Strong Ideas

“I like the Night Life, God likes to Boogie”

2008-04-20T03:35:00.000-07:00

The nightly display of fireworks of the sky and the music of the jungle has been extraordinary. Two nights ago, we watched as the sky lit up with a display of Thor’s magic, rolling through the evening clouds. Thunder echoed its brother’s lights, and then the rain came down in misty waves I blending seamlessly into their fraternity. Lt. Col. Ed Tanguy, Capt. Pete Aguilar and stood on the Lanai (balcony/porch) and watched enrapt with the Godly display of Nature's ominous power before us. After the thunder and lightning ended, we were rewarded with the strangest cacophony of sound. What started out as an apparent dog fight, slowly turned into the total mayhem of the calls of monkeys as they competed for who could shout the loudest across the newly soaked jungle.

An amazing night in the Jungles of Bengal.

In the words we use at the closing of every prayer I my family, “Thank you God, Thank you God, Thank you God.”

Sgt. 1st Class Vinni Jacques

2008-04-16T01:28:00.000-07:00

I have worked with SFC Phillip "Vinni" Jacques in Oregon, within the same unit that he served in Iraq (when I joined the Volunteers of the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, Jacques had already returned home after having sustained serious injuries in combat when an IED hit his vehicle, killing his driver), in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina where he led a platoon in the recovery efforts of a flooded and decrepit section of the city, and now in Rajendrapur, Bangladesh, where we are deployed to assist in the training, evaluation and mentoring of Soldiers from ten nations across the South Asian subcontinent (and where, a Ranger to the end, he has developed a great relationship with the Ghurka Rifles of Northern India).

One of the most professional Soldiers I have ever worked with, "Sergeant Jacques" is the type of NCO that spends his evenings reading SOPs and his omnipresent Ranger Handbook, in an effort to constantly improve his knowledge and expertise in the techniques, tactics and procedures that will serve him and his Soldiers on and off the battlefield.
This afternoon, in a brief repasse from the lane evaluation and mentoring that he has been running, he shared a story that showed another role he meets with total commitment, that of being the Father of three children. In the wake of last summer's hit movie "Transformers," Jacques' eldest son, told him in the morning following the film, "Dad, I think Bumblebee was knocking on my window last night." A fantastic image of the creative imagination of a seven year old. "Son, we need to talk," Vinni repliled. Sitting his son down, Jacques told him, "Son, I have a confession to make, that wasn't Bumblebee. It was my truck. Because my truck is a Transformer." "Really Dad? What is his name," asked his son with the faith and total belief that only a child can offer the counsel of his loving parents. "Well his name is Suppositor, because he is such a pain in my rear end," he explained.

This was received with joyous rapture of a boy who realized he had a transformer acountable to his father. He immediately ran through the house, "Grandma, Dad's truck is a Transformer and his name is Suppositor because he is such a pain in Dad's rear end!"

"Mom, Dad's truck is a Transformer and his name is Suppositor because he is such a pain in Dad's rear end!"

This from the same professional Non Commissioned Officer that helped to stand up, alongside retired Colonel Scott McCrae (our former Chief of Personnel who, only months before his retirement lost his son in an IED attack in Operation Iraqi Freedom), the Oregon Reintegration Team for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to assist them with the challenges they need, whether counselling, career assistance, educational benefits or just someone to talk to. Explaining this to a visiting Lt. Col. from the U.S. State Department while handing him a tri-fold program explaining the Reintegration Team, Jacques offered, "Sir, Soldiers can call this 1-800 number 24 hours a day and we guarantee that one of us will answer it anytime. We maintain it like a staff duty line, so that Soldiers will get an answer no matter when they call. We figure it is at least something that we can do directly to help those that gave themselves completely to defend their nation."

(Side note: we have just learned today that in the wake of the excellence acomplished by the Oregon Reintegration Team, the National Guard Bureau has directed that all states and territories stand up similar programs out of the State headquarters)

it is yet another example of the type of Soldier serving, like the Ranger creed he adheres to everyday, "One Hundred per cent and then some." It is a great privilege to work with such an extraordinary leader and to know and work with such a great man.

Rangers Lead The Way!

-out here

Training (and Sweating) to standard

2008-04-16T00:58:00.001-07:00

So the temperature in Bangladesh this time of year is hot. The average in the Farenheit grade has been between the high 80s and the high 90s with an average of 98 degrees, with a humidity of about 70%. Thus, being the sweat machine that deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Katrina have proven me to be, I have shed about eight pounds since our arrival...now to keep it off.

The exercise has enabled us to work with combat leaders from across the Asian subcontinent and it has been a great opportunity to get to know the cultures, values and training standards of these diverse peoples.

It has also given us, as members of the Oregon National Guard, both Army and Air components, to get to know each other better, reminding us of the incredible value we bring to the expeditionary military environment we are currently so actively involved within. The

Each of us is preparing to redeploy within less than a week with a strong relationships that reinforce not only the regional stability and commitment that each nation offers to the world, but with the knowledge, that, when you work and sweat together, we are not all that different from each other.

Soldiers are in the business of the implementation of national security objectives, but as General MacArthur observed long ago, it is the Soldier who prays most heartily for peace because it is he or she that must endure the scars of war for a lifetime. It is an honor to be involved with a mission that highlights that message on a daily basis.

-out here

Subo Nobu Bosho - Happy New Year

2008-04-14T05:18:00.000-07:00

The new year in Bangladesh is ultimately synchronized with the environment, based on the cycle of the monsoon season, the harvest time, and the return of the Sun and its power to renew the land and dry out the rains.

In this spirit, the last 24 hours met the expectations of the Bangladeshis perfectly. Late in the evening, we experienced a burst of rain and thunder and lightning that lasted a mere hour. Today we were greeted by the burning sun of the new year. It was seen as a sign of good fortune from both Allah (God) and the pantheon of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses in this land of tolerance of diversity in faith. It also made today a great day to be witness to the happy smiles of the Bangladeshi people and the international soldiers deployed here to train with them.

Beside that, I met a couple of monkeys, watched a snake charmer as he interacted with two Cobras, danced with a witnessed many traditional dances performed by children and saw the beautiful dress of men and women in their decorative gracing of the new year.

-out here

The Road to Dhaka (and Back)

2008-04-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

A tour of Bengali Culture

2008-04-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

We live at the Bangladesh Institute for Peace Support Operations or BIPSOT, located North of Dhaka in the jungles of Ranjnapur about an hour and a half drive (and a lot of prayer Inshallah) North of the capitol. It is warm still at a minute past midnight. Several of the senior officers got to go to the Army Division Command site downtown last night. It was for a cultural event that was nice, elegantly done and paqcked with officers from about 18 countries.

The meal was incredible and the style informal. After dinner we were treated to a variety of shows from the recitation of a component of the "Bidrohi Poem" or the poem of rebellion written by the national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam. The central them of the poem is generally to uproot oppression from across the globe in order to ensure that human rights prevail. It was read alternaively in Bengali and English. he was accompanied by a dancer that embodied the spirit of the Rebel, striking out against the forces of oppression.

This was followed by an amazing song of Lalon. Lalon Shah was a mystic that embodied the yearning for a sensitive and modest life of dedication and truth. The singer Pagla Bablu and a female companion with a type of small cymbals gave an intoxicating singing of what is called a lalon song, after the mystic

It was an amazing exposure to the remarkably tolerant and diverse culture of this ancient land and relatively new country.

I am so honored to be here and to see such a new aspect of the world.

-out here

Almost a year later, I resume

2008-04-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Several of you have asked me why I haven't written in so long. There is no great answer but I have decided that now is the time. I am writing from the jungles North of Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of an exercise, "Shanti Doot" which is Bangla for "Ambassador of Peace." Specifically, I am currently in the Bangladesh Institute for Peace Support Operation Training or BIPSOT. Assigned as part of a seven member contingent from the Oregon National Guard that will serve as the command and control element for Exercise Shanti Doot, a UN Peacekeepers course designed to certify platoons from 12 nations in the tactics and procedures they will use in regional peacekeeping operations around the globe. Journeying from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Korea, the United States and Tonga, platoons from these nations will run through several lanes run by UN certified trainers.

This is a wonderful experience already. We have only been in country for less than a week and I have already seen the smiles of school children through the windows of their school buses, the craftsmanship of carvers and the love of families sharing love despite hardship.

The people of Bangladesh are so accomodating and to be deployed as part of this extraordinary opportunity is a once in a lifetime event. It is an honor to be here and I will write more as available.

Shanti Doot

-out here

First Farewells

2007-04-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

Today was the start of the hard part. I have grown very close to the Afghan officers that I have worked with daily over the last seven months. COL Hashim-hahn has literally become an uncle to me, a friend and wise elder that is closer than blood in many ways. COL Amin as well has been a big brother. Brigadier General Wardak, pictured here as I served up the Afghan soup, has been an incredible mentor himself. Since he assumed command of KMTC 18 months ago, it has grown at an extraordinary pace. His leadership has provided so much positive change to take place here in this institution and this country.

I have a picture that show vain smiles attempting to hide sadness.

It is personal but shows our mutual sense of loss. I hope to come back here again and reunite with them. We will bid our formal farewells here soon. I have a last date for Chai with them on Monday, where I will bid them a fond "Hoda-Afez" one last time, but this afternoon was tough.

From Kabul

-out here.

This is me with my Afghan Uncle, Colonel Hashim-Hahn.

Dwell Magazine

2007-04-20T01:30:00.000-07:00

Friends,

After approaching the Editors of Dwell Magazine (http://www.dwell.com) in late summer of last year, I heard from them regarding my interest in contributing an article to them about life in small spaces. Their current issue, May 2007, is out on stands now and features an article about my past year of living in an eight foot by eight foot room.

It is a real pleasure to be a featured contributor to one of my favorite magazines. Please pick up a copy if you see it. It is nice to draw attention to the living conditions that so many volunteers for overseas service and to recignize that, no matter the size, it is home.

-From Kabul

Relief in the wake of the Flood

2007-04-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

After about a week's worth of deliberate planning and organization, a team of the Training Assistance Group worked this week to provide some much needed relief to the victims of the first flood in fifteen years here in Kabul. Cleared by a local Chief of Police of District, we were able to assist 100 vetted families with their basic needs.

We departed in the afternoon, departing in several movements to get to our distribution site. Near to the Kabul Stadium where less than six years ago, the Taliban routinely and publicly executed women and men they had deemed uncommited to their cause, we set up our security and our distribution point as we had planned it. The operation was actually planned by our JAG and our intelligence officer, Capt. Scott Delius, of Atlanta, and Maj. Steve McLay, of Corvallis, respectively. Steve had coordianted with local police chiefs to properly vet out those that were in the most dire need. When we arrived, the Afghan Military Police security team, mentored by fellow Oregon National Guardsman, Maj. Chris Graves, had cleared the parking lot and cordoned off an area for our trucks to set up for the distribution of supplies. In one truck, we had bags of clothing. In another, we had bags of cooking basics, oil, salt and dehydrated milk. In the final truck was the big Hefty-sized bags of rice, flour and sugar. The unfortunate part of that was that these bags weighed about fifty to sixty pounds each and we were distributing them to families that were mostly women, old men and young children as most of the able bodied men were either at work or looking for work. Thus, we carried the bags for the citizens from the truck to the end of our distribution point, approximately 50 meters from the back of the truck. While it was a U.S. planned event the real heroes were the Afghan National Army Military Police and the Afghan Police Officers of the downtown district, as they were the ones that established the security, helped to hand out the supplies and managed the victims of the flood.

As this was downtown Kabul and an area of potential threat activity, we were fully armored at all times, a point I only mention because it was about 85 degree Farenheit that afternoon, a sign of things to come this summer and did we ever sweat...?!! It was a cooker. After the final truck, we laid out a collection of other supplies within a flannel blanket. A shovel head, a hammer, a saw, work gloves, a tarp, and a shovel handle (wooden pole). It made for a serious load of kit to cart away across the open Buzkhashi Stadium for certain. That said, we made it as easy as we could to those that needed relief the most.

Within an hour and a half, we had distributed over eight tons of food, clothing, shelter and supplies to help victims of the worst flooding in Kabul in the past fifteen years.

Most impressive to me was the ten year old boy leading a blind man through the distribution points. He carried each of the small bags himself, he led his father or uncle (it was unclear) to each point. At the final, before loading the sixty pounder myself, I wrapped up a bag with the supplies and handed them to the blind man. Cloudy blind eyes staring into the distance belied the joy he seemed to feel. He muttered something quietly in Pashto. The boy then said to me, "He say thank you, America Friend."

We made a difference and that is what we are here for.

From Kabul,

-out here

photos by Tech Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo and 1st Sgt. Don Weber

Independence Day Parade...practice

2007-04-05T05:22:00.000-07:00

Every year the Afghanistan National Security Forces, whether Army or Police, conduct a massive parade ceremony to commemorate their independence for Soviet occupation and independent rule. The parade practice takes a lot of time and effort as the officers, sergeants and Soldiers, want to make as positive an impression as possible to their country and to the world. COL Jim Lyman and I were invited by ANA Brig. Gen. Wardak to witness some of the rehearsal for the event downtown, alongside the senior leadership of the Afghan National Army. It reminded me of the parades we used to perform in the Berlin Brigade, whether U.S., British, French or Communist. Designed to demonstrate to the world our power and discipline. It was an incredible thing to see, thousands of Afghans marching downtown, proud, disciplined and organized. The actual parade will be within the month. We have also been invited to witness the event live. In the picture above, you can see the moon setting beneath the "Great Wall" of Kabul, high along the peaks surrounding the city. Built in 425 CE, the wall was built by Kabul-Shahan, as a defensive perimeter around the city to prevent eventual eventual Arab attacks. In the image below, the reviewing officers salute the Afghan National Colors as they pass in review.

Spring Break at the Alamo

2007-03-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

So one thing that the command group has done better at the Alamo than at any other location in Kabul is to get members of the team to enjoy working together as a coalition team. Due, above all else, to the relative security we have here in Kabul, the leadership was able to schedule a "Spring Break" party for members of the Training Assistance Group and their guests. In addition to the sea of coalition guests that prepared their own special dinners for the party, we hosted the Air Force Rock Band, Max Impact, for a concert that night. It surpassed our Halloween jaunt for festivity and was a great release from the daily grind.

Authorized to wear civilian clothes for the first time for many of us, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen were able to relax and be themselves while enjoying great food and super music. The band even got me up on stage to join them on my Afghan drum. Once they started playing Earth, Wind and Fire tunes, it was sort of a must.

The following day, the band played for the Afghan privates on their day off. It was unquestionably the first time these guys had seen anything like it. It was a great day for the Afghans and a good day to share each others cultures.

Not my Oregon, but Our Oregon

2007-03-25T03:25:00.000-07:00

This afternoon as I was preparing for another meeting with my Afghan counterparts, I was cornered by a fellow Soldier that is preparing to leave Afghanistan after serving for a year training the ANA.

"Hey, Sir, how about if we take down that Oregon flag you've got hanging up here on The Alamo and burn it?" "What?" I asked. "Well if those bastards want to burn the American Flag and a mock up of a US Soldier I think that that is the least we should to to recognize their efforts."

He then explained the imagery going around the Internet of fringe idiots integrating into a rally in downtown Portland, Oregon. Burning a U.S. Flag and burning an effigy of a Soldier a group of about two dozen infiltrators tried to make a "statement" in what was otherwise a peaceful rally to oppose the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

As an American Soldier serving in Afghanistan after mobilizations to Iraq and New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Lakes Charles immediately after Hurricane Rita, it is hard to look at imagery of the Arlnene Schnitzer Concert Hall with its big "PORTLAND" sign in lights serving as the backdrop for such ignoble disrespect and to know that this image somehow represents to now millions of people across the world what my state is all about.

But it is not our Oregon. Our Oregon is a place where our Governor sets the tone for all Governors in the United States by making it a policy to attend the funerals of each fallen service member to which the family offers him welcome (of the 84 to date, he has attended all but a handful). Our Oregon is a place where both sides, right, left and all those in between, have set a tone of civility in their disagreements. Whether the bold anti-McCarthyism of the late, great Democratic Senator Wayne Morris, or the recent questioning of motives for continuing our war in Iraq by Republican Senator Gordon Smith, we have found civil methods to express our opinions and ask questions of our leadership. What is fascinating to me is that Portland, Oregon had the largest, peaceful demonstration in the entire nation on the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Yet a handful of idiots identifying themselves as anarchists crashes an event of this level of magnitude and that is then seen by some Drill Sergeant in Afghanistan that then recommends that we burn the Oregon flag because it somehow represents those people.

An Editorial written by a friend at The Oregonian reads in part:

The march through downtown Portland near the fourth anniversary of the invasion was a loud, colorful expression of this new majority sentiment. Old folks, children, men and women marched the streets in force, reinforcing the message of last November.

Marches like this are the way wars are fought in the arena of public opinion. But their message is tainted by the actions of a small group more keen on delivering an outrage than an argument. And because their actions fit the definition of outrageous, they provide grist for passionate people on both sides of the debate.

Sadly for the 15,000 or so, the sidebar demonstration undermines the dominant message of peaceful dissent. The goal of an anti-war march, it would seem, would be not to win over the most committed supporters of the war, because they won't be persuaded. And it's not to win over committed opponents, because they are already persuaded. It's to woo the great moderate middle of the electorate that decides the outcome of any national policy debate. And those members of the middle shrink from the callousness of a masked man burning an effigy of a soldier.

As the demonstrators surely know, this did nothing to advance an argument. Indeed, it contradicts the feelings of many anti-war protesters, who tend to believe that the people of the military have served honorably but have been misused by their government.

But if the words "Portland" or "anti-war protest" now conjure images of a burning effigy in uniform, then that is a shame.

______________________________

Much like the Taliban represents a very small portion of the population of Afghanistan, the "Anarchists" and their ludicrous message do not represent me or my home State of Oregon. They represent a small-minded, immature minority of ignorant fools looking for a vehicle to communicate their rage. Again, like the Taliban here in Afghanistan, they seem to want to do anything to draw greater attention to their cause than what actually exists.

The fools that made my city and state and, indeed nation look bad, are just fools running a fools errand. The Taliban would welcome their mindset here in Kabul.

From Kabul

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” - President George Washington

Na Ruz Salaun Mubarak

2007-03-23T03:46:00.001-07:00

The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar much different than the Roman calendar that we use. As a consequent, we have been here not only for 2006-2007, but for 1585. Now, with the New Year, celebrated as Na'Ruz after the arrival of the New Moon, a cresent moon risinig over the clear skies welcomng a time of renewal.

My Deputy, Capt. Dan Miner and I, after working through many of the ongoing efforts of analysis of our redeployment plan with Lt. Cdr. Outcalt, Master Sgt. Persson and Sgt. 1st Class Ping, decided to enjoy the late afternoon sun by playing some frisbee. Once we realized the muddy gravel pit we were playing in wasn't the friendliest, we went over to the Afghan side of our compound with two frisbees and several bottles of water and asked the Afghan Soldiers to join us. Slowly, one by one, they came out onto the parade field and joined us in learning the basics of throwing the "Flying Disk" of the Whamo Corporation across the tarmack field that they use for marching practics and upon whihc they will graduate in the weeks to come.

They caught on quickly and were soon giving the two Americans a run for their efforts. We divided them into Team Sia and Team Sudz for Black and Green as some were in the black track suit they use as a PT uniform and the others were in their Army fatigues, which are predominantly green.

After playing for an hour, we took a break and talked. Fortunatley one of them was fluent in English and served as my "Tarjaman" or Interpreter. I told them how proud I was to serve with them and that, while we may be from different countries, we were now brothers as they became Soldiers. I held up my fingers separately and said, "Each one of these fingers is one of you. This one is Hazara. This one Pashtun. This one is Uzbek. And this one is Aimaq. This one is Turkmen. By themselves they are not very strong." I playfully sturck the Soldier closest with me with one finger then the next. "But together," I said balling my hand into a tight fist, "This is Afghanistan, with all of its people working together and it is strong and powerful." To make my point I simulated striking it as a blow to the chest of the closest Soldier, stopping as it actually made contact. "You are all one group now and are stronger for working together. As private Soldiers, you have the hardest job and must survive the roughest conditions, but the more you apply yourself and the better you learn your lessons of your sergeants, the better Soldiers you will become nad the better Afghanistan will become."

We continued to play for another hour (The guys on the Sia team won, man these guys are competitive) and I gave them one last rally before leaving. As I left, one of the Soldiers, my Tarjaman, asked if I had any American news magazines to practice reading English. He and another Soldier, originally Indian and older (23), asked for anything that would inform them about the world and in English. I grabbed some old copies of The Economist and Time as well as several copies of the ISAF newspaper printed in English, Dari and Pashto. It was very appreciated. I wished them a Happy New Year and reminded them that I would come back out to play with them again next Friday.

A good way to start a new year.

-From Kabul

Real Change Comes Slowly in the Land of the Mountains

2007-03-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

The mission of mentoring change within the Afghan National Army ANA is the primary mission of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix. The Training Assistance Group or TAG, which I have been assigned to now for seven months, mentors the Kabul Military Training Center or KMTC. We are the school house. If Afghanistan were the United States, we would be Fort Benning: Basic Training, NCO Training and Officer Candidate School all in one.

The mission has expanded tremendously since we arrived here in the Spring of 2006. Then, the KMTC was graduating 650 private Soldiers each month into the ranks of the ANA. We are now graduating 2,000 every month. Despite exponential growth, the prioritization of effort goes to the war fighting units, most typically in the South and the East. While it is not impossible to build an Army while it is fighting a war (we have been helping the Afghans to do so for almost six years now and doing the same on a much larger scale back home simultaneously), it is not the preferred method. Given that the Afghan's culture is one built upon "Pashtunwali" a code of conduct for norms of etiquette as well as vengeance, it is not in their cultural norms to say "No" in any way shape or form to a superior. While we in the West are often hailed for the directness of our culture and our ability to respectfully disagree, the Afghans will typically take the path of least resistance if it means eithr losing face or causing a superior to lose face. Thus, when a General comes to visit the training center, it is seen as impolite to explain problems with resources and instead to allow him to focus on the shrubbery surrounding the Mosque.

Why does this have any bearing on the mission here? We have been doing hero's work here in training Soldiers, Noncommissioned Officers and Officers to a high standard, but we have been doing so with resources that are constantly in competition with our war fighting peers.

A Note: I write "We" because I consider "them" to be "us." I refer to my Afghan Colonel colleagues as my Uncle, Hashim and my Big Brother, Aziz. Their fight is my fight and they are my family. We have become that close.

In the past several weeks several of us have been trying to get our arms around this predicament: how to continue to grow the army while maintaining the high level of excellence from the institution without degrading the effort to supply trained officers and NCOs to the war fighting units in the field. As Coalition members, we have done our best to fight for the resources, both human, logistical and capitol, that will make our institution of greater value to the people of Afghanistan. Sometimes in not so polite terms, but usually with enough emphasis to make the point. Simultaneously, the Afghans have realized that now is the hour and have given in to the need to raise such issues to the senior leadership of the Army.

Well in the past two days, this place has been a General Officer Circus. There has been more Afghan Brass than I have ever seen outside of the Ministry of Defense. Enough voices have raised this concern that the leadership is finally making the changes that we have all anticipated for so long.

We expect to gain a considerable amount of human resources in a very short time, to better be able to train the Soldiers to a high standard before moving them into the fight. We have learned that many of the logistical resources (billetting, training areas, mess facilities and others) will be fast-tracked. It is as if the Lunar Eclipse has brought with it an emergent knowledge that not all worthwhile training can come from an "OJT" style of orientation once Soldiers hit the front. Almost as if the austerity we have faced in the past several months has been a necessary Evil, drawing attention to the plight of the Soldiers of KMTC, while the commanders and their garrisons waited patiently until the senior National level leadership was able to draw its own stark conclusions.

Whatever the cause of this turn of events, we here at KMTC, whether Afghan, American, British, French, Canadian, Ghurka, New Zealander, or Polish, are delighted to hear. Perhaps there is more to the Pashtunwali than we can ever understand.

Before arriving here in the land of the Hindu Kush, I learned an old Pashtun Proverb. It roughly translates: "For a hundred years, I waited to extract my vengeance. When I acted, my fathers' cursed my impatience."

