Firefight at Precinct 2

We rode out about mid-morning to Khowst Provincial Headquarters, joined elements from Bravo Company, 151st Infantry, Indiana Army National Guard, and visited several sites, including Precinct 2, where, just two weeks earlier, Soldiers from the unit were in a TIC (troops in contact) that left two Taliban dead and several Americans wounded.

To view it at the most charitable, Precinct 2 is a work in progress. More severe critics might describe it as a pile of rubble. Somewhere between probably lies the truth. (Pictured: Afghans working to repair the remains of Precinct 2.)

Complicating matters, Captain Chris Crawford points out, are bureaucratic snarls over which Afghan government agency actually owns the land. If, for example, Ministry of Defense owns the space and another agency such as police (under Ministry of the Interior) improves the land, then fear is that MOD will simply demand that the improvements transfer over to their agency, leaving police to find a new site.

Dealing with such apparent trivialities in the middle of an active insurgency causes teeth-grinding frustration among Coalition and Afghani officials alike.

Precinct 2 is an example. Work is progressing - we were surprised to see almost 50 laborers and several machines pouring concrete footers, removing rubble, and constructing walls when we arrived unannounced. A tall stone wall now exists on one boundary of the property that was not yet built just a few weeks ago.

Existing buildings on the property are marked for demolition. One, puzzlingly, is an agency that deals with nomad issues, including the oxymoronic proposition of issuing national ID cards and other documentation to the Kochi people, who from ancient times have roamed unimpeded across these mountains and plains herding sheep, goats, and camels, and trading goods often across unrecognized national boundaries.

Somehow these issues will be resolved. Meanwhile, work proceeds to construct living barracks, operational space, and parking areas for Afghan Uniformed Police and their vehicles.

Soldiers pointed out a heavily-damaged, two-story small brick building at the edge of the property (see photo above). This was where at least two Taliban set up to ambush Soldiers when they arrived on a visit to Precinct 2. "They opened up on us when we dismounted from our MRAPs," explained 1SG Larry Sparks, pointing toward the building. "As we moved up to engage them we began to pick up small arms fire from back over there." He gestured in the direction of some residences a block or so distant.

It was not known whether these were additional enemy fighters, or ANA who may have been shooting at the small building also. Typical of urban fighting in this country, much of the time you never know who is shooting at whom.

Twice Sparks' people assaulted the building only to be driven back by a swarm of hand grenades that wounded two to three Soldiers. "At one point," Sparks said, ANA and AUP were firing RPGs at the building. "They were flying all over the place. Only a couple hit and didn't do much damage. Then we pulled out our AT-4s (a portable anti-tank weapon) and put two into the building. At that point we launched our final assault."

Two "stacks" of Soldiers entered the building. One from B/151, a second from a Cav unit that had been passing nearby and opportunistically joined the fight. According to the Soldiers, they had cleared the top floor and one Taliban was dead, another severely wounded. A Soldier who was involved recalled, "We were just inside the room when someone fired into the chest of one of the Taliban. He saw him move. Well, this guy had a suicide vest on and the shots detonated part of the vest. Blew us down the stairs and caused a couple of more people to get wounded. Fortunately only part of the vest exploded and nobody was killed."

The TIC at Precinct 2 is typical of what fighting in Afghanistan has become. Small groups of Taliban infiltrating urban areas and making a stand in a local strong point. TICs last for hours primarily because of restraints placed upon commanders regarding use of weapons. They are prohibited from employing the heavy weapons that would rapidly degrade an enemy strong point because of the possibility - regardless of how remote - of property damage or civilian casualties.

America is now in the position that official policy has come to accept friendly losses rather than risk harming an Afghani civilian. It is a philosophy that brings into question the validity of the entire counter-insurgency strategy.

Also dominating Coalition actions is the notion that in every instance Afghani forces must be given leadership – at least a chance to exercise the opportunity to take the lead - even if it means risking lives. We saw instances of this in Paktia and Khowst Provinces and have heard reports from other areas affirming the strategy.

Is the game worth the candle? While the strategy may be sensible from the viewpoint in distant Kabul, Washington, or Brussels, it weighs heavily on the Soldiers who are called upon ultimately to do the door-kicking and risk their lives for a theory.

