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If you are interested in sending clothing donations to help the people in Afghanistan, please contact me at my email address, which you can find under the "my profile" section to the right. Click here for more information on how to contact me.
Any clothing that you want to send must be practical. The Afghans live in a very harsh environment so things such as dress clothes, dress shoes, etc. can't be used.
Practical clothing such as jeans, sweaters, sweatshirts/pants, coats and baby clothes can be used. If you have a large amount of items then it is important to organize your shipments. Baby clothes in one box, boys pants in one box, girls pants in another box, boys shirts in another box and so on. This will save the soldiers a lot of work when the time comes to deliver the clothes.
Thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
I will be heading home soon so I probably won't post again for some time. Thanks to all who have supported me through your encouraging words and prayers. A big thanks to everyone who donated to our humanitarian efforts.
If you would like further information on our ongoing Afghanistan humanitarian efforts, please contact me directly. My email address is located under "My Profile" to the right.
If you would like further information on our ongoing Afghanistan humanitarian efforts, please contact me directly. My email address is located under "My Profile" to the right.
A whole new group of soldiers has arrived to take our place. Please don't forget about them or their families. Those soldiers will be here for at least twelve months, and with the recent extension, many will be gone for fifteen months.
FIFTEEN MONTHS.
Think about what that means. Kids will spend over a year without a parent. Some kids will have both parents deployed. Spouses will be without their husband or wife. Many marriages won't survive. One thing is certain. Lives will be changed forever.
Could you handle it? Could your spouse? How would you feel if it was your child, your father, mother, brother or sister? We've even got grandparents serving here.
I can tell you how you'd feel. You'd be worried. You'd take an interest in the people and the politics. You'd count the days until your loved one could come home. You'd voice your opinion.
You'd get involved.
That's the problem as I see it today. Many of us don't know anyone who is deployed. We're not personally invested in the outcome.
Don't just say that you "Support the Troops." What does that really mean? Does it mean thinking about what the troops believe? What they're going through? What their families must endure? Does it mean taking some kind of action in order to influence the outcome?
Or does it mean what the t.v. or talk radio tells you?
I think it means more than sending a card, a care package or placing a yellow ribbon magnet on your bumper. It means getting involved. It means participating in the American political process. It means pushing outside the boundaries of the world that you have created for yourself.
Consider it your duty to follow what is happening and to form your own opinion. That's the least you can do.
But if you really want to support the troops, you must find a way to become personally invested.
Monday, May 14, 2007
During a recent village recon I had the chance to see an elementary school and visit with the kids.
Like all kids, they were a bit shy. I guess I would be too if a couple of fully armed soldiers walked into my classroom. That can't be helped because we're required to stay in our body armor.
Despite our appearance, the kids opened up to us really fast and were glad to see us. A great icebreaker is to show the kids digital pictures of themselves. They've probably never seen pictures of themselves so they're fascinated by the camera.
Notice anything? All boys. I really couldn't get a straight answer as to whether the girls attend school or not. I know that this school is so small that the kids have to attend in shifts; some in the morning and then a new group in the afternoon.
Overcrowding is a common problem. The typical Afghan family has between five and ten children. It's also hard to get the teachers paid sometimes. This school house is in the middle of nowhere and is not easily accessible, which exacerbates those problems.
Anyway, it was fun visiting these kids and hopefully we will be back soon to deliver more help to them.
Like all kids, they were a bit shy. I guess I would be too if a couple of fully armed soldiers walked into my classroom. That can't be helped because we're required to stay in our body armor.
Despite our appearance, the kids opened up to us really fast and were glad to see us. A great icebreaker is to show the kids digital pictures of themselves. They've probably never seen pictures of themselves so they're fascinated by the camera.
Notice anything? All boys. I really couldn't get a straight answer as to whether the girls attend school or not. I know that this school is so small that the kids have to attend in shifts; some in the morning and then a new group in the afternoon.
Overcrowding is a common problem. The typical Afghan family has between five and ten children. It's also hard to get the teachers paid sometimes. This school house is in the middle of nowhere and is not easily accessible, which exacerbates those problems.
Anyway, it was fun visiting these kids and hopefully we will be back soon to deliver more help to them.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
(CNN) -- Top Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah Lang has been killed in a military operation in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Forces said Sunday, confirming earlier reports by the Afghan government.
A NATO statement said Dadullah had "left his sanctuary in southern Afghanistan where he was killed in a U.S.-led coalition operation supported by NATO."
The operation was made possible "by the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan people," the statement said.
The elusive commander was in charge of day-to-day military operations for the Taliban and, according to ISAF, his death has struck a "serious blow" to the resurgent Taliban in the region.
According to Afghan government spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad, Dadullah was tracked down Friday by a joint Afghan army-police operation backed by NATO air support in southern Helmand Province.
Ahmad said Dadullah, who he described as the "killer of killers," was located through intelligence reports and by following leads closely.
"We had some reports that there were some major figures in the area of the operation," Ahmad told CNN Sunday. "We were going for some significant figures who were hiding in Helmand province."
Ahmad said the announcement was made Sunday because that was when the government's intelligence service confirmed the body was Dadullah.
The one-legged Dadullah figured prominently for the Taliban in media interviews.
In April, he told al-Jazeera that Osama bin Laden helped plan a deadly suicide car bombing outside Bagram Air Base targeting a "very important American official," apparently referring to Vice President Dick Cheney. (Full story)
Referring to bin Laden, Dadullah told the network, "Praise be to God he is still alive, and we have information about him and praise be to God he orchestrates plans in both Iraq and Afghanistan."
On March 1, Dadullah said his forces were poised for a spring offensive against NATO-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, and that he was maintaining a regular line of communication with bin Laden. Dadullah spoke in an interview obtained by Britain's Channel Four.
Journalist Tom Coghlan told CNN on Sunday from Kabul that he had witnessed a shift in NATO battle tactics.
NATO has been moving away from killing large numbers of low-level fighters to targeting Taliban figureheads in an "aim to decapitate the leadership," Coghlan said.
And Dadullah's death is "perhaps the biggest military loss" the Taliban has had since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
In December, the U.S. military said another top Taliban military commander was killed in an airstrike close to the border with Pakistan.
Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was killed by a U.S. airstrike while traveling by vehicle in a deserted area in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said.
A NATO statement said Dadullah had "left his sanctuary in southern Afghanistan where he was killed in a U.S.-led coalition operation supported by NATO."
The operation was made possible "by the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan people," the statement said.
The elusive commander was in charge of day-to-day military operations for the Taliban and, according to ISAF, his death has struck a "serious blow" to the resurgent Taliban in the region.
According to Afghan government spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad, Dadullah was tracked down Friday by a joint Afghan army-police operation backed by NATO air support in southern Helmand Province.
Ahmad said Dadullah, who he described as the "killer of killers," was located through intelligence reports and by following leads closely.
"We had some reports that there were some major figures in the area of the operation," Ahmad told CNN Sunday. "We were going for some significant figures who were hiding in Helmand province."
Ahmad said the announcement was made Sunday because that was when the government's intelligence service confirmed the body was Dadullah.
The one-legged Dadullah figured prominently for the Taliban in media interviews.
In April, he told al-Jazeera that Osama bin Laden helped plan a deadly suicide car bombing outside Bagram Air Base targeting a "very important American official," apparently referring to Vice President Dick Cheney. (Full story)
Referring to bin Laden, Dadullah told the network, "Praise be to God he is still alive, and we have information about him and praise be to God he orchestrates plans in both Iraq and Afghanistan."
On March 1, Dadullah said his forces were poised for a spring offensive against NATO-led coalition troops in Afghanistan, and that he was maintaining a regular line of communication with bin Laden. Dadullah spoke in an interview obtained by Britain's Channel Four.
Journalist Tom Coghlan told CNN on Sunday from Kabul that he had witnessed a shift in NATO battle tactics.
NATO has been moving away from killing large numbers of low-level fighters to targeting Taliban figureheads in an "aim to decapitate the leadership," Coghlan said.
And Dadullah's death is "perhaps the biggest military loss" the Taliban has had since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
In December, the U.S. military said another top Taliban military commander was killed in an airstrike close to the border with Pakistan.
Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was killed by a U.S. airstrike while traveling by vehicle in a deserted area in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
The title of this post means "My Italian Brothers." Yesterday marked my last visit to Camp Invicta, the Italian FOB, and the last time that I will see my friends Giuseppe and Erman in Afghanistan. I say "in Afghanistan" because my wife and I plan to travel to Italy later this year. I hope to see them again then.
I can't say enough about Guiseppe and Erman. They kept me sane by feeding me great Italian food and through their friendship. Visiting with them was a welcome break from Camp Alamo and it gave me something to look forward to each week.
To my Italian friends, "Mille grazie."
To my Italian friends, "Mille grazie."
We are currently in the process of filling over 2000 backpacks and duffel bags to give to the Afghan school kids. This is proving to be one of our biggest logistical challenges.
This must be done during our "down" time, and there isn't much of that. Each backpack or duffel must be unwrapped from its packaging, unzipped and then put through an assembly line of packers. Here you see backpacks waiting to be stripped of their internal packaging, which consists of a lot of useless cardboard and plastic.
Each packer has an assigned task. One person is in charge of pens and pencils, another handles crayons, another handles notebook paper, and so on. Then a person has to zip up the backpack or duffel and place it back into a box for shipment. As you can see, this is a very labor intensive process.
Two days of work and we've only been able to stuff about 800. Here you see the stuffed backpacks that have been "re-boxed." These are now ready to be delivered.
See all of those boxes in the back? Those are the duffel bags that we haven't even unpacked yet.
This is going to take a while.
This must be done during our "down" time, and there isn't much of that. Each backpack or duffel must be unwrapped from its packaging, unzipped and then put through an assembly line of packers. Here you see backpacks waiting to be stripped of their internal packaging, which consists of a lot of useless cardboard and plastic.
Each packer has an assigned task. One person is in charge of pens and pencils, another handles crayons, another handles notebook paper, and so on. Then a person has to zip up the backpack or duffel and place it back into a box for shipment. As you can see, this is a very labor intensive process.
Two days of work and we've only been able to stuff about 800. Here you see the stuffed backpacks that have been "re-boxed." These are now ready to be delivered.
See all of those boxes in the back? Those are the duffel bags that we haven't even unpacked yet.
This is going to take a while.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Soviet Combat Engineers used dogs to sniff for land mines during their war in Afghanistan. German shepherds were the breed of choice.
These pictures show the remains of a Soviet K-9 dog barracks. They were built using the same mud construction that the Afghans use for their homes.
You can still see the small kennels used to house each dog. It's amazing that the mud construction has lasted this long.
