Thursday, September 30, 2010
Operation Purge By Jake Wright
After resting at Bagram Air Force Base it was time to depart to Forward Operating Base (F.O.B.)Shank. Bagram was big, impersonal, depressing and a wasteland for Soldiers who joined to fight but instead ended up pushing paper or walking around aimlessly. After a 5-day wait I was on a plane and headed to Shank. When the plane landed I noticed we were higher in the mountains on a much smaller base, Shank was the size of the Glebe without the fancy homes.
I was met at the Airport by a 47 year old Staff Sgt. named Cobbeldick. He was all Sir this and Sir that, I thought "oh great one of these guys". It wasn’t long after he and I were doing impersonations of the Drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket and Al Paccino. Cobbeldick was going to be my handler here in Shank, he and his boss Lt. Col Gilleran would find me a mission, and for my sins they did. That night Cobbeldick insisted I drink 6 bottles of water and get hydrated for the mission so I did, at 3am I got up to go outside and go to the washroom but I noticed I had been locked in the hut, I was now in a panic and really had to go, I danced back to my room and found 4 empty water bottles, in desperation I filled them up to the last milliliter and prayed that was the last time I had to go. The next day I would fly to Sayad Abad by Blackhawk. On flight, I met Lt. Hall a former Canadian and now the leader of Attack Company that would be the driving force in the mission. Lt. Hall was a natural leader he showed me around Sayad Abad and briefed me on “Operation Purge,” he was young maybe 29 thin with a shaved head and lacked the Hill Billie accent that the other soldiers have. Lt. Col. McFarlane was the man in charge of Sayad Abad and Operation Purge. Some younger NCOs were uneasy with his firmness and hands on approach but others saw that as his strength, McFarlane is a tall well-groomed West Point man who looks and speaks like an officer. Purge was a multi group effort but it was as sure as shit McFarlane’s show.Operation Purge was to be run out of a much smaller base called Sayad Abad, the stars of the show were to be the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Afghan National Army Commandos and various specialty elements, in total 340 men would be brought in by Chinook helicopters and 2 Blackhawk helicopters. We would leave at midnight by helicopter under the cover of darkness and land 30min later high in the mountains in a small town called Chak. Chak was along a highway in an area where Taliban have always had free reign, it was nestled in a green, orchard-laden valley between two long ridges of mountains. The Taliban terrorized the town and kidnapped Elders for money and prevented Afghan Police from delivering ballot boxes back to Kabul to be counted. There was intelligence that big wig Taliban were stationed in Chak and this was a tempting prize.After finding me a room in Sayad Abad I wandered the base looking for advice and direction in regards to midnight’s operation. I would need food, water and Night Vision (NVG). I asked and received all three. Under Cobbeldick’s advice I took my cheap small backpack and 1 camera, the small backpack would become a serious issue later on in the mission. With very little sleep I donned my helmet and heavy body armor and headed to the HLZ (helicopter landing zone) as usual I was late and with all this gear and water I was huffing and puffing like mad, I thought I was going to faint, the vest was tight and the high altitude was causing issues. I arrived at the HLZ and lined up, I was wondering what had I got myself into, should I bail out, will I slow these young fit kids down, am I going to fall behind and get captured? I remained calm and reminded myself that this is what I wanted, but yet unlike these kids I didn’t have years of training, psychological and physical conditioning or 50 of my friends along to back me up, I would have to gather my own strength from within.Through the full moon lit sky 2 large Chinook helicopters appeared, blades smashing the air with a deafening slap, the troops on mass turned away from the blizzard of dust and small rocks in the HLZ. There was no turning back; we bolted for our designated chopper, and through the warm air of the exhaust run up the ramp of the big bird, I did my best not to stumble as I looked though the NVG goggles and found my seat. This was it, too late to turn back, I am sure the others onboard were nervous too, this was to be the biggest mission of their deployment and enemy contact was assured. We flew over the mountains and I looked out the gun pit window as we passed by mountain peaks and dove through valleys, after 30 min or so the helicopter landed and the crew screamed, “go go go.” We ran out and dove to the ground to avoid the flying dust, rock, and possible gunfire. We were on top of a big hill miles away from our objective that we called the City Centre. We would have to hike through the hills to the green zone and then through the town to get there. We were now at 8500ft and the air was even thinner then back at the base, my heart sank as I noticed each breath was fruitless. McFarlane then ordered Attack Company to head down to the near by group of Collets. Collets are the walled compounds that you see on the nightly news, these Collets were huge like mini castles and villas, their size makes you question the notion of poverty here, these homes would cost a fortune to build in Canada if they weren’t so simple. While Attack Company went to the Collets, Battle Company was to head to a dam built by the Nazis, yes the Nazis. The dam was impressive and grand by Afghan standards, to get the dam online would mean electricity for everyone from Chak to Kabul. I was with Tactical Command and proceeded through the hills to a better position where we could over look the town before we dove into the orchards of the green zone and possible ambush.We started our trek down the steep, sharp broken shale slope, no one dare fall for risk of injury and ridicule, I was slow and cautious, I wasn’t use to the NVGs and I am naturally not a fast walker. Even walking down hill was exhausting, my heavy ceramic plates sat on my chest and hampered what little air I could muster, that damn backpack was packed to the rim and hung too low and unevenly, there was no time to fuss with it I had to keep moving or be lost in the night. I desperately tried to keep up with the 60 or so men I breathed at an alarming rate yet too little oxygen to cause hyperventilation, my helmet tilted and teetered with the heavy NVG goggles and any semblance of cool or ego disappeared really quick, this was not my chow hall stroll, I was in hell and there was no way out. Reprieve came 30 min later as we took a break along a dirt road near a farm. I panted out “thank god” and sat down on the dusty embankment, finally a place to rest or so I thought. I had sat on a small thorn bush, fuck it hurt so I lifted myself up and moved over only to put my hand on another thorn bush and sat on a third one, “God Damn It! Shit, did anyone else sit on a thorn bush, what no one, you have got to be kidding me.” With thorns in my ass and hand we continued our journey through the hills and stopped at a grave yard on a hill, at this point I was really bad and they sent a medic to make sure I was ok he asked me how long I was at this altitude I told him 2 days, he was shocked and told me it took him almost a month to acclimatize, the medic looked at me and told me I was actually doing well considering they had been there for 9 months and I was keeping up. We rested for 5 min and got up to move out of the grave yard and over to our first over-watch point, as I stood up I realized I had sat on another thorn bush, this time the thorns were up and down my pants and in my ass. I tried to walk and fruitlessly pull thorns out.McFarlane took the lead and told me he wanted me to stay in the front, oh ya I was purposely staying in the rear because the conversation was better, he then said we were going down hill as we climbed a steep slope, I was praying for death now and wondering if I could just hide somewhere. Fatigue was only offset by my determination to continue on and not be the last in the group we mounted the hill where someone beckoned we would be stopping for 4hrs, thank you Jesus… err Allah. The sky was still dark but the sun was coming soon and we would be exposed to attack I tried to rest but thorns were all over me, I even had one in my neck, as I went to pull it out I was horrified to find they weren’t thorns this time, I had sat on a Ant hill and these giant ants were in my pants and vest. I jumped up and started doing the jitterbug while soldiers from the US and ANA looked on, “fucking ants in my pants.” After my little show I sat down next to a guy with a belt fed machine gun and watched the sun come up. Lopez was a big, very soft-spoken guy from the South West and had a girlfriend in the Philippines, Lopez kept watch as we got organized to make our decent into the green-zone. I was finally able to take photos and video, just then we heard large explosions and gun fire, McFarland and Captain Shin got on the radio and started talking to the guys on the ground and circling Apache gunships. Attack Company had finally cleared the Collets and freed a captured Elder and found an American bulletproof vest. We were now clear to proceed down to the Green Zone. We walked for another 30min and stopped outside another farmhouse. I noticed there were now 5 helicopters overhead, I asked what the delay was and McFarlane told me that General Townsend was coming in to see how we were. I laughed and said it would be funny if the General got shot, they didn’t think it was funny. Townsend arrived in a Blackhawk amidst a storm of brown dust out of the dirt blizzard appeared this 60 yr old tall man, friendly and curious he questioned McFarlane and handed out special coins to the men, the coins were an old tradition. The General hung with us and we talked for a bit but I felt it was important that he get face time with his men and not me, so I stayed clear for a while. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wear pearled handled Colt 45s or a silver helmet. Apparently the Generals of old were gone. General Townsend left the same way he arrived in a storm of brown dust.