Combat Awards In Khowst Province

From the ramparts of the police station in Matun city, a few minutes drive outside of Forward Operating Base Salerno, in Khowst Provice, you can see the beginning of the famous Khowst-Gardez Pass. Looking westward in early evening with a setting sun and storm clouds gathering over the 14,000 foot peaks, it is an impressive sight indeed.

Since we had come eastward part-way through the K-G Pass a week or so ago viewing it from this angle was especially interesting. It was easy to let imagination take hold and wonder about the narrow, winding roads, steep dropoffs, wandering bands of nomads, and waiting hostile Taliban fighters who inhabited the Pass.

Avery and I flew out of FOB Lightning - for the final time on this embed - at about 0630 on a contract air chopper. These helicopters are the workhorses of Afghanistan. Large, forest green Russian birds with foreign crews who make daily runs between FOBs and isolated combat outposts, moving people and light cargo to and fro. We were loaded with rucksacks - we needed to fly bag-and-baggage for this one - along with standard IOTV body armor and ACH helmets.

Lightning to Salerno took about 20 minutes, liftoff to landing. I mused about the ease of flight compared to the bone-jarring ride of almost four hours in MRAPs that took us previously to the police station at Waza Zadran, only a third of the way through the pass. By now most of the snow has melted even in the highest peaks, with only isolated patches left in deep, shady crevasses remaining to remind of how bitterly cold these mountain tops can be.

The COP outside Salerno is located adjacent to an Afghan Uniformed Police headquarters and an Afghan National Army outpost. The ANA are headquartered inside an old British-made fort (see photo above) - probably late 19th century construction although it's difficult to know for certain. We're told by Captain Chris Crawford, commander of Bravo Company, 151st Infantry out of the Indiana Army National Guard, that two more forts exist down in the city itself, and that we will visit them tomorrow.

The COP, also known as KPHQ (Khowst Province Headquarters) is home to a joint tactical operations center - manned by a combination of Coalition forces, ANA, and AUP staff. There they share intelligence, plan combined operations, and monitor activities in the province. It is a busy station. Khowst Province borders the Pakistan border and just across those mountains to the east lay Waziristan and the Free Tribal Districts of Pakistan, long a sanctuary and breeding ground for al Qaeda and the Taliban.

"We have identified more than 300 access points - from major roads to goat trails - crossing the border," we are told by one of B/151's TOC non-commissioned officers. "It is possible to interdict some with traffic check points, and we're doing that fairly well, but there's no way we can monitor them all." So despite combined attention to the problem, some - perhaps many - leakers are going to get through.

American Border Patrol agents would understand of the problem all too well.

Bravo Company is unusual in several ways. Coming from the Indiana Guard, many of these Soldiers have been together in the unit for several years. Unlike the Regular Army, rotation is minimal. In more than a few instances families are part of the unit. One sergeant has three of his step-sons in the unit with him. A set of brothers profiled for a photo opportunity by the public affairs photographer who has accompanied this visit from 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), based at Salerno, commanded by Colonel Viet Luong.

Colonel Luong is also the "landowner" or battle-space owner, in military parlance, and so CPT Crawford reports to him, as he does to LTC Duane Miller, commander of the 95th MP Battalion, who is also visiting. One thing we quickly discovered in theater is that everyone seems to have multiple bosses, adding an element of confusion even to those who purport to understand the complex chains of command.

COL Miller along with Command Sergeant Major Henry Stearns are here for several reasons. The surface motivation for the visit is an awards ceremony. Many of B/151's Soldiers have been recommended for decorations including Combat Infantryman's Badges, as well as Combat Action Badges (for non-Infantrymen) and a Combat Medic's Badge. Some of these awards were pending for quite some time and both 95th Battalion leaders are a bit irritated that the "system" somehow delayed presentation.

"We're gonna take care of that today!" CSM Stearns emphasized, adding some choice expletives about unnecessary delays in paperwork.

Also making B/151 somewhat unique is that they are running essentially a police advisory, training, and mentoring mission, hence the reporting chain up through the 95th MP Battalion. Why is an Infantry unit tagged for this? Simply because the US Army is short of MPs, so others have to pick up the slack.

