For me the challenges of life are what make life fun and exciting. For many years I have not been able to sit at home or even be at home. I wanted to go, explore, and meet new people. Do something different. Now I have a greater chance to do that than ever before.
I will not go gently into that good night; instead I will rage against the dying of the light. I will live an adventure.
Yesterday, I traveled in an amour plated Toyota Land Rover from Camp Phoenix a suburb of Kabul to Kabul near the US Embassy. There are many compounds for government and military that are surrounded by concrete barrier walls, razor wire on top and guards at the gate. The drive through the city of Kabul was like driving through many 3rd World Countries. Afghanistan is poor like countries in Africa and much poorer than India.
We visited the NATO base near the embassy. When we left we had to stand outside waiting for our driver. Two very cute little girls with black hair about 8 – 10 years old were standing outside the gate asking the visitors and soldiers for money. They could speak a little English. They had friendly personalities. None of us had any money to give them. The smallest bill my co-worker had was a $20 and a $100.
One of the girls held his hand for a long time while we waited. I saw the same situation in Djibouti where young girls would walk along with western men, hold their hand, and ask for money. These girls do not have much of a future compared to American girls of the same age. But if Americans and the coalition forces were not in Afghanistan protecting the people, providing jobs, and spending money to support the economy millions of people like these little girls would be killed or starve.
You may have seen in the news that an Afghan pilot started shooting at people at the Kabul Airport. Quoting:
“Eight troops from the NATO-led force in Afghanistan were killed in a shooting involving an Afghan Air Force pilot at Kabul's airport on Wednesday, NATO said, in one of the deadliest incidents of "rogue" Afghans turning their weapons on foreign soldiers.
A contractor, whose identity was not known, was also killed in the shooting, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
The shooting follows a string of attacks by Afghan forces against their NATO-led mentors carried out either by "rogue" soldiers or by insurgents in uniform who have managed to infiltrate their ranks.
Such incidents highlight the challenge for U.S. and NATO forces as they try to prepare for a gradual handover of security responsibilities that is scheduled to begin in July and end with the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops by the end of 2014.
America cannot leave this part of the world. We are dependent on foreign oil and will be for many years to come. Without oil we cannot heat and cool our homes, drive our cars, or travel from place to place by plane. Americans would lose jobs if companies’ do not have enough fuel for their buildings, their factories, and their computer centers. Until America decides to build new nuclear power plants, drill for oil in the US, or years from now find new source of energy, or substantially lower our standard of living, we are dependent on foreign oil.
I am helping protect the American way of life so my family and every one like my family in the US can live the kind of life they live. The efforts of the US in the Middle East provide jobs for Americans and millions of foreign nationals so they can live and feed their families. I cannot protect the world or save everyone from poverty but I can do my part to help.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
18APR Mon – Musings from Kuwait Back to Afghanistan
I have been in Kuwait for about a week. I took some vacation time in Kuwait plus I am looking for a new job in Kuwait. Tonight I am at the airport on my way back to Afghanistan. I am planning to work in Afghanistan for a while longer.
In the book stores at the Kuwait International Airport, there are very few American novels. There are doubtless very few American novels in any book store in Kuwait. Most are probably banned. A romantic novel series is available but no Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and certainly no Dan Brown on Christian mythology and symbolism; no lawyer series and no techno-thrillers or murder mysteries.
Skimming through the book stand, there was one book that stuck out – Lady, Chef, and Courtesan written by Muriel Barbery. There was one memorable quote from the author: “For a woman to exercise her power over a man she must be a Lady in the living room, a Chef in the kitchen, and a Courtesan in the bedroom. I think this is true. I also think women do have power over men.
It is funny what the Kuwaiti government censors and bans as compared to what they allow. It is against the law for a man to hold the hand of a woman unless they are married. Men and women cannot kiss in public. If a man and women are holding hands and they are not married, they can be arrested and thrown in jail. On the other hand, it is perfectly okay for two men to hold hands. Also, when men greet each other, they hold both hands and kiss each other on each check. A man can never do this in public with a woman.
