.png "English"){kind=small}
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
Monday, April 30, 2007
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.
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