With General Stanley McCrystal's emphasis on counter-insurgency and building a law-and-order environment, emphasis has slowly shifted from building the ANA - a process now four years in the undertaking - to building the AUP, something only a few months old. Remarkably, B/151 has accepted the mission with alacrity and done well with it.

"One reason we are able to pull this off," Bravo Company First Sergeant Sparks told us, "is that we bring a lot of civilian skill sets to the table, being National Guard. One of our platoon sergeants, for example, is an Indiana State Trooper." Others have experience in civilian law enforcement, and that adds to the capability. (Pictured: Captain Crawford, left and First Sergeant Sparks, right with me in the middle.)

Morale in B/151 is high. The unit has been involved in several combat actions, and while suffing some wounded, has not lost a Soldier despite some fairly intense fighting. They are nearing the end of their tour and are proud of their accomplishments.

"When we took this site over," Crawford explained on a tour, "only the stone building and one B-hut were here." Since that time, his Soldiers have constructed several comfortable plywood and lumber housing units, brought in shower and latrine facilities, and build a mess hall. The unit has organic cooks assigned and prepares all food on site.

Assembled for the award ceremony (see photo above), the Soldiers stood tall and received their combat badges - and the traditional pounding on the chest - with grins. Afterwards the mess sergeant had prepared a special celebratory meal that included prime rib and some of the largest baked potatoes anyone had seen.

Stearns gave a coin for excellence to the cook following the meal. It was a nice touch, recognizing someone who works hard and rarely gets formally thanked.

Tomorrow the Soldiers of B/151 will strap on body armor and pick up weapons for yet another patrol. But this evening they are able to relax and enjoy the ambience of the moment.

HIIDE & Seek

Ever wonder what the world would be like without having a birth certificate, social security number, a drivers license or some other form of identification -- a world without any identification databases at all? 

That's Afghanistan today, with very few exceptions. Unless you work for the government, or have been recently arrested (yikes!), chances are that there's no formal record of your existence at all. Think about it: without databases, there is no way to prove that you are who you say you are, no proof of where you live, no standardized records of what you own or who your family is.

This can be a real problem for individuals who are living in a country where terrorists purposely conceal themselves within the larger population. Meanwhile, there's an active ongoing search going on to locate those who plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the roads, would-be suicide bombers, arms traffickers, home made explosive (HME) cooks, and other bad characters who are hell-bent on killing in the name of beliefs, affiliations, or for some quick cash. (Photo at the left: a picture that I took while tagging along when Afghan police and US Army MPs were preparing to enter and search a typical qalat -- or private compound -- one morning not too long ago.)

It can be pretty scary to have a bunch of cops and foreign military forces knock on your door when you realize that they really don't know who you are, and what you may know or don't know. On the one side you're happy that they're there providing security and actively looking for the bad guys who are in fact known to work out of your very own neighborhood On the other hand, you also know that some security personnel are also threatened on a regular basis and they have very real reasons to be worried for themselves and their own families too. Some of them even cover their faces since they often have no idea who's a terrorist and who's not, or exactly who's looking at them with bad intentions, when they patrol and search through neighborhoods. For these reasons you understand and don't want to make them nervous, and just want to go on record as a good person who belongs while everything is A-OK.  (Pictured: a masked Afghan security officer walking past a handmade mud-constructed animal shelter inside a residential qalat, as a chicken looks on. For additional insight take a look at Gordon's short article "Who is that Masked Man?" here).

Next thing you know, one of the US Army Military Police (MP) soldiers accompanying your local cops whips out this weird little box and invites you to open your eyes wide for a teenie little camera inside. Pass your fingers over the touch-pad on top and viola, your prints will be entered into a database that can record and prove who you are and where you belong at long last -- a real benefit from the perspective of many Afghans villagers.


The little box that some MPs carry is called a HIIDE system, short for a "Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment" system. It scans your fingerprints and the retinas of your eyes to create an identity record for you, and is used in conjunction with interviews to help you describe yourself, where you belong, and what you're really about. In effect, instead of going to the DMV (which doesn't exist), the DMV comes to you. 