The Afghans tried a number of ways to baffle the Soviet Union's dogs, like wrapping the mines in cellophane or sprinkling them with motor oil. Neither method was very successful.
Dogs are still used today to help locate the thousands of land mines left in this country.
These pictures show the remains of a Soviet K-9 dog barracks. They were built using the same mud construction that the Afghans use for their homes.
You can still see the small kennels used to house each dog. It's amazing that the mud construction has lasted this long.
The Afghans tried a number of ways to baffle the Soviet Union's dogs, like wrapping the mines in cellophane or sprinkling them with motor oil. Neither method was very successful.
Dogs are still used today to help locate the thousands of land mines left in this country.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Today the Training Assistance Group held an awards ceremony for many of its departing members.
It is nice to be recognized for a job well done, but people don't do things here for medals.
I personally did not set out on this tour to chase medals either. We only wear them on our class "A" uniforms, and being in the National Guard, I have only donned mine a few times. However, now that this deployment is almost over, it does feel good to know that people think you did a good job.
I received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. We will all receive several other medals for participating in this tour.
Colonel Lyman said today, and I agree, that the Volunteer Service Medal is the most meaningful. I'm very proud of the humanitarian work we've done here.
It is nice to be recognized for a job well done, but people don't do things here for medals.
I personally did not set out on this tour to chase medals either. We only wear them on our class "A" uniforms, and being in the National Guard, I have only donned mine a few times. However, now that this deployment is almost over, it does feel good to know that people think you did a good job.
I received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. We will all receive several other medals for participating in this tour.
Colonel Lyman said today, and I agree, that the Volunteer Service Medal is the most meaningful. I'm very proud of the humanitarian work we've done here.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Atlanta JAG carries out aid mission for Afghan refugee village
By Meredith Hobbs, Staff Reporter
On Friday, U.S. soldiers distributed two 7-ton trucks’ worth of clothes, shoes and supplies to a refugee village near Kabul Military Training Center in Afghanistan. Atlanta solo plaintiffs’ attorney Scott Delius, serving in Afghanistan as an Army National Guard JAG since November 2006, organized the relief effort.
SCOTT D. DELIUS is ordinarily a solo plaintiffs’ attorney in Atlanta but has been serving in Afghanistan as an Army National Guard member since November 2006. He is stationed at the country’s largest military training base as a judge advocate general helping to train the Afghan National Army.
In late February, appalled and frustrated by the desperate poverty he’d seen in a refugee village near his base at the Kabul Military Training Center, he organized a clothing drive for the villagers.
The response was enthusiastic and generous. Within a few weeks, Delius had received more than 200 boxes of clothes, shoes and supplies at Camp Alamo, the American base at KMTC—all labeled and sorted by size and gender.
The contributions from colleagues and friends in Atlanta, Tennessee, New York and elsewhere were enough to fill a 7-ton truck. Boxes collected by Camp Alamo’s commander, Col. Jim Lyman, filled another 7-ton truck.
On Friday more than 50 soldiers at Delius’ base volunteered to help him transport the donations to a nearby village and distribute them to the Afghans. Since Friday is a Muslim holiday, it is the soldiers’ day off at the base.
Delius wrote on the blog that he’s keeping of his tour, Afghanistan JAG, that it took him about two weeks to plan the trip. He checked out the village three times, then planned the route and organized the personnel before Friday’s expedition off the base.
Crowd control was the soldiers’ biggest task; the villagers jockeyed for better spots in line for the clothing and shoes. Delius writes that there were no women or girls in the line because the men and boys kept pushing them aside—so the soldiers moved the girls to the front of the line, where they received all the clothes they could carry.
“We were able to put shoes, pants, shirts and jackets on over 500 people and size them correctly. That is a massive undertaking,” he said on his blog, where he also has posted pictures of the humanitarian mission. Delius, who was promoted to captain in April, is due to return to Atlanta later this month. He and his colleagues and family are working with a humanitarian organization to keep the aid effort going after his return and send shoes and clothes to Afghans in other villages.
Atlanta JAG carries out aid mission for Afghan refugee village
By Meredith Hobbs, Staff Reporter
On Friday, U.S. soldiers distributed two 7-ton trucks’ worth of clothes, shoes and supplies to a refugee village near Kabul Military Training Center in Afghanistan. Atlanta solo plaintiffs’ attorney Scott Delius, serving in Afghanistan as an Army National Guard JAG since November 2006, organized the relief effort.
SCOTT D. DELIUS is ordinarily a solo plaintiffs’ attorney in Atlanta but has been serving in Afghanistan as an Army National Guard member since November 2006. He is stationed at the country’s largest military training base as a judge advocate general helping to train the Afghan National Army.
In late February, appalled and frustrated by the desperate poverty he’d seen in a refugee village near his base at the Kabul Military Training Center, he organized a clothing drive for the villagers.
The response was enthusiastic and generous. Within a few weeks, Delius had received more than 200 boxes of clothes, shoes and supplies at Camp Alamo, the American base at KMTC—all labeled and sorted by size and gender.
The contributions from colleagues and friends in Atlanta, Tennessee, New York and elsewhere were enough to fill a 7-ton truck. Boxes collected by Camp Alamo’s commander, Col. Jim Lyman, filled another 7-ton truck.
On Friday more than 50 soldiers at Delius’ base volunteered to help him transport the donations to a nearby village and distribute them to the Afghans. Since Friday is a Muslim holiday, it is the soldiers’ day off at the base.
Delius wrote on the blog that he’s keeping of his tour, Afghanistan JAG, that it took him about two weeks to plan the trip. He checked out the village three times, then planned the route and organized the personnel before Friday’s expedition off the base.
Crowd control was the soldiers’ biggest task; the villagers jockeyed for better spots in line for the clothing and shoes. Delius writes that there were no women or girls in the line because the men and boys kept pushing them aside—so the soldiers moved the girls to the front of the line, where they received all the clothes they could carry.
“We were able to put shoes, pants, shirts and jackets on over 500 people and size them correctly. That is a massive undertaking,” he said on his blog, where he also has posted pictures of the humanitarian mission. Delius, who was promoted to captain in April, is due to return to Atlanta later this month. He and his colleagues and family are working with a humanitarian organization to keep the aid effort going after his return and send shoes and clothes to Afghans in other villages.
Friday, May 4, 2007
More pictures from yesterday's successful mission to deliver clothes to a needy village.
We completely filled two of them with boxes of clothes, from top to bottom.
The rest of the photographer's pictures tell their own story about the impact that we made yesterday. Enjoy.
The rest of the photographer's pictures tell their own story about the impact that we made yesterday. Enjoy.
Today we packed two 7 ton trucks filled from floor to ceiling with boxes of clothes and took them to a village outside Kabul for distribution. One truck was filled entirely of clothes that I collected from around the U.S. The other one was filled with boxes collected by the Alamo commander, COL Lyman.
It's hard to describe the size of the interior of a 7 ton truck, and we had two of them filled with large boxes. This was the largest distribution of clothes that I have ever seen. We were able to put shoes, pants, shirts and jackets on over 500 people and size them correctly. That is a massive undertaking.
I was the convoy commander for this mission. It took about two weeks to plan. I reconned the village three times, planned the route and organized the personnel. However, it's a lot more detailed than that and there were many people that volunteered their time. I don't want to give the impression that I did it all myself.
As a matter of fact, this mission would not have been possible were it not for the generosity of my family and friends back home who collected, packed and organized the boxes of clothes for shipment. The clothes were sent to us pre-sorted and labeled. That meant we only had to unpack the boxes and set up stations for the clothes.
This is a "must" for anyone organizing this type of endeavor. Make sure the boxes are pre-sorted and labeled before they are shipped out.
Of course, this mission would not have been possible without the 50+ volunteers who selflessly helped today. This picture shows the line of American and British soldiers formed to unload the goods. It's the largest turnout I've ever seen. Remember, this is everyone's "off" day. They are donating their personal time to do this.
Here we are setting up the stations. Shoes on the left, coats in the back, shirts on the right, etc.
Baby clothes being unpacked.
Look at all the shoes. Someone even donated football cleats.
Here the villagers are lining up. Crowd control became the biggest task. This is where I spent most of the day, helping to placate the villagers and assure them that there was plenty for everyone. They understandably jockeyed and tried to push to the front of the line because they're desperate.
Note the sign outside the school where we distributed the goods. It was built by the French.
As most of you know by now, females are treated quite poorly in Afghanistan. You will notice that there are no women in line. Young girls showed up, but they had to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, they couldn't do much. The men and boys kept pushing them aside.
Well, we fixed that problem. We moved the girls to the front of the line! You'll be happy to know that the girls got all the clothes that they could carry.
The inside of the courtyard as we're distributing goods. We had a controlled entry point, which was key. A soldier escorted each person through every station to make sure they got a fair amount of clothes that fit them.
The kids are fascinated by the digital pictures of themselves.
Some of the bags were bigger than the kids trying to carry them.
We took good care of over 500 people today, sizing them all up with shoes, pants, shirts and coats to fit. It was great.
This is the last humanitarian mission that I will lead and organize. All of the clothes that I have collected have now been distributed. I will also be coming home soon.
It's hard to describe the size of the interior of a 7 ton truck, and we had two of them filled with large boxes. This was the largest distribution of clothes that I have ever seen. We were able to put shoes, pants, shirts and jackets on over 500 people and size them correctly. That is a massive undertaking.
I was the convoy commander for this mission. It took about two weeks to plan. I reconned the village three times, planned the route and organized the personnel. However, it's a lot more detailed than that and there were many people that volunteered their time. I don't want to give the impression that I did it all myself.
As a matter of fact, this mission would not have been possible were it not for the generosity of my family and friends back home who collected, packed and organized the boxes of clothes for shipment. The clothes were sent to us pre-sorted and labeled. That meant we only had to unpack the boxes and set up stations for the clothes.
This is a "must" for anyone organizing this type of endeavor. Make sure the boxes are pre-sorted and labeled before they are shipped out.
Of course, this mission would not have been possible without the 50+ volunteers who selflessly helped today. This picture shows the line of American and British soldiers formed to unload the goods. It's the largest turnout I've ever seen. Remember, this is everyone's "off" day. They are donating their personal time to do this.
Here we are setting up the stations. Shoes on the left, coats in the back, shirts on the right, etc.
Baby clothes being unpacked.
Look at all the shoes. Someone even donated football cleats.
Here the villagers are lining up. Crowd control became the biggest task. This is where I spent most of the day, helping to placate the villagers and assure them that there was plenty for everyone. They understandably jockeyed and tried to push to the front of the line because they're desperate.
Note the sign outside the school where we distributed the goods. It was built by the French.
As most of you know by now, females are treated quite poorly in Afghanistan. You will notice that there are no women in line. Young girls showed up, but they had to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, they couldn't do much. The men and boys kept pushing them aside.
