Random Thoughts, Flowers and Rocks

It’s springtime in Afghanistan. The weather is warming. The fields are turning green and this week beautiful flowers began to spring up just outside the fence line. It’s funny, the first time I drove past a large patch of the blossoms I saw red and white ones side by side and my first thought was… someone must have marked off a minefield I hadn’t noticed. It took me a second to realize I was looking at flowers and not rocks painted to delineate a mine field. It’s rather odd being somewhere where that thought pops into one’s head so easily. The flowers really are beautiful, red, white or pink, I think they are wild tulips. I like being places where flowers define the time of year. Japan was very much like that. Southern California is as well. I’m missing the poppies and lupine this year.

I’m curious how this landscape will change over the next months. When I arrived there was nothing covering the fields but dirt. It didn’t look as if anything could, or ever had, grown here. Now the snow is melting leaving the mountains brown but the fields are turning. At least if I have to work on such a fugly base I can still see the fields next door and the nearby mountains. It’s calming. Even on this butt ugly base some of the trees that looked dead and gone are blossoming. These poor retched trees that looked like they belonged warming some Afghan’s mud house have become beautiful explosions of fuchsia. I suppose it’s a good lesson. One should not look out at the world and assume it will always look that way.

Truckin....

The trip I took to Hairaton was another great learning experience for me. My host kept apologizing for the weather conditions. I knew it was a rainy day and likely to be snowing at the Salang Pass. Not far outside Bagram we had to negotiate a river of mud. I believe it is supposed to be a road but last year they removed the blacktop to lay a new road. Unfortunately the new road never made it. From what I heard the contractor did such a poor job on the road from Kabul to Bagram that he fled the country. It certainly made me a believer in the Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX 470 we were in. It had no problem slogging along. It wasn’t so easy for the Jingle trucks. The truck drivers here work in conditions that would cause US Teamsters to go postal. I have great admiration for their endurance and resourcefulness. During the next three days I would see trucks broken down in the mud, ice, snow, tunnels, etc. The thing is, here in Afghanistan, truck drivers share a great deal with European Rally drivers. If their rig breaks down they fix it… on the spot… with minimal tools. The trucks are never down long. They always seem to get them back up in a day or two, even for severe repairs. On our trip back I saw a truck with a brand new engine in a crate next to it! How often do you see that in the states!

Back to the trip, it’s a good thing we had tire chains, we needed them up on the Salang, even with four wheel drive and locking hubs. The tunnel under the pass is at 11,700 ft. It’s one of the highest in the world and about a mile long. Besides the tunnel there are about 27 snow galleries. These are like tunnels but run along the side of the mountain to protect the road from avalanches. In a few places the galleries had gaps in the outside wall that let in snow drifts. It’s a very odd thing, driving thru a tunnel only to come across a snow drift covering half the road. It took eight hours to make it over the Salang. It would normally take an hour and a half or so. When we weren’t stopped we were frequently down to a crawl as cars and trucks negotiated the ice and occasional one lane sections of road. It certainly makes you a believer in Toyota Corollas and Afghan truck drivers. In a fair world neither would have to be out in these conditions in large numbers. But this is Afghanistan and everyone takes it in stride. There is no road rage here.

When we returned from Hairaton a few days later the Salang pass was clear and breathtaking! The mountains here are even more stunning close up! It’s not likely I’ll have an opportunity to climb any on this trip. But given the chance…. It really is a world class scenic drive from the steppe near the Uzbek border to Bagram over the Salang. I want my family to see it. Not this year. But hopefully not too many years from now.

