Daily Gingerbread

Where has the time gone?

2010-12-15T18:55:00.000+04:30

So I haven’t written a blog in what seems like a very long time. It started with my R&R break and then like a good habit fallen to the wayside, it just fell out of my normal routine. I’ve been guiltily thinking about writing one for weeks. Each day, I wake up with good intentions – “Today I will write a blog,” I think to myself, only to get sidetracked at work, errands or small tasks that seem to take enormous priority over writing my thoughts down. When my computer crashed and I lost 10 months worth of photos, notes, stories and blogs, I was … well, devastated might be too strong of a word, but I was definitely not happy. It definitely didn’t add writing to my list of things to do.

And let’s face it folks, part of it is a little laziness on my part. It takes a lot of mental effort to go out on a mission, take pictures, interview people using interpreters, negotiate the Kabul city streets and produce imagery and a written product. By the end of each day, I’m usually wiped out, not write more.

So each day passed to the next, and suddenly it’s been two months since I’ve written anything for my personal blog. As each day came and went, it became a little easier to justify not writing anything. It’s like when you skip a workout; each time you’re tired, not feeling very well, or just not energetic enough to go, it becomes easier and easier to skip the next session. But like going to the gym, I know if I just force myself to start, I’ll get into it, and maybe, shockingly enough, actually enjoy it. It’s just a matter of time. SO like jumping into a cold pool, I’m taking the plunge back in. And besides, with less than a month left to my time here in Afghanistan, I figure it’s best to finish strong. Let the writing (and photos!) commence.

To protect and serve

2010-09-20T19:47:00.003+04:30

On a recent trip to Kandahar province, we had the opportunity to attend an Afghan National Police graduation. During the nine months I’ve been here, I’ve attended numerous graduations – Afghan Army, NCOs, academy graduates, basic trainees – but what made this one so interesting was the fact that 1) it was being held during Ramadan and 2) it was in Kandahar.

On this hot afternoon in Southern Afghanistan, 164 ANP graduates were crowded into a room, eager to receive their diplomas. These 164 men had joined the police, knowing that they would be staying in Kandahar province, to protect their homes and families. The police are a local force, they live and work in their home communities, while the army and Afghan National Civil Order Police deploy to where they are needed. Often it is hard to recruit people who fear being sent to Kandahar or Helmand provinces; some even go AWOL when assigned a duty there. But these men signed up knowing that would be where they would stay.

It may be a small thing, to have a class of 164 graduating, but it’s a start. After all, it only takes one person to ignite a change. I hope they serve as an example for others in their villages; that they take courage and strength from these leaders, and stand up against those who would only hurt them.

An afternoon with Afghan heroes

2010-09-15T11:36:00.002+04:30

Today, I had a visible reminder that while the wounded U.S. and coalition forces are the more visible casualties of the fight in Afghanistan, there are others who are fighting for and dying for this country – the Afghans themselves. On our way to visit wounded Afghan soldiers at the National Military Hospital in Kabul, our convoy was halted by a funeral procession. I looked out the window and saw a huge crowd of people – mostly in military uniform, so I knew it was a funeral for a fallen Afghan National Army soldier.

Although little publicized, especially to the American public, the Afghans are joining their armed forces - the Afghan National Army and Afghan Uniform Police - in droves. In a little less than a year, the army has grown almost 40,000 soldiers and the police by more than 20,000. Motivated by the need for a peaceful and stable country, these men and women are risking their lives to protect their country, fight corruption, drug lords and the Taliban who are doing their best to pull this country down.

Wounded soldiers are stabilized at the nearest regional hospital, located in Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Gardez, and then sent to the national hospital, if necessary. On our trip to NMH, we visited with about 15 soldiers who had been injured in various IED attacks and firefights with Taliban. In addition to Lt. Gen. Caldwell, commander NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and Command Sgt. Maj. Beam, with us were Afghan Gen. Sher Mohammad Karimi, ANA Chief of Staff and Command Sgt. Maj. of the Afghan National Army Roshan Safi, who I later learned has been a frequent visitor to the hospital.

We were there to present Army achievement medals to the soldiers, recognize them for their bravery, and thank them for their sacrifice. Many had lost legs, some were severely burned or disfigured, and in one disturbing case, the patient was emaciated, after spending two months in a trauma-induced coma. It was heartrending to see the victims of this insurgency up close and personal, and I had tears in my eyes to see them laying on their hospital beds. Even though they weren’t my fellow American servicemembers, they were soldiers fighting the same enemy and I couldn’t help but feel a connection to them.

The Americans, and our Coalition partners - British, Canadians, Italians, French, and Spanish – have all recently lost servicemembers, but they are not the only countries with people willing to fight and lose. The country we are here to help is filled with those who are also willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice. They too are fighting for independence, for peace, for freedom.

Let us never forget.

One step closer ...

2010-09-11T19:22:00.003+04:30

Last month, I covered a ceremony officially opening a new infantry school in Kabul for the Afghan National Army. The move is a big step for the ANA as they work toward professionalizing their force. NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan and the Afghan government have spent much of the last 10 months building a force large enough to protect the country, with much of the focus on recruiting and end-strength goals. Now that the ANA has met their goal of 134,000 soldiers, two months early I might mention, they are turning their attention to building the necessary specialized skills – medical, infantry, communications, artillery, etc. – that make up a military.

Previously, infantry tactics, including reconnaissance and heavy weapons systems courses were taught under the Advanced Combat Training Brigade at the Kabul Military Training Center; now the ACT brigade is in the process of separating all advanced branch training, including artillery, maintenance, logistics, signal and engineer, into separate schools to enhance training.

The new school will allow the ANA to develop entry-level soldiers, NCOs and officers by providing more space for training, time and attention on infantry-specific skills. It will do much to boost the ability of the Afghan infantry soldiers and, perhaps even more importantly, will be run and taught by the Afghan army with support from the British. Slowly but surely U.S. and NATO forces are handing more and more responsibility over to the Afghans.

