Chris in Afghanistan

022512 A routine is good to have and Koran burning update

2012-02-25T11:55:00.001-08:00

022512 A routine is good to have and Koran burning update

As a contractor in Afghanistan (and when I was in in Iraq) you tend to do the same things day after day. This in itself is not a bad thing as it removes a lot of uncertainty in your life. Little things such as even what to wear are no longer complicated decisions but rather a pattern that you simply follow as well. Getting to the gym is also worked into the routine that is life here. Fortunately, going to the gym here is not so much tolerated but encouraged. I think the reasoning is the powers that be have decided if people work off some excess energy (or frustration or pick any emotion) at the gym, then the less likely he or she will be to find other avenues to work off said excess energy. So the word has gone out that you may take some time out of your day that is convenient to all to spend at the gym if you simply make up the time later (such a deal!) Anyway, my time is 5 AM to 6 AM, every day. Yes, a routine is good to have.
And there have been quite a few demonstrations both violent and non-violent on bases throughout Afghanistan regarding the copies of the Koran that were burned. Today there were two US Army officers that were shot (http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/25/10504899-gunman-kills-two-us-army-officers-in-afghan-interior-ministry) and shots were fired into the base here so this base went on lockdown and a 100% accountability was conducted. If I had to travel off base now I'd be a lot more concerned. But even on base there are quite a few local national workers here. I suppose it's all part of the job though.
R/Chris

022112 It's still snowing and falling ice cycles

2012-02-20T15:19:00.001-08:00

022112 It's still snowing and falling ice cycles

This was the third weekend in a row where it snowed here in Kabul. It didn't snow consistently but rather came in bursts. Last night it was a pretty clear night but when I left the office this morning (I work night shift 8 PM to 8 AM) it was damn near a blizzard out there. The temperatures are expected to be above 40F all next week so all the snow and ice will probably be gone by then. With the temperatures above freezing in the day and below freezing at night this produces ideal conditions for ice cycles. There are camp email messages warning people to stay away from under the building eaves since falling snow/ice can really hurt one. Where possible the snow and ice is being knocked away but it seems to be a daily task that doesn't get done for every eave. And you can't tell from the pic but the snow/ice block (in the pic) is a few feet out from the edge of the roof. As it warms in the day, the block creeps down and away from the roof only to re-freeze at night. Eventually it'll 'calve away from the glacier' and fall below but until then, they're pretty cool to look at during the day.
R/Chris

021412 And it snowed 'again' this weekend

2012-02-13T16:46:00.001-08:00

021412 And it snowed 'again' this weekend.

It snowed again this weekend. Kabul seems to be getting some of the wintry weather associated with Eastern Europe. Anyway, here are some pics. One is me in DeStile garden. This is the outdoor part of one of the cafes here one base. Another is of a canvas roof that finally collapsed. There must have been two feet of snow and ice on top before it finally collapsed. And another pic is one of the cats. We're not supposed to feed the cats, but frankly a few look a little too fat and happy for it being the middle of winter here.

R/Chris

021312 Contractors are Everywhere, it is what it is.

2012-02-12T12:53:00.001-08:00

021312 Contractors are Everywhere, it is what it is.

When I started as a contractor in Iraq several years ago I really had no idea how many contractors there were overseas or how involved contractors have been in past conflicts. Doing some rudimentary research I discovered that contractors were even used by the Continental Army under George Washington. Also while there are rules and regulations that must be followed by the Pentagon regarding military deaths/injuries there are no such rules and regulations for contractors. But to be fair, the definition of a 'contractor' is quite broad. A local Afghani citizen paid to do interpretation work may be a contractor just as an American citizen who flies 10,000 miles and who may only stay a few weeks is a contractor. The attached pics are of an article about contractors during WWII (the Wake 98). I'm pretty sure these guys never thought they'd be on the front lines but the environment of warfare can change at any time. During the Iraq conflict there were a few (small) camps that got 'overrun'. What that means is that some of the bad guys made it through the security perimeter and onto the base. From there the battle becomes a small arms shoot out. The NY Times article referenced below details the contractor side of the war in Afghanistan much better than I could. An interesting point is that the number of deaths (and probably injuries too) of contractors in Afghanistan last year exceeded that of the military. In all likelihood you'll never see this on the evening news as this is part of the dark side of war that goes tacitly unnoticed and ignored. Nevertheless, it is what it is.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46357483/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/