A Very Old Place

I think it’s time for a road trip. The monotony here is starting to bug me. Although there is a great deal to do, and new crisis erupt and evolve daily, it all starts to feel the same. Then again I might be feeling some influence from my assistant. He just returned from a site visit up North to Hairaton. He is of the opinion all US forces should take a similar road trip. I can’t disagree. It helps to see a part of the country free of war and lacking the heavy damage inflicted by years of civil war in the South. It gives a fresh perspective and reason for hope. Hope is crucial. In some cases it’s everything. If our forces loose hope they can’t instill it in the population. After all, you have to have hope to project it. Hope is the reason I voted for Obama. I wasn’t overly impressed with his politics but he was the only candidate who refused to abandon hope. Right now it’s the most important commodity in the world. It’s all too easy to look over the state of the planet and despair. There is climate change, the global economic contraction, hot wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, Kashmir, Darfur, Nigeria, Somalia, just to name a few, corporate and personal greed are at an all time high, I could continue but it would be counterproductive. It’s easy to look at all this and forget that back in the 1950’s Londoners were dying from killer smog and protestors were being killed in the US for trying to gain basic freedoms, the cold war was in full swing, hot wars raged in Vietnam and Korea. Hell, I grew up believing a nuclear war would happen in my life time. As a species, humans are a mixed bag to be sure, but amazingly resilient. It may be odd but the older I get the more hopeful I become. Reading history helps. As bad as things appear it’s never anything new.

I am hopeful for Afghanistan. This land has a rich cultural heritage dating back centuries. This is the probable birthplace of Zoroastrianism, the oldest known monotheistic religion. This is the location of Balkh, known in ancient times as “the mother of all cities”. I recently read that there is likely a 3rd Buddha statue at Bamyan. This one is believed to be a reclining Buddha over 300 meters long. On a recent trip to Hairaton we visited a site near Samangan. There is a Zoroastrian temple on one hill and a Buddhist cave complex on the next hill. I haven’t been able to find specific information on these sites. It’s unfortunate but archeological efforts in Afghanistan ground to a halt in the mid 70’s. I am hopeful that as some measure of stability spreads the people here will start reacquainting themselves with their illustrious history. It’s the one element common across the many ethnic and religious groups that comprise Afghanistan. It’s the one thing that may once again unite this diverse and beautiful place.

Voltron

When my son was very little he loved watching Voltron. It’s an old Japanese cartoon where these kids control robotic lions that merge together to form a giant robot, Voltron.
I don’t know why today’s trip reminded me so much of Voltron. It probably should have reminded me of the Transformers instead. But, it didn’t.

Normally when I go off the FOB, to visit one of our contractors located immediately outside the gate, I travel in my Land Cruiser Prado. I wear body armor but the Toyota does not. It’s right next to the base, it is quite safe.

Today felt quite different. Today someone else arranged the trip. We had to deliver a piece of equipment to the contractor and then check on the trucks coming onto the base. Today we traveled in three up-armored Humvees. Large, sand colored SUV’s with appliqué armor and turrets. These are the vehicles that can take significant small arms fire in stride. Each had a Mal Duce (M2 50 cal heavy machine gun). Each of the passengers had weapons as well, M9s, M16s, M249s. We all wore body armor.

Where I normally have a windshield, side windows and rear window to look out, I now had a small ballistic glass square to observe from. I was in the back but giving directions trying to see out a windshield obscured by radios, computers, the legs of the turret gunner dangling next to me. This was my first ride in a full up Humvee. It was a surreal way to travel: bouncing along, rapid ratcheting clicks as the turret traversed, black rubber padding lining the inside complemented the olive drab paint and khaki dust, the guy in front entering updates into the computer/nav system. It’s a very claustrophobic ride, a very industrial ambiance.

When we arrived at our destination a full 10 seconds outside the gate, I got out and felt pretty normal. The Humvees looked like Humvees again. That’s when the Voltron connection struck me. From the inside these machines don’t resemble SUV’s or trucks much at all. They look pretty normal on the outside, even with the turrets. At least, I’m used to seeing these 11,000 lb 4x4’s so now they look pretty normal. On the inside things are quite different. You are divorced from your surroundings on the inside. You can see out but you don’t feel like part of the surroundings. You feel like you are transiting through an alien place, clearly an observer who does not belong.