While the General was there Sgt Beauchamp a well liked man in Sayad Abad had time to talk to me, he pointed to one of our ANA partners who took it upon himself to stand guard in a defensive position to protect the General, he said “see that’s progress, right there we are making headway with these guys.” The ANA had a reputation for being undisciplined slobs with unlaced boots and a slack posture. These Afghan soldiers were making an effort. We now headed out to the base of the valley called the Green Zone for its trees and irrigation ditches. The feeling of impending doom increased as we received word over the comm. that the Taliban knew we were there and moving in. Tension was high as we entered the terraced orchard. We tried to space out and looked around like startled cats yet there was this peaceful calm that contradicted the moment. Each plot of land was outlined with irrigation ditches or 7ft walls of dirt, these were energy draining obstacles for the troops laden with almost 100lbs of ammo and weapons for myself I greeted each ditch with a hesitation and a prayer not to break my ankle while jumping the gap. The dirt embankments were interesting the troops would wrestle up these things and I being lazy would walk further to the proper stairs, someone yelled “smart man.” Donkey and human poop was everywhere and I skillfully avoided all of it. At one point we stopped in an apple grove and held our position as the radio operators received and coordinated information. We ran into the odd farmer who were all cool and calm, some kept their heads down unwilling to look at us, I waved hello to one man who was well dressed with glasses and sat under his veranda calmly drinking tea and reading, he looked like a professor and out of place.Lt-Col McFarland stayed standing and calm as the other troops stayed alert, he took a apple from the tree, “Jake you like apples?” I was a bit edgy and in a hurried voice replied “uh what, ya sure?” The Lt-Col handed me a fresh apple “here these have no pesticides, great tasting, wow what a treat.” The Taliban were around and we were picking apples, it was like that scene in Apocalypse Now where Col Kilgore talks about surfing when bullets whiz over his head. We sprinted across the bridge and finally made it to the road and in sight of the City Center, I was exhausted and now and had my vest unzipped and started to feel dizzy, my legs had strength but that internal battery was running dry. I motored on, with the troops through the market and past confused and staring shopkeepers. Some of the soldier were running out of steam and falling behind I could see our objective and its looked beautiful as it sat there looking like a burnt out High-School surrounded by razor wire. Ah rest was near.We quickly found rooms to rest in and ditched our burdensome packs many collapsed onto the floor anywhere they could find, the officers went to another building, a small Police station behind our building. I stayed with the grunts, as I felt more at home with them. We were a mix of 70% US troops and 30% ANA soldiers staying on the compound. The medic handed out prescription strength Advil to reduce sore muscles, the over dose of IB Profen would relieve my sore legs but set my stomach on fire for the next 4 days. I knew better then taking blood thinners because my blood is already unusually thin. We ate rice that night made by locals and pounded down tea like Chinamen. Tea played a important part in bringing Afghan and US forces together, 22 year old Yanks back in the states would never drink tea let alone eat rice cooked in goat fat, these guys of the 173rd were breaking down barriers with tea. Our translators played a critical role in our communication with the Afghans; they translated radio info from the Afghan Commandos in the Green zone and relayed requests from McFarlane to the Afghan Commander. Cell phones were used all the time and often more reliable then the fancy radios the Americans had. It was funny to here mortars explode in the background and have cute hello kitty ring tunes going off every 30 seconds.I slept well on the concrete floor and felt like a million bucks the next day, I walked over with no helmet or vest to the Police station where Attack Company was preparing to launch its assault in the Green Zone and kick in some doors. We received word that a Mullah was killed and several others including a moneyman were captured. Battle Company was at the dam taking heavy fire and close to running out of mortars. We had snipers in the mountains backing them up and you would hear the odd pop of a .50 cal rifle. There was only one black guy in Attack Company and I teased him and said it was like the movies where he was the token black guy and as soon as he starts talking about when he gets home and plans to open up his own business and settle down with a family he was going to get shot. Everyone burst out laughing, especially him. I had broken the tension between this group and me, after the mission they would ask me to shadow them and go on more operations.I moved with a half dozen guys to an overlooking gun nest where radio operators coordinated air attacks for helicopters and jets. I helped out by looking for explosions and spotted fleeing cars. Things were pretty relaxed at the top of the hill, McFarlane skillfully juggled 2 phones and 2 radios while working with Rock the Translator. Mean while Attack Company in the orchard was ambushed, bullets whizzed everywhere and apples exploded above their heads making it rain applesauce, later the guys would find that funny. The gunmen were never caught. Over at the dam things calmed down just in the nick of time for Battle Company, as they were about to go black on ammo and mortars. Thanks to air assets the insurgents firing on them were taken out giving them safety to leave. Night fell early in the valley as the sun dipped behind the mountain, I lost a bet with Medley a career soldier and a self professed Hill Billie from the Smokey Mountains, he said the sun would be up for another 30min and I said 90min. We got word that 30 Taliban were 500m from our position and waiting in the Green Zone for night to attack us, ANA commandos were summoned to head them off, I put my vest and helmet back on. Lt-Col McFarlane got on the radio back to Sayad Abad and ordered artillery to fire illumination rounds over the battlefield. The shells came in with thunderous fanfare and lit the entire valley up in a warm orange glow. We all watched with amazement as each round slowly drifted down. The Taliban either left or we were the victims of bad Intel and no attack happened. The different Companies were called in and we made plans to leave by Chinook. The ballot boxes were seized and no one was seriously hurt, the operation took out several key Taliban and made ISAF presence known in the Chak valley where before it had no previous presence. The officers huddled in an office at the police station where they reviewed the mission and listened to radio chatter. McFarlane was pleased as was everyone else, one death would have changed everything, but the mission went smooth. We all knew that our time in Chak was too brief and that the Taliban would return as soon as we left and the residences of Chak would bow down in the interest of their survival. This issue bothered some more than others and despite the day’s victory there was lost potential. Lt-Col McFarlane who was not always popular with the lower and younger NCOs ran a good show and understood the goals of ISAF and was very cognizant of civilian loss and it’s effect on the war. I had little to say at the end of the day, which is unusual for me. I just laid on the floor of the unlit Police Station and listened to U2 in Sean’s iPod. It was 1am and we were organized into groups, that same black guy I teased took it upon himself to be my chaperone to the HLZ. McFarlane gave one last order that no American soldier was to touch any ballot box for any reason and with that we were airborne again on our way home in the dead of night to a plywood and concrete outpost that felt less welcoming then the village we invaded.