For some things, we must wait a long time. Independence is something that will not happen on our timeline. But it is something the Afghans pray for. That and that we will be patient with them.

-From Kabul

Saint Patrick's Day; Golf and Lamb...Kebabs

2007-03-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

I could hardly pass the opportunity up. Major Ian Pruden, the Lead of our NonCommissioned Officer Training Team, and his Sergeant Major, WO2 Roman Cioma, had invited me to join them on Friday for a trip to the Kabul Golf Course with their Afghan Counterparts. I had heard that it existed from our Commanding General back in Camp Shelby, but getting the chance to actually see this level of progress in Afghanistan was something not to miss.

We left early in the afternoon, driving through downtown until we were to the Northwest of the City center. It was a quiet, cool day with a cloudy haze that mellowed the attitudes on this, the Afghan weekend. It took us about an hour to drive to the outskirts, all the while viewing a Kabul that evaded description from our seige mentality life within the confines of HESCO barriers and "Texas T" Walls. Sgt. Maj. Cioma had previously been stationed up in the North by Mezar E' Sharif and his driving was expert. We made it to the course, located in a heavily treed, grassy hillside up by the Kabul Reservoir. It is a place that Afghans come to enjoy time with their families, picnicing and playing in the cool, greenery and fresh air coming off the lake.

Shortly after we pulled in to the parking lot, we met up with Lt. Col. Sabor, the commanding officer of the NCO School at KMTC, and his executive officer and his Sgt. Maj. We then met the manager of the course, Abdul, who introduced us to our Caddies. Mine was an eleven year old boy named Jowid. We planned to join them on the course, but their idea was much more the camaraderie that came from sharing lamb kebabs and naan after we had exhausted our selves on the green. With Cioma as our body guard, we presented a secure posture, despite enjoying the relative relaxation. The clubs were old and filthy, the course lacked much of a green, but that fact that we were enjoying a low optempo day on a Golf Course in the capital city of the former home of the Taliban, seemed hard to believe.

I teed off from the peak, driving my first ball a couple of hundred

meters down range. That was one of about five great hits to come from my experience on the "Green" as I realized it had been 21 years since I had swung a club. The memory of my old Scottish friend Alasdair Watt echoing in my head from our time at New Mexico Military Institute together. We were out on the driving range in early 1986 and I damn near hit a Colonel with my ball. "Aye, Strong, A.V., yeoor no freakin' gulferrr, thas' fer shure, Lad. Ye jes' watch me fer now on." And, thus, 21 years later, yesterday, was the first time I had picked up a club since...seriously, a career Army Officer, not golfing.

I suffered through about five holes....suffered only because Alasdair's two decade old warning kept echoing truth in my game. If the course had not already been pockmarked and cut up from goats and the occassional landmine or cow bone, I would have been billed for the abuse I had offered it. Jowid, my reliable companion found my ball each time, whether he had to jump into the drainage ditch, look behind the inadvertent bush, or under the stray piece of barbed wire. He was a good kid. At one point, Ian Pruden had offered his interpreter a dollar if he out-distanced him in a tee. He never had to pay his 25 year old "Terp."

I offered the same to my eleven year old buddy. Not only did he outshoot me, his form and focus were impressive to witness, an Afghan Tiger Woods in a dirty jacket. At the end of our five holes, we rejoined our Afghan counterparts for a lunch of kebab under an enormous pine tree near the Golf Club House (identified by the spray painted title on the side of the building).

We rapidly immersed ourselves into an in-depth conversation of the state of affairs within the Afghan National Army, the situation we were facing at the school house of KMTC, and the current and near future environment of their country. After a delilcious afternoon meal of salted, grilled kebab, naan bread and fresh tomatoes, mint and onions, we prepared our departure. As we got ready to leave, Elias, the interpreter, offered us to stop at his father's home, quite near the course. We accepted and, after a short drive were greeted and welcomed warmly by his father, an Afghan Colonel in the Ministry of Defense.

We were seated on pillows on the floor and immediately offered hot chai, sweet honey cakes, nuts and raisins. We discussed each other's travels and the plight of Afghanistan for almost an hour. He reminded us that times like this are what make this visit worthwhile, getting to understand a foreign culture, broadening one's knowledge of the world. This from a former flight engineer who had travelled all over the Eastern world, a man who wanted his five children to see and experience as much as possible of the world, so that they could return to Afghanistan and make it a better, safer, place.

In the words of Sergeant Major, "This is quite a civilized way to spend a Friday afternoon, Sir."

Angleterre vs. France (RUGBY)

2007-03-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

It is Rugby Season and the big game for Camp Alamo is England versus France. We planned the event so that our French counterparts would return to Alamo for the evening's activities, near beer, Ghurka Cury plates and a widescreen viewing of the match. And what a game it was.

By the first half, France was up 12-9, but the second half was a quick-paced Enlighs defeat of the French. All this in a room of French and English Soldiers and Marines. The best part of the entire night was witnessing the opening of the game, with each room full of French and British singing their National Anthems.

During the game I had everyone present sign our official game ball (the same as used in teh match), with the winner signing in Silver Ink (Lt. Col. Charles Newitt had the honors).
A great match and a great night.

From Kabul

5,840 Days of Renewal

2007-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, March 9th, was the 16th anniversary of my being married to Margaret Mary Towle. 5,480 days ago, we hosted about 150 friends and family in the shaded garden of our home in Los Feliz, in East Los Angeles beneath Griffith Park and its famous observatory. "The Villa," is an Art Deco era apartment complex that always reminded me of something you would see in a film noir from the 30's, much like Margaret. It was our home together while we studued English Literature at U.C.L.A. Palms swayed in the tradewinds as we were pronounced man and wife before parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, friends and those dearest to us, including many who now smile down upon us from the Heavens.

We have since lived in Berlin, Georgia, Hawaii, Olympia, Portland, and Salem. We have travelled across Europe, the United States and Mexico and even into Canada. We have danced in Prague, toasted Le Bon Nouvelle Année beneath the Eiffel Tower, walked the Maasai Mara in lion country in Kenya, hiked through the Olympic Forest, bathed in the Nordsee, overlooked the Grand Canyon, bodysurfed the North Shore, and laughed and loved on four continents.

I am so glad to share my life with such a bold spirit, elegant soul and beautiful woman as my dear beloved wife, Margaret. Sweet Heart, I miss your sweet carress and tender kiss.

Thank you for sharing your life with me for sixteen years. I love you.

From Kabul,

Arnold

A New Beginning of Hope

2007-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Readers,

It has been too long since I have actively maintained this log of ideas and thoughts, experiences and adventures. Today was a unique day in our journey here as we were able to make a significant impact on the people of Afghanistan.

Due to the impact of war on this, one of the three poorest nations on our planet, the crisis of refugees is epic. Many refugees flee from the more violent states to find homes in calmer areas. Many flee the country and cross the Pakistani border, like so many of their previous generation. However, Pakistan has started to crack down on the border crossings and has limited its openness to Afghans.

Here at the Kabul Military Training Center, or KMTC, we have a range complex of over 14,000 acres. While much of this land is occupied with various firing lanes and ranges for small arms, crew served and indirect fires lanes, there is also areas that are predominantly used for maneuver exercises. some of this land has been used as a refugee camp for the past several months. The camp, now home to over 1,500 refugees of Southeastern provinces, exists on the Eastern border of the KMTC property.

Our public affairs officer, 1st Sgt. Don Weber, a close friend and experienced soldier, has been working with his Afghan counterparts over the past month, trying to coordinate an effort to alleviate some of the suffering of these homeless poor that live here among us. His efforts and those of the Afghan National Army soldiers he has worked with, came to fruition this morning.

Coordinating with the donated supplies manager at Bagram Airfield (BAF), home of our higher headquarters, the CJTF-76, Weber requested several tons of much needed food basics. Weeks later, we received over four tons of cooking oil, wheat, salt, sugar, and flour. On Friday, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Afghan Soldiers distributed the food stuffs into over 200 individual "Family Packs" so that each family on the list would get some of each of the supplies. Further, we packed over 200 two gallon sized plastic bags full of donated children's clothing, socks, jackets, blankets and stuffed animals. By the end of the afternoon, the team had filled two full CONEX Trailers full of supplies.

Initially we had planned to do our relief mission earlier this week. However, the weather dictated otherwise. It snowed and, though it cleared up the following day, it left a muddy pit where we had planned to distribute the food. The delay also gave us some time to continue to plan our mission. We would now conduct our mission on Saturday morning. The weather looked to be good and that would give us three days for the mud to dry out.

We got up early this morning only to see that it had been snowing since about 4:00 a.m. By the time we got over to the CONEX's to start loading the supplies in our seven and a half ton "International" trucks, the snow was coming down thick and wet. Our mission would take us on a several mile drive with over a dozen vehicles sent downrange in several serials. It was going to be cold and wet.

I gathered everyone together for a final review of our operational plan, reviewed key items like uniform (we would keep our armored vests, helmets and eye protection on), time lines, threat conditions and contingency plans in case we were to be engaged by enemy activity. Finally, we reviewed the most important rehearsal of any operations, "Actions on the Objective." In other words, how we would distribute the supplies.

My advanced team left at 8:00 a.m. along with the Military Police Officer, Maj. Chris Graves, and his team of 40 Afghan Military Police, loaded up in four Ford Ranger Pick-ups. We drove out through the snowy range, seeing lots of Afghan Army training happening in the frozen high desert. When we arrived in the area of the town, we had a problem we had not anticipated...the Malik (or mayor) that we had planned on linking up with to help us control the distribution and crowds was not there. Apparently five goats had either escaped the night before or had been stolen from their pen. This left us to deal with the brother in law of the Malik, a man named Wazir, likely for the province he came from. Through our interpreters, we explained our plan and that we would need his help to get the supplies distributed and the people controlled. We had a list of personnel that the Malik had approved earlier and we planned to call names and send people approved forward in order to maintain control of the maddening crowd.

Eventually, the Malik arrived and we explained our plan. We would have two distribution points, one for food, one for clothing. Our Chaplain's assistant, Specialist Henson, another great member of the team...how many Army Specialists, never mind Chaplain's Assistant's own their own Steakhouse restaurants in Kentucky?... Well, Henson (Coded named "Salvation Six") would do his best to control the kids and distribute candy and tooth brushes.

That rapidly spun out of control, as the grabbing and pushing and pulling and fighting is part of these kids lives. Henson did an admirable job of keeping them under control, withholding the goodies if they started to act poorly.

The food and clothing distribution, although we had some headaches with it initially, went very well. We had a solid security effort, and everyone had a job to do.

It took us about two hours once we got set up to get all of the supplies distributed and spread as much relief to these people as we could.

At the end of the effort, I asked the two Maliks and two of the elders to come forward. For their assistance and leadership, I presented each of them with a quilt that had been sewn by my mother and her friends of the Bandon Quilter's Guild. They were given to them to share with their wives and mothers and daughters. I explained that each of them had been woven by hand by fellow mothers and daughters back home and that the women would likely appreciate them most. The Malik, after kisses to my cheeks had firm handshakes and hugs, explained that he would give the quilt I had offered him to his mother in law, as she was always concerned that he wasn't providing enough for her...smart man.

Overall, we were about seventy people doing the best to make a difference to those that need the help the most. All of us felt that we made a difference and that was made the day into a great one.

We reloaded our vehicles, moved to an Rally Point away from the plying hands of the children, got a solid accountability and started our convoy back home. Once we arrived, we exited the vehicles, had a brief discussion about the pros and cons (we call this an AAR for After Action Report) of the day, then invited our Afghan counterparts to join us for an American Style lunch.

I think Captain Miner even got our interpreter, Zabih, to have some French Fries (It was not hard...college student, french fries?)

From Kabul,

Arnold

An Explanation - Fourth New York Times Entry

2007-01-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

It has been over two months since my last post to this blog. In November, I was contacted by an editor for the New York Times online who had been following my blog for some time. Editor Peter Catapano asked if I would be interested in providing content to the nytimes.com website for a month as one of four contributors that were serving in Afghanistan. After getting the approval of my chain of command, I agreed. The posts were written over the course of four weeks from November 19th (my birthday) until December 16th.

The content I wrote for the New York Times was proprietary and I agreed not to repost any of the material for a month following the date of publication. As they are now eligible to be reproduced, I offer them up now for your review. This entry and the following three were originally published on the New York Times subscription service "TimesSelect" and ran between 20 November and 15 December, 2006. There is a problem with posting some of the photos to these files due to some internet connection challenges, but I will update them with the pictures that were posted on the nytimes.com website as soon as I am able.

Shortly after I finished my contract with the New York Times, I was able to take a mid-tour leave at home with my family over the Christmas holiday. It was a wonderful release and I will offer a quick post in the near future about that. In the mean time, thanks for being patient friends and thanks for encouraging me to continue writing.

From Kabul,

Arnold

Author:Arnold Strong
December 14, 2006, 8:58 pm
Not Your Typical Hero
By Arnold Strong

United States Army First Lt. Shawn Hammond is not your typical junior infantry officer. He is a big man, with a high forehead crowed with brown hair rapidly turning to salt and pepper. Having just turned 40, he has been a single father of three boys — aged 15, 14 and 8 — for years, although he remarried just before this deployment. He left active service over ten years ago, remaining in the Ready Reserve. After finishing his master’s degree in psychology, Hammond attended law school with the goal of coming back in as a JAG (judge advocate general). However, after setting up a practice he did not return to the active reserve because he felt his civilian role as sole attorney for a battered women shelter in Augusta, Ga., assumed greater importance.

Nothing would lead anyone to believe that his actions would be a key element of the defense of a forward operating base in the Pech River Valley, a combat infantry officer leading a dozen soldiers in an hour-long firefight.

In the summer of 2005, he got his letter in the mail, ordering him to active duty as an individual augmentee. After training at Fort Benning, Ga., and Camp Shelby, Miss., he joined the staff of the Training Assistance Group at Kabul Military Training Center. Assigned in early 2006, he has served as the deputy personnel officer, basically the military equivalent of an assistant human resources manager for our team. As an additional duty he has assisted with the security forces platoon in their routine patrols in and around our sector. Last weekend, he joined a platoon in inspecting their area of operations in the vicinity of Asadabad in the Pech River Valley in eastern Afghanistan.

As part of their tour, the security platoon stopped to bring much needed supply items and conduct basic presence patrols while inspecting the readiness and defensive perimeters of several remote F.O.B.’s. Each F.O.B. is manned by a team of U.S. soldier mentors that advise a platoon of Afghan National Army soldiers. After traveling down what is widely called “the eighth most dangerous road in the world,” Hammond’s team hunkered down for the night at one of the F.O.B.’s. He and a dozen troops that were preparing to rotate out of this area did one last security inspection before bedding down for a night that none of them will soon forget. In his own words, Hammond offered “Those taking a beating were getting one last beating before they left.”

At around 6:30 p.m. the soldiers discovered the first sign of what was to come. One of them found that the wire outside the major line of defense had been cut and a path cleared in order to crawl under the wire. The soldier alerted Hammond. He ordered the men to fix the wire without using any flashlights. “I thought that if we repaired (the enemy’s) entry point without their knowledge, we could fix them and destroy them … so we were waiting for them,” Hammond later said.

Later in the evening the security patrols saw lights on the mountain that surrounded their position. At 11 p.m., the team increased their security posture. Intelligence had informed the unit that there was a 30-man anti-coalition militia accompanied by a local Taliban leader, conducting cross border operations. Further, there had been a confirmed attack in the area just the previous day, where militia members had killed four teachers for daring to instruct girls in basic literacy. As terrible as this seems, it is one of the main tactics of terror used by the enemy we face every day here. In other words, it is an unfortunate factor of this war that many of us have gotten used to. The challenge for the platoon in this instance was that many of the Afghan soldiers normally based in the F.O.B. with their American counterparts had been sent away to hunt for the men who had murdered four teachers, leaving the F.O.B. with much less than its usual line of defense. But being in a reinforced F.O.B., surrounded by HESCO barriers (dirt filled four foot wide walls) the platoon thought we were safe.

It was about 2 a.m. when those not pulling security were brought to full alert with a startling alarm clock. Mortars were being walked into the F.O.B. The entire compound was manning security positions within five minutes. While the first two mortar rounds fell short of their target, it did not take long for the enemy to adjust his fires.

“I was just outside the tactical operations center when the third round came in about sixty meters from my location. The flash surprised me,” said Hammond. “The overpressure from the blast definitely impacted the first sergeant and I but no one was hurt,” he concluded.
But the men were ready for this attack and quickly moved to their designated positions. With five HMMWV’s (High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle, commonly referred to as Humm-Vees) in position, the gunners rapidly got into position behind their crew served weapons., the M-240B and the “Ma Deuce,” .50 caliber machine guns.

Hammond, an expert marksman, moved to a position between two of the vehicles on the perimeter with an SVD Dragonov rifle. In hindsight, he said “it seemed like a good thing to bring.” His men were very glad for his foresight. The weapon, a Soviet-era sniper rifle is incredibly accurate once zeroed when wielded by a sharpshooter. Of his talent with a rifle, the 40-year-old lieutenant said plainly, “When you’re fat, you need to be a good shot, because ya’ ain’t going to be able to run away.”

He continued: “I went to the HESCO wall and started firing upon the Taliban positions based on the muzzle flashes that we could clearly see up on the mountainside. I had the 1SG right next to me. So I was spotting the positions with the tracer fire and enabling the SECFOR guys to direct their fire,” he said. The Dragonov was loaded with tracer rounds, thus enabling others to target their fires on where the “fireworks” are going.

The problem, which soon became evident, was that in helping to pinpoint the enemy positions, the Hammond also gave away his own location for the mortar men in the hills, “which really wasn’t a good feeling,” he said.

The only protection available for the lieutenant and his senior non-commissioned officer was the HESCO barrier to their immediate front. With enemy fire cracking over their heads and all alongside them, the gunners of the machine guns began to synchronize their fires, maintaining the rhythm and keeping the enemy’s heads down.

The enemy finally got a bead on the position of the de facto platoon leader’s position, and brought a mortar round six feet in front of his position. Violently thrown to the ground, the lieutenant and his first sergeant were temporarily deafened by the ringing in their ears and disoriented by the thunderous pounding in their heads. “I was trying my best not to vomit,” said Hammond, reflecting the common feeling soldiers experience when bombarded with “danger close” mortar fire. The disorientation is so strong that it makes you feel like an astronaut in training. It is an act of extreme will not to lose control. Had it not been for the four-foot thick protection of the HESCO, the two of them would likely have not lived to tell their story.
Hammond recovered to his fighting position. Not typically an ill-tempered or foul mouthed man, “I just started swearing at them with every curse in the book, as if they could hear me from 800 meter away,” he recalled.

Once Hammond had spent his ammo, he quickly became an ammo bearer for the other gunners. Over the course of an hour-long engagement, the soldiers defending the F.O.B. spent 4,000 rounds.

After almost exactly an hour, the fire stopped and the lights disappeared from the ridgeline. It seemed to the platoon that the threat had retreated east, in the borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They maintained their full security posture for about an hour, and conducted an AAR (After Action Review) of the activities, checking equipment and each other for potential injuries. Amazingly, no one was injured.

None of the platoon members slept after the engagement. After ensuring the security of the F.O.B., they headed back to Kabul via Jalalabad, leaving around 9 a.m. At around 4 in the afternoon, the group returned to Camp Alamo here in Kabul where we learned the story of the previous night’s activities.

The story of Shawn Hammond is an interesting one to me because it is an example of the stories that are rarely told. It is the story of those members of the Individual Ready Reserve, for all intents and purposes, members who are names in a database available for duty at the order of the President of the United States. These are men and women who had served in active or reserve forces, then returned to civilian life. There are many members of the I.R.R. active now, having been called to service in this conflict. Some have found loopholes to get out of returning to service or taken advantage of opportunities to resign. But the great majority of them have answered the nation’s call and mustered out for duty.

Lieutenant Hammond was not planning on valorous deeds when he answered the call. He initially tried to explain to the Army his extenuating circumstances. But when his orders came, he met the challenge and got to work.

His story is just one of many from this front, the place where the global war on terror began. Afghanistan is turning a page in its history and no matter how many naysayers or “realists” there are that call for more troops and more resources, I can tell you that this nation is already succeeding due in part to the efforts of citizen-soldiers answering the call of duty.

3rd New York Times Entry

2007-01-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2006, 6:26 pm
Renovating for the Future
By Arnold Strong

Thanksgiving week provided a snapshot of the sort of work we do beyond our basic tasks of building the Afghan army and providing security.

We started the week with our first step in a humanitarian assistance project that we had been working toward for some time. In August, my commander Col. Jim Lyman and I met an Afghan-American woman, Salma Seraj, who runs a charity called Tomorrow’s Women and Children of Afghanistan. Revolving around the urgent need for improved health care for infants, proper maternity care for pregnant women, and the general improvement of pediatric medicine in her native country, Ms. Seraj, while based in Washington, D.C., does most of her work in Kabul. She spoke to us about the needs of a particular project here in Kabul, the Esteqlal (“Independent”) Hospital, the second largest in the nation’s capital. One of the wards needed to have new windows, plumbing and electrical work, but more immediately, it needed to be cleared of debris, cleaned and painted. Col. Lyman saw a way that he could help.

After writing a letter home to friends about the plight of these people, a fraternity brother from his alma mater, Oregon State University, contacted Col. Lyman, informing him that he knew how to help. As the president of a construction and engineering firm in the Pacific Northwest, he worked with Portland-based Miller Paint to donate 500 gallons of paint, tarps, brushes and rollers. Another fraternity brother was the C.E.O. of Blackwater, Inc., the defense contractor, who transported the paint and equipment overseas on one of their routine missions to Afghanistan. The end result of these efforts, after months of slow progress, was realized late last month.

About thirty of us from the Training Assistance Group and Kabul Military Training Center left after breakfast on a multi-vehicle convoy from eastern Kabul to the western side of town, an adventure itself. A large group of soldiers from the Afghan National Army, along with United States sailors, airmen, soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers arrived to the wary looks of scores of patients waiting to be seen and doctors surprised at the size of our effort. After some hesitation to comprehend that we truly were there to assist in redeveloping a ward of the hospital on our “day off,” the administrator showed us a room full of stacked, rusting, old medical equipment, mixed in with broken wooden pallets, and items that could probably be considered hazmat — old bed pans!

The sergeants and petty officers, as usual, were ready for the officers to give them some general direction and then get out of the way; these men and women were ready to get to work. With the arrival of Ms. Seraj, our intentions were given a spokesperson that could cut to the chase, explaining to the staff that, yes, we were here as promised and were going to get the work done. With some quick guidance from the hospital leadership, we started.

Working on Esteqlal Hospital. Photo by First Sgt. Don Weber.

We removed the debris and separated it into “re-use” and “junk” areas, and rapidly broke into teams of demolition, clean, search and prep crews. The engineers tore apart the rotting the plywood structure in the corner of the largest room and removed the molded bathtub. The taller of us stretched our arms to reach the ceilings with scrub pads and Simple Green, wiping away months of dust and grime. Others sealed off the windows, door frames and heater units with tape while others prepared the painting materials. Within two hours we had removed the grime and started to see the potential of this building. Within four hours, we had a painting party that covered our hair with flecks of white primer and showed signs of progress. Within six hours, we had transformed the building inside and out.

The most essential element of this whole project was doing it hand in hand with our Afghan counterparts. The patients at the hospital and the staff saw that this was an effort of partnership. They saw that this was task that could not be accomplished alone, but only through rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty together. There is an unfortunate consequent to doing too much for a nation that needs help. Often it creates apathy and the expectation that nothing can be done without it being done for you.

Phase one was complete. Now we needed to commit to come back and put on the second coats of paint and get a commitment from one of the contractors to finish the plumbing and electrical work. It made for a great way to share “Black Friday.” In the words of First Sgt. Curtis Watts, “I give thanks that I’m doing this here instead of fighting other people over shopping deals in some mall back home.”

A Loss

Two days later, I got the call. There would be a task-force-wide blackout. That could only mean one thing. We had lost a member of the task force.

Our flag was lowered to half-staff and we patiently waited for word from the south, to learn the details of the incident. On the following afternoon, I learned that we had lost Second Lt. Scott Lundell. A 35-year-old junior officer who joined the Utah Army National Guard comparatively late in life, Lieutenant Lundell was a husband and father of four who was killed as a member of an embedded training team, working with the Afghan National Army in the field against a resurgent Taliban. The engagement lasted almost nine hours.

