Dave “TFB” Bremer went home today. (That F___ing Bremer).

Dave has been in Afghanistan for three years. The first year he was deployed as a member of the Maine National Guard. He worked with some MPRI contractors and applied after his deployment. Came back as a civilian and stayed two years, until family obligations called him home. Every other story he told (and he told many) started with “back when I was in uniform” in reference to his time here as a soldier.

I first met Dave back when I was the curriculum developer at D-1 supply depot. I had to go to Logistics Command to recruit students, and since Dave was the LogCmd mentor and I asked him to take me and introduce me to the right people. On the ride over, he told me how he acquired a tough-looking scar on his face. He got it as a young soldier (back when he was in uniform) horsing around in the barracks. I suspect adult beverages were involved. He fell into a wall locker and got a cool gash below his right eye.

Dave was the joker in our office. I had to log off my terminal whenever I left, or I’d return to find that another guy received a love letter from my email account. He was always ready with a story or anecdote, usually from when he was back in uniform, about some foolish thing he did at one time or another. Along with “back when I was in uniform,” another favorite saying of his was “that’s gay,” which was applied to almost everything anyone else did, implying latent homosexuality of the victim. Come to think of it, maybe Dave had some issues with his own masculinity...

Dennis, Dave’s interpreter Wasi, & I took him to the airport where he took off his body armor for the last time, handed it to Dennis, shook hands, and walked to the terminal. Afghanistan is probably one of only a few countries on earth where heartfelt goodbyes include the departing saying, “I hope you guys don’t get killed on the way back.” How sweet, I think I’m going to cry.

Fair winds and following seas, Dave...you homo.

Out.

One of our contractors, David Bremer, is going home. Today GEN Azizuddin, the ANA G-4, arranged a lunch for him. It was delicious.

The stuff wrapped in newspaper is lamb chunks in a piece of flat bread called na'an. There's more na'an, kinda ribbed looking, on plates around the table. There is mantu, which is sort of a meat-filled dumpling covered in yogurt that is wonderful. There was another meat dish that I couldn't identify. On two of the larger platters are a bunch of vegetables, along with a sort of meatball with a hard-boiled egg in the center. The three dishes with a white, yellow, and red something is a thick and sweet pudding.

Not visible are three huge dishes of rice with shredded carrots and raisins.

Dinner was followed by fresh fruit: apples, oranges, and bananas.

Before and after the meal we had the mandatory hot tea called chai.

Out.

Look what followed me home, Ma!

Admittedly, most guys here send things home like rugs, scarfs, antique guns, wooden chests, etc. Not me. I'm sending an Afghan home.

The US Dept of State has streamlined the visa process for Afghan nationals who are interpretor/translators (IT) working for the US. Many of them have taken advantage of the program, to take a chance for the American dream.

My IT, Fida (pronounced like feta cheese), acquired his visa, saved some money and left Kabul today for the two-day multiple-stop plane trip to Dallas, TX. Much to Julie's consternation, I offered to let him stay at our home temporarily. Trust me, I didn't make the offer lightly--I think very highly of this young man.

He graduated from high school and medical school, and is a certified medical technician. That certification probably won't mean much to US medical facilities, but it's a start. While he worked for me as an IT, he moonlighted at the Afghan National Hospital. His father is a government official in the Ministry of Education and is a genuine believer in the importance of education—so much so that he fled to Pakistan with his family during the Taliban rule so his daughters could continue to go to school. Fida has three sisters, one who is married and two younger ones. He has two brothers, one older who is a doctor but works for MPRI as an interpreter/translator because it pays better.

His goal is to find employment, get his own place, become a US citizen, and save enough money to send for his family. He intends to enlist in the US Air Force, and if that doesn't work out, then he'll find work elsewhere. I have little doubt that he'll succeed somehow.

So if/when you see him around, please make him feel welcome. After all, our forefathers were all immigrants to the US once...

Out.

It's my Birthday!

Big deal.

Today I went to the Ministry of Defense to get the semi-monthly budget numbers, went to the Logistics and Material Readiness offices to discuss fuel consumption data, then back to my office to work on logistics measures of effectiveness for the Afghan National Army.

After work I went to the gym and did the Crossfit workout of the day: five sets of 500m rowing, 50 squats, and 30 back extensions in 44:45 minutes.

As I write this, I'm about to go outside for the nightly cigar smoking/lie telling at the camp fire we installed in the safe house yard.

Woo hoo.

