It's Friday, day two of the Muslim weekend. Typically I go to Camp Phoenix with a group of guys. I usually hit the gym and maybe play some racquetball, then head over to the PX for some shopping and a smoothie. Then we hang out at the picnic tables outside the PX and tell lies and smoke cigars for an hour or two before heading back to the safe houses. A couple of guys take golf clubs because there's an open area where they can practice their drives.

This morning, as we were congregating in the safe house yard to get in the vans to go to Phoenix, we heard a loud explosion. It sounded like it came from the general vicinity of the airport. I went up onto the roof of the White House to see if I could spot anything. Nothing. Meanwhile, Wayne called BDOC to check on the road conditions. BDOC didn't know yet and said to call back later. A while later we called again and the road to Phoenix was Amber (movement OK). The road to the airport was Black (no movement allowed). I later heard that a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance to the airport--the same entrance I went through with Minister Jawhari's convoy just a few days ago. Two Afghan police officers were killed.

I didn't have a smoothie today, I had a white mocha frappe instead. It was delicious.

Out.

VBIED: 31 Aug, Kabul Province, Kabul District, Kabul City, District 10, Kabul International Airport – At 07:33 a VBIED targeted a two vehicle ISAF patrol near the entrance to Camp Kaia (Kabul Airport). The bomber reportedly detonated the device prematurely. There were ANA soldiers and civilian bystanders in the area at the time of the detonation. Two ANA soldiers were reportedly killed and approximately eight civilian bystanders were injured.

Today, my soon-to-be predecessor Vic Solero and I went to GS/G4 to discuss some budget issues with Gen Shah Aga but he wasn’t in. Only about half the officers we usually see there were in today. It’s Thursday, the start of the Muslim weekend, so many of them managed to be somewhere else for the half day…

So Vic took me to see the sewing factory. The ANA has many of their uniforms, flags, accouterments, etc., manufactured at their own sewing factory. Not usually a military function, western armies like the US contract out the manufacture of those items. However, this factory is self-sufficient; the items they make and sell pays for the factory’s cost. Of greater importance, however, is the labor force. Almost all of the workers are women, and almost all of them are military widows. The factory also has a nursery, which is extremely forward-thinking for this country. So those of you who may read this (Mom, Julie, Kim), the nursery needs clothes, school materials, toys, etc., for ages 3 months to 5 years…

I took as many pictures as I could, but that stupid old camera just wouldn’t cooperate. There are some in the photobucket, after the LogCmd pics. I broke down and bought a new camera today. Not very expensive, but it has 8 megapixels and optical zoom. Damn thing didn’t come with a memory card though so it looks like I have to hit the bazaar tomorrow.

By the way Mom, one of the pictures that didn’t turn out was some little old Afghan ladies embroidering flags. They were using antique sewing machines that would probably cost a small fortune in the US, they were so old.

Out.

Yesterday was the ribbon cutting for the new Mechanics School at the Afghan National army (ANA) Logistics Command (LogCmd), Central Movement Agency. I first went to the office of the Deputy Minister of Defense, Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, Minister Jawhari. General Shah Aga was there with some members of his staff. After meeting Minister Jawhari and some small talk, we left for LogCmd. Our vehicle was in the Minister’s convoy with security at the front & back. We took a route through the airport. After exiting the airport gate, I noticed several soldiers standing guard along the highway—more security for our convoy. We entered LogCmd and The Minister and staff were immediately whisked into a maintenance bay set up for an opening ceremony.

The event was started by a Muslim prayer by a Mullah, then several people spoke, including the Minister. We were, as usual, served chai (a weak green tea), dried corn, almonds, and raisins. After the opening ceremony, we were escorted around to see the various classrooms, maintenance areas, etc. Then we went into the Officer’s dining facility.