The first class of 211 students to go through the new school began training July 31, 2010. If courses run at full capacity, the new school will be able to accommodate up to 2,000 students at one time, or 14,000 infantrymen per year. This is a historic time for the Afghan National Security Forces. It seems every day there are more and more signs of progress and milestones reached and even though I didn’t have any direct impact on their success, I can’t help but feel proud of all that they’ve achieved.

Flying high

2010-09-11T18:46:00.004+04:30

An estimated eight million people have been left homeless and 1,600 were killed after waves of devastating floods swept across Pakistan in July and August. The same rains that caused the massive flooding also affected western Afghanistan, albeit on a much smaller scale. The international community has pledged millions in humanitarian relief aid to Pakistan, including its neighbour, Afghanistan. For 27 days, a crew of 22 Afghan Air Force, with four MI-17 helicopters, conducted more than 400 rescue and humanitarian missions in Pakistan. The crew helped move more than 2,000 aid works and stranded residents and delivered 188 tons of food, medical equipment and shelter supplies.

A few days ago, we were there at the Kabul International Airport to welcome the crew home from their mission. Their return from Pakistan was remarkable in not only that this poor, war torn country was able to lend a hand to others in need – epitomizing the true nature of the Afghan people – but that they were actually able to do so. The humanitarian relief effort demonstrates how far the Afghan Air Force has come in the past year, and comes shortly after they led rescue missions in their own Laghman province in late July, where crews saved more than 2,100 people from flood waters, many times under the threat of Taliban guns.

Since the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan command stood up in November 2009, the AAF has grown to almost 5,000 airmen and 50 aircraft. But I think the more impressive factor is that the humanitarian effort was completely Afghan coordinated and executed. Working under President Karzai’s directive, the Afghan Air Force coordinated with the Pakistani government to offer support – no U.S. or NATO help was used, or even needed.

I can't speak for everyone at the airport, but I know for me, watching their hero's welcome was exciting; to see the Afghan Air Force strong and capable enough to stand on their own and knowing that this was a huge step toward an independent and enduring Afghan nation. And maybe a little bit because this was about the Afghan Air Force, a young organization just getting its start. Someday, maybe an Afghan airman will be studying this historical event for a promotion test, knowing that this was the just the beginning of what his (or her!) Air Force was able to offer the world.

Starstruck

2010-08-23T16:18:00.002+04:30

She’s won numerous awards – the Peabody, several Emmy’s, various journalism and television awards, not to mention she’s interviewed presidents, first ladies, politicians, actors, musicians, foreign leaders. She’s had the license to ask questions of some of the most influential people of our time – Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Colin Powel, Sandra Day O’Connor, Bill Gates and Tony Blair to name a few. Millions of us have learned from her, watching her on the Today Show before she became the new anchor for CBS Evening News. With this move, she became not only the first female solo anchor of an evening news broadcast, but the highest paid TV journalist in the business.

I’m talking about Katie Couric and she was walking toward me with a huge grin on her face. My first thought was, “Holy crap, that’s Katie Couric” followed quickly by, “But she’s so little.” I think I was just surprised that someone who has made such a big contribution to the journalism world was so petite.

And she was right here in Kabul, here to interview the commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan before we left for a visit to Kandahar. I looked around at the crowd of maintainers gathered in the aircraft hangar – they had to stop working for the interview – and a majority had their cameras out taking pictures. It seems everyone was as starstruck as I was. Katie hardly seemed to notice but I’m sure she’s quite used to it by now. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to her; “Call me Katie” she said, when I addressed her as ma’am. I immediately call her ma'am again. Oops. It's a hard habit to break.

For the next 40 minutes I watched her interview General Caldwell. She was gracious and warm; friendly with her camera crew and with her the boss. She thanked him several times for agreeing to sit down with her before the trip and after the interview, took a group photo with everyone, where I tried to squeeze in as close as possible. I know, I know. Starstruck.

Paparazzi

2010-08-17T17:34:00.005+04:30

One of the best (and sometimes, worst) things about being stationed at a NATO headquarters base is the amount of visitors we get. There is a lot of attention from the U.S. and international community on our progress, ability to meet training goals and of course, now the pressure to meet withdrawal deadlines, so we are constantly receiving distinguished visitors. Everyone from U.S. senators to movie stars to foreign leaders have made their way through Camp Eggers.

While this can be exciting at times, it can also mean a lot of planning, preparation, rehearsal’s, last minute schedule changes and a lot of waiting. People get very nervous when there are VIP’s involved, so of course, there is the rolling out of the red carpet, so to speak.

Some days we are hopping from event to event or in the case of a recent visit from Undersecretary of Defense for Police, Michele Flournoy, pooling our staff to cover a tour. During her visit to Afghanistan (her second since I’ve been here), Flournoy went to the Kabul Military Training Center, where the Afghan National Army runs their basic training program. The tour was designed to show Flournoy the progress being made at the training center, both with meeting the recruitment and training goals for the ANA and with improving the overall quality in training. At each stop, she took time to ask trainees, both men and women, about their experiences and why they personally joined. It was a crazy tour with multiple photographers assigned to capture every stop, including arrival and departure … its times like these when we joke that we’re the paparazzi.

Over the Fourth of July, several congressional delegates - Senator John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman – came to Eggers where they helped promote and present awards to several servicemembers. I know this was a huge treat for those who were personally recognized and for all of those who were able to meet and speak with their elected leaders. These Senators serve on the Senate Armed Forces Committee and help shape policy on everything from our military benefits to Department of Defense policy.

Sometimes it can be frustrating working these DV (distinguished visitor) events, especially when you’d rather be shooting (that’s taking pictures folks, not actual shooting) the behind the scenes things – Afghan security forces training and development – that are making a difference. It is that foundation building that will eventually let us leave this country and what the American and international community’s need to see. I try to temper that frustration by remembering that it is through these visits, the public will learn about what we are doing here. Getting to meet them personally doesn’t hurt either.

A fairytale day at the pool

2010-08-14T13:20:00.002+04:30

Ahhh, the sweet coconut smell of suntan lotion, a splash of cool water on hot skin and the relaxing, sleep-inducing warmth of the sun … is there anything better than being near the water in summertime? Especially when you add in the tart bite of a lime swimming in an icy corona.