Edit: A few days after I wrote this, I was informed that it sounded a little bitter. In retrospect, I was kinda feeling sorry for myself that day because I was missing my family. I was here during Christmas and my birthday, which are tragically close together to begin with (five days apart). But I actually did have a good birthday. My wife called me and sang Happy Birthday. I'm lucky that I live in a house off installation that has a non-secure internet connection. Julie can call me via internet phone service Skype and it's a local call--the active duty personnel on installation can't download it on government computers. I also received boxes of goodies from Julie & my parents, including a remote controlled Air Hog helicopter which I've been using to terrorize my office mates!

Entry for December 21, 2007

Went to a USO show yesterday. Miss USA, Lewis Black, Lance Armstrong, Robin Williams, and Kid Rock. It was snowing hard, but we found a spot under cover. It was behind some flagpoles so my pictures aren't great, but it was fun. I laughed so hard at Robin Williams that I almost fell off the ledge I was standing on. Sure, it was marble and covered with snow, but that's besides the point...

Christmas Dance

Click here for a Merry Christmas dance, from my family to yours.

I was going to title this entry “Barbarians” but then decided that the term “Barbarians” seems too complimentary.

Afghanistan is a very rough country. Both the environment and the people. Rugged mountains, arid country, open plains chock full of robbers and killers. Tough men who seldom bathe, and have never seen a flush toilet or the inside of a doctor’s office. Men who think it’s effeminate to wear eyeglasses or yield to oncoming traffic. Children forced by their parents to beg and/or sell worthless trinkets in the streets. A place where men & women cannot be seen together if they are not related or they may be killed. I think I wrote earlier about when the Taliban caught a fifteen-year old boy with American currency so they hung him for being a spy. Something I didn’t see reported in the western media is a report about two children of a government official who woke one morning to find a toy truck sitting outside their house. The toy was rigged with explosives and killed the two young boys. I have a video clip of Taliban fighters cutting off the heads of about ten men that I only watched once because it gave me nightmares. They sawed through the necks with a knife like they would slaughter a goat.

All that being said, I still think the Afghans are good people. Most Afghans are just like you & me: they just want to have a happy, comfortable life and to provide for their families. Most of them aren’t avid Muslims. Like most of the Catholics I know, they don’t go to their services regularly or pray every day. However, in the last few days I’ve started to be bothered by a few things. Taken individually, each might be sloughed off. But I’ve been back from vacation less than a week and…well, you decide.

1. On the way from the airport to my safe house, we passed a sheep being slaughtered. Now I’ve seen animals slaughtered before, and it’s a way of life. But this one was different. It was on the side of the road and the two men at work were bleeding the sheep. They had cut its throat, and were holding it down while it kicked and slowly bled to death, its blood draining into the gutter.

2. We’re working with the Afghans to help them humanely resolve an issue, but they’re resisting us on this one. Recently there was an Afghan Army officer who lost his pistol. In reality, he probably sold it on the black market and it’s now in the hands of Al Qaeda or the Taliban, but we’ll never know. The officer was killed in combat shortly after reporting his pistol was missing. Now the Army is trying to collect the price of the pistol from the dead soldier's widow.

3. I attend a weekly logistics meeting, along with several other mentors, at the Ministry of Defense. One of the things we’re trying to teach and institutionalize is the contracting, budgeting, and acquisition process. At this meeting, the topic came up about a rice vendor who wasn’t delivering rice in accordance with the contract. The commanding officer of Logistics Command, General B, heatedly recommended hanging the rice vendor by one leg in a conex box until he delivered. At first I assumed he was joking, but the other senior Army officers at the meeting, including the Assistant Minister of Defense, seemed to consider his proposal. We finally convinced them that General B’s suggestion was not within standard government contracting procedures and guidelines.

I think we’re making great progress modernizing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, but they still have a long way to go.

Out.

Just got back from vacation in Dallas. Like last time, I ate too much and drank too much, enjoying the cleanliness, safety, and abundance of a civilized society.

Pics are here. They start with some guys at my house after a trip to the gun range to shoot my M4gery. Then my Mom’s birthday, when Julie & I took her to Maggiano’s. A few pics from dinner at Daron & Leah’s house, mostly pics of her delicious homemade pecan pie. Lastly, pics from a party at my cousin Monica’s bar Canuck’s in Lewisville (and Shane’s car made it home that night!).

I also took Julie to the gun range to shoot my Taurus 9mm and Ruger.38 revolver. Had Thanksgiving dinner with my family, and showed my 5-year old nephew Brendan how to stuff a whole piece of pie in his mouth. Julie & I had a great evening one night grilling steaks and drinking wine. Went to the Luther’s one night and drank way too much. Went to the hospital to see Diane’s mom Alice who is making a miraculous recovery from a stroke. Took Digger to Petsmart and put him on the scale to learn he is now 81.6 pounds. Did a few chores around the house but didn’t get to everything on Julie’s list.