Most Afghan villagers who I've seen "getting HIIDE'd" were anything but intimidated by the process. This is undoubtedly because they knew that being entered into the system doesn't mean you're suspected of wrongdoing at all -- that the goal (reachable or not) is to eventually add all Afghans into a database that will help to identify the innocent as well as those guilty of horrible crimes. No discrimination, just sheer necessity in a land plagued by violence. 


Sadly, one soldier privately told me that one villager had once asked if having such a record made could help verify his remains someday if something bad were ever to happen to him... as what happened to a neighbor of his (unsaid but presumably referring to some kind of mass casualty situation). It makes you think hard, about a world without any identification databases and the various pros and cons to that thought.

Pictured above: a few of the many interesting people who were included during a HIIDE session. The goal (acheivable or not) is to eventually add everyone into an identifying database to help sort out who's who in a country that's still plagued by terrorism.

Convoy Ops Through the K-G Pass

On 21 April we joined a joint convoy of US Military Police and Afghan Uniformed Police on a three-hour, 38 kilometer trip in and out of the famous Khowst-Gardez Pass. The pass transverses part of the White Mountains and links two key eastern provinces. (Pictured: a member of our convoy, Specialist Lovenburg, in the K-G Pass.)

It is a trecherous road in places, closed by frequent landslides and unstable, narrow roadbeds. Despite the climb - it rises to almost 10,000 feet at the top - it is a major route for goods entering the country from Pakistan, exports, and inter-province trade in food products, firewood, and people.

Most goods are moved by "jingle trucks" - colorfully decorated, dilapidated vehicles that haul enormous loads across the pass. With bald tires and problematic mechanical condition, one wonders how they make it at all. (Pictured: one of the many jingle trucks that squeezed past our MRAP on the unpaved and extremely narrow mountain road.)

While slowly creeping along a narrow roadway with a steep cliff on one side and a thousand-foot drop into a mountain river on the other, frequent caravans of Kochi nomads pass casually along, tending herds of sheep and goats, hustling loaded donkeys, or steering camels with children and livestock too small to make the walk tied securely to their packs. Little boys ride the top of the hump in colorful garb.

The mission was to accompany AUP leadership to major sites along the pass, including Waza Zadran and Shwak, two large police encampments, and two smaller, permanent traffic check points.

Along the way we also made a brief stop at Combat Outpost Wilderness, a Coalition base camp where elements of the 92nd MP Company keep a permanant presence.

LTC Duane Miller, commander of the 95th MP Battalion, and his Command Sergeant Major Henry Stearns were along for the trip, accompanying Afghan Police General Farar on the inspection.

The convoy of several MRAP armored vehicles was joined in Gardez by a handful of hunter green AUP Ford Ranger trucks, all with RPK machine guns mounted in the bed. Since Taliban presence in the pass is a given, everyone was on the alert. The necessity of takng the same route out as into the pass - there is no alternative road - increased the danger of IED or ambush.

The AUP general is a pro-active leader. He questioned subordinates about missions, care and feeding of soldiers, and maintenance of grounds and vehicles.

At the two major stations he did not see or hear what was up to his standards and promptly relieved the commanders, instructing them to turn over their stations to the men he was sending to replace them. (Pictured: Afghan soldiers standing by while listening to the General first chew out and then dismiss their supervising officer.)

Colonel Miller and CSM Stearns have high regard for the general and support his actions. This convoy was the first time that both US and AUP forces have engaged in a joint operation of this type. "We're going to do a lot more of this kind of thing," Miller said, obviously pleased with the results.

Unlike units such as Special Forces that have much more aggressive operational tempo, Military Police operate on the need to have AUP forces take the lead and the initiative.

"Until they realize how effective these kinds of operations are and develop the confidence to do them on their own, they will always depend on us. We are doing everything we can to encourage their confidence and independence," Miller said.

There are some heart-stopping moments in transiting the K-G Pass, even without someone shooting at you. The views, while occasionally terrifying, are stunning.

A universal comment from Soldiers and writers alike was that "this is what we expected to see when we came to Afghanistan." (Pictured: US Soldiers and their Afghan counterparts inspecting a lookout bunker far above the main Waza Zadran facility.)