I was met at the Airport by a 47 year old Staff Sgt. named Cobbeldick. He was all Sir this and Sir that, I thought "oh great one of these guys". It wasn’t long after he and I were doing impersonations of the Drill Sergeant from Full Metal Jacket and Al Paccino. Cobbeldick was going to be my handler here in Shank, he and his boss Lt. Col Gilleran would find me a mission, and for my sins they did. That night Cobbeldick insisted I drink 6 bottles of water and get hydrated for the mission so I did, at 3am I got up to go outside and go to the washroom but I noticed I had been locked in the hut, I was now in a panic and really had to go, I danced back to my room and found 4 empty water bottles, in desperation I filled them up to the last milliliter and prayed that was the last time I had to go. The next day I would fly to Sayad Abad by Blackhawk. On flight, I met Lt. Hall a former Canadian and now the leader of Attack Company that would be the driving force in the mission. Lt. Hall was a natural leader he showed me around Sayad Abad and briefed me on “Operation Purge,” he was young maybe 29 thin with a shaved head and lacked the Hill Billie accent that the other soldiers have. Lt. Col. McFarlane was the man in charge of Sayad Abad and Operation Purge. Some younger NCOs were uneasy with his firmness and hands on approach but others saw that as his strength, McFarlane is a tall well-groomed West Point man who looks and speaks like an officer. Purge was a multi group effort but it was as sure as shit McFarlane’s show.Operation Purge was to be run out of a much smaller base called Sayad Abad, the stars of the show were to be the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Afghan National Army Commandos and various specialty elements, in total 340 men would be brought in by Chinook helicopters and 2 Blackhawk helicopters. We would leave at midnight by helicopter under the cover of darkness and land 30min later high in the mountains in a small town called Chak. Chak was along a highway in an area where Taliban have always had free reign, it was nestled in a green, orchard-laden valley between two long ridges of mountains. The Taliban terrorized the town and kidnapped Elders for money and prevented Afghan Police from delivering ballot boxes back to Kabul to be counted. There was intelligence that big wig Taliban were stationed in Chak and this was a tempting prize.After finding me a room in Sayad Abad I wandered the base looking for advice and direction in regards to midnight’s operation. I would need food, water and Night Vision (NVG). I asked and received all three. Under Cobbeldick’s advice I took my cheap small backpack and 1 camera, the small backpack would become a serious issue later on in the mission. With very little sleep I donned my helmet and heavy body armor and headed to the HLZ (helicopter landing zone) as usual I was late and with all this gear and water I was huffing and puffing like mad, I thought I was going to faint, the vest was tight and the high altitude was causing issues. I arrived at the HLZ and lined up, I was wondering what had I got myself into, should I bail out, will I slow these young fit kids down, am I going to fall behind and get captured? I remained calm and reminded myself that this is what I wanted, but yet unlike these kids I didn’t have years of training, psychological and physical conditioning or 50 of my friends along to back me up, I would have to gather my own strength from within.Through the full moon lit sky 2 large Chinook helicopters appeared, blades smashing the air with a deafening slap, the troops on mass turned away from the blizzard of dust and small rocks in the HLZ. There was no turning back; we bolted for our designated chopper, and through the warm air of the exhaust run up the ramp of the big bird, I did my best not to stumble as I looked though the NVG goggles and found my seat. This was it, too late to turn back, I am sure the others onboard were nervous too, this was to be the biggest mission of their deployment and enemy contact was assured. We flew over the mountains and I looked out the gun pit window as we passed by mountain peaks and dove through valleys, after 30 min or so the helicopter landed and the crew screamed, “go go go.” We ran out and dove to the ground to avoid the flying dust, rock, and possible gunfire. We were on top of a big hill miles away from our objective that we called the City Centre. We would have to hike through the hills to the green zone and then through the town to get there. We were now at 8500ft and the air was even thinner then back at the base, my heart sank as I noticed each breath was fruitless. McFarlane then ordered Attack Company to head down to the near by group of Collets. Collets are the walled compounds that you see on the nightly news, these Collets were huge like mini castles and villas, their size makes you question the notion of poverty here, these homes would cost a fortune to build in Canada if they weren’t so simple. While Attack Company went to the Collets, Battle Company was to head to a dam built by the Nazis, yes the Nazis. The dam was impressive and grand by Afghan standards, to get the dam online would mean electricity for everyone from Chak to Kabul. I was with Tactical Command and proceeded through the hills to a better position where we could over look the town before we dove into the orchards of the green zone and possible ambush.We started our trek down the steep, sharp broken shale slope, no one dare fall for risk of injury and ridicule, I was slow and cautious, I wasn’t use to the NVGs and I am naturally not a fast walker. Even walking down hill was exhausting, my heavy ceramic plates sat on my chest and hampered what little air I could muster, that damn backpack was packed to the rim and hung too low and unevenly, there was no time to fuss with it I had to keep moving or be lost in the night. I desperately tried to keep up with the 60 or so men I breathed at an alarming rate yet too little oxygen to cause hyperventilation, my helmet tilted and teetered with the heavy NVG goggles and any semblance of cool or ego disappeared really quick, this was not my chow hall stroll, I was in hell and there was no way out. Reprieve came 30 min later as we took a break along a dirt road near a farm. I panted out “thank god” and sat down on the dusty embankment, finally a place to rest or so I thought. I had sat on a small thorn bush, fuck it hurt so I lifted myself up and moved over only to put my hand on another thorn bush and sat on a third one, “God Damn It! Shit, did anyone else sit on a thorn bush, what no one, you have got to be kidding me.” With thorns in my ass and hand we continued our journey through the hills and stopped at a grave yard on a hill, at this point I was really bad and they sent a medic to make sure I was ok he asked me how long I was at this altitude I told him 2 days, he was shocked and told me it took him almost a month to acclimatize, the medic looked at me and told me I was actually doing well considering they had been there for 9 months and I was keeping up. We rested for 5 min and got up to move out of the grave yard and over to our first over-watch point, as I stood up I realized I had sat on another thorn bush, this time the thorns were up and down my pants and in my ass. I tried to walk and fruitlessly pull thorns out.McFarlane took the lead and told me he wanted me to stay in the front, oh ya I was purposely staying in the rear because the conversation was better, he then said we were going down hill as we climbed a steep slope, I was praying for death now and wondering if I could just hide somewhere. Fatigue was only offset by my determination to continue on and not be the last in the group we mounted the hill where someone beckoned we would be stopping for 4hrs, thank you Jesus… err Allah. The sky was still dark but the sun was coming soon and we would be exposed to attack I tried to rest but thorns were all over me, I even had one in my neck, as I went to pull it out I was horrified to find they weren’t thorns this time, I had sat on a Ant hill and these giant ants were in my pants and vest. I jumped up and started doing the jitterbug while soldiers from the US and ANA looked on, “fucking ants in my pants.” After my little show I sat down next to a guy with a belt fed machine gun and watched the sun come up. Lopez was a big, very soft-spoken guy from the South West and had a girlfriend in the Philippines, Lopez kept watch as we got organized to make our decent into the green-zone. I was finally able to take photos and video, just then we heard large explosions and gun fire, McFarland and Captain Shin got on the radio and started talking to the guys on the ground and circling Apache gunships. Attack Company had finally cleared the Collets and freed a captured Elder and found an American bulletproof vest. We were now clear to proceed down to the Green Zone. We walked for another 30min and stopped outside another farmhouse. I noticed there were now 5 helicopters overhead, I asked what the delay was and McFarlane told me that General Townsend was coming in to see how we were. I laughed and said it would be funny if the General got shot, they didn’t think it was funny. Townsend arrived in a Blackhawk amidst a storm of brown dust out of the dirt blizzard appeared this 60 yr old tall man, friendly and curious he questioned McFarlane and handed out special coins to the men, the coins were an old tradition. The General hung with us and we talked for a bit but I felt it was important that he get face time with his men and not me, so I stayed clear for a while. I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wear pearled handled Colt 45s or a silver helmet. Apparently the Generals of old were gone. General Townsend left the same way he arrived in a storm of brown dust.