But there’s none of that in deployed zone, especially the beverages of an alcoholic nature, so yesterday, when I found myself lying on a deck chair in my bathing suit, smelling like sunscreen and sweating under the hot, hot sun as I watched people swimming, holding onto my icy cold bottle of water, I could almost pretend I wasn’t really deployed. I felt a little like Cinderella must felt all dressed up at the ball - out of place and out of character. Could these happy, and very tan, embassy people tell I didn’t belong? The day glow skin surely gave me away.

This little fairytale setting at the U.S. embassy, is typically off-limits for us military folks, but my co-worker Rachel and I had signed up to participate in a swim-a-thon, a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project, so we were granted access for the day.

We walked over to the embassy - as required - in our uniforms with our weapons and arrived, a sweaty, hot mess to be greeted by the sound of music pumping, people lounging on towels, and oh, that glorious, beautiful blue pool just waiting for us to jump in. Yes, we were there for a good cause – the WWP helps injured service members and their families – but the fact that we would have an opportunity to escape the heat in a pool didn’t hurt the cause either. The mission was to swim for 15 minutes and of course, raise money for WWP. Some people were competing for the number of laps they could swim in that time, but my goal was not that lofty; I aimed to just stay afloat, and I performed marvelously, if I don’t say so myself.

All in all there were about 170 swimmers involved and we raised almost $20,000 – not too bad for a day’s work. After finishing my swim, I stayed awhile to cheer on other swimmers, including several folks from our camp who were participating in the team competition. Oh, all right, it was to soak up the atmosphere a bit more too …. and to grab a hot dog (or two) from the grill.

But alas, this fun in the sun was not meant to last. As the sun started to sink, I again felt like Cinderella, trying to enjoy every leisurely minute until at last, I had to trade my swimsuit and flip flops for a uniform and combat boots. It was time to come back to reality, grab my weapon and begin the walk back to camp. No fairy godmother was going to rescue me but it felt amazing to be normal again, even for just a little while.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit their website at:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,840/

And, thanks to my friend (and co-worker) Chris Mobley for providing the outstanding photographs.

Boys will be boys

2010-08-09T18:48:00.002+04:30

So this is a deployment related entry, but not about the training and development issues I typically write about. Yesterday, while walking to the Ministry of Defense, which oversees the Afghan National Army, I had an interesting conversation with one of our interpreters (who I will just refer to as A for his privacy) about one, yes, one of his new girlfriends. He has four, which according to him, is too many, so he’s trying to pare it down to three. Much more manageable.

It’s fascinating to learn about other cultures and the Afghan’s I work with are always more than willing to answer our questions in exchange for their own. We’ve talked about everything from dating rituals to holiday and family traditions. Afghans are known for many things, among them their generosity and hospitality, and their family-oriented culture. Arranged marriages are very common, as is the custom of marrying cousins but as times change, so do relationship practices. Many of our Afghans have talked about the new, unwritten (and confusing) rules of meeting and dating women in Kabul today. More and more they are seeking out their own partners as opposed to getting to know a girl after marriage or marrying a family member with whom interaction is permissible, until the “couple” is older, and a chaperone is required.

Several of our interpreters have girlfriends whom they secretly date, however, I was shocked to hear that A not only had four, but to hear some of his escapades … and the way he’s using technology such as blue tooth to exchange phone numbers. Girlfriend number four was picked up at a wedding; given that he couldn’t very well cross the room and strike up a conversation, A told me that they “talked” with their eyes. Then he held up his phone for her to see and casually walked by, whispering out of the corner of his mouth for her to turn her blue tooth on. Phone numbers were exchanged and now they are free to speak to each other whenever they choose. And here I though dating in American was complicated.

And of course, if things don’t work out, A can always use one of his creative break-up methods. My personal favorite was the heart-surgery story. Rather than ending things with a girl, A prefers to tell her that he has to go to Pakistan for a risky heart operation, during which he has a 98 percent chance of dying. Now, if the girl happens to call your phone to check up on you and your mom answers the phone, as A’s did, this could backfire, but all in all, not a bad plan.

I believe, ladies, that there is a lesson here and that would be to be careful who you date and perhaps not be too trusting … especially if your man has to undergo an extremely dicey operation. Not all men are bad but it seems there definitely shady characters in any culture.

Afghan women don't struggle alone

2010-07-29T14:07:00.004+04:30

Afghan women face many challenges; cultural, societal and religious views create barriers that often prevent them from entering the work force, attending school or joining their military. The minority of women who do confront the status quo are faced with attitudes about women’s roles in society, discrimination and sexual harassment.

Currently there are 301 women serving in the Afghan National Army and just fewer than 1,000 in the Afghan National Police. While the ANA is on schedule to meet its overall recruiting goals of 134,000 by October 2010, the Ministry of Defense (in charge of the army) is struggling to fill the mandate of having women make up 10 percent of the army’s end strength.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend a women’s forum that was going to be hosted by a group of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan mentors. The purpose was to try to improve conditions for women in the ANA by giving them an opportunity to meet with other women in the military and learn from their experiences. I haven’t seen a lot of female Afghan soldiers, so I was very interested in going; Rachel, one of my female co-workers, and I joined a group of U.S. military women on Sunday, along with another civilian journalist, Gayle Lemmon for the forum.

When we arrived, Afghan Gen. Khatool Mohammadzai was speaking to the crowd of about 60 women, both civilian and military. The women all had lots of stories of being passed over for promotion, or in the cases of the civilian women, not being allowed to join the military because their families didn’t approve. One woman in particular stood out to me; she stood up to speak, saying she had been working for the army for 20 years but in all that time, had never received a promotion or pay raise. With tears in her eyes and her voice cracking, she told that every time asked for a promotion, the men would ask for a kiss or say she had to spend the night with them.
During a break, I had a chance to interview General Mohammadzai, who has served in the ANA for 30 years, as a parachute instructor to education director at the ministry.

She told me that there are many hardships facing Afghan women today; families won’t let women join (they have to attend a two-week training which requires them to stay overnight at the training center, away from home) or people will say bad things about those who do join. I asked her if there were any plans to modify the training program so that women can attend but also leave at night to take care of their families – currently the police training allows women to leave at the end of each day. Mohammadzai didn’t directly answer the question, but rather told me that when she joined, people talked about her but she didn’t care. She said education and training was necessary for females and males and that they need to learn the same things.