Movies at the theater are all rated PG. The shows on TV are censored. One illogical example is the word Mother will be beeped out but the word Fucker is not. TV movies that are negative toward Arabs or about the topic of terrorism are banned. All romantic scenes, kissing, and any hint of sex are censored and cut out of the movies. On the other hand as I was flipping through the channels, I found several channels with half nude beautiful models and local phone numbers to call. One channel showed women nude from the waist up wearing only skimpy panties and high heels. I did not call the numbers so I can only wonder what was at the other end.
You cannot access the Skype web site from Kuwait so you cannot download Skype or obtain Skype software updates. However, if you have downloaded Skype in a different country like the US, you can use Skype from Kuwait. In other words, if you are affluent enough to travel, you can use Skype but if not then you cannot use Skype in Kuwait.
I have been told that the population of Kuwait is about 1/3 - 1/2 Kuwaitis and the rest are foreigners. The foreigners are mostly from the Philippines and India. There are many young women from Ethiopia who are hired by the Kuwaitis as house maids. The receptionist at the apartment building is from Egypt. I know a few taxi drivers from Egypt. I also meet drivers from India, Pakistan, Iran, China, and Sri Lanka. I have seen a few very dark skinned people who are most likely from Africa. Many Africans look similar to Arabs. There are people from other countries that I do not know about. All the people I work with are from the US since they must have Security Clearance. Only US citizens can obtain a Secret Clearance from the US.
There are a few Chinese. I met a Chinese man today who helps Chinese citizens obtain residency/work visas for Kuwait. He has been in Kuwait for 6 years. He is from an area in Northern China close to Russia where it is very cold. He does not like the cold but also does not like the very hot weather of the Kuwait desert. He is working in Kuwait for the money like most everyone else. He sends money back home. He has a 19 year old son who is in the China Military. I have met several Chinese in their late 30 or early 40s who have a son or daughter around age 20 living in China.
Possession or use of alcohol is strictly against the law. The Kuwaiti are so paranoid about alcohol that two bottles of herbal medicine were confiscated from me the last time I flew into Kuwait. The customs agent thought the medicine was alcohol. I could not convince him otherwise. Non-alcoholic beer is widely available at all food markets. I have been told that popular international brands of whisky, bourdon, vodka, etc. are available at a very high price. For the Chinese, rice wine is available. I think they can buy it at some Chinese restaurants. Also, beer and wine are relatively easy to make. I seldom drink alcoholic beverages so it does not matter to me that alcohol is illegal. I was upset that customs confiscated my herbal medicine.
Many Kuwaitis (maybe most but I do not know) wear the robes from head to toe. The women wear head coverings, and face coverings, too. They are always black. The men mostly wear white from the neck to the feet. Some of the robes are a different color but no bright colors; always close to white colors. Many of these men also wear a head covering but not a face covering. Underneath the robes is western attire. They wear the robes outside in public but western clothing inside.
Since only about 1/3 of the population is Kuwaiti and not all Kuwaitis wear robes, the majority of the people in the country of Kuwait do no wear robes. As I sit in the airport looking at all the people, only about 1 in 100 or 1 in 150 are wearing robes. I am seating in an area with 4 gates so there are probably 4 or 5 hundred people around. About 10% or 40 – 50 are American or northern Europe. The rest are Arab, Pilipino, Indian, or from an Asian country. I do not see any Orientals from China, Japan or similar country. Probably 60% - 70% are men.
Out of over 200 men on the plane, only 10 of us are wearing suit coats. My normal traveling uniform is from the feet up: black leather dress shoes, blue jeans, black belt, long sleeve dressy but casual shirt with button down collar, dark blue wool blend suit jacket, baseball cap, and sun glasses. Today my shirt with a very long tail is worn outside the pants. I think the look is somewhat classy but unique. Sometimes I wear trail-runner shoes instead of black dress shoes. In Kuwait, I wore sandals with short sleeve shirt and sans jacket.
