Afghan National Police NCO Academy

On 13 August, we travelled over to see how the German sponsored NCOA was doing. The school is run almost entirely by the Afghans. A graduating class of ANP NCOs has about 1500-1600 students enrolled. The school is located in Kabul and it is pretty squared away, despite the picture that I have attached to this entry.

This is an Afghan led class on how to properly clear a building. The guy immediately to the right of the door pointing his weapon at the guy across from him, who the by the way is returning the favor, happens to be an Afghan Colonel teaching the class. I guess the block of instruction on proper muzzle awareness must have come later in the day. Notice the guy on the far left, he is lined up for a headshot on his buddy as well. His buddy, if by some grace of Allah survives the potential shot to the brain case, will not even be able to defend himself because his weapon apparantly is a piece of paper. And yes, that is me watching the whole business unfold. I finally broke contact when I discovered the good Colonel had a magazine in his weapon.

Sergeant Jaime Gonzalez

Sgt. Gonzalez was killed in action on 3 August 2008, during a ground convoy by an IED. He was a husband and a father and served in the Texas National Guard. He was assigned to the CSTC-A PSD (personal security detachment). His job was to protect the various folks on Camp Eggers moving around out in the box. I had the honor, on numerous occasions to have Sgt. Gonzalez provide security for my moves.

The night before he was killed, I went running and then to the gym. On the way to the gym, I ran into Sgt. Gonzalez. We exchanged quick greetings and moved on. The next I heard about him was that he had been killed. If I only had the ability to see into the future, I would have taken more time the night before. I would have said something more cool or profound than "whats up Sergeant?" Literally here today, gone tomorrow. That quick. The finality still haunts me, that quick greeting the night before, you can never know...See ya Bro.

Sgt. Gonzalez

Fallen comrade ceremony at Camp Eggers

1 August

Drove all around Kabul today looking for a suitable place to house an ANCOP battalion. The ANCOP commander, Brigadier General Shareef accompanied us. We first went to a site about a 1/2 hour northwest of the city. The site was not owned by the MOI (Ministry of the Interior) but some another ministry. The site was currently occupied by an ANP District HQ and since there were no dedicated toilets, the police just went everywhere. The place smelled like one big pile of shit. The bonus prize was the pile of UXOs (unexploded ordnance) some jackass literally threw into a pile on the side of the buildings. The other problem was the fact that if we got this site all fixed up, the other Ministry may step in and re-possess the site.

The next stop was south of the city and like the other site it was a ANP District HQ. There was a building which was being renovated and it was quite nice. Unfortunetly, ranking officials of the MOI had their eyes on it and they were not going to give up nice, new offices for a bunch of police. So, of course the shithole was chosen. Adjacent to this site was a large mosque and a madrassa (religious school).

Mosque under renovation

Me at the shithole.

SMA

Sergeant Major of the Army Preston visited Camp Eggers on 24 July. We took him out to see primarily ANA sites. While visiting KMTC, the ANA facility east of Kabul, our up armored bus had a trouble getting up the hill leading into the gate. After touring around the facility we returned to camp, had a town hall meeting for the Army personnel and then had an E-9 dinner. Very nice indeed.

Talking with the SMA after he coined me. That is the CSTC-A CSM in the middle.

The E-9s of Camp Eggers with the SMA.

Leave

I went on leave in early July. The process of getting home was a little painful, but worth the effort. First I convoyed up to Bagram and spent the night in a huge "VIP" tent (I am a Sergeant Major ya know). The next morning, I flew out of Bagram, however, not before some little Air Force pogue tried to give me a hard time. The little shit was an E-5 and was given some authority in who gets on the freedom bird and who does not. Well, he thought incorrectly that he was going to muscle me around. So after tightening his shot group, I boarded a C-17 and flew to Kuwait. HOLY CRAP, what a desolate, dirty place 128 degrees!!! Shindand and Shouz did not have squat on this place. We landed in a military airport, Ali al salaam I think and then took buses over to a pseudo military-civilian airport to pick up a charter MD-11. The people of Kuwait drive American SUVs, ya know, Texas limos-Suburbans. We were escorted by some joker with an old M-60 machine on the back of a Taliban Toyota (pick up truck). The other escort was a Kuwaiti police officer driving an American made police car. We had to drive with the curtains closed so that no one knew who we were, HA! Despite the extra ordinary security security pre-cautions, the escort was late and we sat on the side of the road for at least 1/2 an hour. A huge RPG or VBIED magnet. Survive Afghanistan and get wasted on the side of a highway going home on leave.

A hardened hangar destroyed in the first Gulf War.

Scenic Kuwait

From Kuwait we flew to Leipzig, Germany and hung out in the terminal for about an hour. The next leg of the journey was Atlanta, Georgia for me and everyone who had a final destination basically east of the Mississippi River. After about 6 hours in Atlanta I flew home.

15 June 2008

Flew out to the sunny environment of Shindand in western Afghanistan. Shindand is half way between Herat and Farah. Upon landing, we had a tour of the Afghan Commando Battalion barracks and living area. The place was squared away and the Afghan commandos looked like certified killers. Shindand is an old Soviet airport and is located in a very remote and desolate place. It was hotter then hell and the wind was like opening the oven and sticking your head in, but not as dark. They have what is called the 120 day wind out there. The period between June and September is blast furnace time.

We jumped on HMMVs and checked out an irrigation project and agriculture school on the far side of the airport. They even had two fish ponds and beehives. It is amazing that anything grows out there. After touring the Agriculture school we convoyed down to Shouz, south of Shindand about 1.5 hours. If there could be a shittier more desolate place then Shindand, Shouz is it. We were looking at a ANP training site for a bunch of police from Helmand Province. Apparantly, these guys were causing some problems and their way of protest was to crap on the floor of their living quarters. They also utilized non-potable water to drink and washed their feet with the bottled water??????!!!!!!! Takes all types I guess. They were living in tents which was a temporary solution until the adjacent ANCOP compound could be completed. By in large, despite the poop, the training was going pretty good. The instructors were some DynCorp dudes and some very young looking Marines.

Bee Hives

Irrigation project, check out the background, utter desolation.

Two things really sucked about the trip. The week before I visited Konduz and ate some local chicken. The old Afghan quick step was still dogging me on this trip. The 2 hour plane ride and the hour and a half convoys were a real treat. What is especially nice is the fact that the HMMVs have air conditioning, not for the humans, but for the electronics. So the air blows just cool enough to keep the equipment from overheating, but is just warm enough to have a river of sweat pool in the crack of my ass. Also forcing my to embrace the "suck" was a new piece of equipment I was trying out. I was issued a under the body armor mesh shirt to ease the discomfort in the 120 degree heat. Well, I had an allergic reaction to the fire retardant crap they wove into the shirt. So at least I know I will not die of burns, but die slowly of skin cancer.