At the memorial service held at our headquarters, Camp Phoenix, Lieutenant Lundell was eulogized by his own governor. As it happened, four state governors — Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, Ted Kulongoski of Oregon, Jon Corzine or New Jersey, George Pataki of New York — were in Afghanistan visiting soldiers from their home states and had arrived only that afternoon. Kulongoski and Huntsman were here in Kabul, while Corzine and Pataki visited soldiers of Upstate New York’s 10th Mountain Division, headquartered in Bagram, to our North. Huntsman attended the service, and his calm, confident but somber voice recalled a servant of state and nation.

On the following day, we were visited at Camp Alamo by the two governors. Kulongoski had won re-election only weeks before. He has been a stalwart supporter of the Oregon National Guard and the military in general, having attended over 70 funerals of our fallen comrades and almost all of our mobilization and redeployment ceremonies. His encouraging words of support and news from home were greatly appreciated.

Since then we have been treated to the real start of winter. It has been snowing here for the past two days. It is cooling off, both heads and hands, mountains and valleys. The mountains that ring Kabul are white, hiding the dismal, dusty grey of wartime that lies just under the surface.

2nd New York Times Entry

2007-01-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2006, 10:13 pm
Making It Work, Giving Thanks
By Arnold Strong

Kabul, Afghanistan – The Afghan Soldiers march across the parade field every day at four o’ clock in the afternoon. On a recent afternoon, the light was extraordinary, clearly illuminating the white caps of the mountains that enclose Kabul’s Eastern frontier, the foothills of the Hindu Kush brilliantly on display, as the newest foot soldiers of the Afghan National Army marched along, Soviet Style, bringing in the thunder.

As the main force in the transformation of the Afghan National Army, the Kabul Military Training Center is not only building the military from the ground up, it is also teaching and communicating to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan the importance of building its own internal defense. Consequently, hardly a week goes by that we are not hosting visiting dignitaries, both Afghan and coalition. In the month and a half since I got here, we have hosted the speakers of both the lower (elected) and upper (appointed) houses of the Afghan Parliament, over a dozen visiting general officers, a survey team from NATO headquarters in Belgium, and many others.The visits often impart to the guests how very much has been accomplished in the four years that this institution has existed, but the challenges we experience every day are hard to communicate to an audience that so desperately wants to see success. We are building an army while it is fighting a war. We are mentoring Afghans, and trying to convince them to consider themselves Afghans rather than to exclusively identify themselves by tribe or ethnicity. We are doing this with fewer resources than those being provided to Iraq, fewer than those poured into Bosnia, and frankly, fewer than we need to get the job done in an efficient manner.

But it does us no good to make comparisons with Iraq. We have our job to do with the resources we have. In the words of our commander, Brig. Gen. Douglas Pritt, “What we can do is what’s going on today: build the Afghan National Army and make a difference for the citizens of this country.”

Some Celebrations

On Thanksgiving, we invited our Afghan counterparts to partake in the feast and the Kellogg Brown and Root (K.B.R.) contractors did us right. Even on our forward operating base, they brought us all the fixings. Turkey and ham, steak and shrimp, fruits and nuts, sweet potatoes, rice and beans, salads, pies and even ice cream from Baskin Robbins. It is great to appreciate the bounty provided to these soldiers and sailors, airmen and marines all far from home, and amazing to understand the Herculean effort it takes to deliver such a feast. Seeing the joyful smiles of some of our Afghan workers enjoy the dinner (and the sparkling grape juice) was a treat, sharing a smile and a bit of turkey, giving thanks for each others’ work, appreciating the blessings we share as family for each other when we are all so far from our own loved ones.
Arnold Strong, far right, with two Afghan workers on Thanksgiving.

The Thanksgiving feast.

Last week was not only Thanksgiving. It was also my 39th birthday.
I received a hazelnut torte from my wife in the mail. She had also included a mason jar of a home-made chocolate sauce for icing. Miraculously, it made it here in six days. Typically, it takes 10 ten days on the button for a package from Oregon to arrive in Kabul. As a result, it was moist and fresh. I had hoped to share it with some of my colleagues after our weekly meeting at the Ministry of Defense. But that optimistic notion was dealt a dose of reality by an imminent threat warning from our intelligence officer. After learning that a suicide bomb attack along a route often used by coalition troops was likely, our commander banned all non-essential traffic. So we were stuck on base for the day.

“It is all fine until someone gets stuck in the eye,” goes the old saying. Here, it’s a little different. It is all fine until an I.E.D. blows up on the main supply route.

Then we are all reminded that we really are in a war zone.

An Explanation...1st New York Times Entry

2007-01-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

November 19, 2006, 5:26 pm
Waiting for the Thaw
By Arnold Strong

Kabul, Afghanistan – My name is Arnold Strong. I am an Army officer assigned in Afghanistan as the chief of training and operations for the Training Assistance Group that advises the Kabul Military Training Center on Kabul’s easternmost stretch of Jalalabad Road. My responsibilities are split about 60-40 between mentoring my Afghan counterpart and being the operations chief for my coalition headquarters. Brits, Yanks, Canucks, Irishmen, Kiwis, Frenchmen and Romanians, all of us rolled into a collective whole of trainers and mentors to our Afghan brothers. We are men and women from seven countries and all branches of military service tasked with training an army so it can train itself.

A convoy patrol through southwest Kabul, with the Darulaman King’s Palace in the background.

I left my home in Salem, Ore., in March for a three and a half month train up at Camp Shelby, Miss., before arriving here in late June. On Father’s Day this past June, one day before I started my own commencement toward the Hindu Kush, I delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of U.C.L.A.’s Department of English, the largest in the nation. My wife and I had graduated from the program in 1990 and I guess there was something timely to having an Army officer alumnus speak about what you do with an English degree on the day before he deployed to a war zone. It made an impact on me, and I hope on the newly graduated members of “the real world” to see so many faces full of hope. My main theme to them on what to do with an English degree was to “Write. Write. Speak. Read. And write.”

The hardest part of all of this, of course, was leaving my family behind — again. When I broke the news to my two sons, aged 12 and 8, the oldest said, “I hate my life.” Then after a long pause of tears and sobs, he continued, “You already went to the war and you went to the hurricanes and you go away all the time and I don’t want you to leave.” I don’t know if it hurt me to hear his words and see the pain in his eyes so much as it floored me that an 12-year-old could so confidently and articulately express his grief. The youngest cried his way to sleep in my arms that night.

It was different with my wife. She is a mature and self-confident woman and she knows that I have been a soldier since before we first met, but it does not make it any easier to be away from her. She is a constant calm in the darkest hours of this journey, the one voice that brings me peace in this crazy land of improvised explosives and suicide-bomber tendencies borne of hopelessness and despair. I miss her and my boys, but have a mission to do. The more I deploy myself into this role, the faster the time goes by, the sooner I am home with them again.
Back home, I served as an executive at a public company until our unit, the 41st Brigade Combat Team of the Oregon National Guard, was mobilized for this deployment. I resigned from my position with the company before deploying on this mission. Why, you might ask? Well, despite the fact that I had already served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, this mission, this team, this opportunity was hard to turn away from. My team had already served together in the wakes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and trials like that make for tight bonds of trust and confidence in your leadership. And with an opportunity to travel with this same team to the land of the Hindu Kush, to meet the Hazara, Pashtun, and Uzbek peoples, to learn Dari-Farsi and drink chai with the elders, all while training an army that we would not abandon, that yearned for our support and experience, seemed to me to be a rare gem in the constant operational tempo of the modern Army.

It is an interesting time here. Although I have been in country for five months, I have only been in this position for the past five weeks. Immediately prior to serving as the operations officer mentor to KMTC, I served as the task force public affairs officer, or P.A.O. When asked to contribute comments to this blog, I jumped at the opportunity to work the other side of the headlines, to report my own thoughts and assessments. The last events I worked as a P.A.O. were a dismounted patrol escorting Terry Moran of ABC News Nightline and giving a post I.E.D. interview to Al-Jazeera. As I said, it has been an interesting tour so far, and I am not even at the halfway point.

Sunset, Nov. 12

The seasons are starting to turn. There were still remnants of summer until last week, then Thursday and Friday it rained and suddenly the sun was replaced by clouds and cold, wet air, which was refreshingly reminiscent of the weather back home in Oregon. It seems the violence has quieted somewhat as well. We need to enjoy the quiet while we can. After winter’s numbing of the hatred and malicious intent of the enemy, we will likely see a Taliban spring offensive more aggressive than any other, if our estimates are correct.

And they usually are.

And so winter begins

2006-11-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

The rains have hardly stopped in the past several days. It is getting colder every day. The Afghan soldiers huddle with their hands in their pockets and heads tucked into their shirts. It seems that it is going to be a cold winter.

I received a package from my Godmother earlier this week. A loaf of her famous Zuchinni bread, wrapped so tightly in foil and ziplocks that it was still very moist. I shared half of it with my office mates, the rest I brought down to the "Five Story" our word for the Afghan National Army Headqarters of KMTC and shared it with the soldiers and officers of the G-3 staff. They were delighted. It was nice to "break bread" with these men and to realize that we all share in each other's hospitality. Each day, I am served almonds and raisins, pistacchios and other snacks with the ever present Green Chai as we discuss our training plans and objectives.

In the words of my British counterpart, Maj. Tony Lancashire "We must'nt forget the importance of the Chai, Ahnald. It is about the only escape these blokes have from their daily druggery." Ah, Chai.

The snow is clear on the mountain tops surrounding Kabul. It will hopefully bring some peace to the fighting and some time to recover and prepare for the Spring, which we all anticipate will be a very difficult one. For now, a cup of tea to ward off the cold.

-out here

Darulaman, Ruin of Lost Royalty

2006-11-13T05:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, several of the key leaders of the Training Assistance Group made a trip out to Darulaman at the Southwestern corner of Kabul to inspect the Afghan National Army post there and to evaluate it for additional purposes. After a trip through the center of the city, which is never an easy tour, we arrived on the far side of town. It had rained intermittently for two days and the skies had finally broken open with sunlight. The dust and smog of the bowl of Kabul, so much like the environment of Los Angeles in the 1960's, had been tamed for a short while and the air lacked its acrid taste and smell.

Driving along the Kabul River, we are an instant spectacle in this urban ruin. Two M114 Fully UpArmored Hummers, gunners up and loaded for bear, each vehicle over five tons of hardened steel outside and sardine can tight chassis on the inside. With a six and a quarter foot frame encased in its own fifty pounds of body armor, then stuffed into the driver's seat, it makes me look forward to a visit (or six) to my Portland chiropractor, Dr. Kelsall, on my return from this tour. I like to drive, both in general and while on patrol here in Kabul. I trust my skill, but it also gives me a sense of situational awareness with the ability to do something about it if that awareness realizes danger.

After splashing through pond-sized puddle after pond-sized puddle of muddy brown water we came upon it, the Rubbled ruin of the King's Palace. Built in the 1920's in a time of liberalization of attitudes toward the West, it was a target for three decades of civil war and particularly during the 1990's. Nothing but the frame remains in much of the structure, a ghost of its previous splendor. Further up the road, the Queen's palace is not much better, through from her perch atop a hillside, her violation is more clearly witnessed by the passing crowds.

It is beside this shell of "what once was" that one of the brigades of the Afghan 201st Corps makes its headquarters. Like a sentinel at a tomb, the expanding Afghan base develops every day, its views unobstructed from its perch at the foot of the mountains. The American trainers, although based at their own FOB (Forward OPerating Base) have the view at the left, every morning, an ominous reminder of Afghanistan's past grandeur and current plight, a state at war with itself.

At the end of our mission, my deputy, Capt. Dan Miner and I got some practical exercise in conducting "Afghan Intramurals." Seeing a game of Volleyball in progress, we walked over to inspect and were immediately pulled into the game, becoming the permanent servers for the entire game. Dan and I are trying to work with the Religious and Cultural Affairs Officer in developing an extracurricular activities program for the soldiers here at KMTC. From Thursday at noon until early Saturday morning, there is little for these young soldiers to do. Many do what soldiers do, talk, sleep or get into trouble with each other. We are hoping to offer them a few alternatives, from competitive soccer and volleyball to traditional music and dance instruction (The graduation dance is uniquely Afghan), to artistic competitions in painting murals in the common areas. we will see how it turns out, but we are off to a good start. These men want to know that they are our peers, ready to fight when it is time to fight and ready to play when it is time to play. Yesterday was a day to play and, championed by a lanky Hazara with an awesome spike and his set-partner, a teen aged Pashtun, my team won!

As we all said to each other as we high fived each other on the way off the court, "Yak Team, Yak Jang!" One Team, One Fight!

-out here.

ISAF, Rugby and Rain

2006-11-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I joined the game on the field at ISAF. This morning, a team of Royal Marine Commandos and I made the trip to the ISAF HQ to join the other rugby loyalists on the one grassy field in all of Kabul. Although I haven't played for a few months, I got few assists in toward two goals and, in the process pulled a muscle like so many weekend warrior athletes back home. It was a good game and a good sweat.

We toured the Bazaar at the ISAF HQ, the largest I have seen. It is normal to see so many people haggling for bargains on either rugs or trinkets, jewelry or scarfs, wood carvings but very strange to see the debates that come from the bartering of DVDs. The list of pirated movies and TV shows is endless. You can get each and every season of The Sopranos or Lost, Desperate Housewives or CSI, a copy of Superman Returns or X-Men 3, or any other film you can imagine for about $3-5 a pop. Tables and tables of compact disks, ready for the viewing. What do you do in Afghanistan when you have your down time? Watch TV, of course! Seeing an Embassy employee in a dispute with a local Afghan about how 'one of the disks for CSI Season Five didn't work but, no, Season four and three played fine' was almost surreal. Remembering that we are in a war zone where people are armed to the teeth defending those who barter for CDs is sometimes hard.

As we prepared to leave, the first drips of our first real rain began to fall. Then it began in earnest, no meek shower this. It started to pour, rapidly the lack of proper drainage was evident as so much of the city became waterlogged. The roads, always dangerous for reasons that are obvious, now posed a new threat, they were slippery and wet. We stopped on the way back to our base at the British HQ, Camp Souter, named for the lone surivor of a famed battle in the British- Afghan war. He wrapped himself in the Union Jack and covered it in his uniform lest the colors be stolen and crept back across the Khyber Pass back to the safety of Pakistan a century ago. Now as I stood on the base named for his legacy, the downspouts opened and it just poured. Stuffing myself into the backseat of a Toyota Landcruiser with two other fully armored men is comical but necessary.

We returned to a 'busines as usual' environment back at Camp Alamo, Soldiers and Sailors, Airmen and Marines doing laundry and enjoying a lower tempo during a rainy afternoon. What we all would give to come home to a fireplace in our homes, curled up with our loved ones and enjoying a Hot Toddy as the raindrops fell outside.

-out here

Rangers Lead The Way

2006-11-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

In January of 1995, I graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger Course. Returning to earn my Tab after the Infantry Officer's Advanced Course, I graduated as a Captain, having not earned the distinctive left shoulder tab after my first attempt as a young lieutenant years earlier. In finishing the last phase of instruction, in Camp Darby, Florida, "The Swamp" Phase, we were nearing completion. Two young rangers had been recycled into our platoon. They had been enrolled in the course for close to four months, having had either medical or performance shortfalls in earlier phases and were pretty miserable but maintained the "Intestinal Fortitude" to complete the mission. For the uninitiated, in Ranger School, you have no rank, regardless of phase, regardless of status. If you are a "Stud" or student, you are just a roster number or "Ranger."

Well, these two Rangers did not make the peer evaluation of this phase and consequently, the Ranger Instructors or "R.I.s" decided that, since they didn't pass their "Peers," they would be dropped from the course. This hit them hard and dampened the morale of the entire platoon. However, they were both good soldiers that had each earned a "Go" on their patrols and, in the eyes of their fellow students, were deserving of graduation. I was part of a group that organized and drafted statements that we submitted to the R.I.'s of our group on behalf of these two soldiers, arguing that they were good men that had what it takes to be ranked as members of this elite fraternity of men. We basically convinced the chain of command that they were deserving of the Ranger Tab and that they had just had the bad luck to join a platoon that was, by then a well oiled machine that had gone through the mill together.

The Commander of the Ranger Training Brigade spoke to us after hearing of the situation and singled our platoon out for living up to the third paragraph of the Ranger Creed. That paragraph starts with "Never shall I fail my comrades."

Why the story about Ranger School? Well, the commander of the Ranger Training Brigade was then Colonel Galen Jackman, now Major General Jackman, the Chief Legislative Liaison for the United States Army. Maj. Gen. Jackman visited us yesterday to gain a better understanding of how U.S. and Coalition Forces are working with Afghanistan and how the ANA is stepping up to the mantle of leadership in bulding a National Army. After a briefing from Afghan Brig. Gen. Wardak and I on the Afghan and Coalition efforts here at the Kabul Military Training Center, Jackman enthusiastically took the opportunity to reenlist two members of our task force here in a war zone; issuing them their reenlistment oaths from memory. We later toured the base to show him the excellence of the ANA and the expansion of the post.

It was good to meet this Ranger leader again and to know that he was now the offical liaison to the Congress, the House of Representatives of which has just shifted to Democratic control for the first time since 1991. It was also an honor to have had the opportunity to remind him how a short, ten-minute pep talk he had given to a group of twenty hungry, field-hardened Rangers eleven years ago stays with some of us to this day. Having men and women that have walked the line in every leadership capacity from platoon to brigade sized organizations is an important factor in the way the modern United States Armed Forces fields it top executive leadership to key posts. It is a factor that sometimes eludes similarly diverse global organizations in the corporate world. It is so important that those responsibile, in Jackman's case, to brief the highest levels of the Legislative Branch, clearly understand the tactical and operational levels of warfare as well as the National Command Strategy that they must also move within.

It was good to share fraternity with this leader.

Thanks to 1st Sgt. Don Weber for these great pictures.

RLTW! (Rangers Lead The Way!)

-out here

Parliamentarians, Canadians & NATO all in a day

2006-11-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

The days go by quickly when you are immersed within your work. Joseph Campbell's priceless advise to "Follow Your Bliss" is an axiom I have tried to live by for years.

My bliss yesterday was in making sure that as many people as possible had a favorable visit to the Kabul Military Training Center, but the running never stopped as I went, like a vintage Bowie record, from station to station. I started by meeting with my Afghan colonel for the weekly staff meeting, I try to meet him in advance but this morning it was little hectic and I got there right before the meeting commenced. We had our meeting and then I had to trek back to my side of the compund to meet about a dozen retired Canadian Generals that serve as the media's "Talking Heads" or military experts for all the media in the country, sort of like our Barry MacAffrey or David L. Grange, resident ranking military experts that can give an informed opinion to the media. But how these guys managed this boondoggle of a trip, escapes me. From there, we had to get back to the Afghan side of the camp for a confirmation briefing with the senior Afghan officers about several ranking government officials that were coming within the hour. We were being visited by the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Mister Qanooni. He is a very charismatic leader that ran against Karzai in 2004 and is widely perceived by many as a likely candidate for the presidency following Karzai. He was truly an amazing guest, an eloquent and passionate speaker and a hero to many. Having survived a bombing attack by Gulbudyin, he now walks with the assitance of a cane.

Working with my Afghan counterparts, we had organized a pretty detailed schedule for he and about two dozen other parliamentarians to witness. then, Incha Allah, they decided to change the plan...that morning!! Realizing that we had a change and change, although constant, is not something that many senior leaders like to see on something as well coordianted as a visit by senior elected officials, I realized it was my job to brief Lt. Gen. Eikenberry on his arrival.

Eikenberry is pretty much most respected American in this country. He has been here off an on for almost the entire five years that we have been in Afghanistan. I saw him here when I first visited Afghanistan with Maj. Gen. Alex Burgin, the former Adjutant General of Oregon, in 2003. In the words of one of the Afghan Colonels I met with later, "General Eikenberry is the number one friend of Afghanistan. He was with me when we stood up the first Kandak and he is here with us still. He knows that we will succeed. He takes the time to talk with us as we are fellow soldiers and he always remembers who he meets. He is very special to us and he is a good friend to Qanonni and President Karzai. He respects us and we respect him."

We took the entire delegation out to the rifle ranges to witness some of the marksmanship training that they were exectuing. He organized a media engagement there on the range, which according to the theatre public affairs officer, was a major success. We then returned to the main post to join the Afghan private soldiers in their mess hall for the lunch meal. It was a great opportunity to sit with the new soldiers. The meal was actually quite good, consisting of a large serving of rice, mutton and a vegetable stew with an apple and a large piece of Naan (flatbread).

I brought my interpreter with me, Zabih and kept him close throughout the day. We are almost inseparable during the days here. One of the soldiers tried to keep the paring knife that he so admired. After lettting him look at it, I decided to recover it, explaining through Zabih, "You know I had better take that back as I am sure that someone could use that in a bad way in the barracks." The soldier laughed and nodded, shaking my hand and explaining through Zabih that he thought I was right.

We then left the dining facility and returned to the Alamo. Then, almost immediately after all of this, 1SG Weber leaned into my office and explained that we had a team of about a dozen senior leaders from NATO Headquarters in Brussels that were at the KMTC HQ awaiting our arrival for a briefing. It was a surprise but, I introduced myself to the German Colonel Winfried Quandt "Guten Tag, Mein Oberst! Wie Gehts ist Einen? Ich heisse Major Strong von dem Americanische Grupe "Training and Assistance" hier bei KMTC. Ich bin Chef der Operatzionin. Wie Heisen Zie, Bitte?" in German and then said my "Bon Jours" to the French and my "Bon Giorno" to the Italian Colonel before reinforcing my Afghan Colonel's briefing with a hard copy of our briefing to take back to Brussels.

In parting, I traded contact information with the senior delegate to take to Msr. Eric Brintet, an old friend who remains the Controller des Armee' for NATO in Brussels. Eric was a French Armor Captain in Berlin with me and he and his wife, Alix, were friends of ours in Berlin during the early ninties. Margaret and I stayed at their flat in Paris several times.

So that was my Halloween Day in the Central Asian Highlands of Afghanistan!

(Note: Some of this was adapted from a letter to friends back home)

Special thanks to Afghan Army Captain Shapoor for the photos of Minister Azimi and I and Speaker of the House Qanuni.

-out here

Halloween in the Alamo

2006-10-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

In Muslim countries, Friday is the day of rest. It is the "weekend" if you will and while the work never stops for the task force and its members, Friday is typically a lower operational tempo day. For us, the Afghans are not training typically on this day and so our responsibilities are significantly less. It enables us to catch up on administrative work, as well as do laundry, run an extra lap or two or just enjoy a bit of a slower pace.

Recognizing that Friday was that low OPTEMPO day (Operational Tempo, roughly, Friday is "the weekend") and that Halloween would take place during the regular week for us, our Command Sergeant Major, CSM Robert Foesch, approved a Halloween party for the command for Thursday night. Many of the soldiers were carving Pumpkins that many of the interpreters had picked up off post and the designs were amazing. Altogether, I think there were about twenty of them lining the courtyard, gargoyles overwatching the troops. Unfortunately, I returned from a mission at Camp Phoenix just 20 minutes too late to see the costume competition, but on parking our HMMWVs, I was greeted by 1SG Don Weber, the TAG public affairs officer, asking if I had seen the costumes. Well, I walked through our building to where the festivities were taking place and, suffice it to say, seeing British Royal Marine Commandos in drag was an eye opener. The French paratrooper as the wicked witch was a treat and the former Legionnaire Lt. Col. with six foot extended arms and a ghastly face were definately a sign that I had missed a show of rare fare.

With food prepared by each of the coalition members (the plates of cheeses and French Bread disappeared fast) and the camaraderie of men and women from several different countries and military cultures, it was a good way to let down our extremely short hair for a brief reprieve. Three different varieties of "Near Beer," (The Becks and the St. Pauli Girl are a toss up for the best taste), a bonfire in the middle of the courtyard, guitars and fireside songs, as well as a lot of Cuban, Dominican and Honduran Cigars made for a rare treat in a war zone. For a brief period the anxiety seemed to go away, the soldiers became just friends bound together from austerity and hardship.

