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October 2008
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Boots on the ground; eyes on. Afghanistan. It's Tuesday, 16 May 2006. The past 96 hours are a blur, as I sit drinking my second cup of coffee here in Camp Phoenix, trying to draft my first entry from Afghanistan. It isn't a question of what to write, only where to begin. The pallet of images and story lines seem limitless, and this is only day one. Kabul sits at the edge of the guard towers and Hesco barries, obscured in a dusty haze that fills the air as far as one can see. Within the walls of this compound life seems almost routine, though the ever present threat is brought to an awareness with the armed gate guards, vehicle security checks, and the concertino wire that trims the top of the fortified walls. Movement outside the fortifications of Camp Phoenix is done only with an armed vehicle escort; there is no such thing as a trip to town or a visit to the local bazaar. We now live in a combat zone, a reality that will become part of our daily routine as we settle in to our next twelve months. We left on Saturday, departing from Mississippi on a chartered DC-10. Our movement from Camp Shelby was smooth, and for the most part, without incident. The only snag came in Gulfport, prior to departure. One has to wonder sometimes what goes through a soldiers head, even when it's a Major. Having been briefed the evening before by General Pritt and Colonel Sneed on the importance of operational security (Op-sec), with emphasis on not disclosing movement times or locations to friends or family, the Major from the Arkansas ETT unit went ahead and invited his family to his send off at our Gulfport location. Perhaps the visit from his units General seemed like good justification; he seemed to forget, however, that his commander is now General Pritt. Fortunately for us, his actions had no effect on our movements security. It does show, however, that the reality this mission of working in a combat zone remains a distant consideration for some that are living and training in the safety of Camp Shelby.
Our first entry into Afghanistan was Bagram Airbase north of Kabul. After a brief welcome and an introductory talk, we ate lunch and prepared to move. Putting on our body armor, the soldiers received their first issue of live ammunition, as we loaded into the buses and headed out the gate. Afghanistan is unlike anything I have seen before. After two months of training, and cultural indoctrination, the picture that was painted had little resemblance to the reality on the ground. As we traveled in our armed convoy from Bahgram to Kabul, the living landscapes seemed to come right from the pages of Homer, the Bible and the Koran. Over two thousand years social change have passed over this country; a challenge that these soldiers will have to confront as they strive to meet their mission's goals.
Before we left Shelby I had numerous interviews with soldiers who had had prior combat experience. Each one described a moment in their first combat tour when the reality of their mission became crystal clear. Most of their descriptions were similar, often talking of the experience when live ammunition was given to them with the foreknowledge that they were to use it to kill the enemy. I'm not sure we have hit those moments yet; for some perhaps. For me, I'm finding that it is a series of moments, each one moving me closer to a heightened awareness of the challenges and dangers that lay in wait here in Afghanistan. Yet, my first experience with this didn't come in Afghanistan, but at our stop over an Manas Airbase in Kyrgstan. While waiting for news on our flight into Afghanistan, I took a seat at a table outside of the Green Bean Coffee Shop. I had already been warned of problems with the local power grid. Dating back to the pre-cold war era, much of the electrical infrastructure is obsolete by 21st century standards, plagued with maintenance problems and power spikes. Taking extra precaution, I plugged my surge protection strip into an existing power strip. As I did so, an electrical short flowed through the system, destroying my surge protector and taking down the power for the entire coffee shop. That was at 0800. Two hours later as we were loading onto the buses, the power was still out. I could only chuckle. So many challenges yet to be discovered.
From the moment of our arrival in Afghanistan, briefing after briefing has been given warning of the potential to contract illness in this environment. Sanitation and personal hygiene are more than good practice here, they can mean the difference in a persons basic health and wellness. An unclean finger placed on your lips or rubbed in your eye can result in a transfer of bacteria that can lead to intestinal illness. All local water is considered unsafe for consumption. Even the dirt around us is considered a potential health risk. Running water for most Afghans is a luxury beyond their means. Sewer and sanitation systems outside of the military posts is almost non-existent. It is said that as much as 30% of the particulates in the air in and around Kabul are composed of dried feces. To assist in illness prevention, soldiers are regularly reminded to sanitize their hands, and drink only bottled water which is stacked in cases through the camp. Even the dining halls have wash stations with running hot water prior to entering the food line. It is a real issue that makes you think of each action you take, as well as the health safety systems that we take for granted in the United States. Upon arrival at Camp Phoenix, the advanced party's counterparts were ready and well prepared. The Army has something they call "right seat, left seat ride." It is a term that describes the hand-off of a job or mission to another person, party, or command. It is an expectation with any transfer of power, allowing for a smooth transfer of leadership, as mission specific details and experiences are passed on. The Camp Phoenix counterparts preparation facilitated a mood that is up beat and positive. Whether or not that level of momentum will continue will be decided over the next days and weeks as the advanced party lays the foundation for the balance of the task force due to arrive over the coming months.
Afghanistan has become the reality that these soldiers have been training for over the past two months. Prior to our departure from Bagram to Kabul, as we were leaving our final briefing to walk to the dining facility, the officer in charge of our inbound liaison made a comment that put things in perspective, "You have all just come from Camp Shelby. For whatever reason, Shelby keeps training for a mission to Iraq; this isn't Iraq. So you'll have to forget a lot of what you have learned. You're in Afghanistan. Things are done differently here." That statement is already clear. This is a place where ancient ways are part of the daily cycle. A country rich with its own history, torn by decades of war, yet with a pride and hope that is seen with every wave of friendship from the children that great that passing convoys. The words of that officer, however, are reflective of something even greater and more current. Afghanistan is our forgotten war. It is the original war on terror, a place where we are sanctioned and supported by countries throughout the world. It is the battle ground of actions directly related to the memory of 9-11. Yet, Afghanistan has fallen from the pages of our news, replaced by the drama and chaos of Iraq. And as that officer's words demonstrate, even the Army is challenged with the demands of Afghanistan as they struggle to train for a separate theatre, a unique mission, with geographically and culturally specific demands. To what extent the training at Shelby will be applicable will play out over time. Either way, these soldiers are prepared. Their mission will call upon all of their skill sets, demanding a performance that will be dictated not by rules, but by adaptability, flexibility, and cultural sensitivity. Therein lies the strength, knowing that success at Camp Shelby has already demanded that of each of these soldiers. The mission ahead will demand that again, but to a level they have yet to achieve.
Archived blogs: RSS feed: Click here Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2006 |
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