I have learned to pack light in a carryon bag and back pack. This trip I packed a pair of navy dress pants, 4 pair of black socks, and one long sleeve dress shirt that I did not wear. I was quite comfortable with 1 pair of shorts, 1 pairs of jeans, and 3 short sleeve shorts to wear with sandals outside.
Tonight I am flying from Kuwait to Dubai with a scheduled arrival of 11:45 pm. The flight from Dubai to Kabul Afghanistan leaves at 8am but does not arrive in Kabul until 3:30 pm with 2 stops in Afghanistan.
In the book stores at the Kuwait International Airport, there are very few American novels. There are doubtless very few American novels in any book store in Kuwait. Most are probably banned. A romantic novel series is available but no Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and certainly no Dan Brown on Christian mythology and symbolism; no lawyer series and no techno-thrillers or murder mysteries.
Skimming through the book stand, there was one book that stuck out – Lady, Chef, and Courtesan written by Muriel Barbery. There was one memorable quote from the author: “For a woman to exercise her power over a man she must be a Lady in the living room, a Chef in the kitchen, and a Courtesan in the bedroom. I think this is true. I also think women do have power over men.
It is funny what the Kuwaiti government censors and bans as compared to what they allow. It is against the law for a man to hold the hand of a woman unless they are married. Men and women cannot kiss in public. If a man and women are holding hands and they are not married, they can be arrested and thrown in jail. On the other hand, it is perfectly okay for two men to hold hands. Also, when men greet each other, they hold both hands and kiss each other on each check. A man can never do this in public with a woman.
Movies at the theater are all rated PG. The shows on TV are censored. One illogical example is the word Mother will be beeped out but the word Fucker is not. TV movies that are negative toward Arabs or about the topic of terrorism are banned. All romantic scenes, kissing, and any hint of sex are censored and cut out of the movies. On the other hand as I was flipping through the channels, I found several channels with half nude beautiful models and local phone numbers to call. One channel showed women nude from the waist up wearing only skimpy panties and high heels. I did not call the numbers so I can only wonder what was at the other end.
You cannot access the Skype web site from Kuwait so you cannot download Skype or obtain Skype software updates. However, if you have downloaded Skype in a different country like the US, you can use Skype from Kuwait. In other words, if you are affluent enough to travel, you can use Skype but if not then you cannot use Skype in Kuwait.
I have been told that the population of Kuwait is about 1/3 - 1/2 Kuwaitis and the rest are foreigners. The foreigners are mostly from the Philippines and India. There are many young women from Ethiopia who are hired by the Kuwaitis as house maids. The receptionist at the apartment building is from Egypt. I know a few taxi drivers from Egypt. I also meet drivers from India, Pakistan, Iran, China, and Sri Lanka. I have seen a few very dark skinned people who are most likely from Africa. Many Africans look similar to Arabs. There are people from other countries that I do not know about. All the people I work with are from the US since they must have Security Clearance. Only US citizens can obtain a Secret Clearance from the US.
There are a few Chinese. I met a Chinese man today who helps Chinese citizens obtain residency/work visas for Kuwait. He has been in Kuwait for 6 years. He is from an area in Northern China close to Russia where it is very cold. He does not like the cold but also does not like the very hot weather of the Kuwait desert. He is working in Kuwait for the money like most everyone else. He sends money back home. He has a 19 year old son who is in the China Military. I have met several Chinese in their late 30 or early 40s who have a son or daughter around age 20 living in China.
Possession or use of alcohol is strictly against the law. The Kuwaiti are so paranoid about alcohol that two bottles of herbal medicine were confiscated from me the last time I flew into Kuwait. The customs agent thought the medicine was alcohol. I could not convince him otherwise. Non-alcoholic beer is widely available at all food markets. I have been told that popular international brands of whisky, bourdon, vodka, etc. are available at a very high price. For the Chinese, rice wine is available. I think they can buy it at some Chinese restaurants. Also, beer and wine are relatively easy to make. I seldom drink alcoholic beverages so it does not matter to me that alcohol is illegal. I was upset that customs confiscated my herbal medicine.