“I didn’t receive this position the easy way, I work very hard. I’m very proud I’m alive right now to see women in the uniform,” Mohammadzai said, after telling me that during her early years in the parachute unit, she broke her hand and leg and lost teeth.

I interpreted her answer to mean no, training most definitely would not be adjusted and that women were going to have to continue to fight for their freedoms and rights. In a way I could understand her position – by giving in to pressure to accommodate the training schedule, it would somehow undermine the struggle and lessen the accomplishments a few women have fought so hard for. If women are demanding equal rights and freedoms, taking the easier path is almost like cheating.

“We started from zero, but we’re improving and creating a good facility for women. It has improved the last eight years,” she said. “Other countries have men and women in the military; Afghanistan should be the same.”

One of the American speakers, Marine Col. Sheila Scanlon sought to acknowledge the struggles they face, while praising the women for their courage and perseverance.

“You make many sacrifices just doing what you need to do for your families but when you serve your country, you have to make more sacrifices,” Scanlon said. “Even in the U.S., men say women do not belong in the Marines, but it hasn’t stopped us; it has made us stronger.”

Several of the American women who attended the forum had been influenced in some way by a woman challenging the standards. Some had mothers who joined the Marines or male-dominated career fields at a time when women were still new to the military, or like Colonel Scanlon, were paving their own way.
Air Force Capt. Stacy Eskridge, one of the forum organizers, has taken up the ANA women’s cause. She is also working to get women the use of a gym, daycare services, and computer classes; she has also helped start a women’s driving course that will begin after Ramadan.

While we ate lunch I got to chat with her about why she was helping; she was very passionate about helping these women, and took their advancement personally. Stacy told me that in many cases, even once a woman is able to join the army, the men in their units won’t let them do work; they are often made to make tea or clean offices.

“They didn’t join to serve chai, they joined to be in the military,” she said. “They don’t get to see very many females in the military, just each other, which is why is so important to have events like this. The same battle our mothers had is what they’re dealing with here.”

Afghan women defying limitations

2010-07-24T17:38:00.004+04:30

For more than 100 years, women have been blazing new trails in society, science, medicine, business, sports, literature and military fields. In America, women have fought to be treated equally, for the right to vote, to hold office and receive equal pay. Women have demolished societal and cultural barriers, set world records and established new standards; in the process they have paved the way for countless other women behind them.

For most of the developed world, it is commonplace to have women working alongside men, and as their list of accomplishments grows longer and longer, the limitations placed on women grows smaller. Afghanistan, stunted by three decades of war, a repressive Taliban regime and conservative Islamic views about women, is far behind the rest of the world in terms of women’s rights. All the things we, as American women, assume as our given rights – the freedom to go to college, wear clothes that express our individuality, drive a car, have a job, join the military, vote, date, marry for love or not at all, leave an abusive relationship - are not granted here, or easily earned.
As the people of Afghanistan work, with the help of the international community, to rebuild their government and military forces, the country is seeing traditional beliefs clash with progressive attitudes. More and more women are entering the work force, holding government positions and serving in their military. I recently had a chance to speak with several women who had graduated from the Afghan National Police Academy in Kabul.

Petite and trim in her grey police uniform with a black scarf tucked neatly around her hair, 3rd Lt. Marzia Fazai recognized her country’s need for female police officers. In a religious culture that has strict rules about male and female interaction, women are needed to search females during police operations. Fazai enrolled in a six-month accelerated police officer’s course and has spent the past four years working in the Afghan Uniform Police and as an academy instructor.

With just under 1,000 women police in all of Afghanistan, Fazai is in the minority, but she hasn’t let that stop her from pushing through countless cultural boundaries. When she joined the academy, Fazai said that her fellow male students weren’t respectful and often gave her a hard time. Fazai’s family was supportive of her decision and when she wanted to drop out to attend a civilian university they encouraged her to keep pursuing her goals.

Now four years later Fazai said that despite initial interference with her work from male colleagues, she is able to teach both male and female students. She has also had her share of real-world police work; Fazai was part of an operation that rescued a female journalist who was kidnapped.

Joining the Fazai among the ranks of policewomen in the field, 2nd Lt. Zar Mina, a recent graduate of the three-year officer’s course, works academy legal department. Like Fazai, Mina sees the societal necessity of having women in the police.

Initially her family was not in favor of her joining the academy; she said they heard rumors of an unsafe, bad environment for female trainees and people said bad things about women in the police. After her family visited the campus, they changed their mind and supported her decision. The only woman in her graduating class, Mina had to prove herself to her male students and teachers; she was first in her class for academics, marksmanship and physical fitness.

“The first semester was the hardest; the males were saying bad things and I had a lot of bad days, but I never thought about quitting,” she said. “The second semester was easier and the third even more; my classmates and I had competitions to see who the best was.”

Overseeing the female training, living conditions and treatment at the academy is Col. Naiz Bibi, head of the Women’s Training Department. A 29-year police veteran, Bibi spends much of her time recruiting, often traveling to other provinces to speak with women and their families. Her support and recruiting work is more important than ever; President Karzai announced that an additional 5,000 women need to be added to the police force over the next five years. Although Bibi takes a bodyguard on her trips out, she told me she isn’t afraid of the danger; she has lived through the grip of the Taliban and has seen what she described as dark days. When I asked Bibi about life under the Taliban, she wouldn’t say much other than life was difficult and women didn’t dare leave their homes. Her husband was also a police officer, and he encouraged her to pursue her career – she said she loves being an officer and being in the military is part of a female’s duty, just like being a doctor, teacher or an engineer.

The fact that her husband was also in the police and one of her biggest supporters is something Bibi is quick to mention when speaking to young women and their families. With the police force having a reputation as a dangerous place for women to serve and rife with corruption, families are often reluctant to allow their daughters, wives, sisters or mothers to join.
“My message for those females who don’t dare to come here is that they should revolt against their roles and join the police; we are here beside them to help them,” she said. “My great ambition is to make a lot of females like myself. I encourage females and their families to come and join because this job is a holy job in Islam.”