There is no assignment in this theatre quite like this one. It was a rare and wonderful night. The stars were radiant, the hilltops behind us illuminated in the darkness.

Trick or Treat!

-out here

Strategic Corporals of the New Counterinsurgency

2006-10-24T02:26:00.000-07:00

We had the most extraordinary visitor to the Kabul Military Training Center this morning. Dr. David Kilcullen is an Australian Army Special Forces Lt. Col., who is currently on loan to the U.S. Department of State as its Chief Strategist for Counter-Terrorism. He has written a piece that was published in Military Review this spring entitled "28 Articles." It is reflective of a turning of the tide in terms of shifting policy and the way that modern war is being fought. As he was in theater to meet with our ranking officer, Lt. Gen. Eikenberry, I was afforded the opportunity to bring him out to the KMTC to meet with the officers and non-coms that are leading the institutional training and mentoring of the Afghan National Army. What was initially supposed to be a briefing to a small collection of leaders became a briefing to over seventy leaders from the forces of the U.S., U.K., Canada, France and Romania. Service members from the Navy, Air Force, Marines and Army of these nations, as well as the commander of the KMTC, Afghan Brig. Gen. Wardak, listened to one of the most informative presentations any of us had ever heard.

Kilcullen's experience is hardly that of an academic, although he can lay claim to mastery in that realm as well. As a commando with expertise in leading counter-insurgency campaigns in Indonesia, his knowledge comes from direct experience and involvement with leading Timorese irregular fighters in austere conditions and under dire conditions.

His presentation, based on his "28 Articles" which, in turn draws its title from a similar piece by the famous turn of the century master or guerilla warfare, T.E. Lawrence's "27 Articles," presented so much information, I took 16 pages of notes. Revolving around his 28 priciples that he has identified for fighting and winning counter insurgency campaigns, his presentation had such paradigm shattering statements of the obvious as "Rank is nothing, talent is everything" "Start Easy" and "Remember the Global Audience" but were explained with such infinitesimal detail in terms that every soldier in the room regardless of where they were in terms of rank, experience, military service or nationality, could clearly understand. In the words of our Deputy Commander, British Colonel Paul Farrar, "I have been involved in counter-insurgency since I was a young soldier in Northern Ireland in the late seventies. I have never heard a more practical and thorough presentation on fighting counter-insurgency and don't think I shall ever hear anything that should quite compare to what you have just presented. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank you."

Kilcullen's presentation was just part of our discussion, as it later led to a private discussion of some major shifts in an emerging joint, coalition doctrine for fighting these types of campaigns. It was one of the most intellectually stimulating discussions I have ever had revolving around the concept of modern warfare. Too often those of us that are not in uniform tend to think of warfare exclusively within the frame of it being a series of uncontrollable events that make no sense whether in terms of outcomes or methodology. But Kilcullen's knowledge and mastery of the subject (which according to the very principles of his presentation is a subject that we cannot master) showed all of us that counter-insurgency, while itself is a terrible sequence of eventswithin the scope of war, is something that we ignore at our peril.

Currently the Taliban and other Anti-Government Elements have become masters of recognizing the global stage. As we have known for some time, the center of gravity for the enemy and, indeed partially for ourselves, is the world stage as portrayed by the international media. It is ridiculous to believe that we have a totally unbiased media that are merely reporting pure events without any reflection of opinion or, as many fellow military public affairs officers dangerously refer to as "slant." But the enemy here in Afghanistan and especially in Iraq, are masters of this art that we prove ourselves to remain only novices at. They travel with embedded media teams that sometimes are not only reporters from legitimate media, but merely foot soldiers whose weapon is a Sony video camera rather than a Chinese AK-47.

In a recent article in The Weekly Standard, Michael Yon brilliantly addresses some of these challenges. In his article, this U.S. Special Forces veteran turned embedded photojournalist / milblogger extraordinaire (updated regularly at http://www.michaelyon-online.com), exposes how little our strategic focus emphasizes Kilcullen's "Remember the Global Audience" advice. Linked at: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/844nigml.asp
his article exposes that, as of last week, we have a total of nine embedded reporters in Iraq, only two of whom were from what we call "Traditional U.S. Media". Although, I no longer attend regular public affairs briefings, I know that a similar number of media are deployed across this theatre. It is a sad state of affairs when so many are paying attention and indeed demanding to be informed about what the few are doing on their behalf. With the extraordinary amount of treasure that is being poured into these campaigns, it seems strange to those of us on the ground that more citizens aren't demanding to know more about the state of affairs from the ground be asking their local and national media to provide more coverage of what is happening.

It is comforting to get emails from readers that enjoy the perspective of those of us on the ground, but this is a fight that is going to go on for some time and it is going to take a sustained effort to keep the global audience aware of the great work that the soldiers and citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan are conducting every day. I would encourage you to take the time to demand from your leadership more access to what is happening here on every front. We need to hear of your support and less of the war fatigue that comes from the comfort of a living room.

Thank you Lt. Col. Kilcullen for inspriing all of us that hear your evolving message of hope. We will win with leaders like you to help guide our strategy!

Cheers!

-out here

Angry, Hungry Privates of the ANA

2006-10-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

On returning from this week's routine meeting of the senior leadership of the Ministry of Defense, our convoy reentered the Kabul Military training Center in the afternoon. As this was the last week of Ramazan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and one dedicated to fasting, prayer and charity, most training with the Afghans is concluded by one o' clock in the afternoon, enabling time for devotion and for rest. Devout Muslims are discouraged from excessive physical activity and from allowing anything to pass their lips, whether food or water from Sun rise until sunset.

We entered the compound through a side gate and were met with the streets packed full of almost a thousand Afghan privates under the watchful eyes of their drill sergeants. As I was in the lead vehicle, I told my driver that I was going to exit the vehicle to both ground guide our vehicle forward and to clear the area so that we could pass.

Just as I exited the vehicle, I saw the butt end of an AK-47 above the heads of several soldiers come crashing down. Great timing. I exit the vehicle right as a minor riot began amongst the private soldiers. I jumped into the scene to help get to the bottom of it and to see who was leading the charge. I waded my way through the mass of soldiers gathering around as several soldiers were assailing one private soldier on the ground, hitting him with helmets and the butts of their weapons. I separated several of the men from the young soldier that was on the ground and was glad to see my interpretter right behind me. "You! Stop! Now!" "You! Sit! Now!" Just when I thought that my luck might run out and as the realization that I was solo in a sea of hungry, frustrated, poor, angry, fighting young Afghan men, I looked over my shoulder and my commander, Col. Jim Lyman was right next to me, sorting through the same mess and getting answers in a more calm but confident manner. As I separated the men from the soldier in the mud, Col. Lyman methodically and calmly asked through his interpretter, "What happened here? Who is responsible?" We both emphasized the same point over and over. We would touch the shoulder boards of the NCOs (Sergeants) that were all around us, watching and doing nothing..."You are an NCO. A Sergeant. You are a leader of soldiers. NCOs do not tolerate this type of behavior. You are the leader! You are responsible for the discipline of these soldiers. They do not know better but you do, so lead them!"

They got the point and started to take the lead, forming up the soldiers and getting them back in line. Col. Lyman found out that one of the soldiers had taken a drink of water during the day while out on the range. Never minding that he was sick, that despite the rigors of Ramazan, there are allowances for taking water and rest if you are sick while fasting during Ramazan, several soldiers that had seen him had decided to wait until they had returned to the relative calm of the barracks to take out their vengeance on the young soldier that had broken with the credo of Ramazan. He was pretty bruised up and had a few small gashes on his nose and cheek. Nothing that wouldn't heal given time and some rest. But that, of course, is a luxury that any private soldier in basic training is hardly afforded.

I proceeded to lead our vehicle convoy through the reluctantly orderly crowd. We got back into Camp Alamo and Col. Lyman confided that he had his hand on the grip of his pistol the entire time. I was glad for his back-up and leadership. It was a hairy experience, just outside our doors, or, as the colonel puts it every morning "Just another day in the A."

-out here.

Mentoring

2006-10-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

I am developing a much more grounded and trusting relationship with the Afghan Colonel I advise. He is a good man with much to offer and yet he is paternal and self-effacing in our company. It is strange but jovial. He wants very much to do the right thing for the right reasons, but as a man of limited civilian education, he often defers to my recommendaitons rather than make them his own. It is an interesting position to be in.

We spoke at length about an upcoming possible visit to the Joint Military Readiness Center in Germany of several members of the Afghan staff. As we discussed it, the television in the Colonel's office played an old Tom and Jerry cartoon in the background. The mouse and the cat were wearing Lederhosen and the feathered caps of the Bavarian style.

It was a silent but strange curtain to the reality play that I was involved with: planning an international training event for senior officers to the European continent while sitting in a mid-century piece of Soviet-architecture at the base of the mountains that become the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan, viewing American cartoons about Germany with Dari subtitles.

All of this while remaining focused on the task at hand: mentoring my counterpart in the late morning as it was the last week of Ramazan and training will stop in the afternoon.

Again, Lawrence's counsel pervades... "for it is their country."

-out here.

Ministry of Defense - First Meetings

2006-10-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

Today was another first for my experience of Afghanistan. I drove my new commander, Col. Jim Lyman and two of the senior Afghan officers we mentor to a meeting at the Ministry of Defense or M.O.D. The MOD is an enormous, highly secured campus of administration buildings that houses the leadership of the first national insitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It is a regular meeting that involves the leadership of the Army Staff and representatives from the training institutions in ensuring a system of training management across the theatre. It is an interesting endeavor. While we are there to mentor our staff counterparts, it is not our role to tell them what to do. It is a challenge sometimes not to add a comment to the discussion when you know that something needs correcting, but the preference is to prepare our counterparts for the meeting before the meeting and to get them to do the same.

In a system that has been based on a Soviet model for the past fifty years, it is hard to break out of the mold, but it is working and it is improving each and every day. Our senior commander is Maj. Gen. Robert Durbin and his deputy commander Col. (promotable) Mike Harrison make it their mantra to constantly remind every one of the same philosophy once espoused by T.E. Lawrence, "It is better to let them do it imperfectly than to do it perfectly yourself, for it is their country...and your time is short." Or, in the unsecure version of our mission, "We are here to mentor the Afghan National Army for success, not to facilitate their dependence on others."

It is a long and slow process, but it is an honorable role to share.

-out here.

Day Two: Trainer / Operator

2006-10-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have been regularly blogging. There has been a tremendous change in my professional role here in Afghanistan and it has only become more exhilarating. In the two days since I have been assigned as the Operations and Training Officer for the Training Assistance Group, Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC), I have hardly stopped.

My position is normally assigned to a Lt. Col., which is one grade higher than Maj. and a sign on trust and confidence from my command that I am honored by. The operational tempo here is no less than it was as the public affairs officer, but it moves at a different pace. Our role here is to be the advisors and mentors of the Afghan National Army's training leadership. The primary officer I will advise is Afghan Colonel Hasim. He is the Director of Training and Education, but is currently serving as the Chief of Operations and Training for the KMTC. I will do my best to meet with him daily and have for the first three days that I have been here. Through our interpreter, he explained "It makes me most happy when you and Capt. Miner are here." Miner, the assistant S-3, is a chunk of gold. He is an intelligent and decisive officer with a methodical approach to nearly everything he is involved with. It is very clear that he will be a tremendous asset in learning the needs, capabilities and shortcomings of the ANA.

This morning, we started our day with the graduation of Kandak (or battalion) 55. That is the 55th battalion of soldiers to have graduated basic training from the KMTC. It was an abbreviated ceremony as it is only the second week of Ramazan (Ramadan in Afghanistan) the month of fasting in the Muslim calendar. So they are prohibited from marching, exercise, eating or allowing anything to pass their lips from sun up to sun down. the ceremony had several speeches and the honor students were recognized before all of their peers.

Afterward we wandered around just under a thousand newly minted soldiers from all walks of life in Afghanistan. Some were in thei late thirties, some maybe in their forties, but most were in their late teens and early twenties. My name in Dari is "Jaglan Khaowie" or Major Strong. Most of the Afghans really get me to ham it up when they hear me say my name in Dari. They all start flexing their muscles and wanting me to do the same.

At one point, using my interpreter, I asked him to relay a message to all of them. "I have been in the Army for 21 years. I have seen many thousands of soldiers from many countries in that time. But nothing makes me more proud than to see the looks on your faces knowing that you have completed this training and are preparing to defend your country. You are great soldiers and you should be very proud of yourselves. Tashakur! Tabrik! Tabrik! (Thank you! Congratulations! Congratulations!") Then seeing the eldest of the group, a man easily in his late thirties or forty, I walked up to him and shook his hand and asked my terp to translate for me again, "You are a special soldier because it takes a lot to be the older more experienced man in a company of younger men. You must set the example for these young soldiers because they will relay on your experience and maturity to understand the challenges they will face." As the interpreter translated all that I said, the man continued to hold my hand, staring right into my eyes. The grey lined corners of his jet black beard lifted with his smile as he thanked me for my comments. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to him saying "Tashakur." It made me feel like those few minutes had made a difference to him and to the young soldiers surrounding him. It also seemed to elevate his status amongst them, recognizing anew that he was indeed the most experienced in life in Afghanistan.

From there we met with a group of MPRI contractors to discuss some of the details of building doctrinal publications for the Afghans. A group of three retired military officers and NCOs, assisted by three valuable interpreters that seemed to be doctoral level linguists, they were all very capable at the jobs they were doing in advising the Afghan commanders and their staffs. They are some of the unsung heroes in this conflict. It seems so easy to criticize the efforts of contractors when viewed through a lens of revolving door politically connected white collar suits in Washington that rotate from government to high level corporate positions in the money pool that flows into Iraq and Afghanistan. But it is different at the tactical level, where these men and women are continuing to serve the needs of their own country while assisting another with the skills sets that they have built over decades of experience in similarly challenging environments.
We then met with COL Hashim again and discussed some of the meeting notes and some recommendations about how best to get the newly graduated soldiers forward to their gaining units. We always have to remember that this is an operational environment and that these troops, for the most part, are going to be through into the fight within weeks from today. It is a thought that rarely leaves the minds of these trainers, mentors, advisors and the Afghans responsible for them.

The day continued with an office call with our commander, COL Jim Lyman, also of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which led to our departure for Camp Phoenix. Forming a two vehicle convoy, we loaded into our up-armored HMMWV, the M114. It is an impressive machine and one that has proven its worth again and again over the past three years it has been in the field. We loaded our weapons and did our functions checks of all the equipment, our radios and then I squeezed my six foot four frame into its compressing driver's seat, strapped on the helmet radio and we hit the road.

It is hard to explain to folks back home just how different this type of driving is from jumping into a contoured leather seat in an SUV or Sports car, Hybrid or luxury ride. It just is not comfortable at all. You are always looking for the threat, always talking to the two or three other people in the rig and always wearing no less than sixty lbs of gear on your body that covers every inch of skinn but your nose and mouth. Gloves, neck guard, helmet, body armor, uniform, boots, personal side arm and rifle, all on your body or within minimum reach while driving to a meeting less than six miles away.

We had our meeting, met with several staff officers. I went and got a haircut while there. The Khyrgistani women that work at the barber shop asked me what my wife looked like. I whipped out my pocket folder of photos that is always on my person in my cargo pocket and gave them the booklet, as one of them kept cutting my hair, the other asked to look at all the pictures. With images of my wife, Margaret, and I in Berlin and Prague, Monterrey and Paris, and shots of my boys in the lush greeen or snowy hills of Portland and Bandon, one of them asked "Your wife, she is photo-model?" "No," I explained "but she is my favorite model." "You are I think...very lucky man." I said that she was right and paid for the cut, left a tip and joined my crew at the rigs. We again loaded on our gear and hit the road, taking extra caution as we were moving at night. In the darkness, men of ill-intentions lurk in this country. And finding them is a challenge. We made it back in good time and called it a day.

They are long days here when you are deployed away from home. But they are wonderfully full with short moments of greatness that make it all worth while.

As I conclude the day, I am reminded of the words of the woman that cut my hair tonight...a lucky man indeed.

-out here.

New Assignment

2006-09-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

It has been several weeks since I have posted any new content. There has been a lot of change in our organization and this has led to a new opportunity for me to serve in a new and challenging role. I have been assigned as the chief operations officer for the Kabul Military Training Center.

This role is a major move and represents an opportunity to earn the trust of a new command in a role that will return me to my roots as an infantryman. I will be working for Colonel Jim Lyman, who serves as the U.S. Commander and Senior Mentor to the Afghan National Army's primary doctrinal training center. Located just a few miles from my current assignment, I will continue to serve in Kabul and be in close proximity to the command here.

It represents a new beginning in a new command. I am thankful for the oportunity to serve in this new role and look forward to the change. It will enable me to diversify my experience and grow back toward the management of current and future operations. It is very exciting. I assume the role within two days.

For now, I must pack up my gear and relocate to new quarters in a new location, closer to the role we are all here for, training the Afghans.

This is going to be great.

-out here

Five Years Ago, One Year Ago, Today

2006-09-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

Today is September 11th, 2006. We have just emerged from a 48 hour internet and telephonic "Blackout." Two days ago, we lost two NCOs from CJTF Phoenix. As it has been 24 hours since the notifications, the prohibitions on identifying the fallen have lifted. I cannot speak to the legacy of Staff Sgt. Fuga of the Missouri Army National Guard, as I did not know him, but I can deduce a little from his commitment to service. A member of CJTF Phoenix since Phoenix III, he had recently extended to stay for a full second year tour.

Of Staff Sgt. Nathan Lindsey, I can tell you that I knew him for the four years I have served in the Oregon Army National Guard. A committed soldier, a veteran of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Southern Relief (Katrina), he was always a smiling face and a firm handshake, a cup of coffee not far from his hands at any moment that he was always willing to share. Nathan was a good man that touched all of us. His loss is a loss all of us feel. We offer our prayers toward his family back home. His wife, a Guard supporter and mother and wife of veterans of Iraq, is on all of our minds.

We honor you, non-commissioned officers, leaders of men, who died as they lived...in uniform leading soldiers in harm's way.

-out here

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL I WROTE FOR THE STATESMAN JOURNAL (Salem, Oregon):

Five years ago today America was attacked. While we all remember what happened that morning, where we were, how we responded, there is one thing I remember with equal clarity. I remember the sound of F-15 Fighter jets flying over Portland and the Willamette Valley. That was the sound of the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, the first fighter wing in the United States to be 100% operational, fully armed, and protecting the skies of America from any potential threat.

One year ago today, I was in a boat floating through a lake that had been a residential street only two weeks before. I realized the date when an emergency crew, also in a boat, cleared a home and marked it with a big red spray-painted “X” with number next to it “9-11.” Oregon’s 41st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) was amongst the first responders to the disastrous consequences of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, an entire brigade mustered, manifested and deployed into operational missions on the opposite side of the nation within 72 hours of their alert, on the Friday morning of Labor Day weekend, no less. In less than a month, we had conducted hundreds of rescues, evacuations, civil relief missions, security patrols and humanitarian assistance missions, a fortuitous preparatory for the future that would await us within months.

Today, I am again deployed as part of a great team led by the 41st BCT of the Oregon National Guard on September 11th. Re-designated Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, we are the fifth team to serve as the primary trainers and mentors of the Afghan National Army. In five years, this force has built an impressive track record thanks to the contributions of thousands of men and women from a dozen nations and the will power and support of the national leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Since the fall of the Taliban regime, the Afghan National Army has emerged as the first fully deployed institution of the country. Like its namesake, the mission of Task Force Phoenix is to raise a force of strength from the ashes of over three decades of civil war.

For the first time, CJTF Phoenix is a fully joint and combined enterprise with service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps; men and women from both the Active and Reserve components. Under the leadership of fellow Salem resident Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Pritt and the headquarters of the 41st BCT of the Oregon National Guard, the task force includes thousands of members from 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the Territories of Guam and Puerto Rico as well as soldiers from partner nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mongolia, The Netherlands, Norway, The United Kingdom, Slovenia, and Spain. Each of these service members is fulfilling combat, logistical and administrative roles in addition to the task force main effort, the Embedded Training Teams or ETTs. In support of the diversity of this effort, we have temporarily changed our official motto from “Jungleers, Warriors, Oregonians” to “Jungleers, Warriors, Patriots.” Our team is spread across the nation of Afghanistan, often in remote and austere locations in rural areas where the trainers eat, sleep, train, fight and live alongside their Afghan counterparts. Truly, “Patriots” is a much more accurate title for these brave Soldiers.

While mentoring the Afghan National Security Forces is the primary mission of Phoenix, the task force is equally involved in the parallel objectives of facilitating development and mentoring stable local governance in the institutions that it touches daily. Whether building schools, helping to open community centers, or distributing much needed medical care, the warriors of CJTF Phoenix continue to set the standard in helping to renew a stable Afghanistan; a Phoenix, rising from the ashes.

We often rely on donations from organizations and individuals back in the states in order to facilitate this transformation from ash to renewal. To date, we have distributed backpacks full of school supplies, quilted pillows, food stuffs, socks and shoes to needy children, all donations from citizens and organizations back home. All of your contributions are already making a difference to that most impressionable and important audience of reform here in Afghanistan, the children. Every week, we are helping to build and open schools from the elementary through high school levels. But winter is fast approaching and we are hoping to help these children prepare for a cold winter. We need your help to do our work effectively.

The men and women that make up this task force are no different from you or your peers. They are simply motivated to serve their fellow citizens, whether within our borders or across the globe. We are so thankful for your thoughts, prayers and support during this time away from the beautiful Northwest. It is our honor and our privilege to serve. On this Patriot’s Day, we only ask that you will remember those that have fallen and those who serve, whether five years ago, one year ago, and today.

-Major Arnold V. Strong, a Salem resident, is deployed with the Oregon Army National Guard’s 41st Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan as part of its year long mission to train the Afghan National Army. The former spokesman for the Oregon National Guard, Strong served as Special Assistant to the President of TRM Corp. until being mobilized. He maintains a blog about the CJTF Phoenix mission at http://majorstrong.blogspot.com. He can be reached at arnold.strong@gmail.com.

ABC Nightline and Suicide Bombers at Massoud Circle

2006-09-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

No member of our task force was hurt.

That said, we lost two of our fellow servicemembers here in Kabul this morning. Right after we had concluded a two hour patrol in suburban Kabul in a part of town we call "Little Mogadishu" while escorting Terry Moran, Anchor of ABC Nightline, we returned to Task force Phoenix. After about an hour's time with our commanding general, BG Doug Pritt, we got the news. A vehicle borne-suicide bomber had driven into a US HMMWV, killing two soldiers and up to 18 Afghan citizens at a major traffic circle.

What a loss. As we approach the fifth year anniversary of 9-11, we are all more conscious of the threat, with any number of whackos wanting to turn the Koran inside out and find a Divine justification for their pathetic ambitions, pawns in the strategic chessboard of devils who want to keep the people uneducated, poor and oppressed in order to maintain control of this segment of Earth's Mortal Coil.

I have done my best to keep as much opinioning out of my comments, but there is so much good going on in this country and then something like this happens and everyone will claim how the Taliban are more and more in control, when if all it took to assume control was to deploy hopeless illiterate twenty-thirty something men to their deaths because they haev no hope of achieving anything were what it takes to assume control, this country owuld have fallen long ago and the progress we witness daily would be yet anoter pipe dream.

Our patrol wa a perfect example of the positive change we see daily. the weather was warm compared to the past few weeks as it has been cooling significantly. We were moving with Alpha Company, of the Security Forces battalion. Alpha is made up predominantly of soldiers from the southern Oregon units of 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry. Commanded by Capt. Garry Repp, a second tour veteran of Afghansitan, and 1st Sgt. Santoyo, the men are hardened and used to the streets of this city by now.

We took a short dismounted patrol down our main avenue then broke into "Lil' Mog" and while we witness some suspicious behavior and the occassional sideward glance, for the most part it was children and elders, placing their hands over their breast and greeting us "Salaam Aleikum" About two thirds of the way through our hike we stopped and met with about a dozen men, truck drivers that openly discussed with us the situation they witnessed daily. With the help of our interpretter, we learned that they were truck drivers that had much of thier livlihoods limited by the untrafficablilty of the 'Ring Road' the main highway through most of Afghanistan.