Now I could be unduly overcome by the newness of this means of travel. As I said this was a first for me. I don’t really think that’s the issue though. Getting in these and traveling instantly creates an, us vs. them mindset. There are the guys inside the robot and all manner of potential dangers and strange people outside the robot.

I miss my Prado.

Old Navy

Things have changed a bit since I joined this yacht club 23 years ago. We used to be allowed to have a beer or two at lunch. Now I’m in an AOR where drinking is prohibited. That’s right, no drinking in the Middle East or Afghanistan. I think the official rational is that we are in Muslim countries. This would be a good reason except that many Muslims drink, just like many Christians and Mormons drink. I think it’s because they don’t want to deal with the occasional drunk idiot. By this logic the US should have much more stringent laws governing human behavior. Sharia law perhaps?

This is indeed the oddest work environment I’ve been in. The truly surreal aspect is that it all feels very normal. I live and work in this place resembling a sci-fi set for a B movie. Every morning I wake up ion my 20 ft container. I get dressed and strap on my 9mm in a drop down holster. I normally only carry 45 rounds because of the weight, I’m supposed to be carting around 75 rounds because I travel off the FOB regularly. Again, this seems normal. Any time I go outside the gate I am supposed to be in full body armor. I’ve removed the shoulder protectors because they are too cumbersome. We walk around counting trucks mixing with locals going about their business as if everything is quite normal. Us dressed like starship troopers, them dressed like 18th century nomads.

Most of the time, I work at a desk in an office. It’s normal enough looking for a govt. office: cluttered, ugly furniture, maps and clocks on the walls, beige paint, florescent lighting. Each desk has two computers, one normal, one secret. I compile reports, analyze our logistics chain, talk to our suppliers and carriers. Most of it is not unlike what I do in civilian life, except for the 9mm on my hip and sounds of aircraft constantly taking off.

Road Trip to Jalalabad - Pt II

I felt bad about writing so much in Part I of this trip with only two photos. So here I will attempt to regain some balance. This is where the photos dominate.

After bypassing Kabul proper, and several large military bases we turned onto the highway that follows the Kabul River. This is the same path the doomed Brits followed in 1842. The gorge the river cut is spectacular. The traffic following the road can also be spectacular! This highway carries most of the freight bound for the cities of Jalalabad and Kabul. It runs from the Pakistan border, through the Kyber Pass and eventually to Kabul. Traffic is slowed dramatically in the afternoons when a large number of trucks are on the road. The road is new (built by the Japanese) and in great shape so why the bad traffic? Even with a number of trucks I couldn't figure out why it was at a crawl. I thought there must be an accident. As it turns out the road may be new and wonderful but the tunnels haven't been improved.

The trucks carrying freight are too tall to enter the tunnels unless they straddle the center line. Truck drivers jump out and direct traffic one way and then the next to get the trucks through the tunnels. Into this are cars trying to dart their way around the trucks and jockeying for a few yards of space. Driving in Afghanistan is not unlike driving in Indonesia. Lanes are very approximate ideas here. If traffic backs up the oncoming lane is always available for passing. Blind curve? Crest of hill? Not a problem in Afghanistan! Entertaining if you don't have to negotiate it daily.

The thing that caught my attention the most are broken down trucks. They stop wherever they are. Most make it to the side of the road but not all. I haven’t seen a tow truck or garage. So, when trucks break the drivers fix them. Now when I say the drivers fix their trucks I don’t mean replacing fuses or adding water. They do those things but they are minor. I have seen trucks with differentials apart, transmissions pulled, snapped axles. We are talking advanced gear-head type repairs, all on the side of the road, all with minimal tools. I am in awe!

Another striking feature of Afghan roads is the diversity of vehicles. There are Toyota HiLux trucks, Toyota Surf SUVs and Toyota Land Cruiser SUV’s and Toyota Corollas. Now to be fair I think I’ve seen one or two Hyundai’s as well (no more than 1 or 2 though).