Many Kuwaitis (maybe most but I do not know) wear the robes from head to toe. The women wear head coverings, and face coverings, too. They are always black. The men mostly wear white from the neck to the feet. Some of the robes are a different color but no bright colors; always close to white colors. Many of these men also wear a head covering but not a face covering. Underneath the robes is western attire. They wear the robes outside in public but western clothing inside.
Since only about 1/3 of the population is Kuwaiti and not all Kuwaitis wear robes, the majority of the people in the country of Kuwait do no wear robes. As I sit in the airport looking at all the people, only about 1 in 100 or 1 in 150 are wearing robes. I am seating in an area with 4 gates so there are probably 4 or 5 hundred people around. About 10% or 40 – 50 are American or northern Europe. The rest are Arab, Pilipino, Indian, or from an Asian country. I do not see any Orientals from China, Japan or similar country. Probably 60% - 70% are men.
Out of over 200 men on the plane, only 10 of us are wearing suit coats. My normal traveling uniform is from the feet up: black leather dress shoes, blue jeans, black belt, long sleeve dressy but casual shirt with button down collar, dark blue wool blend suit jacket, baseball cap, and sun glasses. Today my shirt with a very long tail is worn outside the pants. I think the look is somewhat classy but unique. Sometimes I wear trail-runner shoes instead of black dress shoes. In Kuwait, I wore sandals with short sleeve shirt and sans jacket.
I have learned to pack light in a carryon bag and back pack. This trip I packed a pair of navy dress pants, 4 pair of black socks, and one long sleeve dress shirt that I did not wear. I was quite comfortable with 1 pair of shorts, 1 pairs of jeans, and 3 short sleeve shorts to wear with sandals outside.
Tonight I am flying from Kuwait to Dubai with a scheduled arrival of 11:45 pm. The flight from Dubai to Kabul Afghanistan leaves at 8am but does not arrive in Kabul until 3:30 pm with 2 stops in Afghanistan.
18APR Monday – Again Fish Market Kuwait
At 7am we decided to go back to the fish market. We are looking for Crab. I think Crab is out of season so they will not have Crab or it will be a high price. I am fascinated about this market as it is a study of the free market rule of supply and demand.
We took the bus again but this time in heavy traffic. We would arrive after the opening bell of the market but that is ok. We learned more about this market today.
In a very loud voice in Arabic language…….… Give me 5,5,5,5. Ok 5, what about 6, give me 6, 6, 6, 6. Ok 51/2; now give me 6,6,6,6,. Ok 6, give me 7, 7, what about 7,7.
The number was Kuwaiti Dinars (KDs) for the lot. The lot could range from one large fish to many small fish in a pile. One Chinese couple who owned a restaurant had an Indian man bid for them and help them understand the process. Most of the bidders were business owners who would clean and then resell the fish at a higher price.
The crab was being sold in lots for 10KD ($35) – 15KD ($50) which was more than we needed and more than we wanted to pay. We had to wait for one of the fish vendors to buy a lot and then we would have to pay a higher price for a smaller lot. This a capitalistic, free market and wholesale/retail sales at work. We purchased 2 Kilo for 4KD and the vendor tossed another one in the bag for free.
I learned that the two security guards were not only to help keep the peace and protect the fish but also make sure sales were not made before the mini-auctions started. We tried to buy crab from a fisherman but the guard said no, wait for auction. Once the fish are placed on the blue tarp they must be sold by auction.
With the bags of fish and groceries we wanted to pay for a taxi on the way back but we did not want to pay the regular price of 1 ½ KD. Normally for an American, the price would be 3 – 4 KD. For non-American the price of a Taxi back to where we wanted to go would be only 1KD with hard bargaining. We had paid 1 ½ KD all week but did not want to pay this much today.
The first taxi would not take us for only 1 KD so we walked away for the bus. The 2nd taxi driver wanted 1 ½ KD so I offered 1 KD and he said OK. He didn’t actually say ok, he shrugged his shoulders OK. He was reluctant to take us for 1KD but if not we would take the bus for only 20% of 1KD, a few blocks walk, and only about 10 minute more. We rode the taxi back to the apartment for 1 KD.