Well, we fixed that problem. We moved the girls to the front of the line! You'll be happy to know that the girls got all the clothes that they could carry.
The inside of the courtyard as we're distributing goods. We had a controlled entry point, which was key. A soldier escorted each person through every station to make sure they got a fair amount of clothes that fit them.
The kids are fascinated by the digital pictures of themselves.
Some of the bags were bigger than the kids trying to carry them.
We took good care of over 500 people today, sizing them all up with shoes, pants, shirts and coats to fit. It was great.
This is the last humanitarian mission that I will lead and organize. All of the clothes that I have collected have now been distributed. I will also be coming home soon.
Mobilizing and getting to Afghanistan has been difficult. But these missions have made it all worthwhile.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
There is a huge cave not far from our FOB. It was used by the Russians during their war here in Afghanistan to hide tanks. Hence, it is called the "Russian Cave." Yes, I know, it would be more accurate to call it the "Soviet Cave" but most people are not as picky as I am about historical facts.
Unfortunately the cave was locked today. Why does a cave need a lock? I don't know, but this thing is truly massive and supposedly goes back quite far into the mountain.
Me in front of the locked cave.
It's interesting to be this close to a piece of history, to imagine the USSR soldiers laboring to construct this tunnel and driving their tanks in and out. I wonder what they thought, what they felt about being here and what ultimately happened to them.
You can almost feel the presence of all the people who have struggled here in the past. It's like they're silently watching you.
The Afghans call these spirits "ghents." They firmly believe that they are all around us.
Sometimes I think they're right.
Unfortunately the cave was locked today. Why does a cave need a lock? I don't know, but this thing is truly massive and supposedly goes back quite far into the mountain.
Me in front of the locked cave.
It's interesting to be this close to a piece of history, to imagine the USSR soldiers laboring to construct this tunnel and driving their tanks in and out. I wonder what they thought, what they felt about being here and what ultimately happened to them.
You can almost feel the presence of all the people who have struggled here in the past. It's like they're silently watching you.
The Afghans call these spirits "ghents." They firmly believe that they are all around us.
Sometimes I think they're right.
Monday, April 30, 2007
According to statistics released by British de-mining agency the Halo Trust, Afghanistan is the most mined country in the world. They also estimate that over 500,000 mines still lie dormant in this country.
Other agencies estimate that the number could be as high as ten million.
An anti-personnel land mine is generally designed to maim an adult. The theory is that you tie up an army's resources when you wound a person instead of killing him.
It is believed that approximately 100 Afghans are injured or killed by land mines each month. I have seen some statistics that say up to seven children a day are killed by land mines in Afghanistan.
I have personally seen many people without legs. I have little doubt that they were maimed by land mines.
I recently passed by a de-mining operation.
Much of the work is done manually, with workers probing by hand in the dirt looking for mines. To make matters worse, the Taliban often attack the de-mining teams. See http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2007/april/apr82007.html#3
If you would like to donate to the worthy effort to remove landmines from Afghanistan, please visit http://www.halotrust.org/help.html
Other agencies estimate that the number could be as high as ten million.
An anti-personnel land mine is generally designed to maim an adult. The theory is that you tie up an army's resources when you wound a person instead of killing him.
It is believed that approximately 100 Afghans are injured or killed by land mines each month. I have seen some statistics that say up to seven children a day are killed by land mines in Afghanistan.
I have personally seen many people without legs. I have little doubt that they were maimed by land mines.
I recently passed by a de-mining operation.
Much of the work is done manually, with workers probing by hand in the dirt looking for mines. To make matters worse, the Taliban often attack the de-mining teams. See http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2007/april/apr82007.html#3
If you would like to donate to the worthy effort to remove landmines from Afghanistan, please visit http://www.halotrust.org/help.html
Thursday, April 26, 2007
eTorch ArchivesMay 2007
Good Samaritan Guardsman Will Leave Afghanistan a Better Place
Life doesn’t just happen to Scott Delius. He shapes it to a purpose, which is how he finds himself in Afghanistan.
Delius (’91) temporarily shelved his law practice in Atlanta to serve with the Army National Guard, which is part of the NATO coalition training the Afghan National Army.
The events of 9/ll inspired Delius to join the National Guard. “Our country was attacked, and I felt a responsibility to help defend it,” he says.
“My father is retired military, so I’m sure that contributed to my patriotic feelings.”
He tried to enlist in the Army Reserves but wasn’t accepted because of a knee problem. Eventually he got into the National Guard and volunteered for the NATO mission.
His official duty is at the judge advocate general office at the Kabul Military Training Center. But he spends a lot of his free time on humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people. Recently, he spearheaded an effort to supply clothing, shoes, and tents for Afghanis whose living conditions are like nothing he’s seen before. The results pleased and astounded him.
“I was overwhelmed by the response of my family, friends, and complete strangers.” Colleagues in the Atlanta legal community and his wife, Allyson Garnett, took the lead in responding to Delius’s call.
“I have received 200 large boxes of sorted clothes,” he told eTorch in early April. “We have received almost $4,000 in donations. Much of that money was used to ship the clothing to me.”
On his blog, Delius described a mission on Easter Sunday to deliver aid packages.
“This particular mission evolved after a flood devastated a section of downtown Kabul. We were told that over 6,000 people lost their homes. A police chief contacted our intelligence officer and asked for assistance,” Delius said. The troops delivered food and clothing as well as shovels, tarps, saws, and hammers the residents needed to rebuild their homes.
But humanitarian assistance has to be delivered with an eye to constant security threats.
“These missions take a lot of planning,” Delius said. “You can't just roll out to a neighborhood and drop stuff off. There is a constant threat level in Kabul. In addition to getting the goods organized, you have to pick personnel, vehicles, weaponry, plan routes, plan for attacks, and develop strategy.”
At the end of the white knuckle convoy though, the supplies finally reached the people—a gratifying experience for Delius and his colleagues.
“I helped one woman and a beautiful little girl carry their packages,” he said. “After I put them down, this sweet little girl turned to me and said ‘tashakur’ - which means ‘thank you.’ This was the highlight of my day, and maybe the greatest moment of this entire deployment.”
Delius’s “day job” of training the Afghan army finds him working directly with Afghan officers to develop their legal system.
“We are building an entire court system from the ground up. Most days are spent working with them, helping them with current cases, developing training programs, and building their legal system.”
He also is the command judge advocate to the American commander at his base, Camp Alamo, helping with investigations and disciplinary issues and giving legal assistance to soldiers.
Delius’s record at UT foreshadowed his desire to serve others. He received the Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service. He was a student orientation assistant, a resident assistant, a student senator and a member of the All Campus Events committee.
“I have a great love for the University of Tennessee that was inspired by my grandfather, John J. Delius Sr. (’39),” he says. The elder Delius earned both undergraduate and law degrees from UT. “He was a lifelong Vol and was buried wearing the UT tie I gave him when I was a freshman,” Scott Delius said.
The Memphis native plans to be back in the States in June and says he’ll resume his law practice after some “decompression” time.
Delius said his time in Afghanistan is making him a more tolerant person. During a recent three-hour wait to mail packages back home, he got a chair and a book to make the time more pass more quickly.
“I will add post office wait times to the growing list of things that will no longer bother me when I return home,” he said. “This list currently includes cell phone service, internet speed, and potholes.”
Good Samaritan Guardsman Will Leave Afghanistan a Better Place
Life doesn’t just happen to Scott Delius. He shapes it to a purpose, which is how he finds himself in Afghanistan.
Delius (’91) temporarily shelved his law practice in Atlanta to serve with the Army National Guard, which is part of the NATO coalition training the Afghan National Army.
The events of 9/ll inspired Delius to join the National Guard. “Our country was attacked, and I felt a responsibility to help defend it,” he says.
“My father is retired military, so I’m sure that contributed to my patriotic feelings.”
He tried to enlist in the Army Reserves but wasn’t accepted because of a knee problem. Eventually he got into the National Guard and volunteered for the NATO mission.
His official duty is at the judge advocate general office at the Kabul Military Training Center. But he spends a lot of his free time on humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people. Recently, he spearheaded an effort to supply clothing, shoes, and tents for Afghanis whose living conditions are like nothing he’s seen before. The results pleased and astounded him.
“I was overwhelmed by the response of my family, friends, and complete strangers.” Colleagues in the Atlanta legal community and his wife, Allyson Garnett, took the lead in responding to Delius’s call.
“I have received 200 large boxes of sorted clothes,” he told eTorch in early April. “We have received almost $4,000 in donations. Much of that money was used to ship the clothing to me.”
On his blog, Delius described a mission on Easter Sunday to deliver aid packages.
“This particular mission evolved after a flood devastated a section of downtown Kabul. We were told that over 6,000 people lost their homes. A police chief contacted our intelligence officer and asked for assistance,” Delius said. The troops delivered food and clothing as well as shovels, tarps, saws, and hammers the residents needed to rebuild their homes.
But humanitarian assistance has to be delivered with an eye to constant security threats.
“These missions take a lot of planning,” Delius said. “You can't just roll out to a neighborhood and drop stuff off. There is a constant threat level in Kabul. In addition to getting the goods organized, you have to pick personnel, vehicles, weaponry, plan routes, plan for attacks, and develop strategy.”
At the end of the white knuckle convoy though, the supplies finally reached the people—a gratifying experience for Delius and his colleagues.
“I helped one woman and a beautiful little girl carry their packages,” he said. “After I put them down, this sweet little girl turned to me and said ‘tashakur’ - which means ‘thank you.’ This was the highlight of my day, and maybe the greatest moment of this entire deployment.”
Delius’s “day job” of training the Afghan army finds him working directly with Afghan officers to develop their legal system.
“We are building an entire court system from the ground up. Most days are spent working with them, helping them with current cases, developing training programs, and building their legal system.”
He also is the command judge advocate to the American commander at his base, Camp Alamo, helping with investigations and disciplinary issues and giving legal assistance to soldiers.
Delius’s record at UT foreshadowed his desire to serve others. He received the Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Campus Leadership and Service. He was a student orientation assistant, a resident assistant, a student senator and a member of the All Campus Events committee.
“I have a great love for the University of Tennessee that was inspired by my grandfather, John J. Delius Sr. (’39),” he says. The elder Delius earned both undergraduate and law degrees from UT. “He was a lifelong Vol and was buried wearing the UT tie I gave him when I was a freshman,” Scott Delius said.
The Memphis native plans to be back in the States in June and says he’ll resume his law practice after some “decompression” time.
Delius said his time in Afghanistan is making him a more tolerant person. During a recent three-hour wait to mail packages back home, he got a chair and a book to make the time more pass more quickly.
