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.
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sir, do you know if Rambo was injured in the attack. my unit was stationed there a few years ago. he prevented a car bomb from detonating when I was there. he saved the lives of eight of my friends. I am glad to know that he his still there protecting the camp.
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