While their experiences, backgrounds and education levels differ; Fazai, Mina and Bibi are united in their goal to serve their country and the future women of Afghanistan. Fazai, who hopes to have a family of her own one day, said she will only marry someone who will not interfere with her chosen occupation. And Mina, who is just starting out in her career, said that she knows the women of Afghanistan still face many challenges, but there are signs of improvement.

Overall, Mina is right –things are slowly getting better for women here, but more are needed to stand up and push through boundaries. I think I heard the plight of Afghan women described best by Col. Shafiqa Quarashi, the Police Chief of Gender and Human Rights Division. Recognized by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in March as one of 10 international women of courage, Shafiqa gave a speech to a group of police women where she made a powerful statement. “Who is saying women can’t do anything? We can do everything, anything you want,” she said. ““No one will give your rights to you as a gift, you have to take them.”

In the palm of your hands

2010-07-22T16:48:00.002+04:30

Abandoned as a baby, 12-year-old Haidar has never buttoned a shirt, held a pencil, combed his hair or played with a toy. Born with a twisted knot of bone, joints and fingers instead of normal hands, Haidar never been able to properly care for himself; he has only been able to use his wrists and forearms to pick up objects and manipulate his environment.

Haidar was brought to the National Military Hospital in Kabul in the hopes that the Afghan army doctors there would be able to help his situation, but they lacked the expertise to operate. When they learned an American reconstructive hand surgeon would be soon arrive as part of the new medical embedded training team rotation, the ANA doctors admitted Haidar.

One month later, U.S. Navy Capt. Jerone Landstrom, a surgeon specializing in hand and microsurgery, arrived and Haidar had his left hand operated on, giving him, for the first time, the ability to pick up objects. While Haidar’s hand will never look like a normal hand, it is functional.

Our office heard about the operation, and thought that it would make a great story. We cover anything related to training, but so often that focus is limited to developing the Afghan National Security Forces, even though our mission scope is much broader. We were invited to come out to the hospital to meet with Dr. Landstrom and the Afghan doctors who assisted him during the operation.

Working with Dr. Ab Ghafoor-Ateef, the Afghan orthopedic resident who admitted Haidar, Dr. Landstrom, who has been practicing for 27 years, taught the surgical staff the essentials for performing complex reconstructions. This type of surgery hadn’t been performed at the 400-bed military hospital before; Dr. (Gen.) Bahaudin, head of the surgery department, told us that the hospital typically treats major trauma injuries resulting from improvised explosive device attacks or vehicle accidents.

For a hospital used to dealing with trauma patients, Haidar’s case is a success story for both the Afghan physicians and U.S. mentors, especially as they work together to improve the supply and logistics systems and handle the nursing shortage. Based on their current tash-kil, or manning document, they don’t have enough nurses to fully support the ICU ward which international standards suggest having one nurse per bed, and there aren’t enough nurses to provide long-term care. The staff often relies on a patient’s family member to help feed and bathe patients.
More than anything, having the U.S. embedded medical team has given the Afghan physicians a chance to improve their technical skill base and improve the quality of care they’re able to offer patients. In addition to working directly with Dr. (Gen.) Bahaudin, who is responsible for nine departments including neurosurgery, urology and ear, nose and throat, Dr. Landstrom mentors the ICU staff as well as the plastic and orthopedics departments.

The center of the Afghan National Army healthcare system, the NMH mainly treats soldiers and their families, and Afghan National Police patients with injuries too severe for their own hospital to treat. So when I asked how Haidar was able to receive treatment, they told me a relative brought him, but no one seemed to know who he was or what relation he was to the boy. I’m guessing the relation, if he even exists, is a very distant one, but that just further demonstrates the Afghan capacity for compassion.

In terms of sterility, cleanliness, efficiency and capability, NMH is definitely not a typical Western hospital, but they are doing the best they can with what they have. Dr. Landstrom told me that the staff has far exceeded his expectations; he has worked at hospitals in other developing countries like the Philippines and in comparison the NMH has much higher standards.

Landstrom told us that the staff has far exceeded his expectations and have higher standards than some of the hospitals he’s worked at in other developing countries like the Philippines. Landstrom’s goal is to pass along some of his expertise to the surgeons during his year-long tour; already they are learning and taking over – Dr. Ghafoor assisted in Haidar’s first surgery and will be the lead surgeon on the second operation. I hope Haidar’s second operation is as successful as the first; I couldn’t image how difficult his life must have up this point and a simple thing like being able to pick something up can change a life.

Afghanistan 2010, part duex

2010-07-14T13:32:00.000+04:30

A few days ago, our office said good-bye to the Air Force folks I came here with. They were packed up, ready to begin the long journey back to the states and home, back to reunions with family and friends. Many, me included, have been away from home since November. I thought I would feel sad or regretful as I watched them load up the trucks with their gear and said good-bye, but for some reason I didn’t. Instead of throwing my gear in with theirs and heading out, I was just ending another duty day here. I was asked to extend my deployment and eventually agreed, so instead of leaving this July, I’ll be here until January 2011.

I know it may seem hard for people to understand; some people have called me crazy, some said stupid, but that’s their opinion. I guess for the most part, I just don’t feel ready to leave. Our commander says what we’re doing here is a sprint, not a marathon, and that if we at the end of our deployment feel we can’t work another day, then we were successful in our mission here.

There have been times I’ve been so tired, I fell asleep sitting up, slept in airports, couches, floors, vehicles. There have been tumultuous times; I’ve been frustrated, upset, and so angry I wanted to scream or throw something. There were also times I was scared and exhilarated, and times when I swore I couldn’t wait until July came … but now that it’s here, I’m ready to do more. I can honestly say that despite all the negatives, I have also felt fulfilled. This is probably some of the most important work I’ve done in the military and I’m not quite ready to let go.