020312 And it's snowing again...

2012-02-03T11:06:00.001-08:00

020312 And it's snowing again...

There are a lot of similarities between Kabul, Afghanistan and Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of which is the weather. Right now there are snowy and icy conditions in both regions and both cities expect a significant snowfall this weekend. It started snowing here in Kabul last night and it's still (lightly) snowing today. There are about 12 inches of new snow on the ground and it's expected to snow off and on until tomorrow night.
In the days it will warm up above freezing and at night it'll drop below freezing. This produces excellent conditions for ice cycles (as you can see in one of the pics.) For the most part, this turns an otherwise dreary brown environment into one of white fluffy amusement.
The pic of the Robcorfawad Shop is one of the many shops on base. They sell, coats, shoes, fake watches, wooden boxes, etc. There are several of these shops on base and if you want it, they can probably get it for you. This shop had some great 'fo-lexs' (fake Rolex) watches but he also wanted $180 for the watch. I've seen the same 'fake-quality' in Kuwait for less than $100 so they were over priced. But to be fair, the guy did offer me a 100% Customer Guarantee! (LOL).

R/Chris

020112 Finally got a haircut...just 11 more to go.

2012-02-01T13:01:00.001-08:00

020112 Finally got a haircut...just 11 more to go.

When I got to Kabul in December I got a haircut and for various reasons I didn't get another haircut until recently. Haircuts and other services (stores, cafe, pizza shop) are offered by locals who come on base and set up a shop. Gone are the days when there was a 'military barber'. The Army/Military seems to contract out EVERYTHING now. Anyway, my logic is that I've got a year to go here in Kabul and if I can wait a month between haircuts I can now countdown my time left. So...11 haircuts to go.
R/Chris

013112 So what does one live like in Afghanistan?

2012-01-30T13:29:00.001-08:00

013112 So what does one live like in Afghanistan?

Living in AFghanistan as a contractor or soldier can mean anything from an open bay C-hut to a 3-man room. That of course is the permanent housing and you certainly may be living in a tent for weeks or even months to get that. In Iraq there were military and civilian housing areas. The accomodations were about the same for both but they were segregated areas. And if a military company moved in, the housing office would do their best to ensure all the soldiers were as close to one another as possible. That was Iraq. In Afghanistan (and this has just been my observation here at HQ iSAF), it doesn't seem to matter at all. As people arrive, be they military or civilian, you get assigned a room. Most of my co-workers seem to have at least one military guy their rooms. soldiers here work 12 hour shifts just like civilians. The buildings that we live in have concrete walls and a solid roof and blast doors (for mortar attacks which are rare.) Otherwise they look like any standard college dorm. The showers can be good or bad so the trick is to find one you like and keep using it. The one that I like generally has plenty of hot water and violates the water use of a 3 minute shower every 30 seconds (translation: damn good water volume.) Anyway, here are some pics. My bed is the top bed but only until two dickhead roommates move out in March (if not sooner hopefully.) And the closet pics pretty much show ALL of my clothing that I have here. As you can see it certainly isn't much. But it's all I really need.
R/Chris

012612 Yes, it does snow in Kabul

2012-01-25T10:10:00.001-08:00

012612 Yes, it does snow in Kabul

It has snowed three times here in Kabul in the last month. Generally the weather is clear, cold and dry (very similiar to Colorado Springs.) The snow will last for several days and it sure makes the dreary brown base look clean and inviting. One thing the snow (and rain) does is clean the air and in the winter it certainly makes a noticeable difference (see earlier post on Kabul air quality.) Here are some recent pics and the one pic with flags shows all the NATO and other nations that have representatives/forces either here or in Afghanistan. While Iraq really was a primary US led mission, Afghanistan is slightly different (as it is a NATO coalition mission.) But any way you cut it, the US is still the primary force in Afghanistan.
R/Chris

012512 Don't Feed the Cats!

2012-01-25T09:22:00.001-08:00

012512 Don't Feed the Cats!

When I was in Iraq rarely saw stay cats or dogs. This is because any strays were routinely rounded up and either shot or given the needle. The reason is rabies. The disease is widespread throughout much of the
'third world' and untreatable once symptoms start to show.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Soldier-Died-of-Preventable-Rabies-129947358.html
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/09/ap-mother-of-gi-who-died-of-rabies-seeks-answers-091611/
In Afghanistan the Military has taken a different approach. One of the reasons they've done this is that people just won't/can't see a stray dog or cat and not try to help out or even pet it. The cats here on HQ ISAF Kabul are now 'working cats' and they've been 'fixed' (so I've been told) and their job is to hunt mice and snakes and keep that population under control. As such, a fat cat (fed from scraps from people) does not
make for a good mouse catching machine.
R/Chris