But, in speaking with Terry Moran and the patrol leader, Staff Sgt. Blake Moser, they also expressed theiri belief that the government of Afghanistan is doing the right job and the best it can under the terrible situation facing it. They said that they belive that education for women is a good thing, one of them stating that he wants both of his girls (both apparently under the age of eight) to attend college and escape the poverty they lived in. After that, we brought the "Doc" medic forward and he offered a letter to the father so that his daughter could get treatment for an affilication at our medical center on Camp Phoenix.

It was a good day and Staff Sgt. Moser did one phenomenal job, both in controlling his patrol and keeping their focus on the right objectives and in speaking through the work they were doing to the anchor of one of the most important news media in the United States. Nightline, as I told the soldiers by way of introduction is viewed worldwide, but most significatnly to them, is one of the most watched news programs in the Capital of the United States, Washington, D.C.

It was a very successful patrol and made a lasting impact on the crew and journalist from Nightline. After we returned to Camp Phoenix, we spoke with BG Pritt for a bit, both informally, then while he was on the record as well. Almost immediatley after we finished the interview, as I was walking them to the gate, we got the word about the explosion.

It was aa terrible way to change the focus of our story from progress to ruin, the ultimatel objective of the Taliban and Al Queda, or any terrorist government: keep the people focused on fear and death, loss and hopelessness and you can control them any way you choose.

I choose to focus on the good. today we made a difference. We improved the health of a small girl and built trust with Afghan families that are living in poverty. Today the brave soldiers of Alpha Company, 141 Logistics Task Force recovered the vehicle that had been hit.

Today we made a difference and that is a good way to close the day.

-out here.

Rain and Hail

2006-09-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it is starting to cool off here. In the past week, it has rained three times. Yesterday morning thre were thumb nail sized chips of ice falling from the sky...Hail. Hard to belive until one flies down your shirt. It rarely lasts here, but it came down in sheets this afternoon. A strong wind blew through for about an hour, sending the camp into a dust storm, the black clouds on the horizon blowing in from the North, chasing away the white Cumulous pillows of the South and replacing them with a dark washing of heavily laden combination Black Cumulonimbus and Grey Stratus. Then it hit. First the pitter patter of tiny pinpricks on the tin roofs of our buildings. Then a steady state of the sound of rain, then a torrent as the water let go flushing away the dirt of months of summer heat. It was refreshing to feel the cool air and the clean sweet smell of the plants, revealed from layers of dust and dirt.

It is clean here at Camp Phoenix. The half moon is bright, occassionally hidden behind a layer of the receding water vapor, disguised in cumulous shapes on the horizon.

The weather is getting slowly cooler. More and more jackets are emerging from the duffle bags and the smokers are going out into the smoker's areas less frequently. Soldiers are preparing for an early autumn, even as the leaves are beginning to turn back home in Oregon. The planet seems to shrink, the miles disappear in the realization that we are truly not so far from each other. "Home Is Where the Heart Is" just as the song lyrics of The Chameleons tells us. The heart here is warmed by the light shining on us from above, a half moon reflecting down on newly washed Kabul. It really is a beautiful place.

-out here

From A to Z: Antrim and Zalmai

2006-09-03T03:43:00.000-07:00

In the past several weeks, I have been blessed with developing a relationship with two world class photographers, a beautiful American woman named Antrim Caskey (http://www.antrimcaskey.com), and a Swiss citizen of Afghan heritage, Zalmai (http://www.zalmai.com). The two of them are a rare find here amidst the ravages of war. They met here in Kabul about seven months ago at the opening of a Shakespeare in the Park performance of Love's Labour's Lost...(Yes, I am talking about here in Kabul. Imagine that in a war zone and you may begin to question reckless doom and gloom editorial's like last week's NY Times piece "Losing Afghanistan") But they met here about seven months ago and have been working together ever since. Antrim, ("You know, like Tantrum but without the T" - in her own words) has documented Afghanistan previously, but most recently has been focused on her adorted home of New York City. Her recent focus is on the role of women in Afghanistan. We are trying to facilitate getting her access to the women of the Afghan National Army, alongside 2LT Straub to collaboratively portray some of the roles women are performing daily in this emerging state.

Zalmai is an artist that needs little introduction. We met him the other week at the event downtown in Kabul. His work has been featured in Time, Newsweek, Human Rights Watch and as a gallery showing at the United Nations. His focus is on the plight of refugees, especially in his homeland of Afghanistan. His newest project is focused on the work being done by the Afghan National Army. Some of that at the facilitation of the ISAF (NATO) forces here, but increasginly on their own.

From A to Z, I hope that we can facilitate the access of artists to the work that is rebuilding this country. Step by step, things are improving and for native sons like Zalmai, it is an extraordinary change. It is essential that the world not abandon this nation in its time of need. So much good is happening here and it is so nice to witness.

It is nice to be in a position to develop relationships with artists and journalists as well as service members. It is an honor to befriend the talented vision of such creative minds from A to Z.

-out here

Climbing the Gar

2006-08-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, we heaed out before dawn, a 0415 link up for a 0500 Convoy Operation. We were about twenty soldiers and civilians heading out on our quest to climb the "Gar" literally "Mountain" in Dari. It is a peak that overlooks all of Kabul, located behind one of the ranges at Kabul Military Training Center. Now, Kabul is alrready high at about 6,000 feet above Sea Level. This peak climbs to about 7,450 at its zenith...the altitude is a Gut Check.

We made it with all of our travellers in one hour twenty minutes. The runners that met us at the top took it in 22 minutes flat. There were a wide variety of members of our team that made the climb. Most of the troops were from the Logistical Task Force, formerly known as 141st Support Battalion of the Oregon Army National Guard. Men and women, young and middle aged, we made the climb together and navigated the knife edge of the peaks...the photos tell the story best. But it made for a great way to start a day...the official weekend of the force.

-out here.

Un adieu aux soldats français d'armée

2006-08-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we said farewell to our team of French officers and non commissioned officers as they will soon depart the theatre to return home to France. The most prominent of them all, was, of course, Capitain Stephane L'Expert, the task force liaison officer. Stephane has made great friendships in a very short time and made a very formal ceremony of saying good bye to all of those that had touched his task force.

In saying farewell, the commander issued certificates of friendship with those being honored. Many of us also received an honorary gift to remember our time with them. Our Marine Corps Liaison Officer, Captain Sean Forrester, and my deputy Lieutenant Cathrin Fraker had made the torturous climb up "The Gar" with the French weeks ago. As such, they were made honorary members of the French Mountain Regiment, famous for their huge Berets.

I received one of two berets of the French Infantry, which I wore proudly through the night. It was nice to expand our relationships here and to have the acknowledgement that we would see each other again. the french replacement company will arrive soon, but it seems that there will be a gap in the succession.

Finally, as the French First Sergeant was an Artilleryman with a strong appreciation for fellow Redlegs, they induced several of the soldiers fromt he 218th Field Artillery "Portland's Own" into the 40th (French) Artillery Regiment. Led by Major Robert Fraser and Staff Sergeant Don Olson, they were recognized with certificates as well as the traditional garrison caps worn by French Artillerymen.

The French contribution to the Phoenix mission here is academic as well as tactical, much like the American mission. They run the officer's training programs, at both the company grade (Captain's Course) and the field Grade (Staff College). It makes for an interesting variety amongst the trainers at Kabul Military Training Center.

It was a great night and a good reminder of the partnerships we are building across nations. it really is good to see other nations in the fight, working together for a better future of Afghanistan.

Merci et la bonne nuit mes amis,

-out here.

The Best Night to Date

2006-08-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

I had the most amazing evening of my tour last night. An independent film maker has been filming at the Kabul Military Training Center for the past six weeks, living amongst the Afghan soldiers and shooting video without many restrictions thanks to the access that we have provided him. The young man, Weise Azimi, who is Afghan by heritage but American by birth, has travelled much of the globe thanks to his father's career with the Asian Development Bank and his own zeitgeist for travel. As a thank you for the cooperative relationship we have established, he invited several of us that he has worked with most closely to attend an event at his father's home in downtown Kabul. All we knew was that it would be diner with a likely visit from the U.S. Ambassador. On arrival, Colonel Jim Lyman, 1st Sergeant Don Weber, 2nd Lieutenant Amanda Straub and I, entered behind the walls of the safe house to a beautifully landscaped lawn, decorated with rugs and pillows, a patio filled with world citizens and an atmosphere at once informal and stately in this safe house in a side of Kabul that we have not seen to date. We removed our very heavy gear, to include helmets, body armor, weapons, and, in Amanda and I's case, cameras, in the vain hope that it would help us to assimilate with the audience of State representatives, Ambassadors, Artists and NGO leaders. Immediately , Weise introduced us to his stunning younger sister, Sara, a new graduate of Marylhurst College in Northern Virginia, and the obvious center of the party, as she was soon departing from her summer stay in Kabul to "Trek the Himalayas, visit Thailand and Vietnam before starting my graduate studies at the University of Manchester, my first visit to the United Kingdom." Indeed. Ah, to be 22 and embarking on a world tour.

After a brief tour of the house, seeing the artifacts of a lifetime of travel and collecting, Weise introduced us to his father, our host, Ali Azimi. While I was speaking to Ali, learning more of his career and life, Weise took over the DJ function and shifted the music to Thievery Corporation's collection from the Verve Archives...I was in heaven and in my element.

All I needed was a suit, a martini, and Margaret at my side, and I could have been at any party of a hundred over the past decade in Berlin, Paris, Cairo, Istanbul or Portland. Suffice it to say, it was a Jet Set night to remember.

I surveyed an audience that included the Ambassadors from the United States and India, the directors of several NGOs, the only female General Officer in the Afghan National Army, two professsional photographers that I now plan to work with later this month and into the winter, and several others, a diverse crowd from all ranks.

Of course, with the Ambassadorial presence, there were State Department Security Agents wandering the grounds in the dark of the shadows with MP5s and who knows what other weapons, as well as a big-ass German Shepherd that wandered the garden, loving everyone but those outside the gate.

Once I got into my groove and had befriended the kitchen staff and spoken with several of the guests, many of them started to realize that the guys in uniform were not so strange, we had a wonderful time. The most rewarding conversations I had that evening were those held over a Ginger Ale with our host and the Ambassador from India. We seemed to fall into a smooth groove of concurrence over the tremendous improvement of Afghanistan and Kabul in general over the past four years and ow little the international community seems to notice. With news reports from major American and Western media often coming from editors who have either never visited the city or jump in for a 48 hour wild cruise, during which time it is so very hard to find out the truths of any location. We discussed how vitally important the next three to four months are for Afghanistan, with the U.S. mid-term elections happening in the fall and so much being held in the balance over our commitment to Afghanistan and this region. So much of world opinion is based, in the words of one of us "on information that is clearly erroneous, but which falls upon ears looking for problems and shortcomings rather than success."

From there, Straub and I moved to the rugs in the yard with two photographers to discuss a project that Zalmai, a world-renowned photographer that knew two of the photographers I had already worked with here, planned to commence at the earliest opportunity. We exchanged contact information and plan rto meet up again later this week.

Incredible Afghan food, engaging and intelligent conversation, charming international guests which painted, like I said, a Jet Set ambassadorial class of world citizens concerned for the future flowering of this country made for a memorable evening.

An insanely cool party with way too many relationships established or reinforced. And all this in a war zone; the parallel unverses of this city and country are sometimes, really, too much.

We started the ritual of replacing our gear, and prepared to, in the words of one of the guests, "Make yourselves back up to look like modern knights in armor," and commenced our journey home, from the Westernized comfort of the city through the desolate streets Eastward through the slums of the East side to the suburbs where we make our home. Changing back from statesman into soldier modes, made the evening seem like an illusion; but an illusion of a better, future Afghanistan laced with hopes that I might someday return to this place with my family, my sons playing with Afghan teens and wandering the shops, drinking tea and remembering that their father was part of a team that helped the people of Afghanistan get to where they are.

That will be nice.

-out here

The First Afghan National Army Combined Arms Live Fire

2006-08-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

So after three very deliberate full dress live fire rehearsals, they did it. The 3rd Brigade of the 201st Corps of the Afgahn National Army executed the first ever brigade level combined arms live fire exercise. the 3rd Brigade just left four months of non-stop combat operations in the Konar province only last month (see An Unprecedented Day) and entering the training cycle, became the first unit of its sixe to conduct a coordinated live fire of this magnitude.

They started with Artillery. The D-30 Howitzers unleashing the hell fire of indirect from five kilmoters away.
This was followed by the progression of a squadron of T-62 Tanks moving their way with the belching smoke of their grinding engines on an even assembly line of order. slowly, they moved across the battlefield while the mounted infantry moved along the nearest flank. Once they got within their proper range, the mortarmen dismounted and set up their positions, continuing the indirect assault on the enemy bunkers downrange. As the tanks continued their movement forward an enormous explosion went off within 100m of the dismounts...two of the mortarmen fell. But our breathlessness was shortlived as we realized that this was all part of the training exercise. Suddenly the M113 Mechanized Ambulance arrived on the scene, evacuated the wounded to the immediate front of the display seating, where the trainers had located the mobile surgical hospital. Once they performed their training triage on the "wounded" the doctors determined that the wounds were too significant to deal with on scene. The Aerial medivac arrived within minutes. HIPP helicopters, one air ambulance and a second for security of the skies, met the M113 ambulance on the ground and took the wounded to safety. meanwhile the attack continued to move forward on the training field. The tanks were eventually reinforced with a pair of that most ominous and threatening looking helicopter of the past thirty years, the HIND-D. As it arrived on the field it surprised even those of us that had expected its arrival.

During the entire exercise, my fellow public affairs officers and I managed what turned out to be a monumental platoon of media from 17 different outlets, twelve of which were Afghan mediabased mostly out of Kabul, but reaching the entire nation. But others were the internationals from Agence France Presse, AP, Reuters, even Xinhua from China. It was unprecendented. Finally, I finished my time escorting the Boston Globe with an interview between Charlie Sennott of the Globe and Lt. Gen. Eikenberry, the Commander of Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan. He is an extraordinary man, who put it all into perspective.

"Five years into this long war, we are winning. but this war is not yet won. five years from now, there will still be challenges, but it will be better."

To witness this level of professionalism on a training battlefield is unprecendented in this theater, but to see it executed by Afghans exclusively gives great hope for a better tomorrow.

The photos on this page were taken by my entire team. The first is mine, but the shot of the HIND and the litter evac are from LT Amanda Straub, our newest team mate and an emerging shooter of some serious talent. the shot of the Press Conference after the exercise was taken by my deputy LT Cathrin Fraker. It is one of the best summaries of what the exercise was, by, of, and for the people of Afghanistan. Cathrin has the eye already. Between these two and Sergeant First Class Tom Roberts, I am spoiled with talent.

-out here

Rugby in Europe

2006-08-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

So we got to spend the day of rest in Europe...at least that is how it felt. Friday is the end of week break here for both the Afghans and the coalition. So we went to ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) that is the European Command that is part of NATO. They have led the effort here for some time and it was nice to be over at ISAF...

There are trees, bushes and a huge soccer field of real grass. That was great. We played "touch" Rugby for about two hours.
What a smoker. The photos will show that we were actually playing on grass. That, in and of itself, made for a great morning. Other than that, I learned that the goal is to stay behind the bal, not to get in front of it...Wow is this sport different from Football.

During our breaks we shared a taste of home with some of our fellow players from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, South Africa and Fiji. We had eight boxes of "Kettle Chips" sent to us from the Marine Corps League fo Salem, Oregon. They were a huge hit. "Crisps! Real Crisps!" shouted one of the Brits. They went over very well. Rob Fraser, the only real rugby star amongst us, led the effort by asking for sponsorship from home and "BINGO!" here come boxes of Kettle Chips and Tillamook Beef Jerky. A real taste of home from Oregon, shared with citizens of the world.

After that, we ate in Europe. Again, that is at least what it felt like. We ate real bread with British Fried Cod and Chips with real Vinegar. It was great.

We then went to have our cafe (again...it was real cappucinos served in real china tea cups) in the park, a rest area filled with trees and tables and chairs, a nice little park like setting for just that...reading the paper and drinking your tea or coffee after lunch.

There had been some little bunnies running around there I guess, but the stray cats have gotten to them, I guess. It was nice to have a day in Europe amidst the high desert of Afghanistan.

We followed our brief repasse with a meeting with ISAF Battle Group leaders focused on getting humanitarian assistance to a village close to Kabul. Met a team of Finnish civil military experts and a regional representative of the United Nations, also a Finn.

Like I said, it was nice to go to Europe for a day.

-out here

An Unprecedented Day

2006-08-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

We started the morning early. I have gotten into the rhythm of meeting two fellow staff officers at a little after 0500 in the relatively well-appointed gym here at Camp Phoenix. Both of them were away from the area this morning, but I still managed a good work out. I finished with just enough time to run back to my room, shower, change and run to get my gear on. I powered down some breakfast and jumped into my vest and helmet and meet the Commanding General at his vehicle.

We were off to the Kabul Military Training Center, just a short drive from our compound up the precariously sort-of paved Jalalabad Road. We were going to witness the “Oathing Ceremony” of the 53rd Afghan National Army battalion to graduate from basic training. Known as Kandak 53, this group of approximately 700 new soldiers had just finished a 12 mile road march the night before. They had had the night to rest and ceremoniously wash themselves of the unclean before the ceremony this morning. It is an important element of this event to have the ceremonious cleaning, for these young soldiers were about to swear an oath of allegiance to the Nation of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Army.

The oath reads in part “I am a brave son of this land, loyal to my country. I swear I will obey all the rules and regulations of my Army and will obey all ranking officers in any kind of condition. I will give first priority to my National interest before all other interests. For this honor, I will sacrifice my life if necessary.”

Each of the men marched up, platoon by platoon to stand before one of approximately 75 copies of the Koran laid out on long tables adorned with weapons of the Afghan National Army. Thesoldiers then stood forward on order and placed their right hand over the Koran, which was in turn beneath a rifle or other military weapon. The soldiers took their oaths with pride and honor.

From there we went to witness another event, the graduation of the first ever company commander’s course, a four-month block of instruction that trained the tactical level officers of the ANA in leadership, tactics, techniques and procedures of how to lead a company of men in combat. When Maj. Gen. Durbin, the Commander of Combined Security Transition Assistance Command, Afghanistan, spoke to the assembled officers, he deviated from his prepared comments, looking at each of the 57 officers before him in the eye, inspired by their courage and the great honor that lay before them.

“It is you that is responsible for the soldiers that you will lead,” he said. “You who is responsible for completing any mission that your company is assigned and you who must rise to every occasion to always do the right thing, regardless of how difficult,” he continued. “It is you that, in recognizing the errors of your soldiers, who must reflect ‘Have I improperly inspired them and how can I properly inspire them to do better?”

Simultaneously, we had another first here in Afghanistan. Today Sgt. 1st Class Jack Martin, NCOIC of our logistics team, re-enlisted for a final term in his Army career. That is special in and of itself, but what makes it extraordinary is that he arranged to re-enlist beside the Afghan National Army soldiers that he trained and served alongside two years ago as an embedded trainer when he was here the first time.

Seventeen soldiers from the ANA, did something that has never happened formally in Afghanistan before, they raised their right hands and re-enlisted into the Army. Repeating the vows they had taken when they first enlisted. They did this because of the pride they feel in being a part of the solution, in being part of the winning team. They did this, I would argue, in part because of the inspiring example shown by men like Jack Martin, men that would have it no other way, but along side his combat colleagues, regardless of whether those comrades were American or Afghan. It is an inspiring example of why we are here and why it is right to be here.

Finally, I want to share something that will take you away from the experience of the soldiers of Task Force Phoenix.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke in my native Los Angeles. He spoke to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. I don’t know, that is probably a big bigger than speaking to the graduating class of UCLA’s English Department (Ha!)

But, having read it several times now, I have to say it is one of the most powerful speeches I have read that was delivered in my lifetime. Likely because it is based on events that I am not only witnessing, but actively participating in.

The British soldiers fighting in the South and West of Afghanistan lost five soldiers yesterday. It is a heavy cost, but not one unnoticed. Read on. I hope you will be as inspired as I was through the course of these words.

-out here

Speech by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, August 1, 2006

Overnight, the news came through that as well as continuing conflict in the Lebanon, Britain’s armed forces suffered losses in Iraq and Afghanistan. It brings home yet again the extraordinary courage and commitment of our armed forces who risk their lives and in some cases tragically lose them, defending our country’s security and that of the wider world. These are people of whom we should be very proud.
I know the US has suffered heavy losses too in Iraq and in Afghanistan. We should never forget how much we owe these people, how great their bravery, and their sacrifice.

I planned the basis of this speech several weeks ago. The crisis in the Lebanon has not changed its thesis. It has brought it into sharp relief.

The purpose of the provocation that began the conflict was clear. It was to create chaos, division and bloodshed, to provoke retaliation by Israel that would lead to Arab and Muslim opinion being inflamed, not against those who started the aggression but against those who responded to it.

It is still possible even now to come out of this crisis with a better long-term prospect for the cause of moderation in the Middle East succeeding. But it would be absurd not to face up to the immediate damage to that cause which has been done.
We will continue to do all we can to halt the hostilities. But once that has happened, we must commit ourselves to a complete renaissance of our strategy to defeat those that threaten us. There is an arc of extremism now stretching across the Middle East and touching, with increasing definition, countries far outside that region. To defeat it will need an alliance of moderation, that paints a different future in which Muslim, Jew and Christian; Arab and Western; wealthy and developing nations can make progress in peace and harmony with each other. My argument to you today is this: we will not win the battle against this global extremism unless we win it at the level of values as much as force, unless we show we are even-handed, fair and just in our application of those values to the world.

The point is this. This is war, but of a completely unconventional kind.
9/11 in the US, 7/7 in the UK, 11/3 in Madrid, the countless terrorist attacks in countries as disparate as Indonesia or Algeria, what is now happening in Afghanistan and in Indonesia, the continuing conflict in Lebanon and Palestine, it is all part of the same thing. What are the values that govern the future of the world? Are they those of tolerance, freedom, respect for difference and diversity or those of reaction, division and hatred? My point is that this war can’t be won in a conventional way. It can only be won by showing that our values are stronger, better and more just, more fair than the alternative. Doing this, however, requires us to change dramatically the focus of our policy.

Unless we re-appraise our strategy, unless we revitalize the broader global agenda on poverty, climate change, trade, and in respect of the Middle East, bend every sinew of our will to making peace between Israel and Palestine, we will not win. And this is a battle we must win.

What is happening today out in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and beyond is an elemental struggle about the values that will shape our future.
It is in part a struggle between what I will call reactionary Islam and moderate, mainstream Islam. But its implications go far wider. We are fighting a war, but not just against terrorism but about how the world should govern itself in the early 21st century, about global values.

The root causes of the current crisis are supremely indicative of this. Ever since September 11th, the US has embarked on a policy of intervention in order to protect its and our future security. Hence Afghanistan. Hence Iraq. Hence the broader Middle East initiative in support of moves towards democracy in the Arab world.
The point about these interventions, however, military and otherwise, is that they were not just about changing regimes but changing the values systems governing the nations concerned. The banner was not actually "regime change" it was "values change."

What we have done therefore in intervening in this way, is far more momentous than possibly we appreciated at the time.

Of course the fanatics, attached to a completely wrong and reactionary view of Islam, had been engaging in terrorism for years before September 11th. In Chechnya, in India and Pakistan, in Algeria, in many other Muslim countries, atrocities were occurring. But we did not feel the impact directly. So we were not bending our eye or our will to it as we should have. We had barely heard of the Taleban. We rather inclined to the view that where there was terrorism, perhaps it was partly the fault of the governments of the countries concerned.

We were in error. In fact, these acts of terrorism were not isolated incidents. They were part of a growing movement. A movement that believed Muslims had departed from their proper faith, were being taken over by Western culture, were being governed treacherously by Muslims complicit in this take-over, whereas the true way to recover not just the true faith, but Muslim confidence and self esteem, was to take on the West and all its works.

Sometimes political strategy comes deliberatively, sometimes by instinct. For this movement, it was probably by instinct. It has an ideology, a world-view, it has deep convictions and the determination of the fanatic. It resembles in many ways early revolutionary Communism. It doesn't always need structures and command centers or even explicit communication. It knows what it thinks.