The first taxi would not take us for only 1 KD so we walked away for the bus. The 2nd taxi driver wanted 1 ½ KD so I offered 1 KD and he said OK. He didn’t actually say ok, he shrugged his shoulders OK. He was reluctant to take us for 1KD but if not we would take the bus for only 20% of 1KD, a few blocks walk, and only about 10 minute more. We rode the taxi back to the apartment for 1 KD.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
16APR Sat – Fish Market Kuwait
16Apr Sat – we woke early to take the 6:30AM bus to the Fish Market in the Sultan Center about 8 miles away. The Sultan Center is a large modern grocery store and variety store in a very modern shopping mall. Part of the Sultan Center is a produce vegetable and fruit market, a meat market with goats, sheep, and chickens and a fish market where the fishermen bring in the catch of the day.
At 7am each day in the fish market they spread a large blue rip stop nylon trap on the marble floor. The fishermen park their boats just outside and start bringing in woven bags, plastic sacks, and large plastic containers with many varieties of fresh fish they just caught in their early morning run.
The fish are arranged in piles on the blue tarp. The fisherman or their brokers stands near their pile of fish. Some fish are sold before the market opens but most wait until the opening. At about 10 minutes to 8am, I heard a sound like a bell and everyone seem to start talking at once. Initially I was not paying much attention and it seems like small chaos. However, on observation I saw that the fish brokers/sellers were holding a mini auction at each one of the piles of fish.
The marketing was heating up; people were biding and buying. Of course, the talking was Arabic so I could not understand what they were saying but the actions were very much like the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. All at once a fist fight started. I did not understand the reason. A very large security guard put a bear hug around one of the fighters and literally carried him to outside away from the crowd. I had to jump quickly to get out of his way.
We wanted to buy crab but I think the crab must be out of season. There on small pile of crab with a very high price no one else had any. As compared to a few days ago there was a lot of fresh crab and cheap prices. This market is a true microcosm of price changes based on supply and demand. We purchased two squid and shrimp to prepare for dinner today.
With the bags of fish and groceries we paid for a taxi on the way back.
At 7am each day in the fish market they spread a large blue rip stop nylon trap on the marble floor. The fishermen park their boats just outside and start bringing in woven bags, plastic sacks, and large plastic containers with many varieties of fresh fish they just caught in their early morning run.
The fish are arranged in piles on the blue tarp. The fisherman or their brokers stands near their pile of fish. Some fish are sold before the market opens but most wait until the opening. At about 10 minutes to 8am, I heard a sound like a bell and everyone seem to start talking at once. Initially I was not paying much attention and it seems like small chaos. However, on observation I saw that the fish brokers/sellers were holding a mini auction at each one of the piles of fish.
The marketing was heating up; people were biding and buying. Of course, the talking was Arabic so I could not understand what they were saying but the actions were very much like the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. All at once a fist fight started. I did not understand the reason. A very large security guard put a bear hug around one of the fighters and literally carried him to outside away from the crowd. I had to jump quickly to get out of his way.
We wanted to buy crab but I think the crab must be out of season. There on small pile of crab with a very high price no one else had any. As compared to a few days ago there was a lot of fresh crab and cheap prices. This market is a true microcosm of price changes based on supply and demand. We purchased two squid and shrimp to prepare for dinner today.
With the bags of fish and groceries we paid for a taxi on the way back.
28MAR 2011 Monday - Another Day in the Life of …
28Mar – Monday – yesterday I took three tuff boxes to the base Post Office to ship from Bagram Air Force Base to Camp Phoenix about 27miles on the other side of the mountain. It is a 45-minute drive by motor vehicle and a 10-minute flight by Helicopter. Camp Phoenix is just on the outskirts of Kabul, the Afghanistan capital city.
We cannot drive or ride in motor vehicles to Kabul. The road between Bagram and Kabul is dangerous; especially for Americans. Other contractors make the drive from time to time but ITT does not allow it.