Soaring peaks, rising toward the east and north eventually become the Himalayas. In the near distance, the Pakistan border sits, generally ignored by the Pashtu tribesmen who occupy both sides.

Now that spring is in the air, the valleys are greening up splendidly, making the terrain softer and more visually appealing than the stark desolation of the tail end of winter.

Fast-moving water flows through the steep valleys and draws; small, hand-tilled fields are sprouting, and new lambs and kids play on the mountain sides.

This idlyic picture is darkened by the harsh realities of life for an Afghan peasant: farming at the survival level and fearful of roaming Taliban who impose taxes, take young boys, and threaten the lives of any who cooperate with the government.

By extending rule of law through Afghan resources - the Army and Police primarily - the MPs and the Coalition intend to make life more peaceful and relatively prosperous for ordinary people. (Pictured: an Afghan guard mans a roadside checkpoint.)

It is a laudable goal in a land that has rarely known such security.

The Tough Zormat District

Zormat, the city - of sorts - is known from the earliest days of the Taliban as a safe haven for them. The town lies west of Gardez on the route to Gazni, a major trade route and a line of infiltration from Pakistan. Combat Outpost (COP) Zormat dates back to early days of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The COP sits on land that was salted by the Soviets to make it permanently infertile, part of the kind of scorched earth mentality that led them to put tens of millions of land mines in Afghanistan.

In a quirk of geography, the flat upland valley - Zormat sits around 8,000 feet - has a shallow water table. Dig down a foot and you hit water. Consequently living conditions at the COP, primitive as they are, are exacerbated by lack of drainage. Virtually every B-hut has up to a foot of standing, stagnant water under it.

We won't go into the abysmal sewage disposal and other sanitary issues. Suffice it to say that Soldiers at COP Zormat live in conditions that would be considered unacceptable by civilians in the US.

And they are, for the most part, happy to be here. The enemy is nearby and they know that they can make a contribution to the fight.

We visited the local district police station on three occasions, patrolling by foot through the streets of Zormat to the fortified station. The police chief worries that his area of responsibility - which is relatively large - is too big for the few officers he has. He has sent a list of new recruits to province headquarters but processing is slow.

With warmer weather the Taliban are coming out of hiding. Along with them, the chief is concerned about foreigners. Village elders have warned of Chechnens, Pakistanis, Saudis, and others among the population. Suicide bombers and IED specialists come from the foreigners.

The MP unit assigned to COP Zormat, 3rd Platoon, 92nd MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, led by Sergeant First Class Ronje, trains, mentors, and works with the local Afghan Police on almost a daily basis. (Pictured: SFC Ronje with the Zormat police chief)

His Soldiers teach both policing and military skills to the Afghans and over the ten months that they have been assigned here have developed strong mutual bonds with them.

 The Soldiers are doing everything possible to prepare suitable areas for them to move over to district headquarters and co-locate with the police. They are already taking steps to make the tranistion to the incoming unit smooth, so that the new arrivals can take advantage of the relationships they have developed. (Pictured: Afghan members of the Zormat police force.)


At the unit level, the progress is tangible, if still frustrating in the time it takes to develop. But this is Afghanistan, and things happen here on a very different schedule.

Cruising the Streets of Zormat

After nearly a week without internet access we're finally back in FOB Lightning and able to post some pictures from our stay in Zormat, where we walked through the streets with the MPs from the 92nd.

Many will remember that way back in December 2001, immediately following the infamous Battle of Tora Bora, Bin Laden and many of his Al Qaeda buddies escaped US forces using two different routes: one over the mountains into Pakistan, and the other south into the areas of Gardez (where we are now) as well as the little nearby village of Zormat.