Its strategy in the late 1990s became clear. If they were merely fighting with Islam, they ran the risk that fellow Muslims - being as decent and fair-minded as anyone else - would choose to reject their fanaticism. A battle about Islam was just Muslim versus Muslim. They realized they had to create a completely different battle in Muslim minds: Muslim versus Western.

This is what September 11th did. Still now, I am amazed at how many people will say, in effect, there is increased terrorism today because we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. They seem to forget entirely that September 11th predated either. The West didn't attack this movement. We were attacked. Until then we had largely ignored it.
The reason I say our response was even more momentous than it seemed at the time, is this. We could have chosen security as the battleground. But we didn't. We chose values. We said we didn't want another Taleban or a different Saddam. Rightly, in my view, we realized that you can't defeat a fanatical ideology just by imprisoning or killing its leaders; you have to defeat its ideas.

There is a host of analysis written about mistakes made in Iraq or Afghanistan, much of it with hindsight but some of it with justification. But it all misses one vital point. The moment we decided not to change regime but to change the value system, we made both Iraq and Afghanistan into existential battles for reactionary Islam. We posed a threat not to their activities simply: but to their values, to the roots of their existence.

We committed ourselves to supporting Moderate, Mainstream Islam. In almost pristine form, the battles in Iraq or Afghanistan became battles between the majority of Muslims in either country who wanted democracy and the minority who realize that this rings the death-knell of their ideology.

What is more, in doing this, we widened the definition of Reactionary Islam. It is not just Al-Qaeda who felt threatened by the prospect of two brutal dictatorships - one secular, one religious - becoming tolerant democracies. Any other country who could see that change in those countries might result in change in theirs, immediately also felt under threat. Syria and Iran, for example. No matter that previously, in what was effectively another political age, many of those under threat hated each other. Suddenly new alliances became formed under the impulsion of the common threat.

So in Iraq, Syria allowed Al-Qaeda operatives to cross the border. Iran has supported extremist Shia there. The purpose of the terrorism in Iraq is absolutely simple: carnage, causing sectarian hatred, leading to civil war.

However, there was one cause which, the world over, unites Islam, one issue that even the most westernized Muslims find unjust and, perhaps worse, humiliating: Palestine. Here a moderate leadership was squeezed between its own inability to control the radical elements and the political stagnation of the peace process. When Prime Minister Sharon took the brave step of disengagement from Gaza, it could have been and should have been the opportunity to re-start the process. But the squeeze was too great and as ever because these processes never stay still, instead of moving forward, it fell back. Hamas won the election. Even then, had moderate elements in Hamas been able to show progress, the situation might have been saved. But they couldn't.

So the opportunity passed to reactionary Islam and they seized it: first in Gaza, then in Lebanon. They knew what would happen. Their terrorism would provoke massive retaliation by Israel. Within days, the world would forget the original provocation and be shocked by the retaliation. They want to trap the moderates between support for America and an Arab street furious at what they see nightly on their television. This is what has happened.

For them, what is vital is that the struggle is defined in their terms: Islam versus the West; that instead of Muslims seeing this as about democracy versus dictatorship, they see only the bombs and the brutality of war, and sent from Israel.
In this way, they hope that the arc of extremism that now stretches across the region, will sweep away the fledgling but faltering steps Modern Islam wants to take into the future.

To turn all of this around requires us first to perceive the nature of the struggle we are fighting and secondly to have a realistic strategy to win it. At present we are challenged on both fronts.

As to the first, it is almost incredible to me that so much of Western opinion appears to buy the idea that the emergence of this global terrorism is somehow our fault. For a start, it is indeed global. No one who ever half bothers to look at the spread and range of activity related to this terrorism can fail to see its presence in virtually every major nation in the world. It is directed at the United States and its allies, of course. But it is also directed at nations who could not conceivably be said to be allies of the West. It is also rubbish to suggest that it is the product of poverty. It is true it will use the cause of poverty. But its fanatics are hardly the champions of economic development. It is based on religious extremism. That is the fact. And not any religious extremism; but a specifically Muslim version.

What it is doing in Iraq and Afghanistan is not about those countries' liberation from US occupation. It is actually the only reason for the continuing presence of our troops. And it is they not us who are doing the slaughter of the innocent and doing it deliberately.

Its purpose is explicitly to prevent those countries becoming democracies and not "Western style" democracies, any sort of democracy. It is to prevent Palestine living side by side with Israel; not to fight for the coming into being of a Palestinian State, but for the going out of being, of an Israeli State. It is not wanting Muslim countries to modernize but to retreat into governance by a semi-feudal religious oligarchy.

Yet despite all of this, which I consider virtually obvious, we look at the bloodshed in Iraq and say that's a reason for leaving; we listen to the propaganda that tells us its all because of our suppression of Muslims and have parts of our opinion seriously believing that if we only got out of Iraq and Afghanistan, it would all stop.

And most contemporaneously, and in some ways most perniciously, a very large and, I fear, growing part of our opinion looks at Israel, and thinks we pay too great a price for supporting it and sympathizes with Muslim opinion that condemns it. Absent from so much of the coverage, is any understanding of the Israeli predicament.
I, and any halfway sentient human being, regards the loss of civilian life in Lebanon as unacceptable, grieves for that nation, is sickened by its plight and wants the war to stop now. But just for a moment, put yourself in Israel's place. It has a crisis in Gaza, sparked by the kidnap of a solider by Hamas. Suddenly, without warning, Hizbollah who have been continuing to operate in Southern Lebanon for two years in defiance of UN Resolution 1559, cross the UN blue line, kill eight Israeli soldiers and kidnap two more. They then fire rockets indiscriminately at the civilian population in Northern Israel.

Hizbollah gets their weapons from Iran. Iran are now also financing militant elements in Hamas. Iran's president has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." And he's trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. Just to complete the picture, Israel's main neighbor along its eastern flank is Syria who support Hizbollah and house the hard-line leaders of Hamas.

It's not exactly a situation conducive to a feeling of security is it?
But the central point is this. In the end, even the issue of Israel is just part of the same, wider struggle for the soul of the region. If we recognized this struggle for what it truly is, we would be at least along the first steps of the path to winning it. But a vast part of the Western opinion is not remotely near this yet.
Whatever the outward manifestation at any one time - in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Iraq and add to that in Afghanistan, in Kashmir, in a host of other nations including now some in Africa - it is a global fight about global values; it is about modernization, within Islam and outside of it; it is about whether our value system can be shown to be sufficiently robust, true, principled and appealing that it beats theirs. Islamist extremism’s whole strategy is based on a presumed sense of grievance that can motivate people to divide against each other. Our answer has to be a set of values strong enough to unite people with each other.
This is not just about security or military tactics. It is about hearts and minds about inspiring people, persuading them, showing them what our values at their best stand for.

Just to state it in these terms, is to underline how much we have to do. Convincing our own opinion of the nature of the battle is hard enough. But we then have to empower moderate, mainstream Islam to defeat reactionary Islam. And because so much focus is now, worldwide on this issue, it is becoming itself a kind of surrogate for all the other issues the rest of the world has with the West. In other words, fail on this and across the range, everything gets harder.

Why are we not yet succeeding? Because we are not being bold enough, consistent enough, thorough enough, in fighting for the values we believe in.
We start this battle with some self-evident challenges. Iraq's political process has worked in an extraordinary way. But the continued sectarian bloodshed is appalling: and threatens its progress deeply. In Afghanistan, the Taleban are making a determined effort to return and using the drugs trade a front. Years of anti-Israeli and therefore anti-American teaching and propaganda has left the Arab street often wildly divorced from the practical politics of their governments. Iran and, to a lesser extent, Syria are a constant source of de-stabilization and reaction. The purpose of terrorism - whether in Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon or Palestine is never just the terrorist act itself. It is to use the act to trigger a chain reaction, to expunge any willingness to negotiate or compromise. Unfortunately it frequently works, as we know from our own experience in Northern Ireland, though thankfully the huge progress made in the last decade there, shows that it can also be overcome.
So, short-term, we can't say we are winning. But, there are many reasons for long-term optimism. Across the Middle East, there is a process of modernization as well as reaction. It is unnoticed but it is there: in the UAE (United Arab Emirates); in Bahrain; in Kuwait; in Qatar. In Egypt, there is debate about the speed of change but not about its direction. In Libya and Algeria, there is both greater stability and a gradual but significant opening up.

Most of all, there is one incontrovertible truth that should give us hope. In Iraq, in Afghanistan, and of course in the Lebanon, any time that people are permitted a chance to embrace democracy, they do so. The lie - that democracy, the rule of law, human rights are Western concepts, alien to Islam - has been exposed. In countries as disparate as Turkey and Indonesia, there is an emerging strength in moderate Islam that should greatly encourage us.

So the struggle is finely poised. The question is: how do we empower the moderates to defeat the extremists?

First, naturally, we should support, nurture, build strong alliances with all those in the Middle East who are on the modernizing path.

Secondly, we need, as President Bush said on Friday, to re-energize the MEPP (Middle East Peace Process) between Israel and Palestine; and we need to do it in a dramatic and profound manner.

I want to explain why I think this issue is so utterly fundamental to all we are trying to do. I know it can be very irritating for Israel to be told that this issue is of cardinal importance, as if it is on their shoulders that the weight of the troubles of the region should always fall. I know also their fear that in our anxiety for wider reasons to secure a settlement, we sacrifice the vital interests of Israel.

Let me make it clear. I would never put Israel’s security at risk.
Instead I want, what we all now acknowledge we need: a two-state solution. The Palestinian State must be independent, viable but also democratic and not threaten Israel's safety.

This is what the majority of Israelis and Palestinians want.

Its significance for the broader issue of the Middle East and for the battle within Islam, is this. The real impact of a settlement is more than correcting the plight of the Palestinians. It is that such a settlement would be the living, tangible, visible proof that the region and therefore the world can accommodate different faiths and cultures, even those who have been in vehement opposition to each other. It is, in other words, the total and complete rejection of the case of reactionary Islam. It destroys not just their most effective rallying call, it fatally undermines their basic ideology.

And, for sure, it empowers moderate, mainstream Islam enormously. They are able to point to progress as demonstration that their allies, i.e. us, are even-handed not selective, do care about justice for Muslims as much as Christians or Jews.
But, and it is a big “but,” this progress will not happen unless we change radically our degree of focus, effort and engagement, especially with the Palestinian side. In this the active leadership of the US is essential but so also is the participation of Europe, of Russia and of the UN. We need relentlessly, vigorously, to put a viable Palestinian government on its feet, to offer a vision of how the Roadmap to final status negotiation can happen and then pursue it, week in, week out, 'til it’s done. Nothing else will do. Nothing else is more important to the success of our foreign policy.

Third, we need to see Iraq through its crisis and out to the place its people want: a non-sectarian, democratic state. The Iraqi and Afghan fight for democracy is our fight. Same values. Same enemy. Victory for them is victory for us all.
Fourth, we need to make clear to Syria and Iran that there is a choice: come in to the international community and play by the same rules as the rest of us; or be confronted. Their support of terrorism, their deliberate export of instability, their desire to see wrecked the democratic prospect in Iraq, is utterly unjustifiable, dangerous and wrong. If they keep raising the stakes, they will find they have miscalculated.

From the above it is clear that from now on, we need a whole strategy for the Middle East. If we are faced with an arc of extremism, we need a corresponding arc of moderation and reconciliation. Each part is linked. Progress between Israel and Palestine affects Iraq. Progress in Iraq affects democracy in the region. Progress for moderate, mainstream Islam anywhere puts reactionary Islam on the defensive everywhere. But none of it happens unless in each individual part the necessary energy and commitment is displayed not fitfully, but continuously.

I said at the outset that the result of this struggle had effects wider than the region itself. Plainly that applies to our own security. This global Islamist terrorism began in the Middle East. Sort the Middle East and it will inexorably decline. The read-across, for example, from the region to the Muslim communities in Europe is almost instant.

But there is a less obvious sense in which the outcome determines the success of our wider world-view. For me, a victory for the moderates means an Islam that is open: open to globalization, open to working with others of different faiths, open to alliances with other nations.

In this way, this struggle is in fact part of a far wider debate.

Though left and right still matter in politics, the increasing divide today is between open and closed. Is the answer to globalization, protectionism or free trade?

Is the answer to the pressure of mass migration, managed immigration or closed borders?

Is the answer to global security threats, isolationism or engagement?
Those are very big questions for US and for Europe.

Without hesitation, I am on the open side of the argument. The way for us to handle the challenge of globalization is to compete better, more intelligently, more flexibly. We have to give our people confidence we can compete. See competition as a threat and we are already on the way to losing.

Immigration is the toughest issue in Europe right now and you know something of it here in California. People get scared of it for understandable reasons. It needs to be controlled. There have to be rules. Many of the conventions dealing with it post WWII are out of date. All that is true. But, properly managed, immigrants give a country dynamism, drive, new ideas as well as new blood.

And as for isolationism, that is a perennial risk in the US and EU policy. My point here is very simple: global terrorism means we can’t opt-out even if we wanted to. The world is inter-dependent. To be engaged is only modern realpolitik.

But we only win people to these positions if our policy is not just about interests but about values, not just about what is necessary but about what is right.
Which brings me to my final reflection about US policy. My advice is: always be in the lead, always at the forefront, always engaged in building alliances, in reaching out, in showing that whereas unilateral action can never be ruled out, it is not the preference.

How we get a sensible, balanced but effective framework to tackle climate change after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 should be an American priority.
America wants a low-carbon economy; it is investing heavily in clean technology; it needs China and India to grow substantially. The world is ready for a new start here. Lead it.

The same is true for the WTO talks, now precariously in the balance; or for Africa, whose poverty is shameful.

If we are championing the cause of development in Africa, it is right in itself but it is also sending the message of moral purpose, that reinforces our value system as credible in all other aspects of policy.

It serves one other objective. There is a risk that the world, after the Cold War, goes back to a global policy based on spheres of influence. Think ahead. Think China, within 20 or 30 years, surely the world's other super-power. Think Russia and its precious energy reserves. Think India. I believe all of these great emerging powers want a benign relationship with the West. But I also believe that the stronger and more appealing our worldview is, the more it is seen as based not just on power but on justice, the easier it will be for us to shape the future in which Europe and the US will no longer, economically or politically, be transcendent. Long before then, we want moderate, mainstream Islam to triumph over reactionary Islam.

That is why I say this struggle is one about values. Our values are worth struggling for. They represent humanity's progress throughout the ages and at each point we have had to fight for them and defend them. As a new age beckons, it is time to fight for them again.

"To Acknowledge Your Presence..."

2006-08-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was feeling a little low. Like so many of my peers deployed far away from home, I was having a hard time managing the independence of my family, off to a summer holiday on the East coast, while I was on the other side of the globe. It is a difficult experience to get used to and while it is sometimes more easily accomplished by those of us who have been around the profession of arms for a decade or two, it is still difficult to be away missing so much of the little things that make up a day in a family.

So I was a little low when I entered into our evening staff call. As I sat down to take my place before the briefing started, my friend and fellow Major Tom Wirth sat in his designated space next to me. I felt his hand on my shoulder and he grabbed my neck and patted me on the back. “What?” I snapped. Not letting his hand leave my back, he said, “Nothing, man. I am just taking a moment to acknowledge your presence as a human being and a friend.”

I could only smile and shake my head, totally dumbstruck. Here was a friend at the exact moment I needed one, saying the exact thing that I needed to here. Just to be acknowledged felt like a blessing. It made me feel better and that the day was going to end alright.

Tom Wirth and I first met over the most difficult responsibility an Army officer can have. Together, we disclosed the loss of a Oregon Guard soldier to a mother and father. Two years ago this summer, the Oregon Army National Guard lost Spec. Eric McKinley. Tom was the casualty assistanceofficer and I was the public affairs officer that managed the media on McKinley's mother's behalf. It made for a challenging way to form a friendship, dealing with the consequences of such grief as we were. But it made me respect him for who he was and is, a citizen-soldier managing both a career in business and one as an Army officer, that then had to stop all of that and become a grief counsellor and family assistant when a family needed his help the most. It made me acknowledge him 'as a human being and a friend.' I didn't realize it then, but Tom helped me to realize it two years later in his words the other night.

All of us are deployed away from home and, no matter how close we are to our peers, at times each of us feels alone. But it is through this camaraderie of arms, this, the oldest fraternity known to man, that ‘unites us and binds us,' that we can some times in some brief moment, realize that we are not alone at all.

It is nice to have a friend. Thanks, Tom.

Green is the Color of Jalalabad

2006-07-25T04:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had the unique opportunity to witness the first ever transition from one Afghan combat brigade to another of the operational battle space that it occupied. What does that mean? It means the Afghan people are continuing to take over more of the fight. That is a very significant event. With the transfer of control of a sector of the battlefield from one Afghan National Army element to another, that means less reliance on the coalition for maneuvers units in the future. The pride shown by these Afghan men was a sign of their faith in their future.

With the departure of the 1st Brigade, the leadership acknowledged both their valiant performance of duty over the "Spring Offensive" of 2006 and the preparedness of the incoming 3rd Brigade that would relieve them in place. The outgoing unit had
Captured over 71 Taliban, killed 31, and wounded 63over the course of their continuous attacks, raids, and cordon and search operations. Over the course of these battles, the unit lost eight of its men. In what can only be described as unprecedented in this new government, the Governor offered each of the families of these fallen soldiers a plot of formerly government held land to farm in their memory. "I call on the third brigade to continue the legacy of the first brigade," said the governor, "regarding their ethics, discipline and respect for human rights."

Now there is something you rarely hear for a leader in a war time theatre.

While Brig. Gen. Pritt was the ranking American officer present, his comments were amongst the shortest. There were nine speakers that ranged from the Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army to the regional Governor, from the outgoing brigade commander to the incoming brigade commander. The Afghan people love a good speech and several of these speakers roused the audience into choruses of their regimental mottos or thunderous applause.

The governor announced that there would be three soldiers that would be receiving medals for their service but that they were representatives of what the entire regiment would be receiving. Anxious to get the awards process started, an officer, and NCO and a young soldier took the stage one by one and were pinned by either the governor himself, the brigade commander or in one case, the company commander. These three represented the regiment best for their combat actions over the past five months of sustained combat. The rest of the regiment would be awarded similar devices once they order was authorized by President Karzai. In the interim, fifty of the soldiers were presented certificates honoring their service.

These incredibly proud men, these professional soldiers, marched forward to receive recognition and, on reporting, announced in loud, bold statements their loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, their regiment and their command.

After the honors and the speeches, we were all welcomed to an excellent lunch of stewed goat, rice, fresh vegetables and warm naan bread. This was not an event for the officers and senior NCOs as is typically the case in this very formalized culture. The entire regiment shared this meal.

At my table, I sat next to a career television and radio producer who was very interested in covering more stories about the success of the Afghan National Army and its relationship with the Embedded Training Teams. I made a plan to work with him in the future.

Immediately after the grand meal, Brig. Gen. Pritt, his Aide, Lt. Merrit and his security detail, left to join the governor at his palace for a reception. While it sounded incredible, the rest of us waited for their return. It was at this time that I was given a bit of a tour of the compound, realizing the dark history to the fortress we had occupied for hours.

The Taliban held this post until their fall from power in 2001. The prison within the compound had held "enemies of the state" people that were often arrested for speaking out of turn, not having enough facial hair, reading unauthorized books (typically anything but the Koran and the Sunnah). Hundreds of the prisoners of this decrepit medieval dungeon were executed in the courtyard.

Tied to the Eucalyptus tree against the walls of the prison, they were shot by lone Talib firing details.

The Tree of Life is a pattern of many rugs designed here in Afghanistan and throughout central Asia. This tree was a tree of death.

One final detail of this trip to the borderlands between Eastern Afghansitan and Western Pakistan...the heat. It was 124 F with about 97 percent humidity. It was oppressive even for the Afghans from the region. All of us were sweating buckets. At one point I looked at my hands and it was if I had been in a swimming pool all day, they were wrinkled from moisture. As we departed the area in a Black Hawk helicopter I looked into the lens and snpped this shot... It was hot.

-out here

Scott of Afghanistan

2006-07-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have just spent the last few hours with Scott Kesterson, the first time I have seen him in two months. He has just returned from filming the "Red Devils" Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon of the Canadian Infantry Regiment deployed here to Southern and Western Afghanistan. some of the best video footage I have ever seen of the war as this tightly knit unit strikes at the dug in enemy destroying them on site.

I will continue this tomorrow, but...WoW!!! Scott of Afghanistan is doing some extraordinary work! IT is good to be re-connected with my friend and with this incredible emergin story-teller of the modern battlefield.

-out here

Taliban Caves in the Peaks over Qalat

2006-07-18T04:26:00.000-07:00

I slept for only four hours before we departed for Qalat. Up late emailing and talking on the MWR phone line with my wife back home. My alarm went off at 0400, got out of the room and cleared it with my two reporters in tow. I am traveling with David Zucchino and Rick Loomis of the Los Angeles Times. Both world class reporters, one the writer, the second the photographer. They have traveled together for much of the past five years. From reporting at 1 World Trade Center, NYC on Sept. 11th, 2001, to six trips in and out of Afghanistan and seven to Iraq, these two veterans have seen the battlefields of the Global War on Terrorism. Zucchino, a Pullitzer Prize winning reporter, was the foreign editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer and is the author of Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. He is a veteran of moe conflicts than any one I know. He won his Pullitzer while covering in South Africa.

We linked up with Sgt. Jeff Jeremiah, another Oregon Guardsman from the recently deactivated1-162 Infantry. Sgt. J is serving as our PSD or Personal Security Detachment. HE has been around the Army for a long while and knows his job well. Beside that, it was an opportunity to get him out of the FOB (Forward Operating Base) of Kandahar and into the field. We then had our convoy brief at 0500 and traveled as part of a five vehicle M114 convoy to. It is a two hour drive across the high desert from Kandahar. Our convoy commander was again the reliable Staff Sgt. Fish, whom I wrote about at Camp Shelby. We returned to Camp Apache where I was early last week with JJ. Only this time much better. As soon as we pulled in, we met Col. Marty Leppert AKA "Cowboy" He is the type of leader that is omnipresent. Better that kind than a weakling; his is a very strong leadership style. But nonetheless, as soon as we pulled in, he was pulling out. He said, "I only have room for one." I told him that that would not work, that these two reporters from one of the most influential papers in the nation had been contained for over a week between Kabul and Kandahar due to ineffective PAOs on the ground in the South of Afghanistan and that I needed another vehicle.

"Hey Chief," Leppert called to a Senior Navy NCO), can I use your rig?" "Just topped it off sir and the radio is programmed" "Got it. Strong you're driving and we're leaving right now." "Great sir, I'm right behind you and I'm driving, my call sign is Phoenix Five." Roger, I am Thunderbolt Six. Let's roll." We our and hit the road, like six minutes after arriving in this remote FOB outside the Castle. We went to link up wiht the other element, load Rick, the photographer into a different rig and were off to observe the first ever combined arms Afghan Battalion level operation. Over 100 ANA surrounding two villages that had Taliban activity last week... as in one of our NCOs was shot at last week while performing a "Meet and Greet" (His words) and returned fire with the M240 Bravo, killing two Taliban. We drove out into the hinterlands across precarious roads or lack thereof in the heart of the high desert of the Taliban controlled countryside.

It was the start of a very interesting morning. In our Observation POst, OP, I linked up with the ANA leaders, the staff officers led by the Bn XO. All of these men had had nothing before this, but were motivated to fight and to have their families thrive. I came over to the beautiful sounds of Afghan music piping thru their CD player in the non-armored Ford Rangers that are their only transport. I told them that I was a drummer back home and that I very much enjoyed the music...tablas and lutes and elegant male vocals filling the austere desert space. when they cranked up the volume, I told the interpretter that it was nice but that the Taliban can hear just as much as they can. The Sgt. Maj. heard this and leaned in and very sternly turned it down.

But we gabbed for about an hour as we sat in an overwatch position far removed from the two companies of Afghan soldiers did the search of two separate villages.

We later moved into position in the villages. Long drive across the country bump and grind staying in the exact tracks of the rig before you for avoidance of potential IEDs. We got there and hiked up the hill to meet Capt. Mike Olson, newly
arrived two days ago as an embedded trainer and a staff officer I suffered through
Shelby with for four months.

Nothing. No bad guys, no bomb making materials, no anything.

It was then we withdrew to a rally point at the foot of the mountain that oversees the entire valley.