There are three of us traveling. The office where I work has been transferred to Camp Phoenix. The rest of the team is already there. We are the last three to go. We have reservations for a STOL flight. STOL stands for Short Take Off and Landing. The reservation time to show up is 11:10 AM on Monday. However, the flight times are changed daily so no flight patterns are established. We are in a War Zone. At 2:00 am we can find out what time to show up. One of the three of us, called the Passenger Terminal at 2:00 and found out that there was a flight show time at 300am so he elected to standby by for this flight which did not leave until 800am. There was another flight with a 830 am Showtime and one with 1110 am Showtime.
I elected to standby for the 830 flight; however, I could not get on. But I had a back-up reservation for 1110 or so I thought. The 830 flight was canceled so all the passengers were moved to my flight and I was bumped off. The next show time was 1545.
The work in Afghanistan is fun, challenging, and satisfying. We are rebuilding an organization that was about 50% down in staff and kind of down in the dumps when I arrived in October. Since late October, 5 people quit. We have 8 new people coming in; new people with new enthusiasm; a very good team.
I have been back from vacation since March 14 and I am ready to go again. I have applied for a job in Kuwait with my company. In Kuwait I can have a more normal life. The company provides a modern apartment and a car. I would have a 45 minute commute twice a day from where I live to the base where I would work. When living on the bases, I have a 5 minute walk to work. However, in Kuwait I cannot live on the base but would live about a block from the beach. The compensation living in Kuwait is much less than living in a war zone because there is not hazard or danger pay in Kuwait. I would be paid more in Kuwait than the US with no living costs and no automobile costs.
At this time, I am waiting in the Passenger Terminal. I have two heavy bags, one about 25 pounds and one about 45 pounds plus the body amour and Kevlar helmet. I watch our bags as my traveling companion goes for lunch then she will do the same for me. I would walk over to the helicopter terminal to see if they have a fight but my travel buddy has too much stuff for rotary and she will not fly in a helicopter. A few years ago, she saw two helicopters crash in a wind storm just after takeoff killing 17 people so she will not fly in helicopter. Helicopter crashes are very rare. I have flown several times in Iraq and once in Afghanistan.
I am eager to go to Camp Phoenix. I have been restless on Bagram knowing my team is on Phoenix. Two new people showed up while I was on vacation and two more showed up this week while I was unable to leave Bagram. Without a team to work with, I have been less than productive. There are many new procedures to implement and the new people to train. We are “rebuilding the powerhouse’’ of what we had before. The office that I am in charge of is the Network Operations and Security Center for Afghanistan. We are building small team of 25 well qualified, highly skilled IT professions that help support 900 ITT personnel in Afghanistan who provide IT services to the thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians that use the computer & communications systems and networks that we operate and maintain. The Army engineers, installs, operates, and maintains 3 communications and computer networks that are vital to their mission and activities.
As I look out the plane window flying over Afghanistan, I am not at the end of the world but I think I can see it from here.
We cannot drive or ride in motor vehicles to Kabul. The road between Bagram and Kabul is dangerous; especially for Americans. Other contractors make the drive from time to time but ITT does not allow it.
There are three of us traveling. The office where I work has been transferred to Camp Phoenix. The rest of the team is already there. We are the last three to go. We have reservations for a STOL flight. STOL stands for Short Take Off and Landing. The reservation time to show up is 11:10 AM on Monday. However, the flight times are changed daily so no flight patterns are established. We are in a War Zone. At 2:00 am we can find out what time to show up. One of the three of us, called the Passenger Terminal at 2:00 and found out that there was a flight show time at 300am so he elected to standby by for this flight which did not leave until 800am. There was another flight with a 830 am Showtime and one with 1110 am Showtime.
I elected to standby for the 830 flight; however, I could not get on. But I had a back-up reservation for 1110 or so I thought. The 830 flight was canceled so all the passengers were moved to my flight and I was bumped off. The next show time was 1545.
The work in Afghanistan is fun, challenging, and satisfying. We are rebuilding an organization that was about 50% down in staff and kind of down in the dumps when I arrived in October. Since late October, 5 people quit. We have 8 new people coming in; new people with new enthusiasm; a very good team.