Toyota should really consider using Afghanistan as a place to film ads. I am told the Corolla is the best car on the planet because it goes anywhere and runs forever. To hear people talk it sounds like a 1965 VW Bug!

Anyone can get a drivers license here. No test, just pony up some Afghani’s and you’re good to go. It shows in their driving. Seat belts are not worn. I rode in a Lexus LX and all the seat belts had been disabled. It certainly adds to the excitement! Mirrors are of unknown use. They do use turn signals though. They aren’t for signaling turns they are for indicating it is safe to pass. I think they do this in Georgia as well. I wouldn’t recommend driving here to anyone without previous experience in similar places. Given all the things to look at being a passenger is a much better gig.

You'd think by what I just wrote that I never saw anything but the road. I guess it's because the road has so much to do with what I am doing here. The scenery on the road from the Kabul river gorge to Jalalabad was eye opening for me. Where the river slows and widens, agriculture is widespread. The villages are on hills above the cultivated fields. The bright green fields stand in stark contrast to the khaki brown hills. We passed nomad tents, people selling fish from wheel barrows and baskets. Market places in small towns were selling bright oranges and pomegranates. At one point the road was lined with small stands selling what I think was sugar cane. All this commerce, but all so local. Without a good, secure, road network these items don't travel very far. It's a shame.

High Fashion..... Burkas

Funny thing, when I was in the US I thought burkas were a terrible thing forced upon the wives and daughters of devout, right wing, Muslims. A woman wearing a burka was someone to feel sorry for. I even held this belief when I first arrived in Afghanistan. Driving from Bagram to Jalalabad I didn’t see many burkas. It wasn’t until I was driving through the old bazaar in Khulum that I encountered any number of burkah clad women. As we drove through the crowded bazzar there were many blue apparitions floating along. The burkas are made of very thin fabric. It has the look of silk pleated very tightly, like harem pants. Nearly all are a bright sky blue and flow in the breeze. Weather walking or simply standing these women have a spectral appearance. They are beautiful and stand out in a land dominated by shades of brown. It has forced me to rethink my opinion of this maligned garment.

I can’t pretend to agree that forcing people to dress a particular way is remotely OK. To be fair, I don’t know how many would wear a burka anyway. My host mentioned, as we drove through Samangan, that the most beautiful women in Afghanistan came from there. Who could argue when all you can see are their hands and ankles? It occurred to me that if all women wore burkas the whole concept of feminine beauty dissolves. Let’s face it, if the only woman you ever see is your wife it’s easy to accept her as the most beautiful woman in the world! Unfortunately like all things, it’s not nearly that simple. It seems odd to me, but in the land of burkas, truck drivers have pin-up posters taped to their vehicles. Can you say hypocrisy?

Well, I have yet to decide my stand on this topic. All I know for sure is that the sight of a sky blue burka flowing in the breeze is beautiful.

Road Trip to Jalalabad - Pt I

I bent the rules the other day. I left my 9mm and uniform on the base and took a ride with one of our contractors to visit a FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Jalalabad. It was a very rewarding trip for me, both professionally and personally. I have a much better understanding of the traffic patterns and issues facing trucks as they negotiate the pass up the Kabul river gorge. What should take an hour and a half could easily be an 8 hour trip at the wrong time of day. The logistics issues we deal with in the states are a cakewalk compared to Afghanistan!

The trip was a short fused opportunity for me. The offer came up one evening and the next day I was off the FOB in civvies. I was a bit apprehensive. Bagram is a very insular place. It has the look and feel of somewhere in a Mad Max movie. The up armored trucks add to the si-fi effect. It’s easy to look out past the mine fields and ruined mud compounds and imagine a world torn by insurgent warfare. I knew our carrier reps drove this regularly but people on the base generally fly from place to place or speed along in frightening columns of sand-colored, steel reinforced trucks topped with heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers. So I was trying to imagine what I was going to find on the other side of the wire. It was disconcerting leaving the base in civvies with body armor on.