The Bn chief mentor, Lt. Col. Harold Walker, an Active Guard officer from South Dakota (and briefly the State Public Affairs Officer) noticed a cave at the top of the mountain. "Let's go check it out. Hey, PAO want to come with your reporter?" We looked up to the top of the Mountain above us at the small cave at the peak. "Roger that, Coyote Six."

Well, let me tell you. Qalat is already at 6,000 ft. in the arrid high desert. The mountain was at least another 1,000 above us. The cave at the very top. Of five ascenders, I was the last to make it, carrying full body armor with basic load of ammo for two weapons, a rifle and pistol, loaded, helmet and a seven lb. camera around my neck. You take ten steps and are panting. But "Surrender" as I told Col. Leppert from about forty feet below him, "is not a Ranger word." "Don't worry, Ranger,' Lt. Col. Walker said, "You'll get used to the altitude. How long have you been here anyway, two months?" "Sixteen days, Sir." Sixteen days...wow!

I made it...Painfully, but I made it. Despite a good coat of 45 sunblock that I put on every morning as aftershave, I got burned as well, but not so bad. I commenced my walk down the mountain. We returned and linked up with Rick Loomis, the photographer (http://www.loomisphotography.com). Zucchino and I each separately and together told him of our climb, something that 24 hours later has become a bit of a joke..."I heard you guys climbed the foot of the Himalayas yesterday. Would you tell me about it?"

We returned through a very busy day of commerce in Qalat. I saw this woman in the traditional Burka, hidden from view from all, but yet a vision of this country. She contrasted so sharply with the brightly dressed Hazaras in the field.

When we got back we ate a great meal here at Camp Apache and I pulled off my soaked uniform (I drank 12 bottles of water throughout the day) and crashed hard for almost two hours. Woke up and showered, read an article about Lewis Millet
in the Army Times, the former Honorary Colonel of my Regiment, the 27th Infantry Wolfhounds, that brought a smile, as well as a comprehensive piece about a crushing Taliban victory from lat May. The result of the native force killed two French Special Forces trainers as well as 18 ANA. It also left some crushed pride and damaged relationships in this tortured land just west of here in Helmand Province.

Rockets overhead

2006-07-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Nice. Well, the Command Sergeant Major of the 205th RCAG called it over a dinner of crab legs and lobster tails...I guess that is a standard Saturday night fever here. As we finished our dinner, Col. Jeff Petrucci, Maj. Perry Tangen, the Cmd. Sgt. Maj. and I wiped our chins and gathered the refuse of the dinner plates. "I think we'll get hit with rocket fire tonight, Gentlemen. 2000, maybe 2200. Mark me."

As Maj. Tangen and I were taking advantage of the DSN networks access to connect locally with our wives, it came in. ZZZZSSSCHHHRRRRREEWWWWWW...BOOM ZZzsgcrewww..Biff! Two rockets right overhead landed in the middle of our FOB.

The reports have come in that there were no serious injuries, only one slight wound, but it served as a reminder of the danger of th theatre. Interestingly enough, one of the company first sergeants said it reminded him of five o' clock Charlie on MASH. No aim , random chaos, but occassionally a near hit or minor success.

Going down for the night. I need to make sure my reporters are doing well...They are, but I should hear it from them.

-out here

Kandahar and Qalat, The Governor and Alexander's Castle

2006-07-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

Since that day, I departed from Camp Phoenix and have been down in the South. I just returned to Kandahar this afternoon, having spent the past two days in Qalat. I am escorting NPR reporter J.J. Sutherland here in the South of Afghanistan. He is a great reporter with a razor’s focus on getting the story out. That said, he also has a patience based on his experience of multiple trips into Baghdad. As he says, “That is the whole embed process, you never get the story you thought you were going to get. You get a different one.” Well, he has definitely gotten a different story than expected. We have been meeting so many key leaders and seeing so many places within this sort period of time it is incredible. From traveling to the peak of Alexander’s Castle to dining with the Governor of Qalat twice in one day, to interviewing a young captain about his recent role and wounds received while leading an Afghan platoon in a Canadian led battalion movement to contact, Mr. Sutherland and I have been able to document much of this campaign in the past 72 hours.

Traveling through Qalat was fascinating. Rolling in a fully up-armored High Mobility Multiple Wheeled Vehicle, or M114 as it is known, through the heart of Taliban controlled country that, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment, infrastructure and relative stability remains dominated by the repressive policies of the Taliban that frequently move through this village. All of the women above the age of puberty I this remote corner of the word were cloaked in the traditional blue Burkha, despite the 110 degree heat. Few of the children on the sides of the road will wave or smile, lest they be beaten as a consequence of their lack of judgment.

Driving down the hilltop forward operating base, or FOB, named Camp Apache, we passed the “Bala Haizar” or “Castle” I the local tongue, a 3,000 year old ruin originally built by Alexander the Great and occupied by every successive Army of the past two millennia. We passed it as we needed to get to a vitally important meeting held weekly on the Governor’s Compound, but were assured that we would see more of it later. When I asked LTC Evrage if I could walk up the street to take a photo of the striking fortress, he quietly smirked “Hell no. This is a very dangerous part of town here, know what I’m saying? Inside these walls we’re relatively safe ‘cuz it’s a bad idea to gun someone down in front of the Governor’s place. No, we’ll go up there later.”

We entered the Governor’s compound through a bamboo lift and a metallic gate into a facility surrounded by a four meter wall. Once within the walls, we were welcomed into the meeting, an enormous room with over a dozen guests already seated. These included members of the Governor’s staff, the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and their security detail, the leader of the local Afghan National Police squadron and his deputy, the executive officer of the infantry battalion from the 10th Mountain Division that continues to conduct offensive operations against the Taliban in this area, and us, the trainers of the Afghan National Army. It was a closed meeting during which we discussed the priorities of the region.

From the start Governor Dill bar jan “Arman” exerted control over the entire meeting. Speaking in Pashto and working through an interpreter that translated the speaker’s addres into both English and Dari, he spoke of his recent meeting with President Karzai and strongly voiced his leadership in the region. Much of the content of the meeting was, as I mention above, was closed to official notes, but his focus, leadership and command of the region was clear from the start. Half way through the meeting he dismissed the interpreters, other than his own and declared suddenly in very clear and commanding English, “I have told all of you before and I do not want to say this again, so please listen to me this time. When we are discussing security issues of the Zabol province, we will do so with on interpreter that understands American English an that has been approved by me and my staff. I will not be lulled into false security by discussing matters with Terps (local American slang for Interpreters) that do not have a proper security credential or need to know these matters, understand?”

It was clear that all in the room understood both his intent and that he was in charge.

The meeting lasted for about three hours, during which time we were served the traditional chai and small plates of nuts, raisins, and sweets. After we had our meeting, the Governor invited us to join him for a walk and lunch. We exited the compound and walked down the street. The Governor had two teenaged boys that he walked with initially, their hands in his hands, as we exited the walls of his citadel. I asked him if they were his sons. He explained, “No. Their father was a strong supporter and friend of mine. He was killed by the Taliban. I am offering them some time to be with me, a good meal and some support during this hard time for them. Do you understand,” again emphasizing the need to reaffirm that his English was clear enough to be fathomed. We entered his home, another walled citadel that he had only finished the month before. We entered the building washed our hands and were seated at a four meter by one meter table with he at the head and LTC Evrage and I to his immediate right, the battalion XO and the two boys to his immediate left. Business, as in any civil breaking of bread regardless of culture, was not discussed at the table. It was a lavish meal with fresh bread, a cucumber, yolk and cream drink with paprika favoring the top, beef kabobs, stewed lamb, macaroni noodles and Pepsi colas for the entire table. However, I noticed, the Governor drank a Coca-Cola, perhaps a soda connoisseur at heart.

As we finished our meal, the Governor spoke of how a previous American medical staff officer was always coming to his door every day reminding him to get out and go for a walk, to exercise his body as well as his mind. “He was a good man,” he said “I miss him,” he laughed as he placed his hand on his belly. “Sir,” I asked “How will these boys ever become big and strong like us if they eat so sparingly?” alluding to the boys barely eaten plates. “I do not know,” he replied. Lt. Col. Evrage leaned over to me, “That is more food than these boys have likely seen in a week, Bud,” he explained. So many small things noticed in this far away place.

We left after lunch, but not without gaining the Governor’s invitation to join him for in the evening for a formal interview with J.J. Southerland, for the record, on tape, at his home. “Join me again for dinner tonight. It will be beautiful.” We agreed to return at seven in the evening.

Remounting the truck is a ritual of combat. First the combat locks of the doors need to be opened, then removing the pistol holster from over the shoulders, clipping the M4 rifle’s Wolf clip to the right shoulder of the 60 plus pounds of the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) protective vest. With nothing mounted on it, it weighs about forty pounds. With a basic load of 9mm and 5.56mm ball ammo, a first aid kit, Camelbak hydration system and a wolf-clipped M4 rifle hanging from your right shoulder, it is easily 60-70 pounds. I then replaced the shoulder holster, gave myself the shakes to get it all to settle into position and replaced my Boonie cap with my Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH). Finally, I did the most uncomfortable part…fitting my six foot, five inch (the extra inch from the helmet) frame into a space designed for a five foot eight inch average soldier compartment of the front seat of this armored rig. It is much more easily said than done. No wonder the Army is reconsidering its century old disinterest in chiropractic medicine.

Off to the castle.
We then drove up the fortress into the history. Entering the castle walls had an eerie feeling of entering the realm of the ancients. Amazing to see the entire Qalat Valley from this peak defensive position that had been held by the Ancient Greeks, the Afghans, the British, the Soviet Russians, the Taliban and now the Americans. From here, the second brigade of the 205th Corps has its headquarters. Inside these walls, the brigade commander and his Afghan troops hold the key terrain, launching operations from their command post.

We walked around the area in unrelenting 120 degreee heat, viewing the ancient columns and archways and ascending to the peak. Here atop the highest point of the Castle, what once was an observation post, the Governor's new tea house is under construction. He started this project after an historic visit of "His Excellent Highness President Hamid Karzai" as he is properly referred to by the people of his country. "He was the first leader of Afghanistan," Governor Arman had explained to me "to ever visit Qalat. His visit was a great honor. Soon we will have a house to have tea and discussion and to view this renewed country."

The builders of this tea house had a serious look.

We met the Embedded trainers of this team, two lieutenants that are part of a four man team that makes this austere locale their home. It was much like a firehouse in its feel. A central kitchen, a work out room, bunks and cold storage rooms. All within walls that once housed every one from Afghan mujahideen to Alexandrian centurians. Extraordinary.

Later that evening, we returned to join the Governor for dinner. After an extensive interview with JJ, the Governor asked us to join him for dinner. Another lavish feast and interesting discussion.

I will follow this up again later this evening...have to move to a mission currently. I will load photos after we return to my work place and I can download the imagery.

-out here

Relief in Place, First Loss and Kites

2006-07-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth of July, we assumed the mission of CJTF Phoenix. It was a beautiful day preceded by the rares of Afghan events a double rainbow foreshadowing the polychromatic light of the upcoming leadership of Task Force Phoenix. It was a great day for all of us.

On July fifth, almost exactly 24 hours into the mission, we had our first casualty. It made for a serious and unpleasant welcome to the reality of the environment we have now entered. 1st Sgt. (posthumously promoted to Sgt. Maj.) Jeffrey McLochlin had served with Phoenix for ten months as an embedded trainer. He was what we call a “4.25 guy” meaning that he had served with Phoenix IV from about a fourth of the way through the mission and was going to remain with us for about two more months. Like the motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment he once served within, he was leading the way until the end. He was killed by enemy small arms fire. His legacy was that of a beloved leader of soldiers both U.S. and Afghan, a loving father and husband, and professional police officer. He was 42 years old.

That evening, several of us joined Lt. Col. Gregory Moore, my predecessor, in his last mission. We drove up to the top of Mausoleum Hill to distribute kites to Afghan children. They were very nice kites, professional quality nylon with a variety of shapes and sizes. The kids loved them and were so happy to fly them in the blistering wind. It was almost too extreme to get them into the air.

I thought of First Sergeant Jeffrey McLochlin's spirit flying high over the Afghan countryside where his spirit left this world, and the children he left behind. Fly on, First Sergeant. Fly on.

-out here

Day One, Turbans, Ambassadors, Helicopters and Dust

2006-07-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

I arrived at Camp Phoenix yesterday afternoon and had my first opportunity before me within 24 hours of arrival. Today has been one Hell of a way to start this adventure. A major event was scheduled for late this morning, the dedication of the Gardez Military Justice Center, the second such academy for Afghan National Police in the nation. We departed from Camp Phoenix for Kabul International Airport, otherwise known as KIA. Nice. It s the same majorinternational base that we arrived at yesterday afternoon. As I said to my soldiers that made the journey with me on arrival there, "Welcome to Europe." There are military members for so many nations on this post. Danes, Swedes, Germans, French, Italians, Norwegians, Romanians, South Koreans, Bulgarians, Mongolians, British, Australians, more people than you can possibly understand could assemble in one place under once command.

But this morning, we arrived in time to eat at the dining facility at KIA. Very nice European breakfasts served with real flatware and plates. It was a nice way to start a very long day. After breakfasst we assembled on the flight line where we met tseveral members of the Afghan media as well as several other civilians and a few Afghan military members.

We were greeted by an escort officer, who gave us our flight brief. Just as he finished, two enormous CH-47 Chinook helicopters arrived. We boarded them through the rear door, suffering the blast furnace of its dual jet engines as is always the case when boarding these extraordinary beasts. Looking to my left, I noticed Major General Durbin, our higher commanding officer, the commander of the Office of Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (OSTC-Alpha), seated next to the German Ambassador to Afghanistan.

We soared out across the Afghan countryside, flying Southeast to the province of Paktia, near the city of Gardez. Gardez, was the launching point for Operation Anaconda, the major offenseive in the Tora Bora mountain range led by the 10th Mountain Division as we first entered Afghanistan in 2001-2002. The terrain was as treacherous as its Taleban inhabitants.

A great benefit to jumping into this on my first day was it enabled me to get out into the filed with both my deputy, 1st Lieut. Cathrin Fraker and my higher Public Affairs Officer, Maj. Bob Tallman. Cathrin has proved her mettle over the past few months at Camp Shelby and had coordinated to get me onto this trip. She is doing great work and is building the relationships that will get her the access she will need to go memorable work. Bob and I first met on the Gettysburg Battlefield several years ago as part of a officer's staff ride. He is a first class public affairs officer and rapidly becoming a great friend.

We landed about 45 minutes after our departure, and were taken to the ceremonial grounds, and enermous fest tent was erected with about two hundred Afghan visitors, most of them in the ceremonial turbans for the event.

The emcee announced several distinguished guests , many of whom spoke at the event. these included the regional governor of Paktia, the German Ambassador and the American Ambassador, as well as several local leaders and the regional member of the Parlaiment.

The American Ambassador made a bold announcement that was not anticipated by the audience. He, announced that the United States was delivering over a thousand pistols and other poice weapons as well as several score SUV for the police and this did not seem to move the audience as they anticipated as much. However, when he announced that starting this month the United States was making a $6M investment in building the freeway between Gardez and Khost, the entire audience applauded. The build-out will begin this month and continue through the fall of 2008. It was amazing to witness.

I think the following is one of the best images I have ever captured.

Frankly, the crispness of his gentleman's turban, enfolding the seriousness of his eyes, is something I find entrancing. I am honored to have shared time with this man, as someone who just gave him a bottle of cold water as I sat on the rug covered gravel close to him, shooting photos and video of the speakers. Then suddenly, after I had captured this photo and shared it with him on the tiny screen to his appreciative smile, he got up and gave the most passionate address to the audience, without notes, straight from the heart. This man in the most regal turban of the entire audience, was the elected member of parliament of this region. I thanked him in Dari on his return to his seat and he placed his hand over his heart and nodded acknowledgment.

After the speeches and the dedication, we witnessed the payoff for the months of training that had led us to this time and place. To witness these young Afghan men performing the functions they will execute as police officers with a level of expertise that you see typically only in the United States and Germany, was inspiring. It was another example of the dedication that this broad coalition has made to the peace and stability of the new, emerging Afghanistan.

Better still was to see this training being led by Afghan police officers who had been trained by American and German career police officers. Witnessing the product of this "train-the trainer" concept put into action was great as it was Afghans training Afghans with the back-up of the coaltion.

Within my first 48 hours within this nation, I feel so inspired by what I have seen: teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. Different people with different language skills, different tactics and methods, all working together to make a nation safe. It makes me wonder why more media don't pay more attention to this effort....

-out here

Ich schreibe aus Deutschland

2006-06-29T01:41:00.000-07:00

I have landed in Germany. It is nice to be here again. Still remains such an elgantly managed country. the view from above has always implied the "ordnung und rex" with every village and town, so beautifully integrated into the landscape. We have only been here for about 45 minutes and are alredy getting paged to re-board. That is nice as it means we are that much closer to our destination.

Mein Deutsch is nicht so gut, aber ich can ein bichen gesprache. (...???!)

Will write more once I am further.

Awaiting Final Flight

2006-06-28T10:33:00.001-07:00

I write this from Baltimore / Washington International at the USO office here. Things have changed for the USO. The entire facility is Wi-Fi enabled, so the troops and family members can log-in (case in point this blog) from anywhere in the suite. Nice.

Yesterday we finally departed Camp Shelby. The training completed, we started a long 20 hour bus ride from Hattiesburg to Baltimore. Swell. But we got here a few hours ago, have had all of our equipment and personel manifested and now, we await our fligt time. That is promising to know. And I got an Exit row aisle seat. Should be a decent flight.

Yesterday, as I was sending a final package home, this tall senior NCO comes walking in throught the door of the Post Office. "Bill Finnsson?" "Hey, Sir!" Bill is now a Master Sergeant preparing to go to Iraq as a Brigade Operations NCO. When I last saw him, he was on CNN on the television screen in a French Officer's quarters in Berlin. "Arnold, were you not in the National Guard in Los Angeles?" then-Captain Eric Brintet mentioned to me after dinner with his wife, Margaret and I had finished. "Your city is on fire!" Eric said. "That's one of my squad leaders!" I said, as I saw Bill Finnsson leading a team across what I believe was La Brea Blvd.

Finnsson was the best of four excellent squad leaders I had as a (very) young 2nd Lieutenant in the California Army National Guard. That he is still serving is great to know. Soldiers need expereinced leaders like him. He will be a great force of calm in the operational storm that comes with running a brigade in combat.

I just spoke with Margaret and the boys. They are halfway home from their travels in Southern California. Ian is now eight. Wow! One of the photos I carry with me is of the day he was born. This tiny guy with little socks on his hands to keep him from scratching his face, sits in his Mom's lap with his uber-proud big broter smiling behind him. Now the tiny guy is Mister Big. Missing his Pop and talking to his Mom about how unfair it is that none of his friends has to deal with a father that goes away to a war zone.

It's like I mentioned to him before I left Oregon, I don't know what it is like to be a boy whose father is away in a war zone, nor what it is like to grow up while our nation is at war. It has to be confusing, with so many mixed messages coming through so many different points of media, people, school, et cetera. But, by the same token, it seems he is growing up confident that he is loved and has a place in this world.

When I called him on his borthday earlier this week, I told him "Happy Day of celebrating your birthday (t was actually a few days before)." He responded immediately "And happy day to you for having ME for eight years!" That is confidence.

-out here

Father's Day at UCLA

2006-06-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

So what a day. I have just returned from Los Angeles to Camp Shelby, having been given authorization to execute what was, unquestionably, the best speaking engagement of my career. I was the commencement speaker to the 2006 graduating class of the Department of English at UCLA. It was a great honor and a privilege.

What made the engagement so amazing was that it was Father's Day and, speaking before an audience of 4,500 in Pauley Pavilion, somewhere out there in the sea of people were my two sons, my father, Robert Strong and my Step-Father, Chuck Ramey. It was a Father's Day I will never forget. The kudos I received from the grads and dads, paled in comparison with the knowledge that I got to share this day that we honor our fathers with the men that have been a fatehr to me and the children that I have fathered.

The topic of my address was the motto of the University of California itself; "Let there be light" and a challenge to the graduates to be that light unto the world. To illuminate the dark places and to make a difference in the world. I think it went over well.

I have excerpted a part of that speech below:

I hope to remind you to carry within your hearts and minds an acute awareness of the study of the human condition that you have honed within these walls over the past several years and to share that light with the world.

The magnificent works of art that you have mastered are products of creative illumination that have allowed each of us as individuals to develop a subtle and enhanced understanding of the human condition beyond our own experiences. That is the gift of literature. To illuminate the dark places of our world and our daily lives.

The broad liberal arts education that you have received here at UCLA demands that you hold in your minds, hearts and indeed your very actions that consciousness of the human condition, for we are within it, experiencing it, drinking it in and exhaling it at every moment.

It is this human condition that each of us has the opportunity to affect; to ease the suffering and to amplify the ecstatic. It is not an easy road. Indeed, it is a hard road to be a source of light in dark times. Be the light. Let there be light.

In the act of serving our country, I have had the opportunity to experience this human condition in so many parts of the world. Whether in discussing the drama of Vaclav Havel in Wenceslas Square on the day that Czechoslovakia became two countries, to talking a New Orleanian survivor of Hurricane Katrina into leaving her decrepit, toxic home before it fell down upon her, to waking up the day after my vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in the valleys of ancient Mesopotamia to see the gentle, omniscient elegance of the Euphrates River as she flowed past me and all other concerns, the persistence of the human drive to bring a change for the good, to create excellence or to fall into the pit of destruction, I have observed, are seeds within each of us.

The chaos and horror reigning down daily on the people of Iraq are also paralleled by the persistence of hope and the gracious offering of hospitality, food, communion and assistance from a people who live every day hoping and believing in a better world for themselves and their children. Inshallah!

The poppy fields of Kandahar once offered a dream of Xanadu to the mind of Coleridge, yet now are the scourge of addiction and corruption in the narcotic greed that now drives the exhaustive cultivation of a beautiful flower in the ancient lands I commence my journey toward tomorrow.

So how does any of this affect you at your commencement? I ask you to be an active participant in the evolving human condition that surrounds you across the globe and in your apartment, in your hometown and in the capitals of our nations.

You will have the ability to see situations before you for what they are. So get to it.

So I think it went extremely well and from the thank yous and the bombastic but sincere words like, "That was the best speechI I have ever heard" I received from so many of the graduates, I am sure that I had made an impact.

Now, I have returned to Camp Shelby, only to find out that I am not flying tomorrow as was initially planned but that I will be here for at least another week.

While that is frustrating news, it is hardly terrible as it will enable me to catch up on some overdue work and get back onto a running program. I need it.

-out here

Leave

2006-06-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

I just got back from leave with my family. It was wonderful. I am blessed to have the support of a great network of friends and family. It was truly a great time. I have now returned to Camp Shelby, Mississippi for the last of my certification before I depart. It is gruelling coming back here when my peers are already serving in country and making a difference.

I am glad to be part of this task force and know that we are going to make an extraordinary difference.

-out here

Final Training - MRX

2006-05-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

The last week of our stay at Camp Shelby was more than enough to write about, as it filled our days with 24 hour operations, designed to stress us as individuals and as a team. The goal seemed to be to cram about six months worth of likely experiences we will face into one week long exercise. It made for some intense training.

The good news for me is that I finally got my team assembled. I have two real professionals now assigned to the public affairs cell. 1st Lieutenant Catherin Fraker, from the Wyoming National Guard, and Sgt. 1st Class Tom Roberts from National Guard Bureau. Catherin proved herself as a PAO during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Tom is a bit of a legend in the PA world of the National Guard. He is a first rate camera man and video producer who also doubles as a talented noncom leader of soldieers. Together, I think we are going to make an awesome team.

Our exercise concluded in the most frustratingly realistic way imaginable. On the last evening of our training operation, we conducted a "Fallen Soldier" memorial service. Unfortunately, the leadership of this team is already trained in this task, having executed it at least nine times in the past two years. When BG Pritt stood before us to discuss "Specialist John Doe" he ehlpd to put it into context. But when Command Sgt. Maj. Conley stood before us, it took the breath out of everyone. COnley had conducted ceremonies very similar to this nine times in Iraq; in theatre, before his men. He said "I am not going to speak about Specialist John Doe, because he is a notional soldier that died a notional death. But I will tell you that I am a "T" (Trained) at this task and I want to make myself a "U" (Untrained) at it in the future. General Pritt, Sir. Let's make this the last time we ever do this, Sir."