“I will add post office wait times to the growing list of things that will no longer bother me when I return home,” he said. “This list currently includes cell phone service, internet speed, and potholes.”
Today I was one of seven Training Assistance Group members at Camp Alamo who were awarded the Command Sergeant Major's (CSM) Challenge Coin. This was an honor. The CSM is the highest ranking enlisted man in Task Force Phoenix. He awards his coins to enlisted servicemembers and officers who have provided excellent service. I was not expecting this, but it was very nice to be recognized. These are pictures of both sides of the coin.
Challenge coins have a unique history in the United States military. During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy young men who left colleges in order to enlist in the military. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered solid bronze medallions embossed with the squadron emblem for every member of his squadron. He carried his medallion in a small leather sack around his neck.
Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the lieutenant's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire during a mission. He was forced to land behind enemy lines where he was captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. He was eventually taken to a small French town near the front lines where he managed to escape during a night bombardment. During the attack, he donned civilian clothes and fled without personal identification.
After escaping, the brave pilot succeeded in avoiding German patrols until he reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land and stumbled into a French outpost. Unfortunately, the French in this sector had been plagued by German saboteurs, who sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him.
Just in time, the American remembered his leather pouch containing the bronze medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners. When the French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion, they gave the pilot enough time to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him, they gave him a bottle of wine. Eventually the pilot made it back to his squadron, where it became a tradition to ensure all members carried their medallion or coin at all times.
To make sure that everyone carried their coin, the tradition of a "challenge" emerged. A service member would ask to see the other servicemember's coin. If the challenged servicemember could not produce his coin, he was required to purchase a drink of choice for the member who had challenged him. If the challenged member produced his coin, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued through the war and for many years after while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.
Today, military service members often trade these coins while deployed. Only persons in high ranking positions have coins. Generals all have coins. Command Sergeant Majors have coins. Coins are earned meritoriously for a job well done.
This is my first coin and I'm proud to have received it.
Challenge coins have a unique history in the United States military. During World War I, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy young men who left colleges in order to enlist in the military. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered solid bronze medallions embossed with the squadron emblem for every member of his squadron. He carried his medallion in a small leather sack around his neck.
Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the lieutenant's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire during a mission. He was forced to land behind enemy lines where he was captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. He was eventually taken to a small French town near the front lines where he managed to escape during a night bombardment. During the attack, he donned civilian clothes and fled without personal identification.
After escaping, the brave pilot succeeded in avoiding German patrols until he reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land and stumbled into a French outpost. Unfortunately, the French in this sector had been plagued by German saboteurs, who sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him.
Just in time, the American remembered his leather pouch containing the bronze medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners. When the French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion, they gave the pilot enough time to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him, they gave him a bottle of wine. Eventually the pilot made it back to his squadron, where it became a tradition to ensure all members carried their medallion or coin at all times.
To make sure that everyone carried their coin, the tradition of a "challenge" emerged. A service member would ask to see the other servicemember's coin. If the challenged servicemember could not produce his coin, he was required to purchase a drink of choice for the member who had challenged him. If the challenged member produced his coin, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued through the war and for many years after while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.
Today, military service members often trade these coins while deployed. Only persons in high ranking positions have coins. Generals all have coins. Command Sergeant Majors have coins. Coins are earned meritoriously for a job well done.
This is my first coin and I'm proud to have received it.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
A few weeks ago I wrote about our recon of a village in downtown Kabul that we deemed too dangerous to stop and assist. The more I thought about those people, the more I realized that we couldn't abandon them just because it wasn't safe for U.S. personnel. Those people were in desperate need of assistance. Something had to be done.
I considered the fact that the village was discovered by my Afghan National Army (ANA) counterpart in the first place. He had visited it many times and had compiled a detailed list of their needs. Then it hit me. He could visit the village any time he wanted. He wasn't worried about security. After all, isn't this his country? Shouldn't he be handing out relief supplies, helping his own people and creating good will for the Afghan Army?
So that's what we decided to do. The ANA loaded up all of the food, some clothing and they performed their own humanitarian mission. As far as we know, this is the first of its kind to come out of the Kabul Military Training Center. It was even more unique because it wasn't managed by a public affairs officer. Instead, it was organized by my counterpart, who is a colonel in the law department.
My counterpart tells me that the mission was a great success. I've seen some of their pictures that they took, but I wasn't able to get copies yet. The people were indeed needy and it looks like the ANA did a great job.
This needs to be a recurring theme. We should give the Afghans the goods and let them distribute them. Although they don't have the resources such as abundant food and clothing, they do want to help their fellow citizens. We should therefore strive to let them organize the mission and conduct the delivery more often in the future.
This will generate good will among the Afghan population towards their own Army. If their Army has popular support, it will be able to stand on its own.
Then we can all come home.
I considered the fact that the village was discovered by my Afghan National Army (ANA) counterpart in the first place. He had visited it many times and had compiled a detailed list of their needs. Then it hit me. He could visit the village any time he wanted. He wasn't worried about security. After all, isn't this his country? Shouldn't he be handing out relief supplies, helping his own people and creating good will for the Afghan Army?
So that's what we decided to do. The ANA loaded up all of the food, some clothing and they performed their own humanitarian mission. As far as we know, this is the first of its kind to come out of the Kabul Military Training Center. It was even more unique because it wasn't managed by a public affairs officer. Instead, it was organized by my counterpart, who is a colonel in the law department.
My counterpart tells me that the mission was a great success. I've seen some of their pictures that they took, but I wasn't able to get copies yet. The people were indeed needy and it looks like the ANA did a great job.
This needs to be a recurring theme. We should give the Afghans the goods and let them distribute them. Although they don't have the resources such as abundant food and clothing, they do want to help their fellow citizens. We should therefore strive to let them organize the mission and conduct the delivery more often in the future.
This will generate good will among the Afghan population towards their own Army. If their Army has popular support, it will be able to stand on its own.
Then we can all come home.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Today we reconned a village for our next humanitarian mission. As usual, the kids were great.
There was a pretty strong dust storm this afternoon. Either that's to blame for the fuzzy pictures or my camera is on its last leg. Probably the latter. It's been through a lot.
A smart soldier brought along some candy. The kids loved scrambling for it.
This village looks like a good spot. We are going to make this mission very "hands on." Instead of handing out a bag of random goods, we are going to have a personal fitting for each child. This will take a lot more time, but it will be much more beneficial for the recipients.
When we started this campaign, I asked for the clothes to be sorted by gender and age. Lots of generous people devoted a great deal of time doing just that. They also made sure that each box was labeled, identifying its contents. This will enable us to simply unload the boxes, set up stations for each clothing item and have people visit each station to receive their clothes.
Without your help, we could not be certain that we will be meeting each child's individual needs. Because of your hard work, we can now put the right sized shirt, shoes and pants on each child.
Although it says otherwise on my orders, this is why I came to Afghanistan.
There was a pretty strong dust storm this afternoon. Either that's to blame for the fuzzy pictures or my camera is on its last leg. Probably the latter. It's been through a lot.
A smart soldier brought along some candy. The kids loved scrambling for it.
This village looks like a good spot. We are going to make this mission very "hands on." Instead of handing out a bag of random goods, we are going to have a personal fitting for each child. This will take a lot more time, but it will be much more beneficial for the recipients.
When we started this campaign, I asked for the clothes to be sorted by gender and age. Lots of generous people devoted a great deal of time doing just that. They also made sure that each box was labeled, identifying its contents. This will enable us to simply unload the boxes, set up stations for each clothing item and have people visit each station to receive their clothes.
Without your help, we could not be certain that we will be meeting each child's individual needs. Because of your hard work, we can now put the right sized shirt, shoes and pants on each child.
Although it says otherwise on my orders, this is why I came to Afghanistan.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The bazaars are frenetic affairs. As you walk through the grounds, vendors come up to you and literally pull you into their shopping area, begging you to see their wares. They know our symbols of rank, so they get your attention by hollering "Captain, come see my shop" or something similar.
Once you decide that you want to buy something, an intricate procedure begins, because there are no pricetags on any of the items.
You begin by picking up something you don't want. The vendor says, "What price you want to pay?" You start at an absurdly low number, the vendor acts offended, you haggle with him a little more, and then you put the item down, acting like you can't afford it. Then just as you appear ready to leave, you pick up the item you want and negotiate with the vendor over that one. If the vendor thinks you are going to leave him, you can usually get him down to a reasonable price.
The vendors bring things like fur coats, rugs, antique (maybe) firearms, jewelry, and pottery. I say "maybe" about the firearms because most of them are reproductions. The Afghans are very good at taking parts of old weapons and putting them together to make them look like antiques.
Don't let anyone tell you that the Afghans don't understand capitalism.
I personally hate the haggling process. I always leave the bazaar feeling stressed out and like I just got taken to the cleaners. My wife would love it. She's a good shopper. Me, I just want to get what I want in the least amount of time.
Afghan tailors also come to the bazaar. So far I've purchased three suits, about four pairs of pants and two sportcoats. All of the clothes are custom made, and you can get a suit for about $60.00. I've heard people say that U.S. tailors tell them that a similar suit in the states would cost $400.00+. They look pretty good to me.
On the other hand, my perception of fashion and clothing is probably somewhat skewed. After all, I've been wearing the same thing for five months straight!!
Once you decide that you want to buy something, an intricate procedure begins, because there are no pricetags on any of the items.
You begin by picking up something you don't want. The vendor says, "What price you want to pay?" You start at an absurdly low number, the vendor acts offended, you haggle with him a little more, and then you put the item down, acting like you can't afford it. Then just as you appear ready to leave, you pick up the item you want and negotiate with the vendor over that one. If the vendor thinks you are going to leave him, you can usually get him down to a reasonable price.
The vendors bring things like fur coats, rugs, antique (maybe) firearms, jewelry, and pottery. I say "maybe" about the firearms because most of them are reproductions. The Afghans are very good at taking parts of old weapons and putting them together to make them look like antiques.
Don't let anyone tell you that the Afghans don't understand capitalism.
I personally hate the haggling process. I always leave the bazaar feeling stressed out and like I just got taken to the cleaners. My wife would love it. She's a good shopper. Me, I just want to get what I want in the least amount of time.
Afghan tailors also come to the bazaar. So far I've purchased three suits, about four pairs of pants and two sportcoats. All of the clothes are custom made, and you can get a suit for about $60.00. I've heard people say that U.S. tailors tell them that a similar suit in the states would cost $400.00+. They look pretty good to me.
On the other hand, my perception of fashion and clothing is probably somewhat skewed. After all, I've been wearing the same thing for five months straight!!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Air Force photographers were on the scene at our humanitarian mission in Kabul on Tuesday. Here's the link to the story and all the photos that they took:
http://www.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123048432
The AF took this photo of me and Navy CDR Evers carrying boxes of tools to be unloaded.