Someone said we are changing the dynamics in Afghanistan; I challenge anyone who says that we are not making progress here to look around. Afghanistan is coming full-circle; 30 years ago women worked as doctors, teachers and lawyers. It was not the kind of atmosphere associated with western, developed countries, but they were developing into a modern country with modern attitudes and beliefs; that was brought to a screeching halt with the advent of the Russian invasion and continued with the internal fighting and rise of the Taliban. With war comes a focus on survival, not education or development and unfortunately, this breed’s ignorance. There are people who will prey on the uneducated, and use their lack of knowledge to support their ideals.

Now, women are entering the workforce … again. They are going to school, women are supporting their families, becoming doctors, lawyers, serving in the government and even working in the fashion industry. The training and mentoring NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan offers goes much deeper than military and police forces; we are helping them create a national military and police healthcare system, literacy programs, working with their department of public works and various government agencies. We even have individuals partnered with non-government agencies to support micro-loan programs, promote women’s rights and help develop Afghanistan’s economy.

What we are doing here, whether we succeed or fail, will forever be in our history, and I want to be a part of that history. I joined the Air Force for many reasons, but one of them was to make a contribution, to help people. I hope that through our words and images, we are making lives better for the people here and giving them a chance to really live, not just exist and survive. Yes, isn’t always fun; it’s hard work and I miss my friends, family and the little things (privacy, good food, sleeping in, days off, driving for fun with the music on and the windows down, wearing my hair down, long showers, I could go on and on really) BUT what is happening here is more important than that. Than me. So, I stayed. We’ll see what the next six months brings!

Fighting Taliban, recruiting challenges in Marjah

2010-06-28T18:50:00.004+04:30

The heat was intense and stunning; as we stepped of the helicopter, the rotors pushed waves of suffocating hot air toward us. Sweating under 40 pounds of body armor, I stumbled over the rocky ground escaping the noise, dust and heat and climbed into the dirty and hot vehicle waiting for us. Baking under the southern Afghanistan sun, Helmand province is flat, dry and dusty. It is also home to Marjah, a district recently in the news as the site of major military operations conducted by U.S. and Afghan forces in order to clear out Taliban insurgents.

On a recent visit to Marjah, my boss, Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan commander, met with Afghan National Civil Order Police leadership to discuss challenges in the area.

The training and development goals of NTM-A are multi-faceted, and although great strides have been made, there remain many hurdles to overcome. From recruiting to literacy development, building the Afghan National Security Forces is a complex challenge and nowhere are these challenges more apparent than in the Taliban strongholds of Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Working side-by-side with U.S. Marine police mentor teams, the ANCOP, an elite police force, are continuing to provide a majority of the security in the area despite large scale operations ending two months ago. The goal is to recruit and train enough Afghan Uniform Police so that the ANCOP units can be utilized elsewhere, or return home for a rest.

The problem, Regional Command – Southwest leaders told us, is with recruiting enough local police officers to take over permanently. Afghan Police, unlike their Army counterparts, are recruited locally, and once they complete basic training, serve in their home districts. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban; with a strong insurgent presence lingering in there and in Helmand province, police recruitment is a difficult process at best.

During a meeting with Afghan Maj. Gen. Sharif, ANCOP commander, the RC-SW commander, U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Mills, told us his training center at Camp Leatherneck is ready to take on more ANP recruits. The Afghan manning document, or Tashkil, authorizes 311 police officers for Marjah, but there are only 90 currently serving; a class of 32 police officers started their eight-week basic training course June 21, however only eight of the new recruits were from Marjah.

“We keep hearing that there are young men out there who are interested in joining, and are on the fence. Many are concerned about their families and what would happen if they joined,” said Marine Lt. Col. Carlos Orellana, RC-SW C-10 director.

Our visit took us to Combat Outpost Turbett, a small U.S. Marine post in Marjah where the Marine PMT’s live and work with ANCOP forces. From there, we walked through the village directly outside the post. Everywhere we went, we drew attention, and some friendly stares; a few villagers came up to shake hands with the Afghan and U.S. military leaders. On a stop in an unfinished building where Afghan police were taking shelter from the sun, little kids came up to us, curious as always. One little boy pointed at me and asked, “Is that a woman?” Sigh. I’m not sure if it was the armor I was wearing or just the fact that a woman walking around on the street with a group of men is a very rare sight. In fact, during our entire time down there, I didn’t see any women or even the little girls that I typically see out playing on the street.

While we were talking to the boys, me kicking myself for not bringing candy, the sudden burst of gunfire broke through our conversation. Everyone stopped, and in the silence one of the boys said what we were all thinking, “Taliban” with a scared look on his face. Turns out there was a gun fight taking place in the street near-by, so after the marines and Afghan police cleared our new route, we headed back to the combat outpost. Gunfire broke out again during our stop at the new government district headquarters; this time we were getting into our MRAP’s when the gunner in my vehicle shouted down “Contact to the south, we’re getting contact to the south.”

I twisted in my seat to see Afghan police running to get into defensive positions and ducking as bullets hit the walls around them, sending up plumes of dust. Ordered to stay in the vehicle, I could only watch and try to get a few pictures through the dusty window; the gunner was told not to engage unless our vehicle took a direct hit. In those few minutes, I could fully understand the frustration many Marine and Army ground forces say they feel with the restrictions on enemy engagement.

Our visit only highlighted the challenges facing us as the U.S. and Coalition forces work with the Afghan government to create a safe and stable presence in the area. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot more time and effort from the Afghan government, military and civilian population, to completely remove the grip the Taliban has on the area. The civilians may be tired of fighting, but their fear of Taliban retaliation and their lack of education keep them repressed.
When it comes to securing their provinces, Afghan leaders, both civilian and police, recognize the challenges facing them and they seemed, more than anyone, to want to bring peace and stability to their people.

Wedding crashers, Afghan style

2010-06-20T16:32:00.004+04:30

At the insistent tug on my hand, I suddenly found myself part of a clapping, cheering circle of dancing women, a player in a foreign wedding dance ritual. Immediately I became self-conscious – what if I wasn’t dancing right, or moving the right way? What was expected of me? As I looked around at the laughing, encouraging faces, I realized it didn’t matter what I did as long as I participated. I kicked off my shoes and enthusiastically danced along.

It wasn’t the wedding of anyone I knew and I was definitely in unfamiliar territory but all the same, it was a captivating experience.