After that night, everyone pretty much slept deep. The emotional finale to a long week of training excellence, was to be followed by closing our accounts at Camp Shelby, and preparing for our "Pass in Review." After a quick transformation from an "Army in the Field" to an "Army on Parade" we formed a pretty cool formation to commemorate the 41st Brigade and its members. The Sunset Patch formation was shot by my old friend Maj. Anthony Bolante from a Huey helicopter. It turned out pretty nice and will be in our archives for years to come. The shot is shown above.

Although we had few family members make the trek from Oregon, there were several that made it from Oklahoma and the closer states. It was a beautiful day. Governor Ted Kulongoski and Congressman Peter DeFazio joined Lt. Gen. Honore' and Brig. Gen. Pritt in addressing all of us on the parade field before we signed out on leave.

It is good to be done with the training and the experience of 'Shelbystan.' I have several weeks until it is my time to depart, but soon may we all go forward into Afghanistan with our heads held high.

-out here.

Advanced Party Departure

2006-05-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the training paid off and the operation started in full gear. We sent off our Advanced Party of over 200 members of the task force. Going forward to establish contact with our predecessors, set the stage for a successful arrival of the rest of the task force and to prepare for assumption of our mission to train the Afghan National Army.

Among the soldiers deployinng from Gulfport to Afghanistan was my friend and colleague Scott Kesterson. Kesterson has made a tremendous impact on this organization. As one of the only photojournalists I have ever heard of to embed with ha unit for its entire deployment, Scott has been exposed to and help to expose others to the incredible cycle of training and preparation that goes into getting a reserve component unit ready to fight.

His blog, located at: http://www.beloblog.com/KGW_Blogs/afghanistan/ has already built an extensive audience and a loyal core of readership. He has uncovered so much of the thoughts and innsights of soldiers, sailors and airmen as they prepare for a year long tour in combat. His pledgge is to keep himself out of the picture as much as possible, focusing on the warriors and their day to day lives for the next year. He has built strong relationships and impressed every member of the force that has met him. Focused on the war fight, he has undergone the same training that the troops have, with a special emphasis on medical and language skills. As he will often be in austere conditions, with nothing but his wits, his body armor and the relationships with the soldiers he is working with to keep him secure.

He is going to have a great year, but his frequent late night conversations will be missed. I wish him a safe passage into the new world he is entering, as well as all of the soldiers he is accompanying.

God Speed!

-out here

The New Leadership Climate in Afghanistan

2006-05-11T19:29:00.002-07:00

Over the past three days, we have been paid a visit by one of the most extraordinary soldiers I have ever met, Command Sergeant Major Roshan Safi. Soon to graduate from the U.S. Army Sergeant Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas, he is the first enlisted soldier to train in the United States from Afghanistan. A more professional example of the future of the Afghan National Army (ANA) is hard to imagine. A man with a passion for training the best soldiers his nation can have, he is as articulate as he is experienced in the modern world.

Although he enlisted in the Afghan Army in 2003 as a supply sergeant, his quest for knowledge and his professional excellence quickly drew the attention of the emerging leadership of the newly formed ANA. He quickly learned new skills and and rapidly rose throuugh the ranks. In an army thirsty for leadership, his focus on building a professional soldier class, his heartfelt enthusiasm for training and his hardened skill on the battlefield made him the natural choice to mentor the soldiers of Afghanistan.

Immediately before attending the Sergeant Major Academy, he attended the Defense Language Institute to study English as a second language. He graduated at the top of his class. When asked about his heritage, something that is a natural subject of Afghans proud of their ethnic history, Roshan does not hesitate. "I am Afghan. First and foremost, I am Afghan. It does not matter how we identified ourselves in the past. Sure, when people want to know, yes, I am Pashtun, but what matters most to me is that we stat to recognize that we are not so many different tribes. That is a way we will stay apart. We are one people, the people of Afghanistan."

He discussed passionately his view of the role of the United States intervention in Afghanistan. "My country was a very sick patient in 2001. We had suffered from the disease of War for three decades and America was our doctor. You gave us the medicine we needed and stayed by our bedside to help us get better. All we want is for your to keep this prescription long enough for us to walk on our own feet again as healthy as we possibly can be," he said.

"Your reward will be the loyalty of a Nation that wishes to serve alongside you, no matter where" he offered. "Shoulder to shoulder, we will meet any enemy together. We are one team, one fight!"

He continued "You have to understand, I am the fruit. I am the fruit that comes from a seed that the Americans and Coalition partners planted four years ago and watered and nurtured and helped to grow strong. Now, I must be a seed for the rest of my country, planting ideas and growing a professional Army."

His passionate enthusiasm is infectious. In the words of our own Command Sergeant Major, CSM Brunk Conley, "I have a new best friend."

Pondering for several weeks how our combined joint task force should respond to our motto "JUNGLEERS!" our CSM had a proposal within an hour of meeting with CSM Roshan. Roshan's words echoed in Conley's head and he came to our staff meeting with an idea that was readily welcomed by the staff.

When rendering a salute to a superior officer, the warriors of this task force proclaim "JUNGLEERS!" In response to that challenge we now respond with Roshan's own words in the languages of Afghanistan. Depending on whether we are in the Dari-speaking, Pashtun or Uzbek areas of the country we will replay with;

"Yak Team, Yak Jang" - Dari

"Yo Team, Yo Jang" - Pashto

"Beer Team, Beer Botta" - Uzbek

"ONE TEAM, ONE FIGHT!"

It's Been long Month

2006-05-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

So I realized today that I haven't posted any content at all to this blog. There have been a lot of time constraints recently, including training and certification and an exercise that has kept us on the go. That and the fact that my three peers left on their pre-deployment leave, with me filling their roles as I can. It has been busy, but fortunately, they all have great NCOs to back them up during their time at home with their families.

The truth is that I just got bogged down by some of the work and got into a bit of a rut. I am glad to have pulled myself out of it thanks to the help of some friends and my family back home.

So I guess the first thing I should write about is the success of our OPERATION BACKPACK.

It happened over two weeks ago, but I finally have the time to write about it.

On Friday, April 21st, about two dozen members of our task force followed up on a promise made in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in delivering 38 pallets of school supplies to schools in New Orleans. The event, dubbed “Operation Backpack”, delivered much needed supplies to the beleaguered school district as a good will gesture by our unit before we mobilize from Camp Shelby, Miss., to Afghanistan.

We took off after a thorough safety briefing and started the two hour drive to New Orleans. On reaching the ouutskirts, it started,The supplies will be delivered to the Macmain High School, Ben Franklin Elementary, Mary Bethune Accelerated School and the Mehamie Jackson Consolidated Center. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from Oregon were among over 24,000 Guard members to have deployed to the Gulf Coast region to assist in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

With operations mostly in the Lower Ninth Ward, St. Bernard Parrish and the Lakewood district, the 41st Brigade conducted civil relief and stability operations in some of the most hard hit areas of New Orleans. “Operation Backpack is our way of continuing to support the people that need it most,” said Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Pritt, commanding general of the 41st Brigade.

“The people of the Gulf Coast touched our hearts and those of citizens back home. This is really America at its best…citizens helping citizens. We are proud of our service in Louisiana and want to continue to recognize and assist in the efforts to rebuild this unique area of the United States.” he said. The supplies were donated by private citizens from Oregon through a program that was facilitated by the Oregon Department of Education. We really are blessed to see such activism come to fruition. These kids were so delighted to get these much needed school supplies.

I got so many hugs from these kids. They were just delighted to get out of the class room, to run and romp in the rain and to see the overwhelming amount of goodness from people that wanted them to have a better life than they currently have.

In a letter from Mary Haynes-Smith, the principal of the Mary Bethune Elementary School, to BG Pritt, she wrote to us "The students were overjoyed by the experience of meeting you. We have been humbled by the genuine support and charitable contributions of individuals and organizations such as yours that give us hope for a brighter future. What a BLESSING! The school supplies and personal hygiene items will allow us the opportunity to provide students with additional materials for a long time to come. Thank you so much. We are excited and thankful."

This from the same principal that told us that she comes in to school every morning at 7:00 a.m. to be there just to listen to the kids. To hear their stories. As she explained to us, "I tell all of my teachers that these children won't be able to learn unless they can talk first and get these experiences out in the open.Some of them have lost so much, family, friends, loved ones, homes, all of their belongings. It just takes a lot, but thanks to people like you, it gets easier."

It was a great day.

-out here

Anniversaries...

2006-04-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today is the first anniversary of the loss of Staff Sergeant Kevin Davis, who died as a result of injuries he sustained from an improvsed explosive device in Iraq. I was reminded of this because I just spent the last two hours with Nick DePaulo and Bob Fish, two NCOs that have served in Iraq prior to this deployment. It is Saturday night. I had just finished being certified as a Combat Life Saver, having stuck an IV successfully into another person and learned from the excellent NonCommissioned Officers that taught us the class over the past three nights (Training never stops here). But on that occassion, my colleague, embedded journalist Scott Kesterson, and I decided that we would go to the post All Ranks Club (Formerly the "O" Club a WWII Bunker styled locale called "Kilroy's") for a beer. We had two. As we left, a soldier, Staff Sgt. Bob Fish, saw my First Cav patch and wanted to know which company I had served with. I explained that I volunteered to join the 2-162 during the last four months of their deployment as part of Task Force Baghdad because I thought the local media had done a grave injustice in telling the story of our fellow citizen soldiers and that I had spent time with each of the companies of the battalion. One thing lead to another and soon we were talking about challenges with marriage on our return from Iraq, the concern so many of us have that "Things are different" and "Most people don't understand" when Sgt DePaulo joined us. DePaulo had just related to Fish that it was the one year anniversary of Staff Sgt. Davis's death. It immediately brought Kevin to mind. One of the final events I helped to coordinate as the State Public Affairs Officer for the Oregon National Guard was the announcement of Davis's death from his G Troop Armory in Lebanon, Oregon. DePaulo was one of the last men to see Davis alive. He referred to him as "My Man" " Hero" "The Best Damn Soldier I've ever met." A year ago today an improvised explosive device detonated killing Davis, despite the firmest belief from his soldier that they had saved his life.

The details are best left alone, but to listen to the first person description of the events of a year ago today from a war zone that so few f our citizens can comprehend was enough to motivate me to quiet tears. Never mind that Scott Kesterson and I had just finished "Saving Private Ryan" on the bar's widesreen, with it's infamous closing..."Earn this." "Tell me I am a good man. That I have lived a good life," only an hour before listening to this grave reminder of the hazards of living the life of a soldier. As DePaulo described minute by minute his first hand experience of his friend and Squad Leader, of the last hours of this great man's life on this Earth, it overwhelmed me with memory of being there, meeting Davis' widow a year ago tomorrow. Collecting the photo attached above from her, thanks to the help of Mrs. Kay Fristad, the most steadfast right hand I have ever had, a widow and mother of a fallen Marine herself. It reminded me how much has happened in such a short time. How many have made the ultimate sacrifice. It made me think of this corrections officer and his children of how his wife is feeling today. It reminded me of how important each and every soldier is.

Our Command Sergeant Major, CSM Brunk Conley left on short order early this week to represent the Oregon National Guard and his former battalion, 2nd Battalion, 12nd Infantry, at the Fallen Trooper Memorial Dedication at Fort Hood, Texas. He was the best representative we could have sent. As the top soldier for the entire battalion that served a hazardous year in Bagdad, Taji, Fallujah, An Najaf, Yusifiyah, North Babel and other remote locations, he stood witness and paid homage to the nine soldiers of his battalion that made the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow man. 1LT Erik McCrae, Sgt Justin Eyerly, Spc Justin Linden, Eric McKinley, Specialist Justin Linden, Sergeant Benjamin Isenberg, Staff Sergeant David J. Weisenburg, Sergeant David W. Johnson, Specialist Ken Leisten, and New York National Guard Specialist David L. Roustum. Each of these incredible young men have their names engraved upon a memorial at Fort Hood today. Command Sgt. Major Conley and Sgt Raijain, who accompanied him, made rubbings of their engraved names and stood witness as their names were read before the company of thier peers, fellow soldiers, fellow troopers of the 1st Cavalry, warriors all.

Nick DePaulo is returning to Oregon. Having deployed three times in the past four years, he realized that in going to Afghanistan he would lose out on the "best relationship" in his life. "The person that makes me, ME." I am proud of him. He is makng the right choice. I explained through the window of my own experiences over the past difficult year, that, if he knows he is right and that she is what is most important to him, then he was doing the right thing. In the wake of his own vividly recalled detail of being with his squad leader only a year ago today, it only confirmed what he knew...he was making the right choice.

Good luck, Nick. Thanks for talking to me about your friend tonight.

Good luck, Fish. If you still love her and she loves you, you'll make it right. Never lose faith.

Good Night, Kevin. Know that your family misses you but knows that you were amongst the best of us. Thank you for your example, valiant and honorable 'til the last.

-Out here.

Sunday Morning...

2006-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Sunday Morning, the weather is sweet..." - Bob Marley

So, it's Sunday morning and last was that event everyone loves to forget, Daylight Savings Time. So, I did what so many others do, got a wake up call from a friend, in my case, Maj. Rob Fraser. "Dude, this is your wake up call and room service. Would you like breakfast delivered or would you prefer to join us downstairs for coffee?"

Rob is one Hell of a guy. He looks and acts like the former Rugby player he is, always ready either for a laugh or a brawl. Heavy set, built like a rock and a guy that is, amongst other things, the best morale officer we could possibly have. He is a fellow former California Army National Guardsman who served with one of my peer units during the Los Angeles riots. Most importantly, Rob is one of the most experienced leaders we have in the theatre we are entering. Rob was one of the 13leaders that deployed to Afghanistan last year as an embedded training team. He is now assigned as our civil affairs officer. He is building his team and trying to get all of us to synchornize our work so that we are all focused on both our own soldiers and those of the ANA. Having just returned from Afghanistan less than a year ago, along with a little over a dozen fellow Oregon National Guard members, he wants to get to the work, as so much of the training here is run by people that have limited experience in combat in general and, if they have any, it is either from Desert Storm or OIF. Contemporary, but not from Afghanistan. Rob's frustrations are similar but different from many of the soldiers...he's been there. He knows what works.

We spent some time on the range the other day, training to defend our forward operating bases and convoys. It is extraordinary tpo witness how quickly our organization, the United States Army adapts to change. We are starting to get it. We integrate lessons learned from the battle field quickly and efficiently. When there is an absence of experience from the teaching staff here at Camp Shelby, leaders withing the organization start to take over. We culminated the exerrcise with a live fire and that always makes soldiers happy.

Even when they have to wear an extra thirty pounds of gear. Hooah!

- Out here

Unique Leaders, Unique Visit

2006-03-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just finished a very busy but reewarding cycle in my capacity as the protocol officer. We were just visited by Lt. Gen. Noori, Vice Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Army and our future commanding officer, MG (USA) Durbin, Commander of Coalition Forces Command-Afghanistan. The visit was unprecedented. Noori, as small in stature as he is enormous in experience and courage is one of the two top leaders in the most respected institution in his country. He spoke to us in Farsi through his interpretter in a quiet, yet proud voice of his delight to witness such professionalism from the Citizen-soldiers, Sailors and Airmen whosr training he got to view. Maj. Gen. Durbin, a man with 33 years of military service, spoke with tremendous personal respect for the man he accompanied. "Our mission is to mentor not to monitor," he offered. Lt. Gen. Noori's own requests were aligned with tose of Durbin. When asked by a young non commissioned officer what the one thing that is most important for Noori and his soldiers to receive from the members of the task force, Noori did not hesitate, "Train them as you would your own, enforce the same standards you expect from your soldiers. Teach them from the standards you hold for your own men." Speaking over breakfast this morning to the soldiers that have the highest priority of our effort, the Embedded Training Teams that will live, train, eat, and sleep with their Afghan counterparts, Durbin warned them, "You are going to find that I am a demanding person." Speaking of the hard work he has offered the service and Nation over the past three decades, he explained, "I have never worked harder than I have since taking command of this organization." As the mentor/advisor to the newly appointed Minister of Defense and to the top leaders of the Afghan National Army, men such as General Noori, that fought the decade long insurgency against the Soviet Union's occupation and haven't stopped fighting since, he explained "By arriving in theater in the uniform you are wearing, you have instant credibility. It is up to you to continue to deserve that respect. You will be surrounded my somoe of the toughest fighters in the world. Soldiers that effectively kicked the Soviets ass years ago as a guerilla force. They know tactics, but lack the organization of having a professional military force. It is your job to ensure that they become the best force they can possibly be," he concluded.

When the official party arrived, we were to brief them in our operations tent. Immediately upon their entry, I recognized one of the newest members of Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan, Col. Michael Harrison. Harrison, the tall, serious, career Infantry officer had served in Hawaii within the same brigade that I had served a little over a decade ago. Harrison had commanded the "Cacti" battalion 2/35 Infantry, of the Third Brigade at Schofield Barracks. I remember him for his broad smile and direct presence. When he was with you, you were the most important thing in his mind. Harrison will have a deliberate role in oversight of our organization, focusing his efforts on resourcing our training efforts to ensure that we will have the tools we have to get the Afghan Army to its highest possible level of readiness. It will be good to have a friendly face to turn to in the higher headquarters during this historic time.

Brig. Gen. Pritt, my commanding officer and the man that first brought me into the Oregon National Guard, just left my office for the night. We were discussing the visit and some of the upcoming "Dee-Vees" (Distinguished Visitors) we expect to host during our stay here at Camp Shelby. We were discussing the uniqueness of the visit of Generals Durbin and Noori and I mentioned how the embedded journalist with us, Scott Kesterson, had an exclusive interview with the second highest ranking officer in the Afghan National Army and how this was the first of hundreds of unique opportunities we were going to experience.

"Are you kidding, Arnold?" he smiled. "With leaders like this, during this historic time in the history of Afghanistan, with the training we have going into this? We are all going to have the most extraordinary military experiences of our lifetime."

It is hard to have any problem with morale when you are led by leaders like these.

(Photos by my great friend Tech Sgt. Nick Choy)

-Out here.

Training

2006-03-27T13:24:00.000-08:00

Hooah! Training. Back from the M9 Range. Yesterday, I finally got out of the operations center and got to qualify on my assigned weapon, the Berreta 9mm Pistol. For the first time in a long time, I didn't shoot expert, but missed it by two shots. I had a ball doing it though. Marksmanship is one of the things that makes being a soldier fun. We finished the range about 21:00 (9 p.m.) last night. This morning we took the test that you can not study for, forced hydration through the night aids the process of the morning... "The Piss Test." the fun never stops in the ARMY. Hooah!

From there we immediately went to have a teleconference with our peers in Afghanistan. The unit we are replacing this summer now has a face. It was good to connect with them and to understand their view of the situation. Suffice it to say that I think we are going to do an extraordinary job over the course of the next fifteen months.

After that we took some mass training time during which we watched a series of video clips. It was footage of the preferred methods of the enemy, the infamous IED or Improvised Explosive Device. It reminded me of the losses with the Oregon National Guard and of my wife's work at commemorating the loss of 1,000, then a year later 2,000 servicemembers lives on the step of the Capitol of Oregon. It has been a difficult few years for so many.

Who do you know that has been touched by this war? I mean personally. Deployed their husband of wife to war for a year or more? Has lost a friend or relative? Had to deliver the news to a family of the loss of their son? How many of you have volunteered to help those people that are so directly impacted by this war? Offered to cut the lawn or help to do the food shopping?

I guess what I mean is that there are so many doing so much and yet so many more that are not asked to do anything. I think it is sad, as if the greatest nation in history has so many of her citizens that won't do anything unless directed to do so.

There are ways to make a difference. To help those you serve. To help those in harm's way. Ways to help the people of a foreign land to stand on their own two feet and build a nation for themselves. I'll write more about that next.

For now, I am way tired. I think I am going to call it a night.

-Out here.

"Got a letter in the mail"

2006-03-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Things are finally starting to move on the public affairs front. Although I still do not have any of my equipment, I should have it by week's end. A top of the line digital still camera, the Canon EOS 1-D Mark II with Lenses, A Macbook Pro for editing and a Sony HD A1U Video Camera. Allegedly the materials were already purchased and I should have them and soon. There was alot of resistance to the Sony, as it is not a typical inventory item in the system...well of course it isn't, it is brand spanking new and the best in class. By taking this camera with me, I will be able to shoot high-definition video over the next year and get cinema quality imagery of our troops, the windswept lands of the roof of the world and the people of Afghanistan. Needless to say, I am excited.

The people are starting to come together and that is where I am seeing the limitless potential of this journey. I go, go, go and sometimes go a little more. That can be exhausting. Now I have found my match in the men that will help me tell the story of these great Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Mark was just promoted to Major this week...by his son (see the photo). His son is now on his third deployment since 9-11, this one he volunteered for just to join his Dad. Mark is a good man. He holds his head high and sees the big picture, knowing that his job is to get Afghanistan "back on the front burner." He is already looking to form partnerships with hospitals in the U.S. that might work with us for vital emergency care for Afghanis that need it.

We were just joined by another officer, Paul. Paul left the active force in 2002 and was listed in the I.R.R. Spent the last few years at an Ivy League Law School following his service and had just graduated in the fall of last year, was planning to propose to his sweetheart on Christmas Eve, when, on December 22nd, he got his "recalled to Active Duty" letter. As the old marching call goes..."Got a letter in the mail, go to War or go to jail." So he proposed early, they got married, and he is off to a challenging start, but he is a first class officer, a great mind and guy who sees the forest and the trees for what they are, opportunities.

Another member of the public affairs team is a staff officer for one of our Senators back home.

My Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, or NCOIC, is joining us in about a week. He is one of the most respected audio-visual producers in the defense community. Personally selected by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Tom is going to get some extraordinary footage and produce some worldclass videos of our time in Central Asia.

Like I said, we are building a great team.

-Out here

2006-03-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog entry so we'll see how it turns out.

The weather here at Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is quite nice at present. Sunny skies and a cool breeze blowing, keeping the air fresh and the heat down. We are getting ready for it to heat up, though.

I've been here about two weeks. The training to date has been pretty strong. Focused on orienting us on the combative environment we will soon be facing, we have a series of several score tasks that we need to be proficient in as well as collective or "group" tasks that we have to master. The training environment is such that we have "Combat Counterparts" that monitor and assist us in accomplishing our training objectives, mentoring us along the way.

I am limited in what I can accomplish right now because I am still waiting on some equipment to arrive, but soon I will have my cameras and be ready to post imagery as well as writings to this post and to those back home that want to know what we are doing.

It is interesting to be part of this Task Force. No longer a unit of the Oregon National Guard, we are a joint task force with elements from the Army, Navy and Air Force, servicemembers from 25 states and two U.S. Territories. Nightly we brief the commanding general on our work, our requirements and our plans for future operations. This is going to be a great voyage with an extraordinary team.

My team is coming together very well. Although I was not able to convince the leaders of the Air Force to bring my trusted right hand, Nick Choy, to join us (some prohibition against the Blue side of the force), he is here for a short term, an Airman learning the ways of Soldiers. He is having a great time and building solid relationships that will help us to get the story told back home in Oregon and beyond. Scott Kesterson, the embedded reporter that is travelling with us for the duration of our journey, is doing extraordinary work. Filing daily and training with a wide variety of units, he is re-learning the way of the warrior and realizing that the Guard is even stronger than when he served within our ranks over a decade ago. I will soon be joined by a real leader in the military photojournalism field, Tom Roberts. His work for the senior leadership of the National Guard is renowned across the nation. It will be great to duplicate the effort and get the benefit of his experience.

It is my intention to be the best storyteller of the men and women of this task force. Because that is my job. Above all else, it is to be a warrior first and the RANGER tab on my soldier is a daily reminder that "I accept the fact that, as a Ranger, my country expects me to move farther, faster and fight harder than any other soldier." Given that, I know that my role is to get the stories of these Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors into the front rooms, headlines, postboxes and mind's eyes of Americans and the world. Every day I meet another member of our team with another extraordinary story. I am honored to be part of the process that gets their story told.

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step." - Lao Tsu

This is the first step.

-Out here