Camp Eggers and Ghazni Jan 08

I have been assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A)

I work for the Deputy to the Commanding General for Police Development. In other words, we are tasked with facilitating, supporting and resourcing Afghan National Police training and operations. I am stationed at Camp Eggers in Kabul. The above picture was taken on the main street looking west at the mountains.

My first trip was to the ancient walled city of Ghazni, in Ghazni Province. The city is rumored to have been mentioned by the Greek historians from the beginning of recorded time.

This picture is the citadel located on the high ground of the walled city. You can see the blue dome of the mosque in the lower right corner. In the upper right corner is a gap in the wall, this is the Kabul Gate which was blown up by the British in 1839.

These are villages composed of compounds or qalats. The individual gardens and orchards are surrounded by walls and irrigation channels.

If you look to the left, there is a series of holes called Karez. Karez is the ancient underground irrigation system The holes follow underground aquifers and provide water to the villages. The Afghans have been known to hide in the Karez so that they can ambush invading armies. Genghis Khan and the Soviets, 1000 years later were faced with this tactic and both systematically destroyed much of the Karez. In order to get to Ghazni from Kabul, we had to fly through mountain passes with the peaks towering above our heads.

Catch Up!

Well folks here I am, back in the saddle. I have some catching up to do. So I will start from the beginning. January 2008, Camp Phoenix and the trip over.

Papi and I in Ireland.

Here is Papi with a real live Irish guy. As always, Papi gets into the spirit of things.

This monstrosity is a up armored bus, the Pope Mobile has nothing on this thing.

2nd Platoon crammed into a C-130 moving out down range.

These are some of the kids who work the local Bazaar. They drive a hard bargain.

AFGHANISTAN

Well folks my sincere apologies for not updating recently. As you probably know, we have been quite busy. The Roughnecks left Ft. Bragg on 21 December at zero dark thirty. No photos were allowed on the flight line because certain aircraft mistake camera flash as missile flash and then shoot out their flares. No kidding... Our first stop was Shannon, Ireland where Papi met real Irishmen! We then flew to Adana, Turkey where we re-fueled, but were not allowed to get off the plane. Finally after 20 hours in the air, we landed in Manas, Kyrgyzstan on an old Soviet airfield. Manas is located north of the Kyrgz Capital of Bishkek. After a few days, some of us flew to Bagram and others to Kabul on very crowded C-17s.

We flew over some of the most desolate terrain the planet has to offer. I took this photo from the C-17 standing on my gear, the window is about the size of my out stretched hand.

We landed in Kabul the day before x-Mas. We were picked up by up-armored buses (I will post picture later) and escorted to Camp Phoenix by the Germans and Americans. Kabul is surrounded on three sides by mountains, it is pretty hazy and dusty all of the time. But there are a lot of cars and shops which is a good sign.

There is a lot of Soviet equipment laying around some of which is still in use. This is a Russian HIP cargo helicopter in flight over Kabul.

The majority of the troops did not stay in Camp Phoenix, they moved out all over the country. We have soldiers stationed in almost every single province in Afghanistan. Here are the Boys from 5th Platoon the "Fighting 69th" taking off for Gardez on CH-47s.

That is all for now, I will update again real soon. If you have not heard from one of the guys yet do not worry. Some are still in transit, they will get a hold of you. For now-signing off.

A Day in the Life of 2nd Platoon

Each Platoon has its own personality. I will try and capture each platoon through pictures from members of the platoon and myself. Most of the following pictures where taken by Sgt. M.

Some mornings we start the day with combatives, a mixture of martial arts and wrestling. Since we wrestle each other, the guys have their own name for the training... "Man love Wednesday" or man love Thursday or what ever day you have combatives. The name derives from an apparent phenomenon we will encounter overseas.

SPC. C participates in medical evacuation techniques even if he did not want to.

One of the boys scratches his helmet as he tries to figure out his shot grouping on the zero range.

Here is an example of how NOT to pull security in the rear of the HMMV.

Who is pulling security for this guy? And do not get any on your armor.

SPC B. executes Battle Drill 13B, "React to fire fire ants." SPC H. offers moral support.

When you are in the turret the idea is to have your head outside of the vehicle.

A view of night fire through a set of NODs (Night optical device).

Close quarters combat.

2nd Platoon with art sent from Neil Armstrong School.

3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon

Self portrait by the 2nd Platoon PL

Don't ask..But, TAG HA HA HA

TCP Operations

One of the most effective techniques for fighting a counter insurgency within a designated area is to establish Traffic Control Points (TCP). We spent a few days learning how to establish TCPs and the implied tasks that go with the operation.

HEY NOW! The 1st Platoon PSG searching SPC. H for contraband.

This insurgent is not praying to Allah, he was being unruly and had to be secured.

1st Platoon leadership briefing the interpreters (terps)on the TCP.

Securing a vehicle prior to searching.

Conducting the search.

Hey, that insurgent looks familiar.

One of the Docs from 2nd Platoon takes care of a civilian who encountered an IED.

Braggistan fuzzy backed catapillar

Nothing prepared us, not even the in depth high speed in country brief, for the sudden but sort of gradual onslaught of the DREADED Braggistan Fuzzy Catapillar. It strikes without warning, usually after missing particular elements of field sanitation, mainly shaving. Once it establishes itself, there is no small amount of pain in removing one.

Nothing is more embarrasing than not knowing the Catapillar has struck, as evidenced by the look on SSG. W's face.

Some will try and ignore an attack by acting dignified, it does not help.

Some catapillars are fuller than others.

All you can do if you see someone infested is to show sympathy.

For some of us, the cup is half full. Sergeant M. revels in his new look and proudly shows off his lip parasite.

The 1st Platoon PL (Iceman)seems to enjoy the company.

Not even the keenest skills of Doc can protect himself and the CO from an infestation.

Sometimes having a buddy helps, but closing your eyes in hopes of it going away, does not.

Here is a rare picture of an actual attack on the Sergeant Major.

After enduring some itching and scratching while the little critter settles in, it is not so bad. From what we understand, in Afghanistan you are less of a man if you do not have hair on your face. Luckily, here in Braggistan we got a little extra help.

Halloween

We took the opportunity to conduct some American cultural awarness training for our hosts in Braggistan on Halloween night.

4th Platoon trick or treaters visiting the CP. I don't remember that stuff being on the packing list.

THE GAS CHAMBER

We traded in our halloween masks for protective masks and visited the gas chamber.

The high tech CS gas distributor

Doing calisthenics in the chamber.

Apparantly, these guys did not believe the CS was real.

SGT. M also tested the potency of the CS and suffered accordingly.

Doc is suppossed to be the smart one, but he also succumbed to peer pressure and removed his mask. And of course summed up training in one eloquent gesture. Nice Doc, real nice...