Last night as I was eating dinner with a co-worker, I received a phone call from an Air Force captain who used to live and work in Afghanistan before she joined the military. Did I want to go to an Afghan wedding? Of course, I replied. Could I be ready in five minutes? Um, of course.

I dropped everything, ran to her room where she had laid out a few outfits that were appropriate for an Afghan wedding. I put on a pretty dark red flowing tunic top and loose pants and beaded pointed shoes and ran back to my office for my camera, all the while feeling completely conspicuous. In a small base where everyone wears either a military uniform or khaki pants with a polo shirt (the standard contractor uniform), an American woman in Afghan garb stands out.

The large wedding hall was filled to the brim with women and children running around. For the most part, hte men were in a separate room, with the younger boys and children mixed in with the women. The women were decked out in their finest, with the dresses ranging from garish to beautiful, some in bright gaudy colors and some decorated elaborately with hundreds of beads and intricate designs. Everything sparkled under the soft yellow lights – their sequins, jeweled hands, hair pieces and shimmery make-up.

Although the celebration had started an hour or so before we got there, in typical Afghan fashion, nothing ever starts on time, so we hadn’t missed much. After we arrived, the band got started and the dancing began. Other than the circle dance where a large group of women were dancing at once, the rest of the time just one or two dancers were out on the floor.

Shortly after the band started, the bride and groom, who had completed the formal part of the wedding ceremony the day before, showed up. They sat in a pair of chairs on a platform behind a table decorated with lots of flowers. One by one, guests came up to have their picture taken with them; although the guests smiled, I noticed the bride never did. I was told it wasn’t appropriate for her to look cheerful; even though the bride and groom knew each other and were both agreeable to the union, it would be an insult to the bride’s family for her to look happy.

Overall, the women were so welcoming and open with me. Some stared at me curiously, probably wondering who I was and what I was doing there, but all were friendly. They smiled, nodded and encouraged me to dance, tried to communicate and let me hold their oh-so adorable babies. And while I wasn’t able to take as many pictures as I wanted, the kids absolutely loved my camera, and kept coming around my table hoping I would snap a photo. They were a curious and open bunch; we wrote down each other’s names, drew birds, hearts and stars, and I taught them how to play tic-tac-toe. Several of the women spoke fluent English, including one young woman who had spent most of her life in Germany; she made the trip to Afghanistan for the wedding and was meeting most of her extended family for the first time.

Like American weddings, Afghan celebrations can go long into the night; when we left at 10, the food was just getting ready to be served; I’m sure it would have been an impressive spread. From what I learned about Afghan traditions, the dancing would have gone until well after midnight.

Despite all the unfamiliar rituals and language barriers, I had an amazing time. I know with my pale skin and red hair, I stood out, but these women, who had to know I was no relation the bride or groom, made me feel completely welcome. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and something I’m thankful I got to participate in.

And I'm not 100 percent sure but I might have participated in some obscure Afghan wedding rite; a very insistent mother kept pushing me to talk to her son and she liked to play with my hair. When she gave me a baby to hold, I knew it was some sort of a test to see if I liked children. Unfortunately, I think I passed ... as I left, the son slipped me his phone number. So the next wedding I dance at just might be my own!

Building a ring of steel

2010-06-17T17:09:00.004+04:30

Kabul is a sprawling city with an estimated population of four million people. Its streets are crowded with thousands of cars, a vast majority of them white Toyotas typically on the warning alert watch.

Although Kabul is considered relatively safe, insurgents still manage to surprise the city with random attacks, most recently on a U.S. convoy that killed five Americans and one Canadian soldier. To protect the city, its residents and the large number of UN and foreign organizations located here, the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police are creating secure perimeters around the city.

Part of a new initiative to secure Kabul from the inside out, the layers of security include five Army forward operating bases, a series of city gates, and a string of 25ANP checkpoints known as the ring of steel.

My co-worker and I recently visited some these checkpoints with some of the engineers from Regional Command – Central who have been helping the ANP organize and build up the security stops. Before the engineers got involved earlier this year, the ANP had hundreds of checkpoints dotted randomly around the city, but they weren’t as effective as they needed to be. Under RC-C guidance, the ANP has consolidated the scattered checkpoints into a tight perimeter and built them up to be easily recognized.

Designed to cover every point of entry, by both foot and vehicle traffic, into the city center, the ring of steel is considered to be a low-cost, high-payoff project for the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC-A) who has helped fund and equip the checkpoints. The checkpoints have been outfitted with barriers, booths, traffic control tools and big blue signs. The plan was to make it a comfortable place for the police to serve and to make the stops visible, legitimate and hard to duplicate, in order to prevent unofficial stops.

While the engineers said that the security plan for Kabul was still relatively immature, the ANP have made huge strides, and security is better than it was even just two months ago. During our tour of the checkpoints, we stopped at the busiest one with the most traffic, one located at the end of a footbridge leading into the city center and one in a residential neighborhood. We got the opportunity to talk to some of the residents, including Mohammad Maroof, a taxi driver who has been a Kabul resident for 40 years. He said that the locals feel more comfortable with the police presence there.

“We all sleep comfortable at night, even when our doors are open because the ANP is here and security is pretty good,” he said. “We feel more secure here and the shop keepers are open late at night. Our children are safe.”

While they have a ways to go, as far as training and equipment, learning how to man the checkpoints and earn the trust of the citizens, with the help of NTM-A, the ANP and Army have a successful start.

A work of art

2010-06-13T19:03:00.004+04:30

Afghanistan isn’t known for offering its youth a lot of opportunities in life; 30 years of war have pushed education, art and creative development to the bottom of a long list of concerns. But a few days ago, my co-workers and I covered an art exhibit at a hotel in downtown Kabul.

Hosted by the Law and Order Trust Fun for Afghanistan (LOFTA), the exhibit featured artwork from students ages 11 to 15. The students were part of Aschiana, or nest, a non-government organization that helps poor children attend school. On my trips out, there are always kids of all ages, hanging out on the street, trying to sell stuff, or just playing in the trash on the side of the road. Often it’s because their families need them to try to make a living or beg for food; survival, not school is a priority. Aschiana helps sponsor children, allowing them to go to school and paying the family what the child would have earned by working on the streets.