I have been back from vacation since March 14 and I am ready to go again. I have applied for a job in Kuwait with my company. In Kuwait I can have a more normal life. The company provides a modern apartment and a car. I would have a 45 minute commute twice a day from where I live to the base where I would work. When living on the bases, I have a 5 minute walk to work. However, in Kuwait I cannot live on the base but would live about a block from the beach. The compensation living in Kuwait is much less than living in a war zone because there is not hazard or danger pay in Kuwait. I would be paid more in Kuwait than the US with no living costs and no automobile costs.
At this time, I am waiting in the Passenger Terminal. I have two heavy bags, one about 25 pounds and one about 45 pounds plus the body amour and Kevlar helmet. I watch our bags as my traveling companion goes for lunch then she will do the same for me. I would walk over to the helicopter terminal to see if they have a fight but my travel buddy has too much stuff for rotary and she will not fly in a helicopter. A few years ago, she saw two helicopters crash in a wind storm just after takeoff killing 17 people so she will not fly in helicopter. Helicopter crashes are very rare. I have flown several times in Iraq and once in Afghanistan.
I am eager to go to Camp Phoenix. I have been restless on Bagram knowing my team is on Phoenix. Two new people showed up while I was on vacation and two more showed up this week while I was unable to leave Bagram. Without a team to work with, I have been less than productive. There are many new procedures to implement and the new people to train. We are “rebuilding the powerhouse’’ of what we had before. The office that I am in charge of is the Network Operations and Security Center for Afghanistan. We are building small team of 25 well qualified, highly skilled IT professions that help support 900 ITT personnel in Afghanistan who provide IT services to the thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians that use the computer & communications systems and networks that we operate and maintain. The Army engineers, installs, operates, and maintains 3 communications and computer networks that are vital to their mission and activities.
As I look out the plane window flying over Afghanistan, I am not at the end of the world but I think I can see it from here.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
13 APR Wed - Dust Storm in Kuwait
Today I am with friends in Kuwait. A dust storm blew in early this morning. We are not going outside today because of the dust. My friend in Kuwait wants to take his Chinese wife to American so they went to the US Embassy with applications for her visa. They applied on line. They were given an appointment today. Last year she applied but she was denied. This year they passed the interview.
They have known each other for 3 years and have been married for 2 years. She has a son in China. He has a good job in Kuwait. It is surprising to me that they were declined a visa last year but passed the interview this year with no explanation and no apparent reason.
The dust storm today is not nearly as bad as the one a few weeks ago. You can watch videos of the dust storm on you tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD1Ff1h_4so.
From the 8th floor of the apartment building where I am staying I can normally see about 1/2 mile to the oceans then miles out to the horizon. Today I cannot even see to the end of the block.
They have known each other for 3 years and have been married for 2 years. She has a son in China. He has a good job in Kuwait. It is surprising to me that they were declined a visa last year but passed the interview this year with no explanation and no apparent reason.
The dust storm today is not nearly as bad as the one a few weeks ago. You can watch videos of the dust storm on you tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD1Ff1h_4so.
From the 8th floor of the apartment building where I am staying I can normally see about 1/2 mile to the oceans then miles out to the horizon. Today I cannot even see to the end of the block.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
02 Apr 2011 - Update from Camp Phoenix near Kabul
This week on March 20th, I transferred from Bagram Air Force base to Camp Phoenix near Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Camp Phoenix has not had an enemy attack for more than 16 months while Bagram has attacks with rocket-launched bombs about once a month.
Today, about 6:30 AM local time, two terrorists and possibly a third person approached the Camp Phoenix entrance gate with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and explosives strapped to their bodies.
The military was on full alert and swept the camp looking for another terrorist who they thought snuck into the camp during the attacked. No US personnel were seriously injured. A couple of soldiers were hit with shrapnel from the first rocket.
Quotes from the news:
"Reports of three attackers involved and that two of them died when their vests detonated. A third was shot."