Glad we got more coverage.
http://www.af.mil/news/story_media.asp?id=123048432
The AF took this photo of me and Navy CDR Evers carrying boxes of tools to be unloaded.
Glad we got more coverage.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
This was a successful mission. No casualties, very few complications and we got the goods delivered fast.
I'm looking forward to the next one.
You can contact me via my website at this link:
I'm looking forward to the next one.
You can contact me via my website at this link:
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
A few days ago I posted a story about our humanitarian mission preparation on Easter. We delivered those clothes and that food today.
Before I go any further, I want to thank everyone involved in sending clothing donations and helping pay to have them shipped here. There will be more missions to come, and I promise to post many pictures so you can see the fruits of your kindness.
It's hard to describe the humanitarian assistance program here at Camp Alamo. So many people contribute in so many ways. Unfortunately, it's hard to have a lot of coordination because all of us have full time jobs mentoring the Afghan National Army.
This particular mission evolved after a flood devastated a section of downtown Kabul. We were told that over 6000 people lost their homes. A police chief contacted our intelligence officer and asked for assistance.
Our intelligence officer took the lead as the Mission Commander. He asked me to be the Alternate Mission Commander and assist him.
Last week we visited with the police chief and assessed his needs. Based on his request, we put together 100 bags of food and clothing. We also obtained shovels, tarps, saws, hammers and other tools that they could use to help rebuild their homes.
As I've tried to explain before, these missions take a lot of planning. You can't just roll out to a neighborhood and drop stuff off. Obviously there is a constant threat level in Kabul. In addition to getting the goods organized, you have to pick personnel, vehicles, weaponry, plan routes, plan for attacks and develop strategy. We worked late into last night putting all of this together.
Perhaps the most difficult task I had was giving the pre-mission briefing to the convoy. For security reasons, I can't go into the composition of the convoy, but it was significant. During this briefing you tell every person what their task is going to be during the mission, what they are expected to do during any contingency and make sure that every person has water, weapons, communications equipment, etc.
There was added pressure (probably self imposed) because I am a JAG. In the past, we haven't been tacticians. But in an asymmetrical war, everyone is expected and trained to be a warrior and a leader. So I felt confident.
On the way to the distribution site I was the commander of my convoy. This is a tense experience because you are responsible for all vehicles and all personnel in those vehicles. We have constant communication between all vehicles and we are always coordinating how to deal with perceived and real threats. I have headphone communication with my driver, gunner and all other vehicles to make sure we target and steer clear of all threats. This is "Top Gun" in a humvee. "Watch your six!" "Motorcycle at two o'clock!" "Pedestrians entering road at eleven o'clock!"
The H.A. mission itself went real well. We cordoned off the street in front of the Olympic Stadium. Here's a picture of the outside of the stadium.
The barbed wire was a strange contrast to the Olympic rings.
The Afghan police did a good job of lining the family members up to receive the aid. My only regret is that we didn't bring water for the villagers, but they didn't have to wait long and they seemed to do ok. Of course, with 80+ degree heat and about forty extra pounds of gear on me, I thought it was quite warm. I had a camelback of water so I was alright.
The Afghan Air Force flew by while we were downtown. There were MIGs, HIND gunships and more. Quite impressive. I have some video but it would take too long to upload.
People carrying their food and clothing back home. A man on a cane had a badly disfigured foot. There were several amputees in the crowd with missing legs. No doubt victim to the many mines in this country.
The mission was a great success. The problem was that we couldn't take everyone who got up early on Easter to sort the food and clothing. Security was just too tight. We only had about ten percent of our personnel helping distribute while everyone else handled a security function.
Some of our people got their feelings hurt by the fact that they couldn't go. We are having a meeting tomorrow so that we can make sure that everyone can go out on the future missions that we hope to organize very soon.
Since the bags were so heavy, many of us helped the women, children and frail men with the packages. I helped one woman and a beautiful little girl carry their packages. After I put them down, this sweet little girl turned to me and said "tashakur" - which means "thank you."
This was the highlight of my day, and maybe the greatest moment of this entire deployment.
Before I go any further, I want to thank everyone involved in sending clothing donations and helping pay to have them shipped here. There will be more missions to come, and I promise to post many pictures so you can see the fruits of your kindness.
It's hard to describe the humanitarian assistance program here at Camp Alamo. So many people contribute in so many ways. Unfortunately, it's hard to have a lot of coordination because all of us have full time jobs mentoring the Afghan National Army.
This particular mission evolved after a flood devastated a section of downtown Kabul. We were told that over 6000 people lost their homes. A police chief contacted our intelligence officer and asked for assistance.
Our intelligence officer took the lead as the Mission Commander. He asked me to be the Alternate Mission Commander and assist him.
Last week we visited with the police chief and assessed his needs. Based on his request, we put together 100 bags of food and clothing. We also obtained shovels, tarps, saws, hammers and other tools that they could use to help rebuild their homes.
As I've tried to explain before, these missions take a lot of planning. You can't just roll out to a neighborhood and drop stuff off. Obviously there is a constant threat level in Kabul. In addition to getting the goods organized, you have to pick personnel, vehicles, weaponry, plan routes, plan for attacks and develop strategy. We worked late into last night putting all of this together.
Perhaps the most difficult task I had was giving the pre-mission briefing to the convoy. For security reasons, I can't go into the composition of the convoy, but it was significant. During this briefing you tell every person what their task is going to be during the mission, what they are expected to do during any contingency and make sure that every person has water, weapons, communications equipment, etc.
There was added pressure (probably self imposed) because I am a JAG. In the past, we haven't been tacticians. But in an asymmetrical war, everyone is expected and trained to be a warrior and a leader. So I felt confident.
On the way to the distribution site I was the commander of my convoy. This is a tense experience because you are responsible for all vehicles and all personnel in those vehicles. We have constant communication between all vehicles and we are always coordinating how to deal with perceived and real threats. I have headphone communication with my driver, gunner and all other vehicles to make sure we target and steer clear of all threats. This is "Top Gun" in a humvee. "Watch your six!" "Motorcycle at two o'clock!" "Pedestrians entering road at eleven o'clock!"
The H.A. mission itself went real well. We cordoned off the street in front of the Olympic Stadium. Here's a picture of the outside of the stadium.
The barbed wire was a strange contrast to the Olympic rings.
The Afghan police did a good job of lining the family members up to receive the aid. My only regret is that we didn't bring water for the villagers, but they didn't have to wait long and they seemed to do ok. Of course, with 80+ degree heat and about forty extra pounds of gear on me, I thought it was quite warm. I had a camelback of water so I was alright.
The Afghan Air Force flew by while we were downtown. There were MIGs, HIND gunships and more. Quite impressive. I have some video but it would take too long to upload.
People carrying their food and clothing back home. A man on a cane had a badly disfigured foot. There were several amputees in the crowd with missing legs. No doubt victim to the many mines in this country.
The mission was a great success. The problem was that we couldn't take everyone who got up early on Easter to sort the food and clothing. Security was just too tight. We only had about ten percent of our personnel helping distribute while everyone else handled a security function.
Some of our people got their feelings hurt by the fact that they couldn't go. We are having a meeting tomorrow so that we can make sure that everyone can go out on the future missions that we hope to organize very soon.
Since the bags were so heavy, many of us helped the women, children and frail men with the packages. I helped one woman and a beautiful little girl carry their packages. After I put them down, this sweet little girl turned to me and said "tashakur" - which means "thank you."
This was the highlight of my day, and maybe the greatest moment of this entire deployment.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Today is Easter Sunday.
We just got word that there was a village of thousands that was washed out by a flood. The priority for them is food, blankets, and essential clothing. We got a rush delivery of food and blankets last week. I was part of a group yesterday that reconned the area and formulated our distribution plan.
The next step was to get the items separated and loaded onto trucks for delivery. That's the hard part.
I posted signs all around the camp telling volunteers to report at 0700 if they wanted to help organize the goods. I set the time so early because there are several activities planned for Easter, such as a basketball tournament, movies, etc.
Of course, there were many "nay-sayers" who told me that no one would ever show up that early on their day off. I silently crossed my fingers and hoped that I was right and they were wrong.
I was right. About thirty people showed up. Air Force, Army, Navy and coalition all chipped in to help.
Thanks to my mom for sending me the extra strong trash bags. They were perfect for the heavy sacks of wheat, flour, rice and beans.
As you can imagine, this can be a daunting task. Organization and manpower are the keys to getting this done efficiently.
This entire operation took 2 1/2 hours. Not bad for unloading the connexes, sorting the food, sorting the clothing, putting them in separate bags and loading the trucks.
We are now ready for our mission. We should be able to help at least 100 families.
Unfortunately there was no chapel held at Camp Alamo today.
Nevertheless, I think we had the best Easter "Service" ever.
We just got word that there was a village of thousands that was washed out by a flood. The priority for them is food, blankets, and essential clothing. We got a rush delivery of food and blankets last week. I was part of a group yesterday that reconned the area and formulated our distribution plan.
The next step was to get the items separated and loaded onto trucks for delivery. That's the hard part.
I posted signs all around the camp telling volunteers to report at 0700 if they wanted to help organize the goods. I set the time so early because there are several activities planned for Easter, such as a basketball tournament, movies, etc.
Of course, there were many "nay-sayers" who told me that no one would ever show up that early on their day off. I silently crossed my fingers and hoped that I was right and they were wrong.
I was right. About thirty people showed up. Air Force, Army, Navy and coalition all chipped in to help.
Thanks to my mom for sending me the extra strong trash bags. They were perfect for the heavy sacks of wheat, flour, rice and beans.
As you can imagine, this can be a daunting task. Organization and manpower are the keys to getting this done efficiently.
This entire operation took 2 1/2 hours. Not bad for unloading the connexes, sorting the food, sorting the clothing, putting them in separate bags and loading the trucks.
We are now ready for our mission. We should be able to help at least 100 families.
Unfortunately there was no chapel held at Camp Alamo today.
Nevertheless, I think we had the best Easter "Service" ever.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Americans hate going to the post office to mail packages. The long waits can be painful.
But I will never complain about the post office at home again.
Today I spent over THREE HOURS waiting to mail packages home. I finally went and got a chair, a book and a hat to make the time more bearable.
The outgoing mail man is only at Camp Alamo on Fridays, so people can only mail packages home once a week. This creates a significant backlog. There is just one clerk to handle everyone, and each package must be inspected, weighed and paid for before shipping it out. This takes lots of time.
Like everything else in the military, complaining will get you nowhere. You have to simply adapt and be patient. Hence the book and chair.
I will add post office wait times to the growing list of things that will no longer bother me when I return home. This list currently includes cell phone service, internet speed and potholes.