The Taliban also have a significant presence there to this day, and as we walked through the streets with our military escorts we wondered who they were among the hundreds of people we saw there. Here's just a little of what we saw while walking alongside our military escorts:

The villagers are already used to seeing US soldiers in their neighborhood, and most of them seem to appreciate our presence there. Suicide bombers are a constant threat, so this is hardly surprising. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are also a very serious ongoing problem for local civilians, Afghan law enforcement and security personnel, and NATO forces; we saw several civilian vehicles that had been destroyed by IEDs, including this one that's now home for this sleepy stray dog:

Back on the street the many shop keepers and street vendors are always eager to sell you their wares, and are in fact fairly aggressive salesmen, although MPs can rarely take the time to stop to buy anything:

Over several days I only saw a few women in Zormat, and all of them were escorted by male members of the family. If you look carefully at this photo you'll notice the little child glancing at the MPs while zooming past my camera with his parents on a motorcycle:

At any rate, everybody in the village knows that the MPs are on their way to train and otherwise work with the Afghan police just beyond this same street, and that their long-term security rests with the the local police. Gordon will be writing a bit about the police training program in Zormat in the next couple of days, so stay tuned for more!

AJ quick note: different weapons, yup

Hello all, some more random thoughts pictures that don't quite fit with our other blog entries...

Gordon and I have finally been getting out on missions this past week, and while tagging along on guard detail during a Afghan ceremony in Gardez I saw this guard with an RPG standing watch on a wall:

He didn't speak English but I was able to ask him to stand with me wearing my new hat (a floppy "boony" hat) for a photo anyway. Well, as soon as we came to that agreement using sign language, another Afghan officer came running up wanting to be in the picture. Unfortunately, when the third Afghan security man insisted on joining in, the second started getting his hackles up -- so Gordon took the shot in a hurry and we left them behind to sort out whatever differences without me being stuck in the middle.

At any rate, it is a bit strange seeing Afghan security forces carrying around AKs and RPGs so casually, not exactly approved weapons for the US military personnel responsible for training them. It's an interesting situation that leads to show-and-tell moments for both sides (the man shown here in the blue shirt is a "terp" -- short for interpreter -- who arrived to translate for the occasion):

I'll be posting more photos soon, meanwhile, take a look at Gordon's latest post on our trip to Forward Operating Base Chamkani!

Into the Hindu Kush Mountains

We made the four-hour convoy run from FOB Gardez to FOB Chamkani, located in the mountains only 8 kilometers from the Pakistan border, for an overnight visit (photo: homes on a steep hill alongside our travel route, as taken from behind the bullet proof window of an MRAP). The road up is exceedingly rough in spots - at one point it actually follow the bed of a fast-running mountain river for about a quarter mile.

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, 92nd MP Company say it has been improved over the past year and we passed considerable construction work on route. We also noted that most of the villages had what appeared to be a standard deep well for community use. One of the interpreters, "Bill," said that USAID was responsible for the clean water project.

Chamkani is a town of about 30,000 or so and is deep in Indian country. "See that road?" a sergeant pointed to a winding path leading south. "Right past there is all Taliban. We get into a fight every time we go there. The Special Forces work that area all the time."

Soldiers at the FOB have a bit of improved living conditions compared to what they endured for several months. It used to be "showers" done by having a buddy pour cold bottles of water over your head, chow strictly MREs, and tent living. Over the months they have installed hot and cold running (sometimes) water, have hot food of sorts prepared at the neighboring Special Forces compound, and have constructed the ubiquitous B-huts that dot bases in Afghanistan.

Scenery-wise it is a million-dollar view, with sharp mountains rising on all sides and parallel ridgelines disappearing in the east into Pakistan's troubled tribal area (photo: Chamkani living quarters threatening to slide off the mountain above the parking lot, with the village in the valley below). Ultimately these mountains peak in Nepal with Everest and K-2.

Along the route we saw many of the nomadic Kochui people leading camels, herds of sheep and goats (mostly black lambs), donkeys, and horses.

These people follow the seasons and stay near water, so the low passes are ideal for them at this time of year. They decorate their animals with gaudy colors and pitch tents in community groups for temporary rest stops. (The photo shown here was also taken through bullet proof glass from a moving vehicle, therefore quality suffered a bit).

However, all is not calm here. Along the way we passed a patrol from the MPs based at the FOB who were engaged in a firefight with Taliban. They were accompanying Afghan security forces who had been fired on from ambush.

Chamkani was the scene of a fierce fight in the early days of the war when it was strictly a Special Forces compound. Now that MPs are there, the organic firepower they bring to the fight is an incentive for the Taliban to keep distant.