"The base's gate had scorch marks on it, and an AP reporter at the scene saw some of the remains of at least one body belonging to a man who had blown himself up dangling from the gate."
"Two suicide bombers were involved in the attack and were apparently wearing burqas, the all-encompassing turquoise-colored coverings worn by many women in Afghanistan. The body of a third insurgent was just inside the gate, he said. He was shot and killed"
"Camp Phoenix is a base on the eastern edge of Kabul used mostly by American forces to help train the Afghan army and police."
More on the story at:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/45608/kabul-slugger-guardian-gate
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/01/afghanistan-7-killed-protest-office/
The gate is about a mile from my office. The building where I work is well protected. Military guards were immediately dispatched and guarded all areas of the Camp. In 10 years and thousands of employees working in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan only one person from my company (ITT Systems) has been killed in an attack. I feel very safe where I work which is a communications center and well protected.
The military has futuristic technology deployed to detect rockets, bombs, people with guns &explosives, etc so they know before they attacked. Sometimes only seconds before but these few seconds can make a big difference.
The true urban legend on Camp Phoenix is about an Afghan nicknamed Rambo who diligently guards the Gate at Camp Phoenix. Years ago a Taliban rocket killed his wife and child. He helps the NATO forces fight the Taliban. The US has many allies in the NATO coalition forces protecting Afghanistan. NATO forces includes Afghans, Spanish, French, Italians, Jordanians, Australians, Canadians, Great Britain plus others. The fight against Terrorism is truly an international fight.
More about Rambo at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-03-08-rambo_N.htm
Every day there are dozens of what the military calls Significant Acts throughout Afghanistan These acts range from engagement with the enemy to finding stockpiles of weapons.
On March 14th I returned to Afghanistan from a trip to China that included Beijing and Antu a rural community close to Korean Border. More about my trip on this blog.
Today, about 6:30 AM local time, two terrorists and possibly a third person approached the Camp Phoenix entrance gate with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and explosives strapped to their bodies.
The military was on full alert and swept the camp looking for another terrorist who they thought snuck into the camp during the attacked. No US personnel were seriously injured. A couple of soldiers were hit with shrapnel from the first rocket.
Quotes from the news:
"Reports of three attackers involved and that two of them died when their vests detonated. A third was shot."
"The base's gate had scorch marks on it, and an AP reporter at the scene saw some of the remains of at least one body belonging to a man who had blown himself up dangling from the gate."
"Two suicide bombers were involved in the attack and were apparently wearing burqas, the all-encompassing turquoise-colored coverings worn by many women in Afghanistan. The body of a third insurgent was just inside the gate, he said. He was shot and killed"
"Camp Phoenix is a base on the eastern edge of Kabul used mostly by American forces to help train the Afghan army and police."
More on the story at:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/45608/kabul-slugger-guardian-gate
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/01/afghanistan-7-killed-protest-office/
The gate is about a mile from my office. The building where I work is well protected. Military guards were immediately dispatched and guarded all areas of the Camp. In 10 years and thousands of employees working in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan only one person from my company (ITT Systems) has been killed in an attack. I feel very safe where I work which is a communications center and well protected.
The military has futuristic technology deployed to detect rockets, bombs, people with guns &explosives, etc so they know before they attacked. Sometimes only seconds before but these few seconds can make a big difference.
The true urban legend on Camp Phoenix is about an Afghan nicknamed Rambo who diligently guards the Gate at Camp Phoenix. Years ago a Taliban rocket killed his wife and child. He helps the NATO forces fight the Taliban. The US has many allies in the NATO coalition forces protecting Afghanistan. NATO forces includes Afghans, Spanish, French, Italians, Jordanians, Australians, Canadians, Great Britain plus others. The fight against Terrorism is truly an international fight.
More about Rambo at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-03-08-rambo_N.htm
Every day there are dozens of what the military calls Significant Acts throughout Afghanistan These acts range from engagement with the enemy to finding stockpiles of weapons.
On March 14th I returned to Afghanistan from a trip to China that included Beijing and Antu a rural community close to Korean Border. More about my trip on this blog.
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