Once outside the base I met up with our rep, left the armor with my assistant, and we were off. Driving away from base was liberating. The ruins gave way to occupied mud castles. The compounds here have two or three foot thick mud walls 10 or more feet tall. They look imposing but the living quarters aren’t that large, just the wall. The road between Bagram and Kabul climbs slowly up a low pass. Not much grows here this time of year. The horizon is dirt without trees, those mud compounds and the occasional police checkpoint. The road itself is pretty bad, potholes everywhere. The speed bumps by the checkpoints seem nearly invisible thanks to the khaki dust everywhere. It’s a very alien landscape. The only place I’ve been that comes even close is Bolivia between Copacabana and La Paz. As we drove we passed the occasional kid shoveling dirt into potholes and holding out their hand for donations to their road maintenance efforts. GW would be proud of this privatized road maintenance scheme!

Once through the low pass the smog from Kabul came into sight. This confused me. I wasn’t aware Kabul had any industry to speak of and there aren’t that many cars in the area. I was wondering, why the smog? I found out a short distance later. The Afghans have a booming industry in mud brick production. They are firing these with a unique, if not filthy, fuel source… old tires. They cut them up and use them to heat the furnace. Not clean, but quite effective.

The landscape on the downhill run to Kabul varies little from the run out from Bagram. More mud castles some kiln chimneys, a few Afghan national Army and Coalition bases, oh and more Russian armor carcasses. Unfortunately the old Russian armor can’t be melted down and reused because it is not normal steel. Like all modern armor it is a weird allow of steel, magnesium and who knows what. The Afghans, being fantastically resourceful completely dismantle every bolt on part from these old relics. BMP’s and BTR’s are barely recognizable carcasses. The T62’s and T72’s are more easily spotted because the turrets and main guns are not easily removed. I’m guessing these are cleaned out inside like the APC’s. I don’t have much desire to climb inside one to check. A friend told me of a couple Americans that tried that a while back in the large tank graveyard north of Bagram. They stepped on a land mine in the process. Oops!

Traveling around this land I am struck by the amount of heavy equipment left behind by the Russians. They were fighting against light infantry that had decentralized command structure. These fighters didn’t have much in the way of heavy weapons and yet the Russian losses were staggering. It’s a sobering sight.

Leading piss from a boot with directions on the heel

Leading piss out a boot with directions on the heel. Seems like a simple enough task, doesn’t it? Unfortunately I am supporting a Colonel without the ability to perform that task. Pontificating and grandstanding in a large meeting is not leadership. Asking questions that show your lack of basic logistic situational awareness, when you own the logistics, is not leadership. Asking questions, when you have no intention of listening to the answers, is not leadership, it is arrogance. To run a military operation without a basic understanding of the limitations and challenges of the logistics environment is pure folly! I’ve worked before for people who wanted their way without any desire to understand the reality on the ground. The disturbing thing this go-around is that I am supporting a war effort. Screwing up logistics in this environment could kill people and loose territory. I can’t help but be shocked when the person who’s job it is to have a well grounded understanding of the logistics picture doesn’t even understand who is responsible for what.

Now, having gone off on that tear, I must be honest about my situation. I have already have enough years toward retirement. This particular blowhard can not do anything to impact my career. My task, under these circumstances, is to do my job well and ignore his bullshit to the best of my ability.

It’s funny, when I travel around this country I can’t help but love it and feel great hope and promise for the future. Then I run into idiots, like this particular colonel, and I hope and pray they do not screw up the whole enterprise! We have the chance to do some real good here. It would be a crime to screw it away because of a lack of effective soldiering at the senior officer level. This happened here once before, in 1842. If anyone ever wondered about the line from the Rolling Stones song Sympathy for the Devil “And I lay traps for troubadors who get killed before they reach Bombay” read up on Major-General William George Keith Elphinstone, CB (1782–April 23, 1842). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Afghan_War