A little update from the dustbowl.
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.
__________________
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Mr. P
Don't speak unless spoken to......slimeball!