While the General was there Sgt Beauchamp a well liked man in Sayad Abad had time to talk to me, he pointed to one of our ANA partners who took it upon himself to stand guard in a defensive position to protect the General, he said “see that’s progress, right there we are making headway with these guys.” The ANA had a reputation for being undisciplined slobs with unlaced boots and a slack posture. These Afghan soldiers were making an effort. We now headed out to the base of the valley called the Green Zone for its trees and irrigation ditches. The feeling of impending doom increased as we received word over the comm. that the Taliban knew we were there and moving in. Tension was high as we entered the terraced orchard. We tried to space out and looked around like startled cats yet there was this peaceful calm that contradicted the moment. Each plot of land was outlined with irrigation ditches or 7ft walls of dirt, these were energy draining obstacles for the troops laden with almost 100lbs of ammo and weapons for myself I greeted each ditch with a hesitation and a prayer not to break my ankle while jumping the gap. The dirt embankments were interesting the troops would wrestle up these things and I being lazy would walk further to the proper stairs, someone yelled “smart man.” Donkey and human poop was everywhere and I skillfully avoided all of it. At one point we stopped in an apple grove and held our position as the radio operators received and coordinated information. We ran into the odd farmer who were all cool and calm, some kept their heads down unwilling to look at us, I waved hello to one man who was well dressed with glasses and sat under his veranda calmly drinking tea and reading, he looked like a professor and out of place.Lt-Col McFarland stayed standing and calm as the other troops stayed alert, he took a apple from the tree, “Jake you like apples?” I was a bit edgy and in a hurried voice replied “uh what, ya sure?” The Lt-Col handed me a fresh apple “here these have no pesticides, great tasting, wow what a treat.” The Taliban were around and we were picking apples, it was like that scene in Apocalypse Now where Col Kilgore talks about surfing when bullets whiz over his head. We sprinted across the bridge and finally made it to the road and in sight of the City Center, I was exhausted and now and had my vest unzipped and started to feel dizzy, my legs had strength but that internal battery was running dry. I motored on, with the troops through the market and past confused and staring shopkeepers. Some of the soldier were running out of steam and falling behind I could see our objective and its looked beautiful as it sat there looking like a burnt out High-School surrounded by razor wire. Ah rest was near.We quickly found rooms to rest in and ditched our burdensome packs many collapsed onto the floor anywhere they could find, the officers went to another building, a small Police station behind our building. I stayed with the grunts, as I felt more at home with them. We were a mix of 70% US troops and 30% ANA soldiers staying on the compound. The medic handed out prescription strength Advil to reduce sore muscles, the over dose of IB Profen would relieve my sore legs but set my stomach on fire for the next 4 days. I knew better then taking blood thinners because my blood is already unusually thin. We ate rice that night made by locals and pounded down tea like Chinamen. Tea played a important part in bringing Afghan and US forces together, 22 year old Yanks back in the states would never drink tea let alone eat rice cooked in goat fat, these guys of the 173rd were breaking down barriers with tea. Our translators played a critical role in our communication with the Afghans; they translated radio info from the Afghan Commandos in the Green zone and relayed requests from McFarlane to the Afghan Commander. Cell phones were used all the time and often more reliable then the fancy radios the Americans had. It was funny to here mortars explode in the background and have cute hello kitty ring tunes going off every 30 seconds.I slept well on the concrete floor and felt like a million bucks the next day, I walked over with no helmet or vest to the Police station where Attack Company was preparing to launch its assault in the Green Zone and kick in some doors. We received word that a Mullah was killed and several others including a moneyman were captured. Battle Company was at the dam taking heavy fire and close to running out of mortars. We had snipers in the mountains backing them up and you would hear the odd pop of a .50 cal rifle. There was only one black guy in Attack Company and I teased him and said it was like the movies where he was the token black guy and as soon as he starts talking about when he gets home and plans to open up his own business and settle down with a family he was going to get shot. Everyone burst out laughing, especially him. I had broken the tension between this group and me, after the mission they would ask me to shadow them and go on more operations.I moved with a half dozen guys to an overlooking gun nest where radio operators coordinated air attacks for helicopters and jets. I helped out by looking for explosions and spotted fleeing cars. Things were pretty relaxed at the top of the hill, McFarlane skillfully juggled 2 phones and 2 radios while working with Rock the Translator. Mean while Attack Company in the orchard was ambushed, bullets whizzed everywhere and apples exploded above their heads making it rain applesauce, later the guys would find that funny. The gunmen were never caught. Over at the dam things calmed down just in the nick of time for Battle Company, as they were about to go black on ammo and mortars. Thanks to air assets the insurgents firing on them were taken out giving them safety to leave. Night fell early in the valley as the sun dipped behind the mountain, I lost a bet with Medley a career soldier and a self professed Hill Billie from the Smokey Mountains, he said the sun would be up for another 30min and I said 90min. We got word that 30 Taliban were 500m from our position and waiting in the Green Zone for night to attack us, ANA commandos were summoned to head them off, I put my vest and helmet back on. Lt-Col McFarlane got on the radio back to Sayad Abad and ordered artillery to fire illumination rounds over the battlefield. The shells came in with thunderous fanfare and lit the entire valley up in a warm orange glow. We all watched with amazement as each round slowly drifted down. The Taliban either left or we were the victims of bad Intel and no attack happened. The different Companies were called in and we made plans to leave by Chinook. The ballot boxes were seized and no one was seriously hurt, the operation took out several key Taliban and made ISAF presence known in the Chak valley where before it had no previous presence. The officers huddled in an office at the police station where they reviewed the mission and listened to radio chatter. McFarlane was pleased as was everyone else, one death would have changed everything, but the mission went smooth. We all knew that our time in Chak was too brief and that the Taliban would return as soon as we left and the residences of Chak would bow down in the interest of their survival. This issue bothered some more than others and despite the day’s victory there was lost potential. Lt-Col McFarlane who was not always popular with the lower and younger NCOs ran a good show and understood the goals of ISAF and was very cognizant of civilian loss and it’s effect on the war. I had little to say at the end of the day, which is unusual for me. I just laid on the floor of the unlit Police Station and listened to U2 in Sean’s iPod. It was 1am and we were organized into groups, that same black guy I teased took it upon himself to be my chaperone to the HLZ. McFarlane gave one last order that no American soldier was to touch any ballot box for any reason and with that we were airborne again on our way home in the dead of night to a plywood and concrete outpost that felt less welcoming then the village we invaded.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Operation Purge
Guys this is the official story from the Army of what happened, my 2 cents will come tomorrow. The uy who wrote it is a good guy. My version will be longer and more like my other blogs.