When my final flight from Dubai to Kabul arrived, I called the office for a ride. Dave Bremer came to get me, but was delayed because of a suicide bombing on the road to the airport. Yep, I’m back.

Just when you think you've seen it all...

I was leaving Camp Phoenix today and I saw some kids chasing a monkey. Yes, a monkey. I walked over to try and get a pic, only got one very poor pic of the monkey on a fence because it was too fast. I told the kids I'd give $1 to whichever one brought the monkey to me. They all took off after it and I never saw the monkey again.

Also added a few pics to the photobucket of tanks at 201st Corps in Pol-E-Charki, and our Halloween party.


Out.

I get to see some interesting things here. Things that the average American will never see.

Today on the way back from the gym I saw a tough-looking Army soldier in full battle gear (body armor, helmet, 9mm Beretta on a low thigh holster, M4 carbine slung across his back, etc.) walking very purposefully. Nothing too extraordinary--I see those young American heroes all the time. Only this gunslinger was cradling a case of Somoas like a newborn baby. Had a look on his face like he'd slice your throat if you messed with his cookies.

God bless America and God bless the Girl Scouts!

Cookies!

Yesterday we got an email to send someone for Girl Scout cookies. I didn't think much of it. Actually I thought there was a sale and I missed it. Rats. But I was wrong. Apparently they were donated. I don't yet know who or why, but we have cookies. Some sailors went down to get cookies and came back with armfuls. We have cases of Tagalongs stacked from floor to ceiling here in our office. There goes my diet...

God bless America!

Recently a 70-year old vet and business owner, James Walton, in Dallas shot and killed a burglar entering his residence—for the second time—and after forty-two calls to the police. Rebecca Aguilar, a reporter for KDFW, ambushed Mr. Walton in an Academy Sporting Goods parking lot and aggressively grilled him, asking him if he was trigger happy and if he wanted to kill. Poor old Mr. Walton was visibly shaken and broke down in tears. http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=4640488&version=3&l...

I frequently lurk and sometimes post on a website for gun owners, http://ar15.com/, where I first learned of this story. Members there were outraged and started an operation to express their feelings by writing and calling Ms. Aguilar, KDFW, and Fox News. I also, eloquently and succinctly, expressed my views to the aforementioned entities. Today, Ms. Aguilar was suspended due to the public outrage to which I contributed. http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2007/10/kdfw_suspends_rebecca_agui...

I think next time I’m in Dallas I might go visit a good friend and gun shop owner, pick up a Winchester Defender and a box of buckshot, wrap it with a big red bow, and deliver it to Mr. Walton as a gift.

God bless America!

Out.

I can hear Mom now: "You're not leaving the house dressed like that!"
Would-be suicide bomber, kin killed in Afghanistan

Boston Globe Tue, 16 Oct 2007 2:46 AM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan - A mother who tried to stop her son from carrying out a suicide bomb attack triggered an explosion in the family's home in southern Afghanistan that killed the would-be bomber, his mother, and three siblings, police said yesterday.

I am happily married to a beautiful, sexy woman. Julie is the love of my life.

We first met in the seventh grade when her family moved to Texas. I’ve had a crush on her ever since, despite the initial rejection over 30 years ago.

Back in the seventh grade I would try to walk her home, even though it was at least one mile out of my way. (I never told her that, I always said I was going to my grandparent’s house near her neighborhood.) About halfway between St. Monica School and her house was a little convenience store called H&H. All the kids who walked that route usually stopped there for Dr Pepper, those nasty tubes of colored sugar we all used to love, and other crap that kids ate in the 70s.

One time I got her alone, away from the other kids. She was sitting on H&H’s front window ledge. I sat down next to her and cautiously asked her if she would “go with me”. Honestly, I didn’t really know what that meant, but some of my friends were “going with” girls, so I assumed it was important.

She said, “I can’t.” Now I was prepared for laughter, NO!, maybe even an OK. But “I can’t” left me dumbfounded. I staggered away, my ego devastated.

She claims to this day that she doesn’t remember the event, but it is etched in my memory forever. It took me another twenty-five years to work up the courage to ask her again.

This time she said yes and we’ve been happily married ever since.

Some things are worth waiting for.

Out.

Let's show the Marines in Iraq that America supports them!

US Marine Colonel Simcock, the commander of USMC Regimental Combat Team (RCT) 6 in Iraq, is asking for 6,000 positive emails to his Marines. That's one email for each Marine in his RCT command. COL Simcock is concerned about the effect of the negative barrage that those Marines are getting through the electronic media. So far, they've only mustered 2,000 emails. That's a crying shame compared to the amount of crap I get daily in email. This is a legitimate request. It's not one of the “little Johnny wants to break the world's record in Christmas cards” situations. It takes only 30 seconds of your time. Here's the email address:

RCT-6lettersfromh@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

If you're reading this email, then you can probably click on the address, type a few words, and then hit 'send' to be all done. It doesn't have to be the Gettysburg Address. Something as simple as "Hello, Marine. We thank you for what you're doing. You are in a noble task. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Best wishes & get home soon." is more than sufficient.