010712 Is there Skiing in Afghanistan! Yes there is and there is no risk from mines when the snow is greater than 2M!

2012-01-07T12:29:00.001-08:00

010712 Is there Skiing in Afghanistan! Yes there is and there is no risk from mines when the snow is greater than 2M!

I was asked if there is skiing in Afghanistan. I didn't know until I found a brochure in one of the restaurants. Evidently there is (see pics) and when the snow is greater than 2M, there is no risk from mines! (see the article in the pics.) While this is great news, I don't think I'll be going skiing here anytime soon. And all the snow on base here is now gone.
R/Chris

06JAN12 It's still snowing and cold and I'm wearing no gloves

2012-01-06T12:40:00.001-08:00

06JAN12 It's still snowing and cold and I'm wearing no gloves

It's been snowing/raining here the last few days and this morning was sunny and bright and cold. If it's so cold why am I not weaing gloves? When I came to Afghanistan on the last flight there was a strict weight limit (30 kg, which is about 66 lbs). Now just the two computers I was carrying was 15 lbs. I had to ration just about everything else and my final carry-on weight was 65 lbs. There were others at the gate in Dubai tossing out stuff just to meet the weight limit of the final flight. Anyway, here are a few pics from this morning taken from the balcony of one of the coffee shops and one pic taken in DeStille garden. The hills in the one pic are just that, hills. Ususally they're just brown. The mountains (Hindu Kush range, slighty visible to the right) are further away and are snow covered all year round. DeStill garden is a patio area where you can sit outside and enjoy a meal or coffee. The pics were taken in the morning and by the end of the day much of the snow was gone (and the drab was back), but it was still cold.
R/Chris

04Jan12 Yes, it snows in Kabul

2012-01-04T15:10:00.001-08:00

04Jan12 Yes, it snows in Kabul

It's 7 AM on 04 Jan and I'm finishing the midwatch (8PM - 8AM) and it's been lightly raining/snowing all night. At 7 AM the snow finally 'sticks a little' and so I took a pic. At around 5900' elevation it's generally dry here in the summer and winter but obviously, it does snow here in the foothills of the Hindu Kush.
http://www.afghan-network.net/Culture/kabul.html
R/Chris

03Jan12 Gota get to the gym

2012-01-03T11:05:00.001-08:00

03Jan12 Gota get to the gym

I've been here at HQ ISAF for three weeks now and still am not into a decent routine. One of the nice things about being a contractor overseas is that one generally gets into a daily routine and follows it everyday. While it can be boring and monotonous it is simple and stress reducing. Anyway, above is a pic of the gym (that I need to get to) but for right now I just pass by it on the way to DFAC for meals. The gym is also one of the only hardened structures on base so it's where everyone took refuge during an attack (such as on 13 Sep 11.)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/8759579/Kabul-US-embassy-attack-September-13-as-it-happened.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZtYM7ZRIE0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H47Jx2OpoRs
On the youtube vids, most of the soldiers you see are not American but Macedonian. You can tell from the bright yellow and orange patch on the shoulder part of the uniform. The guys in the darker green uniforms are Americans. In Iraq, security was 'contracted' out to Ugandans. In Afghanistan its done by Macedonians (for odd political reasons!) It seems that many things here happen for political reasons.
Also, it's still cold here and you can see the mountains during the day (I currently work the night shift 8 PM to 8 AM.) The days are nice and can be very clear. But at night, there's an haze of pollutants in the air during to all the burning of anything to keep warm. And winter has really only just started.
R/Chris

26Dec11 I finally got my Calendar

2011-12-26T12:08:00.001-08:00

26Dec11 I finally got my Calendar

So in between Iraq and Afghanistan I spent a few weeks in the states for training. During that time I happened to visit Hooters Restaurant as they have pretty good chicken wings (really!) Anyway, at the end of the meal, the perky waitress (Debbie) that was waiting on us tried to sell each of us a Hooters Calendar that would then be donated to the 'Troops in Afghanistan'. I pointed out that one of our group just completed his Afghanistan deployment, another has been there and in Iraq for many years and that I just left Iraq after 6 1/2 years and was flying to Afghanistan that weekend. Needless to say she still wanted us to buy this $10 Calendar and then donate it 'to the troops.' And needless to say, we all passed on the calendar. So what do I see at the NSE (National Support Element) today, but a stack of about 50 such calendars (see pic.) And needless to say, about all 50 were still there when I went back that night.
So I finally got my Calendar Debbie!

