PDA

View Full Version : A little update from the dustbowl.



Mr. P
04-19-2007, 09:11 AM
Not posting for debate just for folks to read one Soldiers comments on his situation.
************************************************** *
Just a little update from The 'Stan, for anyone interested...

I have a little office and living space here at Bagram AF, in one of the "B-Huts," which I call the Plywood Palace. It's not bad, and I have considerably more privacy than most soldiers here. Most of them are sharing huts with five to seven other soldiers. The distant scenery here is gorgeous, with the Hindu Kush mountain range surrounding the base, but the closer you get the uglier it is!

The amenities here are pretty good, and I like Bagram much more than I liked Fort Bragg, except that a few people here in Afghanistan want to kill me. There are several fast food places here, and I can assure you that a Whopper in Afghanistan tastes just like a Whopper in Phoenix. The military dining facilities are run by a private contractor, KBR, and the food is actually the best I've ever had on any military post. I knew I should have joined the Air Force instead of the Army!

Bagram is probably the safest base in Afghanistan, except for a few small outposts in the western part of the country. There are rocket and mortar attacks occasionally - a funny t-shirt sold here reads "Hard Rocket City, Bagram, Afghanistan" - and we had the one suicide bombing recently, but overall it's pretty relaxed. It's relaxed enough that lots of us just carry pistols instead of rifles when inside the wire.

The air is a little thin here due to the altitude, which has made my initial physical training rather challenging. Once I get acclimated, though, I'll start running in the 5 and 10K runs they have here pretty regularly. At 35, I can't hope to win, because some of the service members here are in phenomenal shape, but it's fun anyway.

It's very dusty and dirty here. Everything, including people and weapons, remain sort of perpetually caked in a fine layer of dust. There's really no escaping it. It's not really a big deal, though. You just get very familiar with baby wipes, blow your nose a lot, and clean your weapons regularly. Luckily, the shower facilities are decent, though it's a pretty long dusty walk to the building with indoor plumbing.

The first thing you notice about the locals is that they smell worse than their omnipresent goats. I had to escort seven locals to a gate the other day, and I drove them in a truck. The stench was practically overpowering! I'll let 'em walk next time. The second thing is their careless disregard for the danger around them. Maybe it's that they've all lived with war for so long that it doesn't faze them. They let their children herd goats and play in minefields, though, which is pretty shocking to American sensibilities. Evidently, the kids get blown up occasionally. Of course, the families here are huge, often with 14 or 15 kids, so losing one here or there isn't a big deal, I guess.

I was talking to a local two days ago. He's a smart, reasonably well-educated guy. I asked him if he remembered the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, but he was too young. So I asked him if his life was better with the Taliban or with Americans here. He looked at me like I was nuts, and told me that life was so much better with Americans here that I was foolish to even ask the question. The locals are nothing if not direct. But anyway, it made me feel good that our efforts are making life better for the Afghans. I certainly hope we are making America safer, if somewhat indirectly.

If you could see them, you'd be proud of the men out here, both the 158th from Arizona and the outgoing 102nd (my old unit, oddly enough) from Connecticut. They're mainly young guys, but they're very skilled and very brave, ready to take on the Taliban and the al-Qaeda scum who attacked us five years ago. At the same time, these guys are kind and generous to the locals, who live in a kind of poverty that Americans can't really imagine.

The base has an "Apocalype Now" feel to it, in some ways. It's a haven of both civilization and comparative decadence plunked in the middle of a backward, primitive country and culture.

It also has something of a Wild West feel, with dusty streets walked by people all carrying loaded guns, plywood shanties serving as houses, and the ever-present threat of attack by the savage natives. There's almost a lawless feeling here, despite the strict military discipline, because while we are ostensibly here to rebuild (or "build," perhaps) this dreary little country, we are also here to kill our enemies.
__________________

Mr. P
04-19-2007, 10:32 PM
..

Psychoblues
04-20-2007, 12:16 AM
Answering yourself? My, my you must be desperate.



..

Are you a housewife?

Gunny
04-20-2007, 09:02 AM
..

Well, it DOES say you didn't post it for debate.:poke:

Mr. P
04-20-2007, 09:47 AM
Well, it DOES say you didn't post it for debate.:poke:

True, I guess I should have said I didn't want it trashed because it is a FYI thing from a soldier in Country.

gabosaurus
04-20-2007, 10:05 AM
I am sure he got a nice bonus for that wonderful piece.

Mr. P
04-20-2007, 10:09 AM
I am sure he got a nice bonus for that wonderful piece.

He posted it at another site he is a member of, not in the media. ASSHOLE!

gabosaurus
04-20-2007, 10:12 AM
Still entitles him to a cash bonus from the military. They need all the positive pub they can get from Iraq. :clap:

Mr. P
04-20-2007, 10:19 AM
Still entitles him to a cash bonus from the military. They need all the positive pub they can get from Iraq. :clap:

He's not in Iraq. Pay attention. It entitles him to nothing more than respect and gratitude.

Gaffer
04-20-2007, 10:15 PM
Good piece Mr P, thanks for sharing that. As usual the rabid libs don't even both to read it. It might says something positive about the military. That would offend their sensibilities too much.

Gadget (fmr Marine)
04-21-2007, 12:36 PM
Still entitles him to a cash bonus from the military. They need all the positive pub they can get from Iraq. :clap:

Entitlements are something liberals EXPECT and DEMAND.....I am certain you are seeking yours!:lol:

Thanks, P, good article.....

manu1959
04-21-2007, 12:38 PM
thanks for the article Mr P...enjoyed the read

typomaniac
04-21-2007, 12:50 PM
He posted it at another site he is a member of, not in the media. ASSHOLE!Does the military give out bonuses to troops who write home to local papers if the letters get published?

Asshole?

Gadget (fmr Marine)
04-21-2007, 12:54 PM
Does the military give out bonuses to troops who write home to local papers if the letters get published?

Asshole?

Not that I am aware of...typically the military frowns upon posting personal political views in any manner.

Mr. P
04-21-2007, 01:23 PM
Does the military give out bonuses to troops who write home to local papers if the letters get published?

Asshole?

They didn't when I was on active duty. How about you?
But like I said, this was posted on a web site the guy is a member of, NOT his local paper.

typomaniac
04-24-2007, 04:30 PM
They didn't when I was on active duty. How about you?
How about me what? :confused:

Mr. P
04-24-2007, 04:31 PM
How about me what? :confused:

Did they offer a bonus if you wrote to you local paper?

typomaniac
04-24-2007, 04:52 PM
Did they offer a bonus if you wrote to you local paper?How could they? I was never on the payroll.

Mr. P
04-24-2007, 05:17 PM
Does the military give out bonuses to troops who write home to local papers if the letters get published?

Asshole?


How could they? I was never on the payroll.

I guess you were just asking a question then. I didn't take it that way.

typomaniac
04-24-2007, 05:49 PM
I guess you were just asking a question then. I didn't take it that way.I was, actually. Unless I say something that sounds outright bizarre, you can usually interpret my posts at face value.

Mr. P
04-24-2007, 05:58 PM
I was, actually. Unless I say something that sounds outright bizarre, you can usually interpret my posts at face value.

There are no bonuses for writing home. That's was why I added the 'asshole' to gabbs post. She never served either but made the lame ass post as though it was fact.