As we post this, we are back at Gardez preparing for an afternoon mission. Soon we will be at other FOBs and will be reporting on what we see and learn.

Patrol to Sayyed Karam

We rolled out of FOB Gardez at approximately 0730 for the run up to Sayyed Karam, a police station (see photo) adjacent to a small city of the same name about an hour away on a low-traffic day, north-northeast of FOB Gardez where we had overnighted.

We rode with 1st Platoon, 92nd Military Police (MP) Company, under command of 1LT Michael Barnhart. The particular model of MRAP we were riding has a large window in the rear door, and windows on the sides, making visibility considerably more user-friendly than the models with less glass. Somehow being able to see what’s happening gives a sense of comfort, regardless of how false.

The 92nd Company is normally organic to the 709th MP Battalion, based out of Baumholder, Germany. Since the 709th and the 95th recently changed flags, for the remainder of their deployment the 92nd now falls under control of LTC Miller and CSM Stearns. MP units, because of constant attachment to different units due to changing missions, are comfortable with such line-and-block changes and the transition seems to be fairly seamless.

We rolled with a convoy of vehicles, headed north and a bit east, most of it on unimproved dirt roads. Once out of Gardez we gradually gained altitude, and ended up at about 9,500 feet when we hit our destination. Probably “dry, dusty alpine desert” would be the best layman’s terms for the terrain. Large sprawling flat valleys surrounded by steep, sharp mountains mark each populated area. Mountain passes link the valleys, channelizing traffic along predetermined routes. Such terrain favors a defender and it is easy to see how centuries of invaders have been ambushed.

The lead vehicle, in which Avery rode, had a long arm extended from the front bumper with rollers on it (see photo). Any pressure-plate IEDs theoretically will be detonated by the weight thereby sparing the vehicle itself. Of course, if the IED is command-detonated, then all bets are off. Still, it is a good defensive measure.

In addition there are sophisticated electronic systems – called “Dukes” – on each vehicle that provide an interlocking jamming and interference signal that – so the theory goes – can help defeat cell-phone and other signal-detonated IEDs. Every provision is being taken to protect Soldiers and vehicles, but this enemy is much smarter technically than many realize and constantly adjusts his training, tactics, and procedures (TTPs in military parlance) to US and NATO counter-measures.

Today Barnhart left the wire with about 22 Soldiers from his platoon and an attached mortar crew that I’m pretty sure is from the 1/172nd Infantry Battalion, an Army National Guard unit from Vermont that has been in-country for less than a month. When we arrive at Sayyed Karam we spend some time chatting up the mortarmen (see photo at right). Only two – the platoon leader, SFC Adams, and the team leader, SSG Barrett, have previous deployment experience. Adams, a short, thick-bodied black NCO, operates at only one speed: all ahead full. He has a sharp, penetrating voice and booming laugh can be heard dominating conversation all across the camp.

There is a sense among the new Soldiers of what we’ve come to see over the years in any group that is standing at the edge of a dangerous situation and is uncertain as to how they will perform when the time comes. They are hyperactive, a bit too loud, and take pains to display a cool demeanor. You’ll see it in newly deployed units before they hit their first firefight, in paratrooper candidates before the first jump, that sort of thing. After they get through the first one they’ll settle down, but for now the air about them reeks of uncertainty.

By contrast the 92nd Soldiers have been here for at almost 9 months and have been tested, albeit not to the extent some of them wish. It’s not that they are a bunch of blood-thirsty marauders, but when you train up for a combat mission your mental attitude shifts: I’m here, this is a war, bring it on. While some Soldiers are fully content to spend their year sitting on the FOB, these Soldiers are more imbued with Warrior spirit and if given a choice would seek out and close with the enemy at every opportunity.

While perfectly willing to mix it up with the Taliban, the MPs realize that they are here to mentor, train, and support Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP), and to carry out the COIN mission that means winning over confidence among the civilian populace

At Sayyed Karem Soldiers drag a bag filled with school supplies, stuffed bears in multi-colors, candy and food, and distribute it to three young boys who are the sons of one of the Afghan policemen. The kids have natural shyness but run quickly when the goodies come out.