1-503d, Afghan Army Conduct Air Assault in Chak
By Army Staff Sgt. Bruce Cobbeldick
Task Force Bayonet Public Affairs
WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan (25 SEP 2010) – The Paratroopers of Task Force Talon, Task Force Brawler and their Afghan National Army partners conducted a clearing operation in the Chak District of Wardak Province, known as Talon Pakawul (Purge), the largest air assault mission conducted during this deployment by the Sky Soldiers of the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
Task Force Talon’s staff, in coordination with planners from 3d Kandak, 1st Brigade, 201st Corps, the 6th Afghan Commandos, Task Force Brawler, 2d Platoon of TF Rock’s Battle Company, and other units who supported the operation, planned the most extensive Air Assault mission of this deployment in just over 48 hours. Coalition Forces (CF) also worked closely with Afghan National Security Forces partners (ANSF) to ensure their participation and integration in the plan. The planners worked almost non-stop during the 48 hour period to develop an operation that would maximize success while mitigating to threat to coalition and ANSF participating in the operation.
The commanding officer of Task Force Talon, Lt. Col. Matthew McFarlane, and his staff conducted a back-brief to Brig. Gen. Townsend, Deputy Commanding General-Operations of CJTF-101 and RC-East to gain approval to conduct the operation, and all units involved in the operations participated in communications and map rehearsals prior to execution.
The combined action operation involved more than 340 Afghan National Security Forces and TF Talon Paratroopers interdicting insurgents in Chak to facilitate ANSF security operations. They inserted ground forces using four CH-47 and two UH-60 helicopters from TF Brawler at five landing zones across the district in the span of five hours.
McFarlane said, “due to the untiring efforts of the entire combined team, including multiple SOF, aviation, and ground units, the Task Force was able to successfully execute a complex mission with minimal time for planning. The people of Chak Valley and Afghan Government leaders were pleased with the removal of key insurgents and an increased Afghan security presence in Chak.”
McFarlane pointed out that residents in Chak witnessed their Afghan Commandos and Afghan National Army fight and protect them. Wardak Afghan Uniformed Police and elements of the Afghan Army increased their continuous presence in Chak to build upon the success of this operation. In the coming months, TF Talon will continue to work with the ANSF to increase their capacity for securing the people and Afghan Government efforts in Chak.
“The operation demanded a lot of the Paratroopers, NCOs and officers involved,” said Maj. Damien Fosmoe, the Talon Operations Officer, “but it was a great feeling to see the professionalism with which the officers, NCOs, and Troopers developed, rehearsed and executed a complex and dangerous mission on such short notice, as if it was routine.”
“I have the good fortune to work with many outstanding Troopers, NCOs and officers. It would be hard single out individuals who were more important or more impactful to this operation. The operation was a team endeavor, and could not have succeeded without the efforts of all involved,” he said.
“The plans officers worked long hours to develop the plan; the scouts spent two days on a cold windy ridgeline providing eyes on for the ground forces below; the ground forces forced the insurgents into hiding, capturing equipment and inflicting losses while not taking any themselves; the aviators moved the ground forces to HLZs, some difficult and dangerous to land at, so the ground forces were in the best position to conduct the operation; and the attack aviation, both fixed and rotary wing, provided air support to ground forces throughout the operation.” Maj. Fosmoe, from Davenport, FL, elaborated.
Army 1LT, Platoon Leader, 3d Platoon, Attack Company, from Boston, MA said, “It was exciting to be part of such a large operation. Because of the assets provided for a mission of this size, I feel that my platoon was able to accomplish more than we would have on our own. In addition, I felt confident focusing on one area of Chak, knowing that on all my flanks I was covered by my fellow Sky Soldiers.”
“In the background, Troopers in the tactical operations center coordinated and synchronized all support for the ground forces and the logistical support personnel executed resupply to the ground forces. None of the individual elements or units would have succeeded without the help and support of the others,” said Fosmoe.
The results were undeniably felt by the enemies of the Afghan government. A senior insurgent leader in Wardak Province and several of his subordinates were killed during the first day of the operation.
The insurgents operating in Chak received a strong message that CF and ANSF can and will execute operations to ensure the enemies of Afghanistan cannot operate in their "safe haven" with impunity.
Army Sgt. Bradley Mora, Squad Leader, 3rd Squad, Second Platoon, Attack Company, said, “It is one of those things that we came in there secured key locations and fought it out with the Insurgents without backing down. They have to realize that we can and will go into any area in this country and defend the Afghan people’s ability to pursue democracy. Mora, from Las Vegas, NV, said the impact was definitely felt in Chak. Coalition forces will support the Afghan people and we will not allow the insurgents to effect elections for Afghanistan.
Playing a large part in the operation was Attack Company, commanded by Captain Kevin Ward of River Forest, IL. Ward controlled three rifle platoons, a Company Headquarters, and attached ANSF forces during the Operation. He air assaulted into Chak Valley and remained on the ground throughout the operation.
Attack Company’s Commander, Cpt. Ward said, “this operation is served as another reminder that I am extremely fortunate to find myself in the company of the best that our nation and that of Afghanistan has to offer. I am humbled by the bravery, endurance, and abilities of the men of Attack Company, the attached 2nd Platoon from Battle Company, and our partnered Afghan Forces. Down to the lowest level, every member of our element faced extreme danger with no reservation or hesitation. With the unmatched dedication and efforts of Soldiers and leaders such as this, there is no mission to difficult and no opposing force that can stand against them.”
While the long-term effects are yet to be seen, the enemies of Afghanistan will likely hesitate before acting as boldly as they previously have. The insurgents now know that ANSF and CF have the strength and resolve to insert directly into their base of operations in Wardak, controlling the area and inflicting losses.
The insurgents learned a hard lesson that attacks on our ANSF partners and attacks to threaten the stability and efforts of the GIRoA will be met with overwhelming response from ANSF and CF.
1-503d, Afghan Army Conduct Air Assault in Chak
By Army Staff Sgt. Bruce Cobbeldick
Task Force Bayonet Public Affairs
WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan (25 SEP 2010) – The Paratroopers of Task Force Talon, Task Force Brawler and their Afghan National Army partners conducted a clearing operation in the Chak District of Wardak Province, known as Talon Pakawul (Purge), the largest air assault mission conducted during this deployment by the Sky Soldiers of the 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
Task Force Talon’s staff, in coordination with planners from 3d Kandak, 1st Brigade, 201st Corps, the 6th Afghan Commandos, Task Force Brawler, 2d Platoon of TF Rock’s Battle Company, and other units who supported the operation, planned the most extensive Air Assault mission of this deployment in just over 48 hours. Coalition Forces (CF) also worked closely with Afghan National Security Forces partners (ANSF) to ensure their participation and integration in the plan. The planners worked almost non-stop during the 48 hour period to develop an operation that would maximize success while mitigating to threat to coalition and ANSF participating in the operation.
The commanding officer of Task Force Talon, Lt. Col. Matthew McFarlane, and his staff conducted a back-brief to Brig. Gen. Townsend, Deputy Commanding General-Operations of CJTF-101 and RC-East to gain approval to conduct the operation, and all units involved in the operations participated in communications and map rehearsals prior to execution.
The combined action operation involved more than 340 Afghan National Security Forces and TF Talon Paratroopers interdicting insurgents in Chak to facilitate ANSF security operations. They inserted ground forces using four CH-47 and two UH-60 helicopters from TF Brawler at five landing zones across the district in the span of five hours.
McFarlane said, “due to the untiring efforts of the entire combined team, including multiple SOF, aviation, and ground units, the Task Force was able to successfully execute a complex mission with minimal time for planning. The people of Chak Valley and Afghan Government leaders were pleased with the removal of key insurgents and an increased Afghan security presence in Chak.”
