sustenance, clothing, and outdated

Look at the back desk - three boys share it at the orphanage school

textbooks.  For breakfast each child receives a half cup of tea and one slice of bread.  She asked if there was any way possible to provide milk for the children.  Unfortunately I was in no position to make any promises other than I would bring up her concern to the chain of command.  She also shocked me when she revealed the orphanage teachers only receive

Teacher inside the orphan boys' room

$60 a month salary.  As a result, it’s hard to find quality teachers for such a meager sum.  My Inspector General senses were tingling because I witnessed other staff members, director, etc. arriving in expensive cars and a LandRover.  They were all dressed in expensive suits, ties, and wearing leather shoes.  Pretty nice for a government

More kids at the orphanage

salary.  I tried not to let this observation sway me from having a good time.  The smiles on the children’s faces were priceless and watching them clutch their notebooks, pens, and new toys was unforgettable.

We returned to the camp without incident and have already started planning for a future mission.

ANP visit and new camp puppy

New camp puppy - might call him "Scavenger" - any name suggestions?

After breakfast this morning I was outside the DFAC conversing with the French colonel.  When we looked down a very small puppy was at our feet.  The puppy seems to be too young to be away from his mother, but he was busy lapping up the crumbs dropped by people at the outside picnic tables.  So now I might have a new friend.  The camp has several cats inside the barriers,

Army SSG and ANP

but this was the first dog or puppy I’ve seen.  There are several dogs running around ANA land too.

Today we were accompanying camp personnel on a convoy to the Afghan National Police (ANP) Headquarters.  The US military at this camp are responsible for mentoring the ANP in the same manner my team mentors

Madrassa funded by Iran

the Afghan National Army (ANA).  While at the ANA building I was introduced to a policeman who was shot above the knee by insurgents while on duty in the Tagab valley.  He was rather fortunate and recovered from his wounds, except for a noticeable limp.  The ANP have lost just as many if not more policeman in battle than the ANA.

Bed of petunias

The Taliban target their outposts which are thinly manned and then overrun them using an overwhelming numbers of insurgents.  In addition scores of ANP have died as the result of IEDs or they locate where the senior leadership lives and at night raid the home and murder the entire family.  Recently I read an article where the Taliban kidnapped a policeman and the tribal elders negotiated for his release.  As a condition of his release, he had to promise not to return to the ANP and find a new line of work.

Directly behind the ANP station was a large two-tone colored building.  It looked very modern and had at least 4 or 5 floors to it.  I was informed this was a student madrassa and was funded by Iran.  The landscaping outside of the ANP was filled with colorful petunias and the

Sunflowers in full bloom

sunflowers were in full bloom.  I also caught a glimpse of a nearby mosque and took a picture of its towering minaret.

After the ANP station, we continued on with the secondary part of our mission.  It was an uneventful day.  Now if I could only get my private Internet access working.  It might be another week until they can transfer my account from my former camp to here.  At least I still have access to the MWR computers and able to send my blog entries and read email.

Double missions

Armored 5-ton truck loaded with supplies

This morning when we awoke, the sky was still illuminated by thousands of stars.  Surely this was a bad dream, but it wasn’t.  The mission for today was to pick up some precious cargo.  One of the FOBs does not have any electricity or water, so we were tasked to pick up a large generator and water tanks along with various vehicle parts.  Even though we haven’t unpacked all of our bags, nobody complained because we have the luxury of having running water and electricity.

Looking at gunner up through the turret

So my 6-man team along with 2 other vehicles formed the convoy.  We would have to travel through the capital city to get to our destination.  In an attempt to avoid traffic and hoping the insurgents were still sleeping or preparing to celebrate Eid (holiday period signifying the end of Ramadan and fasting), we departed early.  Some military personnel mispronounce E-i-d and say E-a-t.  A common joke even among our interpreters is there is some truth to this.  The Muslims no longer have to fast and can eat.  Eid in the Muslim world is like our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year combined into one celebratory period lasting for 3-4 days.

As planned, there was very little traffic

Kabul city life

in Kabul.  Our armored convoy thundered through the city in record time and arrived at Camp Phoenix without incident.  Everything was going as planned until we encountered the antiquated Army supply system.  In the Air Force, a customer generates a request and when the items are pulled from the warehouse shelves, they are segregated into a designated holding area.  The Army system waits until the customer arrives in person and then they take those documents to the warehouse to retrieve the parts.  As such, we waited several hours until all of our vehicle parts were issued.  Meanwhile a 7,000 lb generator was being loaded on to the bed of the 5-ton truck.

Pedestrians in Kabul

After everything was loaded we departed for our camp.  As we drove through the city, I tried to memorize the route and landmarks.  I made several mental notes about this crowded city.  We only passed one traffic light because they rely heavily on round-a-bout circles for traffic flow.  At intersections including 3-4 way, there were no lights and traffic inched out or they pretended there were stop signs even though there aren’t any.  Some of the busy intersections were manned by the Afghan National Police (ANP) armed with AK-47’s.  Most of the time, they sat off to the side and watched the traffic pass by.  As more people purchase vehicles, traffic is going to become a severe nightmare in the near future if not already.

Another street scene in Kabul

We arrived back at camp with our cargo and offloaded it.  The AF Captain from the Brigade asked if we felt like making another trip back to Camp Phoenix to retrieve the water tanks and other supplies.  Since we realized the importance of these supplies, we couldn’t say no.  So after a 30 minute lunch, we put back on our armored vests, helmets, and gloves and drove through the city again.  Many of the roads are spotted with potholes of various sizes and depths.  I joked to my teammates about opening a Midas shop here for shocks and suspensions.

After loading the water tanks and supplies on the 5-ton truck, we headed back into the city.  By now the streets were a little bit more congested.  The citizens were dressed in their finest clothes and the little girls appeared to be showing off their new dresses.  The traffic didn’t seem to mind our convoy as they have in the past.  I suppose if I fasted for several weeks straight, I might become irritable too.

By now it was late afternoon and we just completed a 12-hour day.  The vehicles were parked and the weapons were dismounted and secured until the next mission.

Note:  I am still waiting to download the pictures from the other day.  I also need to find my battery charger tucked away in one of these bags or boxes, because my camera battery is dead and unable to take any new pictures.