Happy Easter everyone.
But I will never complain about the post office at home again.
Today I spent over THREE HOURS waiting to mail packages home. I finally went and got a chair, a book and a hat to make the time more bearable.
The outgoing mail man is only at Camp Alamo on Fridays, so people can only mail packages home once a week. This creates a significant backlog. There is just one clerk to handle everyone, and each package must be inspected, weighed and paid for before shipping it out. This takes lots of time.
Like everything else in the military, complaining will get you nowhere. You have to simply adapt and be patient. Hence the book and chair.
I will add post office wait times to the growing list of things that will no longer bother me when I return home. This list currently includes cell phone service, internet speed and potholes.
Happy Easter everyone.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
My Afghan colonel told me about a village in Kabul that was in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, you can't just jot down an address and run out and start distributing aid. You must always recon the area first.
We planned the convoy during much of yesterday afternoon. As senior officer, I was the convoy commander. This morning we mounted up in uparmored humvees with gunners in the turrets. I put my Afghan colonel and an interpreter in the back seat. Everyone was in full body armor with weapons locked and loaded.
The trip to the village was uneventful. However, things got interesting when we turned down the street where the village was located.
The village itself was everything the colonel said and more. Terrible conditions, trash everywhere, mud huts with plastic sheeting for roofs and windows. These people clearly need help.
As we drove down the street, it was obvious that the area was completely unsafe. The scene evoked images from the movie "Black Hawk Down." Tall buildings everywhere. Tight and narrow streets with no room for manuverability. Crowds everywhere. Cars, trucks, bicyles and motorcycles all over the place. Way too many variables.
In short, this area was a complete "no go."
The colonel started to get out of the humvee, but I told him to stay inside. I told the translator to tell the him that I was sorry, but I wasn't going to risk my people to even get out and talk to the villagers. After about ten seconds of looking at the area, I gave the order to return to our FOB.
The fact that I have no pictures is a testament to the "dicey-ness" of this area. There was no time to be a photographer and a convoy commander.
To put it in perspective, before driving down this street, everyone was giving us the "thumbs up" sign. However, it was clear that we were not welcome on this particular street.
When I got back, my uniform was soaked with sweat, and it was not due to the heat.
I am upset that we will not personally be able to assist those people. I will try to find some other humanitarian organizations that might be able to help.
The lesson learned is that we simply cannot pull off a humanitarian mission in a heavily populated urban area. I will look for something closer to home, with better ground to defend.
The reality is that we can't help others if we can't be assured of our own safety.
We planned the convoy during much of yesterday afternoon. As senior officer, I was the convoy commander. This morning we mounted up in uparmored humvees with gunners in the turrets. I put my Afghan colonel and an interpreter in the back seat. Everyone was in full body armor with weapons locked and loaded.
The trip to the village was uneventful. However, things got interesting when we turned down the street where the village was located.
The village itself was everything the colonel said and more. Terrible conditions, trash everywhere, mud huts with plastic sheeting for roofs and windows. These people clearly need help.
As we drove down the street, it was obvious that the area was completely unsafe. The scene evoked images from the movie "Black Hawk Down." Tall buildings everywhere. Tight and narrow streets with no room for manuverability. Crowds everywhere. Cars, trucks, bicyles and motorcycles all over the place. Way too many variables.
In short, this area was a complete "no go."
The colonel started to get out of the humvee, but I told him to stay inside. I told the translator to tell the him that I was sorry, but I wasn't going to risk my people to even get out and talk to the villagers. After about ten seconds of looking at the area, I gave the order to return to our FOB.
The fact that I have no pictures is a testament to the "dicey-ness" of this area. There was no time to be a photographer and a convoy commander.
To put it in perspective, before driving down this street, everyone was giving us the "thumbs up" sign. However, it was clear that we were not welcome on this particular street.
When I got back, my uniform was soaked with sweat, and it was not due to the heat.
I am upset that we will not personally be able to assist those people. I will try to find some other humanitarian organizations that might be able to help.
The lesson learned is that we simply cannot pull off a humanitarian mission in a heavily populated urban area. I will look for something closer to home, with better ground to defend.
The reality is that we can't help others if we can't be assured of our own safety.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Last Thursday we had a party at Camp Alamo. There was really no special occasion except for the fact that the Air Force rock band was at our FOB. We were able to get them here because one of our officers has a brother in the band.
I helped bring the band members over from the airport. They did not enjoy the ride. I don't think they get "outside the wire" very much. It's interesting how constantly scanning the road for bombs, gunmen, etc has become a normal function for us, yet it's quite harrowing for any outsiders.
The party was actually pretty fun. Here I'm standing on the roof looking down into the courtyard. As you can see, each of the coalition members set up a table with food from their country.
Everyone at our FOB was authorized to wear civilian clothes. That's great, except for the fact that I was told repeatedly before leaving the U.S. that absolutely no civilian clothes were allowed in country. I guess no one else got that message. Since I am the rule abiding sort, and didn't bring any civvies, I got to wear Army PT gear. Aces.
Here you can see the Italians in the foreground. We still go to their base every week and eat with them. The have recently added pasta to their menu in addition to pizza. Really good stuff.
The French setting up their table and taking pictures. Interesting flag to the right on the wall. Modeled after our Stars and Stripes, or vice versa. Probably from one of their provinces. I haven't the time to research this. I'd be interested in any information about it.
Note the guy in hockey gear. Obvious self-parody by the Canadians. I am always impressed by creative lunacy such as this. It's a good thing the Canadians take their hockey gear to war.
The band was good, and the food was spectacular. I personally think the Italian food was the best, hands down. The German food was pretty good, as long as you avoided the sauerkraut. The French had good desserts of course.
Our libations consisted of all the non alcoholic beer that one could drink. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm.
The common perception is that we don't drink beer due to muslim considerations. That's not true. If it was, we wouldn't eat pork either. In fact, we do dine on swine quite often, such as it is.
No, the military decided that we would avoid a lot of disciplinary problems if we just outlawed alcohol altogether while in theater. As a JAG, I have to grudgingly admit that this is true.
I have never taken the time to sample these curious non alcoholic brews before. Now I know why.
Most of these so called ales are positively horrible. The Budweiser brand tastes like peanut juice, if there is such a thing. And if there is such a thing, the folks at Bud must have filtered it through an old tire before bottling. I shudder to even think about it.
Becks was marginally palatable, so I drank Becks. One of them.
I helped bring the band members over from the airport. They did not enjoy the ride. I don't think they get "outside the wire" very much. It's interesting how constantly scanning the road for bombs, gunmen, etc has become a normal function for us, yet it's quite harrowing for any outsiders.
The party was actually pretty fun. Here I'm standing on the roof looking down into the courtyard. As you can see, each of the coalition members set up a table with food from their country.
Everyone at our FOB was authorized to wear civilian clothes. That's great, except for the fact that I was told repeatedly before leaving the U.S. that absolutely no civilian clothes were allowed in country. I guess no one else got that message. Since I am the rule abiding sort, and didn't bring any civvies, I got to wear Army PT gear. Aces.
Here you can see the Italians in the foreground. We still go to their base every week and eat with them. The have recently added pasta to their menu in addition to pizza. Really good stuff.
The French setting up their table and taking pictures. Interesting flag to the right on the wall. Modeled after our Stars and Stripes, or vice versa. Probably from one of their provinces. I haven't the time to research this. I'd be interested in any information about it.
Note the guy in hockey gear. Obvious self-parody by the Canadians. I am always impressed by creative lunacy such as this. It's a good thing the Canadians take their hockey gear to war.
The band was good, and the food was spectacular. I personally think the Italian food was the best, hands down. The German food was pretty good, as long as you avoided the sauerkraut. The French had good desserts of course.
Our libations consisted of all the non alcoholic beer that one could drink. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm.
The common perception is that we don't drink beer due to muslim considerations. That's not true. If it was, we wouldn't eat pork either. In fact, we do dine on swine quite often, such as it is.
No, the military decided that we would avoid a lot of disciplinary problems if we just outlawed alcohol altogether while in theater. As a JAG, I have to grudgingly admit that this is true.
I have never taken the time to sample these curious non alcoholic brews before. Now I know why.
Most of these so called ales are positively horrible. The Budweiser brand tastes like peanut juice, if there is such a thing. And if there is such a thing, the folks at Bud must have filtered it through an old tire before bottling. I shudder to even think about it.
Becks was marginally palatable, so I drank Becks. One of them.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
I was finally promoted to Captain on Thursday. It's been a long road. There have been problems with my personnel paperwork, through no fault of my own, that resulted in a very long delay. I actually had to have the problem fixed by the Army Board of Corrections before I could even be considered for promotion. That alone took eight months. Then it took several more months before the promotion got approved through the normal channels. But it's all done now.
It was very special getting "pinned" with the new rank here in Afghanistan in front of the entire Training Assistance Group here at Camp Alamo. I am pictured with COL Lyman, the Training Assistance Group Commander at Camp Alamo. It was an honor to have COL Lyman pin on my new rank.
With the new ACU uniforms, the commanding officer simply pulls the old velcro rank off your chest and replaces it with the new one (so there's no actual "pinning"). He then hands you a cap with your new rank and you put it on.
I was very pleased to have my supervisor, LTC Church, drive all the way over from Camp Blackhorse to attend. He was joined by the ANA officer (and friend) that I mentor, COL Khaliq. It was a great honor that he wanted to attend.
It's a great day here in the "A." The Air Force rock band is here and we're having a party tonight. Great timing. We get to wear civilian clothes and drink "near beer."
HOOAH!!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Scott's Note: The Fulton County Daily Report is the legal newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, where I practice law in my civilian life. However, the paper has statewide distribution and most lawyers in Georgia read it. You can visit their website at www.dailyreportonline.com.
I have posted the article that they published today with their permission. I'm grateful for their support and for letting the legal community know about our work here.
My earlier posts that they discuss in the article can be viewed by scrolling down and by reading the blog archive on the right side of this page.
I have received about fifty boxes of clothing thus far. We are planning to visit the next village soon to assess their needs. Keep checking back and I will update you on our progress. Thanks for visiting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawyer on a mission in Afghanistan
Scott D. Delius puts practice on hold to help set up Afghan military justice system
By Meredith Hobbs, Staff Reporter
SCOTT D. DELIUS HAS a mission.
Delius put his law practice on hold last October to go to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard, which is part of the NATO coalition training the Afghan National Army.
After a month’s training in Mississippi, Delius arrived in Kabul in late November, where he is the Judge Advocate General officer attached to the Kabul Military Training Center. It is the country’s largest base, he said in a telephone interview, with about 8,000 new recruits being trained at any one time. He is working with the base’s top Afghan legal officer, Col. Khaliq, to establish a military justice system there. He also advises Khaliq and the U.S. base commander on any legal issues that come up and helps U.S. soldiers with any legal problems that arise for them back home.