McFarlane pointed out that residents in Chak witnessed their Afghan Commandos and Afghan National Army fight and protect them. Wardak Afghan Uniformed Police and elements of the Afghan Army increased their continuous presence in Chak to build upon the success of this operation. In the coming months, TF Talon will continue to work with the ANSF to increase their capacity for securing the people and Afghan Government efforts in Chak.
“The operation demanded a lot of the Paratroopers, NCOs and officers involved,” said Maj. Damien Fosmoe, the Talon Operations Officer, “but it was a great feeling to see the professionalism with which the officers, NCOs, and Troopers developed, rehearsed and executed a complex and dangerous mission on such short notice, as if it was routine.”
“I have the good fortune to work with many outstanding Troopers, NCOs and officers. It would be hard single out individuals who were more important or more impactful to this operation. The operation was a team endeavor, and could not have succeeded without the efforts of all involved,” he said.
“The plans officers worked long hours to develop the plan; the scouts spent two days on a cold windy ridgeline providing eyes on for the ground forces below; the ground forces forced the insurgents into hiding, capturing equipment and inflicting losses while not taking any themselves; the aviators moved the ground forces to HLZs, some difficult and dangerous to land at, so the ground forces were in the best position to conduct the operation; and the attack aviation, both fixed and rotary wing, provided air support to ground forces throughout the operation.” Maj. Fosmoe, from Davenport, FL, elaborated.
Army 1LT, Platoon Leader, 3d Platoon, Attack Company, from Boston, MA said, “It was exciting to be part of such a large operation. Because of the assets provided for a mission of this size, I feel that my platoon was able to accomplish more than we would have on our own. In addition, I felt confident focusing on one area of Chak, knowing that on all my flanks I was covered by my fellow Sky Soldiers.”
“In the background, Troopers in the tactical operations center coordinated and synchronized all support for the ground forces and the logistical support personnel executed resupply to the ground forces. None of the individual elements or units would have succeeded without the help and support of the others,” said Fosmoe.
The results were undeniably felt by the enemies of the Afghan government. A senior insurgent leader in Wardak Province and several of his subordinates were killed during the first day of the operation.
The insurgents operating in Chak received a strong message that CF and ANSF can and will execute operations to ensure the enemies of Afghanistan cannot operate in their "safe haven" with impunity.
Army Sgt. Bradley Mora, Squad Leader, 3rd Squad, Second Platoon, Attack Company, said, “It is one of those things that we came in there secured key locations and fought it out with the Insurgents without backing down. They have to realize that we can and will go into any area in this country and defend the Afghan people’s ability to pursue democracy. Mora, from Las Vegas, NV, said the impact was definitely felt in Chak. Coalition forces will support the Afghan people and we will not allow the insurgents to effect elections for Afghanistan.
Playing a large part in the operation was Attack Company, commanded by Captain Kevin Ward of River Forest, IL. Ward controlled three rifle platoons, a Company Headquarters, and attached ANSF forces during the Operation. He air assaulted into Chak Valley and remained on the ground throughout the operation.
Attack Company’s Commander, Cpt. Ward said, “this operation is served as another reminder that I am extremely fortunate to find myself in the company of the best that our nation and that of Afghanistan has to offer. I am humbled by the bravery, endurance, and abilities of the men of Attack Company, the attached 2nd Platoon from Battle Company, and our partnered Afghan Forces. Down to the lowest level, every member of our element faced extreme danger with no reservation or hesitation. With the unmatched dedication and efforts of Soldiers and leaders such as this, there is no mission to difficult and no opposing force that can stand against them.”
While the long-term effects are yet to be seen, the enemies of Afghanistan will likely hesitate before acting as boldly as they previously have. The insurgents now know that ANSF and CF have the strength and resolve to insert directly into their base of operations in Wardak, controlling the area and inflicting losses.
The insurgents learned a hard lesson that attacks on our ANSF partners and attacks to threaten the stability and efforts of the GIRoA will be met with overwhelming response from ANSF and CF.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Good things come to those who complain.
A good chunk of time has been spent waiting and as people know I am very calm very patient, ok that’s not true, I have spent my time snooping around Bagram, nothing to serious, no off limit areas there is no sneaking involved, but I do have 70s cop show music playing in my iPod when I do snoop. I stroll along the main road wearing a shammang around my neck and a Tilley’s hat or one of those Tajik hats that Massoud wore, but you must compliment Afghan garb with at least 1 piece of American kit, like my USMC boots, or Multicam pants, this confuses people, I don’t walk like a Afghan yet the garb says I could be, the boots are Marine Corps but I am not clean shaven. Not a lot of people will question a mean looking 6’2” guy that walks like he owns the show. When I flew into Bagram a Chief Warrant suggested I go to the supply depot for a better helmet, my PAO (public affairs officers) said no way no how, so in true Jake style I walked into the supply office and inquired, they looked at me and asked if I was special forces… no I can’t lie, I told them I was a reporter, the nice lady said I can’t help you, I was cool with that. The lady suggested I go next door and inquire, I walked next door and they said you need to see the Captain, the Captain was a 50 plus retired officer, 5’5”, who’s office was in a Sea crate that housed a desk and TV tuned to the Food network, I walked in and started to plead my case, she stopped me and said in her firm voice “wait who are you and why are you here?” God I was screwed, I walked into a lion’s cage with Bertha the housekeeper from Two and a Half Men, I had to salvage this situation or I could be in trouble, she asked where I got all that fancy clothing and what unit I was with, great here comes the truth and she is just going to love that I am a reporter that is not even American. I did my best apology for not introducing myself I told her who I was and that I had a big head and this old helmet from 1991 that won’t stop bullets. The Captain stared at me and didn’t look amused, she barked let me see that, she looked inside the helmet, “well it aint part of the recall.” Just then a Colonel walked in and the Captain said "watch what you say he is a reporter," now when people say that I have a whole comedy routine setup to defuse people, I have been using it for years because Photographers are not vultures like writers and people have less to fear from us. The Captain and Colonel laughed at my little speech and 2 Sergeants walked in and started joking with me and we talked as if we were old friends, they asked if I was giving the Captain a hard time I said “ are you kidding I am more afraid of her then she is of me.” The Captain looked at me, picked up the phone and barked in the receiver, “bring me 2 helmets, a large and extra large.” My God this working, for the next 30min I sat there fussing with pads and straps on this $600 helmet.
I walked back to the hut where I am staying and sat down rather pleased with myself. Later on that night when the sun had dipped behind the mountains I went to the MWR (what ever that means) to do laundry and watch movies, the room held 2 washers and 4 dryers that would take 3hrs to dry, I watched 2 movies while my wash went though and dried, black Soldiers played dominoes in the background and others hung around the 2 beat up pool tables, I could barely hear the TV over all the loud Southern drawl. I've been having a hard time understanding many of the American soldiers as they have a heavy accents and are overall soft spoken, it’s odd because I am use to the Americans and their way of speaking but either through fatigue or thin air I often find that I am asking them to repeat themselves or I just nod and laugh like some confused Chinaman.
Back in my room I tried to figure out this blog thing that Tom Elliot had setup and attempted to move content to it. My blog is at http://jakewrightblog.blogspot.com/ I think it will be hard to get people to move over from facebook where most of my crap goes, because the Blog is more efficient. I sleep well at night and I welcome the cold air that comes with it, due to the water I consume I have to piss in the middle of the night and for me that’s unusual. For most people using the washroom at 3 am is a matter of walking down the hall to the bathroom, this on the other hand requires me going to another building. There is also the added threat of Scorpions and big spiders that come out at night I wear sandals at night and being stung in the foot is my fear, so I kind of Monty Python funny walk past the sand bags and bomb shelters to the latrine looking like quite the fool.