Once again we see on a micro level what has come to characterize American Soldiers for decades. It is as the late historian Stephen Ambrose said: “Of all the armies in the world, when local kids see foreign soldiers they run away and hide. When American soldiers arrive, they run to them for help and security.” In a country in which the Soviet army sowed upwards to 30 million mines, many gaily painted to attract children’s attention, just that change in perception of what a uniformed foreigner is has been a major mental transformation.

Although 1st Platoon has not been to Sayyed Karam in several weeks – they were visiting regularly but other mission requirements took them to other places – their routine is familiar to the AUPs. While LT Barnhart visits successively the mayor, chief of police, and other officials, some of the NCOs drop in on the communications center, others ask their counterparts to assemble AUPs to inventory weapons and check general condition, and still others visit with those responsible for personnel accountability, serious incidents, and enemy activity.

From outward appearances everyone is happy to see the Soldiers, and query why they have been gone so long. The chief is away because a woman was murdered in the town this morning and he has taken a team to investigate. Later we learn that the gathering we saw on the road coming in that morning was her funeral. Under Islamic custom bodies must be buried within 24 hours of death, so that was done. We never learn the circumstances so whatever forensic evidence was associated with her death went into the ground with her.

The mayor (left) is an interesting individual. Somewhat above medium height with dyed henna red hair and the fingernails of his right hand painted a subdued pink, he has the dark eyes, hawk nose, and full beard of many Afghani men. His name is Manur Jan, about early 40s, and has been in the position for several years. In a way that the Americans don’t really understand, he collects taxes of a sort from vendors in the large local bazaar held in the city outside the gates of the camp and reportedly uses them for infrastructure improvements.

“I’m certain that some corruption happens,” Barnhart notes, but it falls into the category that most Americans resign themselves to dealing with. We’ve heard the terms “acceptable” and “unacceptable” corruption for months now, and it is admittedly two extremes with a broad gray area between. Acceptable seems to fit this case, as the mayor no doubt siphons off some for personal use, but still does the local improvements. Unacceptable, to use a well-known case, is when Karzai’s brother in law runs the national opium traffic. All the thousands of cases in between have to be evaluated by Soldiers and civilian analysts.

Also decidedly unacceptable is taxing the population to support warlordism or Taliban.We were assured by the locals that Taliban activity was minimal in the area. However, warmer weather is here and the fighting season approaches. We shall see.

War zone tourism: Afghans on the FOB; shopping at the mall

Hey out there, Avery here, with some more interesting photos from our ongoing Afghanistan tour:

Afghans work all over FOB Lightning (i.e., the Forward Operating Base where we're staying), although their way of doing things is somewhat different than what we're used to. The other day we looked up and saw this construction worker dangling from a crane:

Turns out he was swinging over to help place a concrete barrier in front of some of the B-Huts, with help from some soldiers and a fellow countrymen who wore only sandals (OSHA would have a fit but hey, this isn't America):

There are a lot of Afghans here (which isn't too surprising since we're in Afghanistan of course). They work all over the FOB on construction and maintenance, among other things. Since this FOB doesn't have government-run shopping facilities, the Afghans fill in the gaps by selling all kinds of things to soldiers -- usually from stores they make themselves out of shipping containers (generally called "Con-ex" containers here, although I'm not sure of the correct spelling):

While we have some basic shops on Lightning, the really big "mall" favored by Soldiers is located just a short MRAP ride away on FOB Gardez. It's a little strange at first, yet who can resist the Afghan versions of Walmart, Best Buy, and K-Mart -- you can even stop to get a cup of coffee at Star Bucks! Check 'em out:

 

Radio Shack is also having their grand opening in the next few days... the new owners are pretty excited about it, too:

After our shopping trip we had to wait a while for our ride back to Lightning. Sgt. Nicholas Olsiewski (we call him "'Ski") and SFC Jared Matthews were among the soldiers waiting with us... Ski's quite the character, and didn't drop Matthews once during an unscheduled weight lifting session: 

Yikes, computer time here is limited to 30 minutes and people are waiting in line, so... until next time! Gordon will also be posting another update in the morning regarding yesterday's trip "outside the wire" to Sayyed Karem, where we were honored to have tea with the Mayor as well as some Afghan National Army soldiers. Stay tuned!