Delius recently added a personal mission to his official duties. One Monday last month, he sat down at his computer after finishing his workday to organize a drive for clothing, shoes and tents for the Afghan people.
He was prompted by a visit he’d made that morning to a refugee village that his unit was assessing for a humanitarian mission. “It just floored me,” he said. “There were children with no shoes in the middle of winter, trash everywhere and livestock feeding off the trash, and people burning the trash to keep warm.”
Delius keeps a blog, Afghanistan JAG, where he has been recording his experiences in Kabul. On his blog that day he wrote: “Since I left the village this morning I’ve been walking around in a fog. I am overwhelmed by what I saw,” and he posted pictures he’d taken of the desolate conditions in the encampment.
Of a barefoot little girl, he wrote: “I knew that I would soon be back in my warm room, but she’ll go back to her mud hut with the collapsed roof. She’ll still be cold. And she still won’t have shoes tomorrow.”
He said he’d seen the ravaged condition of the country when on convoy traveling from base to base. But, he said, with “boots on the ground, having the opportunity to walk through the village—I really saw it then.”
He said he organized the contributions out of a sense of frustration. “I can’t brush aside the suffering I’m seeing here any longer. I need your help,” the e-mail said.
“My deployment will end here in a few months. I’m short on time and I’m out of ideas. Plus, my official duties require me to help train the Afghan army, which takes up most of my time. These people need clothing and shelter. … I recognize that this is an emotionally driven, poorly planned “shotgun” approach fired totally from the hip. Sorry. I just can’t sit still any longer and I’ve got to try something.”
“Children milling around with no shoes in the cold is one of those experiences I can’t forget,” he said in the phone interview.
He has been amazed at the response. Within a week and a half, people had contributed more than $4,000. Delius’s wife, Allyson Garnett, initially planned to use the money to buy clothing, but then the donations of clothes, shoes, diapers and stuffed animals started coming in.
“It turned into a campaign across the legal community,” Garnett said.
Several Atlanta lawyers have spearheaded contribution drives, including Terrence T. Rock at Drew, Eckl & Farnham, where Delius used to practice; Matthew G. Moffett at Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett and Brieske; James K. Creasy at Gillis & Creasy; and Delius’s sister-in-law, Christian F. Torgrimson at Pursley, Lowery, Meeks. Groups in Tennessee, Oklahoma and New York have also organized collections.
Garnett has used the money instead to cover the costs of shipping everything to Delius’s base in Afghanistan. Creasy alone shipped off 70 boxes of clothing and other donations, which take a couple of weeks to reach Kabul. So far, 10 boxes of clothes, shoes and other contributions, which have been sorted by age and gender have arrived, and Delius expects to receive about 200 more.
Khaliq, the Afghan colonel he assists, has told Delius about a nearby village, he said, which is “in even worse shape than the one I visited. I hope to get out and take a survey of what they need, make a list, get some volunteers and bag up donations for each family.”
Delius, who is 37, became a guardsman two years ago. He said the 9/11 attacks prompted him to join the military. He made several attempts to enlist in the Army Reserves, but they turned him away each time because of knee surgery he’d had years before. He finally contacted the Army National Guard, which he said understood that the surgery doesn’t affect his physical performance, and signed him up.
Although Delius is a JAG officer in Decatur’s 78th Troop Command, he is serving in Afghanistan as part of an Oregon National Guard unit, the 41st Brigade. At officers’ basic training, an Oregon national guardsman told Delius his unit was going to be sent to Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission training the Afghan army. Almost two years later, the Oregonian e-mailed him about an opening on the mission, and Delius volunteered to go.
In civilian life, Delius is a solo plaintiff’s lawyer. While he is in Kabul, two colleagues, Erik H. Olson and William M. Cummings II, have taken on a lot of his cases, which he said has been a huge help. But he acknowledged that he does not know how much of a law practice he’ll have when he returns in May or June. “I’m going to have to work hard to rebuild,” he said.
Right now he is working to build the Afghan National Army. “We’re training them to be good soldiers who can help this nation stand on its own,” he said.
After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the country fell into civil war and then Taliban rule until the U.S. invasion in 2001 toppled the Taliban government. Since December 2001, a NATO force, which includes the United States, has been supporting the government of President Hamid Karzai.
New soldiers, all volunteers, come through the Kabul Military Training Center, where a NATO coalition is assisting with their basic training.
Establishing a well-functioning military justice system is a crucial part of getting the Afghan army, known as the ANA, to stand on its own, Delius said.
A well-functioning army “involves instilling a system of fairness and justice throughout the ANA ranks,” he wrote on his blog. “The thought is that if we start the soldiers off right at the beginning here at [the training center], they will become conscientious soldiers and future citizens. You can’t instill this type of outlook without having a military justice system. Imagine trying to motivate a soldier to fight for his country if rules within his own army aren’t enforced and if infractions go unpunished.”
Delius is mentoring the Afghans as they set up a military court at the base. “They had no military justice system at all,” he said.
Last month an Afghan soldier was tried for a male-on-male rape on the base. Delius said the Afghans handled the legal work themselves—from arrest and investigation to trial and sentencing—which he called a success story for the new system. “We got a very strong conviction of eight years,” he added.
“We are trying to get the Afghan government and military to go after people who are breaking the laws,” he said, explaining that Afghans are often afraid, after years of civil war, lawlessness and Taliban rule, of repercussions to themselves and their families if they report crimes.
Delius and Khaliq are creating training programs for the soldiers. A lot of them are illiterate, he said, “so we have to come up with creative ways to teach them law of war issues.” Delius’s team has produced what is informally referred to as the “comic book,” with pictures showing what is right and wrong on the battlefield—for instance, that they should not kill the people they capture and should treat them humanely. Other photos, posted on his blog, instruct soldiers not to sleep on guard duty or go AWOL and illustrate that it’s a crime to sell weapons or other items issued by the military. (A literacy program has been established at the base.)
They are also teaching the officers more appropriate ways to discipline their own soldiers for infractions—such as giving them extra duty instead of physical punishment. “We’re helping them change their mindset,” Delius explained.
He emphasized that the Afghan soliders are smart people who grasp things quickly. “You have to remember that the older officers were brought up through the Soviet system, which was much harsher. They had a different way of doing things. They didn’t always play by the rules.”
American news outlets have reported that the violence in Afghanistan has reached the worst levels since the U.S. attack against the Taliban in 2001. Delius said that he and other soldiers cannot leave the base unless fully armed and in convoy with other soldiers. “If I go to the bathroom I take my weapon with me,” he said.
To deliver the clothes and supplies to the village, he must organize “a full convoy complete with MP security, because it will be dangerous to go out there.”
He added that he hoped media coverage of the worsening violence would encourage other countries to send troops to help the NATO coalition in Afghanistan, where the United States has about 18,000 troops stationed.
Despite the surge in violence from the Taliban, Delius is optimistic about the Afghan army, which he said is getting a “strong stream” of volunteers. “The army is standing up on its own,” he said. “People here are tired of war. They are tired of fighting. There is a generation here that has known nothing but war. They are tired of it and want it to stop.”
I have posted the article that they published today with their permission. I'm grateful for their support and for letting the legal community know about our work here.
My earlier posts that they discuss in the article can be viewed by scrolling down and by reading the blog archive on the right side of this page.
I have received about fifty boxes of clothing thus far. We are planning to visit the next village soon to assess their needs. Keep checking back and I will update you on our progress. Thanks for visiting.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawyer on a mission in Afghanistan
Scott D. Delius puts practice on hold to help set up Afghan military justice system
By Meredith Hobbs, Staff Reporter
SCOTT D. DELIUS HAS a mission.
Delius put his law practice on hold last October to go to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard, which is part of the NATO coalition training the Afghan National Army.
After a month’s training in Mississippi, Delius arrived in Kabul in late November, where he is the Judge Advocate General officer attached to the Kabul Military Training Center. It is the country’s largest base, he said in a telephone interview, with about 8,000 new recruits being trained at any one time. He is working with the base’s top Afghan legal officer, Col. Khaliq, to establish a military justice system there. He also advises Khaliq and the U.S. base commander on any legal issues that come up and helps U.S. soldiers with any legal problems that arise for them back home.
Delius recently added a personal mission to his official duties. One Monday last month, he sat down at his computer after finishing his workday to organize a drive for clothing, shoes and tents for the Afghan people.
He was prompted by a visit he’d made that morning to a refugee village that his unit was assessing for a humanitarian mission. “It just floored me,” he said. “There were children with no shoes in the middle of winter, trash everywhere and livestock feeding off the trash, and people burning the trash to keep warm.”
Delius keeps a blog, Afghanistan JAG, where he has been recording his experiences in Kabul. On his blog that day he wrote: “Since I left the village this morning I’ve been walking around in a fog. I am overwhelmed by what I saw,” and he posted pictures he’d taken of the desolate conditions in the encampment.
Of a barefoot little girl, he wrote: “I knew that I would soon be back in my warm room, but she’ll go back to her mud hut with the collapsed roof. She’ll still be cold. And she still won’t have shoes tomorrow.”
He said he’d seen the ravaged condition of the country when on convoy traveling from base to base. But, he said, with “boots on the ground, having the opportunity to walk through the village—I really saw it then.”
He said he organized the contributions out of a sense of frustration. “I can’t brush aside the suffering I’m seeing here any longer. I need your help,” the e-mail said.
“My deployment will end here in a few months. I’m short on time and I’m out of ideas. Plus, my official duties require me to help train the Afghan army, which takes up most of my time. These people need clothing and shelter. … I recognize that this is an emotionally driven, poorly planned “shotgun” approach fired totally from the hip. Sorry. I just can’t sit still any longer and I’ve got to try something.”
“Children milling around with no shoes in the cold is one of those experiences I can’t forget,” he said in the phone interview.
He has been amazed at the response. Within a week and a half, people had contributed more than $4,000. Delius’s wife, Allyson Garnett, initially planned to use the money to buy clothing, but then the donations of clothes, shoes, diapers and stuffed animals started coming in.
“It turned into a campaign across the legal community,” Garnett said.
Several Atlanta lawyers have spearheaded contribution drives, including Terrence T. Rock at Drew, Eckl & Farnham, where Delius used to practice; Matthew G. Moffett at Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett and Brieske; James K. Creasy at Gillis & Creasy; and Delius’s sister-in-law, Christian F. Torgrimson at Pursley, Lowery, Meeks. Groups in Tennessee, Oklahoma and New York have also organized collections.