I slept well and woke at 430am, which was late for me, I typed up some emails and went back to bed and woke up at 520am and went to the chow hall for Sausage McMuffins. As usual breakfast was breakfast and other then a dose of CNN and Fox news I ate and left. As I left I spotted the badges for the helicopter support crew and hit them up for info on how to get off this base, they pointed me to a near by building. I walked over and ended up shooting the shit with 2 guards and talked war and politics for 2 hours. I never did get to talk to a officer about catching a ride out.
After my chit chat I went back to the building where I met the Sergeants from Vermont 2 days earlier, they weren't in but their staff gave me a brand new Stanley wheeled tool box the size of a small bath tub, there were dozens outside, there were even these expensive looking smaller wheeled boxes that were very expensive and looked like they held stinger missiles but they were too small, I had to resist the temptation to take one. I pulled my new toy back to my hut like a little boy with his red wagon. I could now amalgamate most of my luggage and vest into one wheeled box. The timing was perfect because as I returned the PAO officer informed me I would be leaving for Forward Operating Base Shank at 5am tomorrow.
I walked back to the hut where I am staying and sat down rather pleased with myself. Later on that night when the sun had dipped behind the mountains I went to the MWR (what ever that means) to do laundry and watch movies, the room held 2 washers and 4 dryers that would take 3hrs to dry, I watched 2 movies while my wash went though and dried, black Soldiers played dominoes in the background and others hung around the 2 beat up pool tables, I could barely hear the TV over all the loud Southern drawl. I've been having a hard time understanding many of the American soldiers as they have a heavy accents and are overall soft spoken, it’s odd because I am use to the Americans and their way of speaking but either through fatigue or thin air I often find that I am asking them to repeat themselves or I just nod and laugh like some confused Chinaman.
Back in my room I tried to figure out this blog thing that Tom Elliot had setup and attempted to move content to it. My blog is at http://jakewrightblog.blogspot.com/ I think it will be hard to get people to move over from facebook where most of my crap goes, because the Blog is more efficient. I sleep well at night and I welcome the cold air that comes with it, due to the water I consume I have to piss in the middle of the night and for me that’s unusual. For most people using the washroom at 3 am is a matter of walking down the hall to the bathroom, this on the other hand requires me going to another building. There is also the added threat of Scorpions and big spiders that come out at night I wear sandals at night and being stung in the foot is my fear, so I kind of Monty Python funny walk past the sand bags and bomb shelters to the latrine looking like quite the fool.
I slept well and woke at 430am, which was late for me, I typed up some emails and went back to bed and woke up at 520am and went to the chow hall for Sausage McMuffins. As usual breakfast was breakfast and other then a dose of CNN and Fox news I ate and left. As I left I spotted the badges for the helicopter support crew and hit them up for info on how to get off this base, they pointed me to a near by building. I walked over and ended up shooting the shit with 2 guards and talked war and politics for 2 hours. I never did get to talk to a officer about catching a ride out.
After my chit chat I went back to the building where I met the Sergeants from Vermont 2 days earlier, they weren't in but their staff gave me a brand new Stanley wheeled tool box the size of a small bath tub, there were dozens outside, there were even these expensive looking smaller wheeled boxes that were very expensive and looked like they held stinger missiles but they were too small, I had to resist the temptation to take one. I pulled my new toy back to my hut like a little boy with his red wagon. I could now amalgamate most of my luggage and vest into one wheeled box. The timing was perfect because as I returned the PAO officer informed me I would be leaving for Forward Operating Base Shank at 5am tomorrow.
In Country
I have purchased some Afghan clothes and have not shaven... Starting to look very local, ok look very serious. Now I know why Denis Hopper's character was the way he was on Apocalypse Now.
Day 2
Day 2 of Bagram started with the my bed shaking like mad, I figured the guy up top couldn’t sleep because he tossed and turned for a good 30 seconds, it was accompanied by the sound of fighter jets taking off every 20 minutes or so, the sound of their after burners roared the whole valley. Fighter jets aren’y the funnest thing to hear at 2am but you can’t help but think how cool that is. I got up at 4am and went to the PAX (airport) to see what the schedule was like for going to Shank, as I entered the airport building I walked through the luggage area where hundreds of bags, back packs and boxes are piled, the odd civilian contractor lay sleeping on a pile. The contractors slept there out of desperation to get a flight to where ever and regardless of their Rolling Stone concert ticket camp out their attempts are often futile. I was on the list and failed for all three flights that day, I hung out at the USO next door and fought with my laptop to connect to the internet, I went outside and started talking to random troops to get a lay of the land, I started talking to one guy around 25, social and also waiting to leave, his name was Midget, I started our conversation with “man you must get bugged a lot” he laughed. Midget was from Illinois and he wasn’t a Nazi in fact he was a wrestler, his cauliflower ears gave it away, I started to laugh and said to him “oh man your name is Midget and you’re a wrestler… a midget wrestler!” Midget was easy going and laughed too, he said he and his brother wanted to open up a school and call it Midget Wrestling.
After my socializing I walked back to check on the flight situation still not good, I talked to a soldier I had met the day before and gave him a cigarillo from Cuba and he was so pleased, he asked me what I did and he looked surprised and told me because of my fancy gear, top of the line clothes, unshaven dark beard and size that people were speculating that I was “out of shape Special Forces,” I burst out laughing and said that was a compliment. I knew I had to bust that gut now, because in shape Special Forces would have been a really cool cover. I knew I looked badass and I made a point to walk strait and authoritative, hell it’s a game I would play while I waited. Finally my laptop was working and the battery was down to 3% so I scrambled to send out a Facebook message and a email to my handlers ie: PAO officers here in Bagram.
A while later I received word from my PAO people that they were just a little ways south down Disney, well what the hell is a little ways, 50 meters or 2 miles. I started walking and no one had any idea where their office was. Eventually I came across a office that dealt with media and they told me where to go, outside I ran into 2 older NCOs from Vermont, they were unloading a truck of brand new wheeled bins that are the size of small bath tubs, if I had this I could put my damned duffel bag that weighs 100lbs in there and my camera bag in there and wheel it from point to point instead of dragging it along the street like a out of shape Special Forces guy. The SGT and specialist both said come back in a day or 2 and they would see if they could give me one. I continued down Disney, past the other chow hall and finally found the WWII style hut that contained the Public Affairs office, I walked in side and saw that there was 6 desks with rather relaxed crew behind them, SGT Dion my handler looked up and said “oh it’s you.” SGT Dion was a short woman in 30 and 3 kids her boss a Major is a 6’4” tall heavyset black man from Atlanta, he talked to his staff like they were old friends and he sits at a central table where her would eat and oversea his staff. I could never figure out if the staff in there were talking to each other or me as they would just start talking and not look at me or address me by name, it was a little confusing and I just started asking who are you talking to? Sgt. Dion printed me up an ID card and gave me the pass code to my room that was in a identical WWII hut surrounded by old green sand bags, this place looks like Vietnam. The sign on the door of what they call the hotel reads Hotel California. I have a bunk and single bed in my room, a TV, refrigerator and a desk, finally a decent place to work.