I wasn’t expecting lunch, but it was a pleasant surprise. The meal was served family-style, with heaping platters of food. Each place setting had a soda (mine was an orange soda from Pakistan), a bottle of water, and some soupy, strong yogurt in a bowl. First we were served soup. It had some leafy vegetables in it along with some other ingredients I didn’t recognize, and strong pepper seasoning. I was unsure of the etiquette in a dinner of Afghans (all male) but I quickly learned that there was no etiquette. Everybody reached for whatever they wanted. There was an Afghan staple of fried rice with raisins and naan which is a round flatbread, beef kabobs, spicy goat meat, fruit, and melon. Surprisingly, I didn’t get sick afterwards.

On the way out of the dining facility, I saw a senior Enlisted ANA soldier who was in my last supply class at Central Supply Depot. I said “Chotorasti?” (How are you?) to him and shook his hand. He beamed. I figured out later that I must have made his day. Here was an important American military advisor, traveling with the Deputy Minister of Defense, who acknowledged him. Cool.

I added some pictures to photobucket, but my camera is dying and half of them didn’t come out. Stupid camera.

Out.

Spent my second full day at my new job today. I still work for MPRI, Logistics Directorate, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A), but instead of being the Logistics Training Director for Central Supply Depot, I an the senior mentor to General Shah Aga, Director of Logistics and Materiel Readiness for the Afghan National Army. Yesterday I met Gen Shah Aga in his office at G-4. Today I attended a meeting at the Ministry of Defense with the general and his staff. Gen Shah Aga is a likable, heavy-set, forward-thinking old warrior who fled to Pakistan with his family during the Taliban rule and returned to help his country grow and prosper.

Most of the high ranking Afghan officers have mentors/trainers, many of whom are MPRI personnel. The coalition (and specifically the US) is pouring millions of dollars of support, equipment, weapons, etc., into this country and we're trying to help the government learn to control and allocate their army like the US. The only system they know is the old Soviet system which never was very good anyway.

On another note, my previous boss, Dana Call, just got back from vacation. He lives in South Dakota and happened to be home at the same time my dad rode to Sturgis, SD, for the annual Harley rally. Dad stayed at Dana's house for a few days. When Dana returned, he brought a digital camera for his driver, Sheron. Yesterday Sheron brought his camera to me and asked me to download the pics he took over the weekend. I posted them here. I thought it was interesting what a true Afghan took pics of on his day off.

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Went to Bagram today. It is about a 1.5 hour drive from Kabul, through some desolate areas with numerous scattered villages and police checkpoints. I saw the usual assortment of nomads, goats, donkeys, camels, and insane drivers. The road itself is pockmarked with potholes and, oddly enough, broken down vehicles seldom move off to the shoulder.

Nothing much too exciting to report. I posted a few pics, but I think my little Sony 2.0 megapixels Cybershot camera has about had it. I'm thinking about investing in a real camera...

Out.

Did I mention the bombing on my first day back to work? I was sitting in my office discussing my vacation with Dana & Jim, between 0800 and 0900, when we heard a loud explosion and the conex rattled. Soon we started getting sitreps. Apparently there was a military convoy turning into Camp Phoenix about one mile away and a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), otherwise known as a car bomb, turned in with them and detonated. Four military personnel and four Afghan nationals were injured—no fatalities except the bomber. Yep, that never happened in Dallas…

Finally, some much appreciated time off. I spent 18 glorious days home in Dallas, Texas, USA.

I left Kabul on July 9. Sheron drove me to the airport, and being the seasoned Afghanistan traveler that I now am, I took only a carry-on and made it through the airport to the plane without paying any tips/bribes. In the waiting area, I met a Norwegian Air Force officer going home on emergency leave, and a DynCorp employee going on leave to China to see the Great Wall. Got to the airport in Dubai, had some time to kill so I took a taxi to the Emirates Mall, ate some Lebanese food, and watched Transformers. Flew into Heathrow Airport in London and have to catch the connecting flight at Gatwick Airport. London is lush and green this time of year. I didn’t see much interesting on the bus between airports—I could have been in Virginia, except everyone was driving on the wrong side of the road. At Gatwick, two young security officers took great pleasure in making a scene over a single male traveling without luggage from Afghanistan. As they were inspecting my carry-on, I had an almost overwhelming desire to yell “BOOM” but I was able to restrain myself. Julie picked me up at DFW and I was immediately struck by how green Dallas is (everything is brown in Afghanistan, and I mean everything). I was also initially a little nervous about all the vegetation and likely insurgent hiding places. But once I arrived home and enjoyed many cold beverages on my patio with my wife, I started to settle back in to the decadent infidel way of life.