R/Chris

(NSE - National Support Element, This is a place set aside by country where people of that nationality may go and just chill. There's a lounge area, a phone bank place where you can make personal calls, and usually a large stock of snacks, candy, junk food etc. There's one for every nation here at HQ ISAF.)

25Dec11 Still getting used to Kabul

2011-12-25T16:15:00.001-08:00

25Dec11 Still getting used to Kabul

I've been here for almost two weeks now and I'm still trying to get into a good routine. It almost a week just to get used the sleep cycle and that's pretty important in itself. We work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week and it's just not good to be late or miss a day. (And yes, that is every day of the year.) Anyway, above are a few pics. One is obvious (Welcome to Kabul) and is from the airport. In Afghanistan (as in much of the world) English is everywhere (and frankly I'm glad.) Two of the pics show the nearby mountains. And yes, it's cold here. It warms up to the 40s in the day and is in the teens (18F) at night. It's supposed to snow next week too (but just a little.) Finally the last pic is taken from one of the many coffee shops that are on camp. Since this is NATO base, things are bit different but it seems a coffee shop is universal.
R/Chris

08DEC11 General: “You’ve been there quite a while drinking coffee. You must not be needed that much. Give me your CAC card, you’re fired.”

2011-12-08T01:17:00.001-08:00

08DEC11 General: "You've been there quite a while drinking coffee. You must not be needed that much. Give me your CAC card, you're fired."

I'm at ISAF HQ which is the main base in Kabul commanded by General Allen (4 stars). The next base over is Camp Eggers and is commanded by a 3 star General. Now Camp Eggers is a US Base and has many more personnel there than here at ISAF HQ (a NATO base.) There's been pressure to downsize Camp Eggers and the General there has been going about it via some interesting methods. One thing that he did was cancel all extensions for projects manned by contractors. In the past getting an extension was a routine procedure but now once the project is completed (per the contract date) the job goes away. This has supposedly slashed 1,800 personnel (from about 6,000) from the roster at Camp Eggers. Another thing that the General has been rumored to have done was visit some of the many coffee shops on base and note who is there. He'd then go back 1/2 hour later and if he saw you there he'd say the following: "You've been there quite a while drinking coffee. You must not be needed that much. Give me your CAC card, you're fired." Needless to say, whether rumor or not, it has gotten people's attention. There might be hope for the US out of Afghanistan by then end of 2013 afterall!

R/Chris

07Dec11 Afghans Burn Everything!

2011-12-08T00:18:00.001-08:00

07Dec11 Afghans Burn EVERYTHING!

I arrived at Kabul International Airport the other night at 5:30 PM for the short ride to ISAF HQ (International Security Assistance Force Head Quarters). It was already dark when I put on the armored vest for the short ride. About the first thing one notices in Kabul is the air quality.. Years of war and poor infrastructure has left its mark. Kabul is one of the largest cities in the world (~4 million) with no sewage system. Combine that with desire to stay warm (Afghanis will burn anything for a BTU of heat) and you have some of the worst smog in the world. There is lead (from unleaded gasoline) and all sort of pollutants in the air here but one that concerned the military the most was fecal matter (with no sewage system, Afghanis burn IT.) The article below gives some idea of the problem.

http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/can-you-inhale-a-lump-of-feces-from-breathing-the-air-at-kandahar-air-field-1.131230

So while the rumor is somewhat dispelled, there's probably some truth there. Also the article referenced below is from 2009 but little has changed since.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/kabul-one-of-worlds-worst_n_187192.html

Welcome to Afghanistan...

R/Chris

2011-12-03T00:38:00.000-08:00

12/02/11 More pics

First week in Afghanistan

2011-12-03T00:35:00.000-08:00

12/02/11 Finally in Afghanistan

I arrived in Afghanistan this last week and in many ways it’s similar to Iraq but just different. One thing that is not different is that it takes a long time to get here. I take a 5 hour flight from the west coast of the US to DC to catch a 14 hour (or so) flight to Dubai and then stay the night. I then fly a Boeing 737 (charter service) from Dubai to Bagram Air Base. The charter is crewed by Indonesians where I was served a decent chicken sandwich and piloted by Russian (“your pilots are Yukov and Serge” – really!)

The 2.5 flight takes one over the Persian Gulf, then across SE Iraq and then into Afghanistan. It’s a pretty dry part of the world and desolate (as the pics show.) I then landed at Bagram Air Field then take a prop flight to Mariz-Sharif (an hour or so north) and then land at Kabul International Airport (after another hour or so.) So I take off Sunday morning and land Tuesday night and travel across 11 time zones.

This begins the Afghanistan adventure….

R/Chris in Afghanistan