The Hindu Kush is a mountain range of southwest Asia extending more than 805 km (500 mi) westward from northern Pakistan to northeast Afghanistan.
I arrived at Bagram Air force Base in Afghanistan about a week ago from the hot and steamy Djibouti, Africa. The temperature here is cool in the morning and in the evening as the sun goes down but warm up during the day.
Bagram Air Base is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. More details
at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagram_Airfield
http://europe.ctcd.edu/remote/afghanistan/bagram.php
http://www.bagram.afcent.af.mil/
Bagram is headquarters for the Army’s 25th Signal Battalion. The 25th Sig BN is responsible for operating and maintaining the US Military’s data and voice communications network. The Regional Network Operations & Security Center (RNOSC) is located here. I am currently assigned as the Manager for the RNOSC. I work for the company who has the IT contract for the 25th Sig BN.
Bagram is very overcrowded. New arrivals have to live in a large tent with about 100 bunk beds. Permanent lodging is in B-Huts which are not available for a couple of months after arrival as people leave the base.
Fortunately, I have a penthouse suite in an attic of a warehouse with, of course, no running water. The nearest sink and shower is about 1 mile away. I share the attic with some mice and a couple of birds. I have not seen the mice yet, they are quite. The birds wake me up in the morning. I rigged a broom handle by hanging it with electrical cable to the rafters so I can hang up my clothes. There is a port-a-potty right outside the back door.
When one is available, I will move up to a wooden B hut with about eight people per hut. These modular, wooden buildings are sectioned off into individual compartments for a bit of privacy. Each area is furnished with twin bed and some type of closets and shelving. The huts are located near a bathroom/shower building and there are "port-a-potties" located elsewhere throughout the camp. B-huts require constant maintenance and painting, and are only expected to last three or four years. It is imperative that occupants of this structure keep their living areas clean and free of open beverage or food containers as vermin can easily gain entrance.
On Sunday, I jogged around the perimeter of the base. It is about 8 miles. The morning was cool and crisp – perfect for jogging. It felt good that I could job about 2 miles, walk a mile, and then jog 2 miles again until I completed the 8 mile route. The base is surrounded by thick, reinforced, concrete T-Walls with spiral razor wire at the top to prevent anyone from coming in. T-Walls are twelve feet high, portable, and used for blast protection throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
This week, I am traveling to Kuwait for some leadership training. I will live in a modern apartment on the beach. Since it is not so hot this time of year, walking/jogging on the beach will be fun. I have several friends in Kuwait.
The following week I travel back to Djibouti by way of Dubai. AFRICOM, an Army group from Germany, is taking over the operation and maintenance of the network from the Navy. My team is helping with the transition.
Then on November 21st I travel back to Atlanta and Austin to see family.
James
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