The room next door housed a older guy Steve from Vermont Public radio we talked quite a bit he was heading to some other area with a whacky name and was attempting to get out of here to and cover some Vermont national guard bit. I was driven back to the PAX airport to get my bags that seemed lighter as I was now acclimatizing, but still these bags, vest and helmet were becoming an issue yet I needed all my stuff. In Germany the guy manning the counter for Safi Airlines wanted me to pay $200 because my gear was over weight I was pissed so I told him I would rearrange it and all I did was place my foot under my bag on the scale and held it up. The bag went from 35kg to 18kg wow a miracle, take that you Safi asshole. Maybe I will be able to get one of those wheeled bins and make life easy.
The guy driving me was my age and mentioned that I shouldn’t wear my multicam gear into combat, I brought up the fact that the Taliban or who ever don’t give a fuck and want to kill whom ever. If you are hard to see you are hard to shoot, the soldiers and other reporters from ABC news agreed with me, when you dress like a soldier (which my outfit does not look at all like) then you are 1 of 20 guys when you wear a blue vest and a black helmet you become a valuable target, they know if they shoot a reporter it will end up on the news for months. Plus being the guy who held all 3 shooting records in High-School I know if I have to choose between shooting a vague outline or a big black and blue dot I choose the easy one. Not to mention reporters have always worn olive drab or similar clothes.
I get my bags back and setup in my room and in no times it’s messy like home, ah what a relief. I drink a dozen bottles of water a day and that fills the garbage quick. I am spending more time on line and blogging thanks to Tom and Bryan. I have new neighbors who are a father and son team from ABC news in the US, Mike and Carlos is the son. These guy have seen some serious shit, I watched footage of pitched battles and footage of a rocket attack that hurt 2 kids during the election. That night I went to bed at 730PM and woke at 330am.
first impressions
Welcome to chaos, when you land in Bagram it appears to be a normal Air base but you notice the size of the runway is unusually large, and that there is a equally large Aerodrome across the way. The base is nestled in between 2 ridges of mountain that run parallel. The heat is tolerable even with a old helmet on and bullet proof vest which is required to be wore on all flights. Your luggage is loaded onto a pallet and moved to a so called terminal made from press-board and corrugated steel, it’s small but packed full of disillusioned US soldier who may have been trying to catch a flight for 10 days. Planes that come in are often loaded with cargo first and what ever room they have left can be occupied by soldiers, often the “manifest” kiosk will call out “if you are going to Maser E Sharif your flight is cancel” followed by “fuck not again, God damn it!” Those who wait find themselves at the USO, a building 15m away that is setup with the comforts of home like free internet, free coffee, leather couches, and regular toilets. I had to drag my 3 heavy bags and ballistic vest down the road 300m to a road named Disney named after a dead soldier, I was directed by a soldier to go to a “R&R” tent, these tents hold 50 bunks and are packed full of transient NCOs most of these guys are under 24, many of them married. The tent was surprisingly quiet for so many people; everyone is tired and often fed up for one reason or another. During the day the tent is warm and the giant air conditioning struggles to catch up, at night it’s bone chilling cold, This is where I realize that the gift of a poncho liner from http://www.wildthingsgear.com/ was a God send, I slept in my underwear and the troops froze in their poncho liners while wearing toques and full fatigues.
When I had finally put my kit away and rummaged for new clean clothes I showered, the showers are in these cargo containers that are stacked 2X2 to make a building, men and women’s showers and toilets, it felt great to wash, I was paranoid about the level of disease everyone talks about and exposure to fecal matter, Americans have the toilet manners of dogs and signs are up everywhere telling you to wash and not make a mess. The troops in the R&R tent weren’t too sure what to make of me, I had Military style gear but I was older and was roughly shaven, some looked scared of me others cautiously respectful. At this point I had no idea where I was and how this base worked, where do I eat, how do I get there, where can I get free internet, where the hell are my handlers? I still had no contact with my Public Affairs Officers. I headed back to Disney road, the main drag, I asked a soldier where to get chow, they pointed north and said “just down there.” Just down there was a dusty, windy kilometer, but I was hungry and wanted food and I walked quickly through the blowing dust storm down the road in my sandals to the chow hall. The chow hall is near the Korean base and surrounded by a giant concrete wall, I had finally arrived and now covered in filth, I looked at the sign on the door and it said all people must show base ID card, I had none, humm who cares, I was quickly stopped by a Turkish looking guy who pointed at my sandals and said I couldn’t come in like that, I flipped out and told him I just wanted to eat. I had to walk all the way back to my tent and change.
Hungry and now pissed I returned to my bunk I dug through my luggage with torn apart fingers from constantly rummaging these cordura nylon bags. Cordura is what you would expect Komodo dragon skin to feel like. Despite the stinging I found my best new Multicam clothes and my desert boots, I found my fancy goggles and what will become my best friend, the American made Shamang. For those who don’t know a Shamang is it’s traditional scarf warn by people in the Middle East it can be worn like a scarf or as a ninja style head and face covering which I would adorn in this dust storm. Now I was set, I popped out of the tent and surprised a soldier smoking, “how do I look” I asked, he and his buddy jumped as they were not expecting a 6’2” terrorist looking guy in black jump boots, towering over them, in the pitch black night, “man you could win a costume contest for sure” as he recoiled.
I set back to the chow hall, down Disney in the blowing dust, and eerie street lamps. With in a few minutes a Toyota mini-van stops and offers me a ride (this never happens) the driver and passenger were Turks and so pleased to see me, they were shocked when I said I was from Canada, they let me out at the chow hall, I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to pay them so I didn’t. This time I walked into the chow hall and acted like I owned the show, no ID card and only a strait posture and purposeful walk. I waited in line with M16 equipped soldiers all dressed in this grayish pattern, unlike the Marines who wear a digital desert pattern and they carry them selves differently, Special forces don’t wear uniforms, are older and feel no need to carry weapons on such a safe base, they are the cool kids. The food is good; Afghans and other foreign nationals have been flown in to cook it. I sat alone and ate and left, on the way out I talk to one gent, he is about my size and has a full beard, I notice him in line earlier, he was analyzing me and I analyzed him. I asked him if he was Russian Mafia because of the stars on his elbows and he looked surprised and said no.
I slept well that night, I had been travelling for over 2 days and I needed to stop and rest. I woke at 4am and fussed with my bags and bleeding fingernails, my brain was still dazed and confused from the travel and maybe the altitude. I left the tent and explored for free Internet so I could contact home, there was no such luck, and everyone had to pay unless you went to the USO. I showed up at the USO without my laptop to see what the deal was, they had free web but only space for 30 people at one time and it was a bitch to get on their network as I would find out later. I headed to the chow hall for breakfast only to run into the bearded man again, this time I started to chat with him, he had been in Afghanistan since 2001, ah now the story appears, his hobby was diving and he couldn’t talk about what he did but the hint was there. He mentioned parachuting in at the start of the war and talked about how much greener it was now. He hated Bagram and the sort of soldier that occupies it. He didn’t believe in the overall strategy of the war and now worked privately. This guy was serious, the look in his eyes was different he was no longer part of the regular world. This guy was the real Rambo!
Later on that day I finally got on line and emailed whom I could. I ended up making friends and the Cuban Cigarillos I brought were a treat to the yanks. I hung out with private contractors who bitched about being bumped from flight to flight. I chatted with American soldiers of all ages and ranks, the older officers and I had more in common then the young NCOs who have only known a life at war, many are married and have kids, some married at 18, most mature beyond their years. It was hard to tell who had seen action and who didn’t, I was constantly surprised by some of the opinions of the soldiers and it was impossible to tell the level of sophistication from man to man because they all looked the same, it’s not like the Hill where the clothes make the man, take no one for a fool here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)