Garnett has used the money instead to cover the costs of shipping everything to Delius’s base in Afghanistan. Creasy alone shipped off 70 boxes of clothing and other donations, which take a couple of weeks to reach Kabul. So far, 10 boxes of clothes, shoes and other contributions, which have been sorted by age and gender have arrived, and Delius expects to receive about 200 more.
Khaliq, the Afghan colonel he assists, has told Delius about a nearby village, he said, which is “in even worse shape than the one I visited. I hope to get out and take a survey of what they need, make a list, get some volunteers and bag up donations for each family.”
Delius, who is 37, became a guardsman two years ago. He said the 9/11 attacks prompted him to join the military. He made several attempts to enlist in the Army Reserves, but they turned him away each time because of knee surgery he’d had years before. He finally contacted the Army National Guard, which he said understood that the surgery doesn’t affect his physical performance, and signed him up.
Although Delius is a JAG officer in Decatur’s 78th Troop Command, he is serving in Afghanistan as part of an Oregon National Guard unit, the 41st Brigade. At officers’ basic training, an Oregon national guardsman told Delius his unit was going to be sent to Afghanistan as part of the NATO mission training the Afghan army. Almost two years later, the Oregonian e-mailed him about an opening on the mission, and Delius volunteered to go.
In civilian life, Delius is a solo plaintiff’s lawyer. While he is in Kabul, two colleagues, Erik H. Olson and William M. Cummings II, have taken on a lot of his cases, which he said has been a huge help. But he acknowledged that he does not know how much of a law practice he’ll have when he returns in May or June. “I’m going to have to work hard to rebuild,” he said.
Right now he is working to build the Afghan National Army. “We’re training them to be good soldiers who can help this nation stand on its own,” he said.
After the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, the country fell into civil war and then Taliban rule until the U.S. invasion in 2001 toppled the Taliban government. Since December 2001, a NATO force, which includes the United States, has been supporting the government of President Hamid Karzai.
New soldiers, all volunteers, come through the Kabul Military Training Center, where a NATO coalition is assisting with their basic training.
Establishing a well-functioning military justice system is a crucial part of getting the Afghan army, known as the ANA, to stand on its own, Delius said.
A well-functioning army “involves instilling a system of fairness and justice throughout the ANA ranks,” he wrote on his blog. “The thought is that if we start the soldiers off right at the beginning here at [the training center], they will become conscientious soldiers and future citizens. You can’t instill this type of outlook without having a military justice system. Imagine trying to motivate a soldier to fight for his country if rules within his own army aren’t enforced and if infractions go unpunished.”
Delius is mentoring the Afghans as they set up a military court at the base. “They had no military justice system at all,” he said.
Last month an Afghan soldier was tried for a male-on-male rape on the base. Delius said the Afghans handled the legal work themselves—from arrest and investigation to trial and sentencing—which he called a success story for the new system. “We got a very strong conviction of eight years,” he added.
“We are trying to get the Afghan government and military to go after people who are breaking the laws,” he said, explaining that Afghans are often afraid, after years of civil war, lawlessness and Taliban rule, of repercussions to themselves and their families if they report crimes.
Delius and Khaliq are creating training programs for the soldiers. A lot of them are illiterate, he said, “so we have to come up with creative ways to teach them law of war issues.” Delius’s team has produced what is informally referred to as the “comic book,” with pictures showing what is right and wrong on the battlefield—for instance, that they should not kill the people they capture and should treat them humanely. Other photos, posted on his blog, instruct soldiers not to sleep on guard duty or go AWOL and illustrate that it’s a crime to sell weapons or other items issued by the military. (A literacy program has been established at the base.)
They are also teaching the officers more appropriate ways to discipline their own soldiers for infractions—such as giving them extra duty instead of physical punishment. “We’re helping them change their mindset,” Delius explained.
He emphasized that the Afghan soliders are smart people who grasp things quickly. “You have to remember that the older officers were brought up through the Soviet system, which was much harsher. They had a different way of doing things. They didn’t always play by the rules.”
American news outlets have reported that the violence in Afghanistan has reached the worst levels since the U.S. attack against the Taliban in 2001. Delius said that he and other soldiers cannot leave the base unless fully armed and in convoy with other soldiers. “If I go to the bathroom I take my weapon with me,” he said.
To deliver the clothes and supplies to the village, he must organize “a full convoy complete with MP security, because it will be dangerous to go out there.”
He added that he hoped media coverage of the worsening violence would encourage other countries to send troops to help the NATO coalition in Afghanistan, where the United States has about 18,000 troops stationed.
Despite the surge in violence from the Taliban, Delius is optimistic about the Afghan army, which he said is getting a “strong stream” of volunteers. “The army is standing up on its own,” he said. “People here are tired of war. They are tired of fighting. There is a generation here that has known nothing but war. They are tired of it and want it to stop.”
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Yesterday I traveled to Camp Phoenix to watch an exhibition of Buzkashi, Afghanistan's National Sport. Although it is often compared to polo, or even "rugby on horseback", this is not a team sport. It's every man for himself. The object is to wrestle a goat carcass away from other riders and throw it into a circle in the middle of the field.
The players are battling it out over the goat carcass. This reminded me of a rugby "scrum." The players push and shove each other with their horses while trying to reach down and pick the carcass up off the ground. It's very hard to follow from the sidelines until someone breaks free from the crowd.
The player has the goat carcass and is dashing towards the circle in the middle of the field. Other players pursue him and try to take the goat away. When a player scores by dropping the goat in the circle, he rides over to the sidelines to receive accolades and applause from the crowd.
Thanks for visiting.
The players are battling it out over the goat carcass. This reminded me of a rugby "scrum." The players push and shove each other with their horses while trying to reach down and pick the carcass up off the ground. It's very hard to follow from the sidelines until someone breaks free from the crowd.
The player has the goat carcass and is dashing towards the circle in the middle of the field. Other players pursue him and try to take the goat away. When a player scores by dropping the goat in the circle, he rides over to the sidelines to receive accolades and applause from the crowd.
Thanks for visiting.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
We went out to a local village this morning to distribute food and clothes. We exhausted our entire supply of both, so the clothes that everyone is sending me will be used on the next mission. We'll also order more food for next time.
We awoke this morning to a tremendous amount of snow. It never stopped falling during the mission. It was quite cold and wet.
The trucks are parked at the village donation site. We have to cordon off the area and provide security or the people will simply rush the trucks. We let one representative from each family through the cordon to receive their packages.
A boy receives a bag of clothes for his family.
Here the village mayor marks off the families that are about to go through the distribution, to make sure no one takes more than their allotment.
A girl waiting in line.
The mayor making a point while a girl waits for her hand to be marked.
A boy dashing for the trucks.
A woman getting checked off the list.
This woman is wearing a traditional burkha. This conceals everything but her hands and feet. I was struck by the contrasting cultures shown in this picture. The woman from Afghanistan wears a burkha, while the female American soldier on the left wears full body armor.
Note that the soldier is wearing her blood type ("A Pos") on her helmet in case she is wounded.
Some families brought wheelbarrows. The bags were quite heavy.
Families here starting to barter with one another for the contents of their clothing bags. Because the village was so large, we could not tailor a bag for each family. At first, this was frustrating to me. I thought that we should be able to do that. But with a village this large, we simply didn't have the manpower to survey each family and size everyone up. We talked to the village leaders beforehand and thoroughly explained that they would have to work together to exchange clothes among themselves.
In the past, we've tried having each individual come through a line where we try to size each of them up with what they need. This actually got to be dangerous, because the people swarmed and rushed the clothing. You can't expect otherwise. What would you do if your children had no clothes or no food? That's why we used today's system.
Children scrambling for some candy. This can be the most dangerous task of all. The children never get that sort of thing and understandably fight over it. The women in the village have to try and keep order while it's passed out. They weren't successful. This was a chaotic scene.
My plan is to find a smaller village for the next mission. I hope to be able to meet with each family and determine their individual needs. Then we can pack a bag tailor made for each family. In other words, get the right sizes, genders, etc. for each family. That will be interesting. Maybe I'll take a sample bag of clothes and use it to determine the size of each person. Unfortunately, I can't just ask them for their size or show them to the changing room.
I am also thinking about a different system to make sure no one goes through the line more than once. This is a problem. But can you blame them?
Although I am happy that we helped some people, I still came away a little frustrated. I'm sure that some people didn't get enough or they got nothing at all. Maybe focusing on a smaller village will give us a better result. In the end, however, I probably never will feel completely satisfied.
I have to remember that helping some is better than doing nothing at all.
We awoke this morning to a tremendous amount of snow. It never stopped falling during the mission. It was quite cold and wet.
The trucks are parked at the village donation site. We have to cordon off the area and provide security or the people will simply rush the trucks. We let one representative from each family through the cordon to receive their packages.
A boy receives a bag of clothes for his family.
Here the village mayor marks off the families that are about to go through the distribution, to make sure no one takes more than their allotment.
A girl waiting in line.
The mayor making a point while a girl waits for her hand to be marked.
A boy dashing for the trucks.
A woman getting checked off the list.
This woman is wearing a traditional burkha. This conceals everything but her hands and feet. I was struck by the contrasting cultures shown in this picture. The woman from Afghanistan wears a burkha, while the female American soldier on the left wears full body armor.
Note that the soldier is wearing her blood type ("A Pos") on her helmet in case she is wounded.
Some families brought wheelbarrows. The bags were quite heavy.
Families here starting to barter with one another for the contents of their clothing bags. Because the village was so large, we could not tailor a bag for each family. At first, this was frustrating to me. I thought that we should be able to do that. But with a village this large, we simply didn't have the manpower to survey each family and size everyone up. We talked to the village leaders beforehand and thoroughly explained that they would have to work together to exchange clothes among themselves.
In the past, we've tried having each individual come through a line where we try to size each of them up with what they need. This actually got to be dangerous, because the people swarmed and rushed the clothing. You can't expect otherwise. What would you do if your children had no clothes or no food? That's why we used today's system.
Children scrambling for some candy. This can be the most dangerous task of all. The children never get that sort of thing and understandably fight over it. The women in the village have to try and keep order while it's passed out. They weren't successful. This was a chaotic scene.
My plan is to find a smaller village for the next mission. I hope to be able to meet with each family and determine their individual needs. Then we can pack a bag tailor made for each family. In other words, get the right sizes, genders, etc. for each family. That will be interesting. Maybe I'll take a sample bag of clothes and use it to determine the size of each person. Unfortunately, I can't just ask them for their size or show them to the changing room.
I am also thinking about a different system to make sure no one goes through the line more than once. This is a problem. But can you blame them?
Although I am happy that we helped some people, I still came away a little frustrated. I'm sure that some people didn't get enough or they got nothing at all. Maybe focusing on a smaller village will give us a better result. In the end, however, I probably never will feel completely satisfied.
I have to remember that helping some is better than doing nothing at all.
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