Visiting with Independent Day School

Independent Day School students and teachers with 38 boxes of supplies.

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: Rex is having problems with electricity, which is going on and off at his camp tonight. So I am using the space instead to give credit to some of our amazing school supplies drive volunteers …

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What do you get when you mix a mountain of school supplies, a determined teacher and 18 students? A beehive of fervent activity resulting in 38 shipping boxes ready for mailing to Afghanistan.

Ever since Rex started his school supplies drive in July of last year, we have both been incredibly touched by the generosity of total strangers. Thanks to the Internet, the word has spread and we’ve had people send school supplies directly to Afghanistan from at least 12 states. And the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation continues to get checks that are earmarked for the Afghan School Supplies Fund. (If you would like to sponsor the shipping of a box full of supplies, the cost is $12.50. It’s tax deductible through the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation; make sure to mark your donation for Afghan School Supplies more here).

Cat Quin, lead teacher for the Afghan school supplies drive at Independent Day School

One of the most industrious helpers with the school supplies project to date has been Kat Quin, a teacher at Independent Day School here in Tampa. She first contacted us in early September last year and since then has run a full school supplies drive with her students and their parents resulting in

Donated items waiting to be packed at SS American Victory's storage area.

hundreds of donated items. She also brought her students to a packing party at our main storage and collection facility at the SS American Victory museum ship in October; at that event her students helped pack 30 boxes full of donated supplies.  And just a few weeks ago she volunteered her students again for another massive task – the sorting and packing of all the remaining lose items at the ship.

IDS students get started with the packing job.

Since the storage area where donated supplies are kept before shipping is not heated, Kat generously offered to host the packing party at the Independent Day School in Carrollwood.  With her family in tow she picked up all the supplies, packing boxes, tape and

More donations to be sorted.

address labels on a weekend in preparation for the school day packing event.

On the day of the event she organized the kids in teams and they worked like a well-oiled machine. They taped the boxes and carefully packed four different kinds of items

Rex on Skype video feed talking to IDS students and teachers.

per box so that it would be easier to fill out all the customs forms. Those with the neatest handwriting were in charge of the customs forms.

I arrived at the school around 9 with my laptop so that the students could speak to Rex live via a Skype video

Students wait their turn to ask Rex a question during the video feed.

feed. Around 9:30 am we were all set and the students crowed around the laptop for the conversation half way around the world. Rex started off with a heartfelt thank you to the students, their parents and their teachers for all the hard work and all the donations. And then for the next 30 minutes the

Finished boxes are starting to pile up.

students peppered him with questions about Afghanistan and Rex’s work there.  Time flew by quickly and then all too soon Rex’s time was up and he had to go.

After the video conference we all went back to work. I sat on the floor with couple of students and helped check the boxes before they were taped up and the customs forms finalized. By 11:30 am all the supplies were packed. We had filled 38 boxes and even finished all the customs forms. The students even made a special poster for Rex and his team. After posing for one last group photo, the students carried all the boxes to my car; now all I need to do is to drive them to the post office!

Students' special banner for Rex and his team.

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!

Latest WUSF Radio interview

Inside corridor of Queen's Palace

Here is the link to the latest interview with WUSF Radio’s Bobbie O’Brien. It aired yesterday during NPR’s Morning Edition and on Thursday during  All Things Considered on WUSF Radio in Tampa, FL. Topics included latest mission to Darulaman and all the historical buildings during that assignment that date back centuries.

My Last Tour: Soviet Shadows

The end of the interview also covers the wonderful response to the “School Supplies for Afghan Children” project. For more information on that, please click on the tab at teh top of this page.

School supplies donations by 9-11-09 aboard the SS American Victory at Channelside in downtown Tampa.

Gunner’s Turret—A different perspective

SS American Victory school supplies donation drop off ; located at the entrance right behind Florida Aquarium at Channelside in downtown Tampa

Before I get to today’s blog entry, I just want to thank everyone who has responded to my school supplies charity drive and to WUSF Radio for broadcasting my request.  If you want to participate or learn more, please click on the tab titled School Supplies for Afghan Children at the top of this page.  You can make a difference.

Driving toward Kabul International Airport

Today’s mission was a trek to Kabul International Airport (KAIA).  Our teammate just returned from leave and while there, we thought it would be a nice gesture and give him a ride.  This would alleviate him having to take the Rhino (armored bus) to another FOB and await transportation to our camp.   Normally I am a driver or vehicle commander, but today I was given a unique opportunity to be a gunner.  I haven’t been a gunner since my training at Fort Riley, so I was rather excited about this chance to see Afghanistan at a different viewpoint.

Gunners in their harnesses

Before the mission began, I strapped on the gunner’s harness.  The harness is constructed of nylon webbing and has several buckles, straps, etc.  It’s not the most comfortable piece of life-saving equipment to wear, especially since the straps are fitted snugly through the groin area.  After being fitted, the harness is attached to a seat belt contraption inside the HMMVW and is designed to keep you from flying out of the vehicle should it roll over or hit some monster bumps in the highway.  I worried if my driver hit the brakes too suddenly, the binding straps might make my voice 3 octaves higher.

Afghan men chatting

I crawled up into the turret and braced myself for a new adventure.  As a driver I am accustomed to seeing the tall walls aligning the highway.  But today I would have an eagle’s view of what resided on the other side.  As we pulled out from the camp and headed down the highway, the first thing that donned on me was my vulnerability.  Being 6’ 3”, I tend to stand up pretty high in the turret.  Although I am surrounded by armored metal and glass, I still towered above it.  So I flexed my knees lowering my torso and head from view.

Afghan man with 4-wheel cart

The view I had gave me a new insight to what was previously hidden and unseen while driving.  I could actually see the town, houses, schools, and gardens behind these walls.  I watched children play in the side streets, kites flying and citizens interacting.  [Note:  During the Taliban era, flying kites was prohibited.] It was like a different world.  At the same time, I was keeping a vigilant eye on my sector scanning the roof tops, windows, and side streets looking for suspicious items or armed insurgents.

Child laborer

Occasionally while balancing my weapon I turned on my camera and took a picture.  This will explain some of the distortion seen in today’s pictures.  Another observation I noted were the child laborers.  Perhaps some of the children were doing their daily chores before going to school while others were obviously toiling under the morning bright sun.  Wheelbarrows and 4-wheel carts are a common sight here.

Child with wheelbarrow

While at KAIA we had a little extra time and visited the various coalitions’ Post Exchanges (PX).  KAIA had PXs from Italy, Germany, and the Dutch had one too.  I even saw signs for Thai and Italian restaurants, but they were closed.  Their PXs dwarfed our little camp store and were filled with food, toiletries, clothing, knives, lighters, and dart supplies.

Afghan children by market area

I’ve waited 4 months to visit here and buy a dart set. My darts are outdated and it’s too hard to explain to my wife about dart weight, barrel, points, flights, shafts, etc. in order for her to order me some.  I was content when I found a set of 24 gram, steel shaft, tungsten point, darts made in England.

From Liisa, SMSgt Temple’s wife: A wonderful WUSF Radio listener and her husband who heard about the troops passing time by playing darts have purchased a full set + a dart board for Rex and his team and will be shipping it shortly. And after hearing Bobbie O’Brien’s latest story on the air they also went out and bought some school supplies.  Thank you so much!