An excerpt from an interview with the Colonel:

GRIM: Is there anything that you and your Marines need that we could send you?
COL SIMCOCK: (Chuckles.) I'll tell you what, the one thing that all Marines want to know about—and that includes me and everyone within Regimental Combat Team 6—we want to know that the American public is behind us. We believe that the actions that we're taking over here are very, very important to America. We're fighting a group of people that, if they could, would take away the freedoms that America enjoys. If anyone—you know, just sit down, jot us—throw us an e-mail, write us a letter, let us know that the American public is behind us. Because we watch the news just like everyone else. It's broadcast over here in our chow halls and the weight rooms, and we watch that stuff, and we're a little bit concerned sometimes that America really doesn't know what's going on over here, and we get sometimes concerns that the American public isn't behind us and doesn't see the importance of what's going on. So that's something I think that all Marines, soldiers and sailors would like to hear from back home, that in fact, yes, they think what we're doing over here is important and they are in fact behind us.

I just got a care package from the Prestoncrest Church of Christ in Dallas, Texas. I don't know how they got my name and address, but it was a very pleasant surprise.

God bless America!

Children learn the art of rug making by practicing on small novelty rugs. This one was made by children in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan. I paid $20.

This afternoon we met with General Shah Aga to discuss some budget issues. After the meeting, he offered to take us to see some sights, as a sort of going away gift for Vic.

First we went to the tomb of Mohammed Zahir Shah, the last Shah of Afghanistan. The tomb is undergoing renovation, and you can still see rocket holes in the ceiling. Hard to tell who shot the rockets, since that part of Kabul was fought on by the Soviets, Dostum, Massoud, and the Taliban. Zahir Shah is considered the “Father of Afghanistan” and only recently died in July 2007.

Then we went to Bala Haizar. You can see all of Kabul and all the way to Logar Province. The ruins of the ancient British fort are still visible, as are rusting hulks of Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers.

Out.

I got some great pictures today.

As part of my in-brief, we visited the ANA Central Work Shop (CWS). The commander of CWS is General Jawid. CWS is supposed to be the ANA central vehicle maintenance facility. Our tour guide was Captain Allen Kelly, USAF. The site where CWS now sits was originally an ordnance depot built by the occupying British in the mid 1800s. The US is rebuilding and renovating the compound. Many of the original buildings are being refaced and fitted with electricity, plumbing, etc. Most of the buildings need the floors raised because the original dirt floors are lower than the outside ground, causing water to settle inside during rains and the winter.

It was a clear day so I got some good pics of the mountains surrounding Kabul, very close to CWS.

Having been shelled by the Soviets, Taliban, and US, during excavation the workers have to be extremely careful about turning up old ordnance and/or unexploded munitions. This morning, for example, the workers found a cannonball, probably over 100 years old. They have to leave it in place until Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams can inspect and dispose of it because it could still contain explosive materials.

As part of the clean up, contractors removed truckloads of debris. Some of it had not been moved for years. In one old warehouse, they found some antique brass British cannons. Some of the cannon had regimental crests still on them. Captain Kelly did some research and was able to identify the regiment as that of Field Marshal Lord Frederick Sleigh Roberts. Lord Roberts was one of the most successful British commanders in Afghanistan, having defeated the Muhammad Yakub Khan, the Afghan emir, and later became Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.

On the way back to Eggers we passed through downtown Kabul. I got some great street scene pics from our vehicle. This new camera is fantastic.

After lunch, thank Allah, we visited the slaughter house. Like the sewing factory, operating a slaughter house isn’t usually considered a military core competency, but it works for the Afghans. First we had chai with the commander, General Zaref. General Zaref is a friendly old warrior with a comb-over and the longest, bushiest eyebrows I’ve ever seen. The slaughter house purchases cows, goats and sheep daily. They butcher the animals and transport the meat to military units in and around Kabul. Because there is no refrigeration or refrigerated trucks, the slaughter house operates every day. We’re working on modernizing their facilities, but these things take time. Specifically, the Czech Republic has agreed to modernize the slaughter house. At one time the Iranians promised to help, but all they did was paint some broken refrigeration units and put a big sign over the entrance boasting about their assistance to the people of Afghanistan. I put the slaughter house pics in a separate photobucket album so the weak-stomached can avoid them if desired.

Out.

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.