Julie won a weekend out by being the top producer at PrimeLending, so the first Friday we checked into the W, an upscale hotel downtown. We had a very expensive and delicious dinner at the top-rated restaurant Nine. Back to the hotel and the trendy Ghost Bar upstairs, which features a glass-floored balcony where you can look down and see tiny little people walking down the streets on downtown Dallas. Click here for pics.

Saturday is kind of a blur. We went to Shane & Sam’s house for a birthday party. Lots of children, and lots of Shiner Boch. Adults and children all piled into their awesome pool and while the kids played, those of us without kids drank and swam and told stories until it was time to go to my parents’ house. Mom wanted to have a little welcome home party for me. Barbeque and more Shiner. My brother’s friend unwisely presented me with a gift of Patrón, which quickly escalated our insobriety. Shane showed up also and helped me appreciate the fine Tequila. Then Julie, Shane & I went to our friends Dave & Diane’s house. Don’t remember much after that. Slept in on Sunday and went to Mom’s for lunch. Danny made a traditional Czech meal called Kapusta which is a cabbage & potato stew. Not exactly what you’d normally serve on a hot July day in Texas, but this was a special occasion. Shane came over to retrieve his car. Click here for pics.

On Wednesday, I went to my regular monthly Marine poker game. They rescheduled the game during my vacation time. It’s a group of former active duty Marines who have been playing poker on the first Wednesday of every month for years; I’ve been a regular member for about three years now. I won $23.

The next weekend we went to Galveston. Sort of a semi-annual event, the Luther family and ours rent a beach house one weekend in the summer and have a blast. Normally we drink too much; sing & dance; tell lies; and eat like starving dogs. This year was no exception. David did most of the cooking: steaks and garlic mashed potatoes, shrimp and Tilapia, huge cholesterol-laden breakfasts. We absorbed cases of beer and rum & cokes. We terrorized the neighbors with plastic-pellet toy guns. We caught & released dozens of hermit crabs. Daniel Boone’s “Beautiful Sunday” was the unofficial theme song. Mike, DJ, Jeni, and Katie made an eerily realistic sand-woman with piercing lifelike eyes. Julie & I stumbled across it at night and it scared the bejeezus out of us. Julie and I stayed one day longer after the Luthers & the kids all left, and we explored Galveston and had some delicious seafood in the local restaurants. Click here for pics.

We had a new fence built while I was home, a stained cedar 8’ board-on-board privacy fence with bottom board and cap. Northlake Fence & Deck bent over backwards to ensure it was finished before I left again for Afghanistan.

The last night home, Julie had a little party for me. The Luthers, Mike and his friends, and Shane came to the house and sampled many fine adult beverages and grilled burgers. The next day, as usual, Shane came over to get his car.

Overall, Julie & I had a great vacation. I got to spend time with my wife, family & friends; rode my Harley and drove my Mustang; played with the dogs & cats; purchased two new rifles; ate Mexican food and McDonald’s. I also enjoyed a few other things that most Americans take for granted: I went outside without body armor; I drank water from the tap; I drove down the street without looking for suspected bombers, and with my windows down; I didn’t see one single AK-47 assault rifle; my car wasn’t searched once; I went to the grocery store; I watched TV in English; I slept through the night without being awakened by low-flying helicopters or the early-morning Azan (Mullah’s call-to-prayer five times daily); I kissed my wife in public and held her hand.

God bless America.

Out.