LOFTA and Aschiana teachers partnered together to showcase the student’s paintings which portrayed their perceptions of the Afghan National Police. The quality of the artwork was impressive and their impressions of the police weren’t always pretty; the watercolor paintings were raw and honest and expressed an adult’s understanding of war through children’s eyes. Some of the paintings showed the police helping people – stopping kidnappers and suicide bombers and arresting “bad people.” A few paintings depicted women wearing the police uniform, always in a helping role. And some showed the police hurting people, taking bribes, beating up children or being lazy. One painting, by a 13-year-old girl named Nozaiba, was selected as a featured painting. In it, a police officer, half male and half female, stands with holds his/her arms out wide; behind the figure are group of children, while in front sits images from the war: a burning car, poppy, an exploding bomb and a man kidnapping a child.

I asked her about the painting and what inspired her to create what she did and she told me that when the school told her that whatever she thought about the police, she could put on paper. She said she thought about it for awhile and imagined a woman in a police uniform. “In our community, women have the best role; I believe women can help anywhere, anyway, and women can serve their country and their people in the police," she told me.

Before Aschiana helped her family, Nozaiba was not able to go to school, but now she's been attending for two years. During that time, she’s learned how to paint and draw, and has participated in several art exhibits in four countries, including the U.S. where her painting won first place out of 3,000 submissions. It was exciting to know that there organizations out there not only willing to help educate the youth of Afghanistan, but to place an importance on art programs.

Even more personally exciting was walking through all the paintings and photos of Afghan National Police on display and coming across one of my own photos hanging up. Luckily, one of my other co-workers was there to document my surprise.

A new wave of Taliban violence strikes Afghanistan

2010-06-09T19:26:00.006+04:30

Our office receives daily news updates about events, military and civilian, from around Afghanistan; all day long they pop up into my email – Interior minister Hanif Atmar resigns, attacks in Pakistan, NATO supply vehicle fleet attacked, etc. The last few days have not been good ones for U.S. and coalition military forces in Afghanistan; insurgent attacks killed nine Americans, two Australians, a British soldier and a French Legionnaire, as well as two civilian contractors. Today a NATO helicopter was shot down, killing four Americans. The U.S., British and French flags at Camp Eggers have been flying at half-stay in recognition of their sacrifice.

At the time they entered the military service, these soldiers, however distant in their mind, knew the possibility that they could serving in a war zone existed. And when the tasking to come to Afghanistan was received, I’m sure it crossed their minds, as it did mine, that something could happen to them. We all live and serve here under the knowledge that there those who would do anything to hurt us, and for most, it’s a risk we willingly take to make the world a better, safer place.

This evening, I was working on another blog, when I saw an e-mail news alert stating “Taliban militants execute Afghan child.” Taliban members kidnapped and executed a 7-year-old boy from the Sangin district of Helmand Province, whom they accused of spying for the government. I was shocked to see the level that they would stoop to, and for what reason? What purpose does this serve? Who are they targeting? I can only imagine they did it to further terrorize the local citizens or maybe it was for retribution for a family helping NATO forces. At times, this can be a frustrating place. We seem to make progress, only to move two steps back. I hope this, instead of terrifying the Afghan people, brings down their justified wrath; I hope they finally get the courage to stand up to these people who are doing their best to keep the people of this country ignorant, poor and in a constant state of terror.

But most of all, I hope this country and its citizens can rise against these insurgents, and show the world that our fellow U.S. and NATO military members, and the innocent civilians like this boy, will not have died in vain.

Operation "Hamkari"

2010-06-06T15:22:00.006+04:30

With all eyes turned from Marjeh to Kandahar as the next big offensive location, it’s critical for the U.S. and Coalition forces to have not only the support of the Afghan citizens but the participation and cooperation of the Afghan National Security Forces.

On a recent trip to Kandahar, where it was a cool 104 degrees, we visited the Kandahar Regional Training Center, where the Afghan National Police attend their basic training course. Often overshadowed for the Afghan National Army, whose development in the past has received more attention and funds, the ANP are being aggressively developed. Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan commander, is concerned with police development, especially Afghan National Civil Order Police, so our visit centered on the training center and several ANP stations around the city.

The RTC, commanded by Afghan Gen. Nassurullah Zarifi, is currently training 316 police in their six-week program; for some recruits, it’s the first time they’ve received training although they’ve been in the police for months or even years. Part of the new NTM-A focus of recruit, train and assign is designed to find those who have not yet attended basic training and ensure they’re trained and supplied with the necessary tools to do the job. New recruits are required to attend training before being sent to their units; this technique is also helping reduce attrition and AWOL rates.

Zarifi and his staff face several challenges to police development including not having enough instructors and a lack of literate recruits, a common problem across the board for Afghan army and police training centers. According to the RTC commander, last year, 14 instructors were injured and four assassinated, including his own son. Despite this, he said the instructors, many who live in Kabul, refuse to stop training new police officers.

“We bravely come to our jobs and our duty, and even when the enemy warns us, we still come,” Zarifi said.

During his visit, Caldwell also stopped at several of Kandahar’s 11 police sub-stations, visiting with Afghan and U.S. Army military police, who are partnering with the Afghan police in a cooperation concept known as “Hamkari.” This required a lot of walking and getting in and out of the up armored humvee’s we were traveling in … did I mention it was only 104 degrees that day?

Some of the U.S. soldiers, including recent West Point graduate, 2nd Lt. Lisa Ernst, live and work alongside their Afghan counterparts, showing the true meaning of partnership. For several days each week, Ernst and her Soldiers do without basics like showers and until recently, even port-a-potty’s, to ensure the ANP receive additional training and protection.

With an increased focus on training and recruiting, U.S. and Afghan leaders say they are on target to meet the Afghan National Security Forces growth goals of 109,000 police and 134,000 Army by October 2010. Some of this is due to increased training capacity and larger classes going through basic training programs and some from anti-corruption initiatives and pay raises that have helped reduce retention. Despite all the recent successes with recruiting and training, one of the biggest problems both U.S. and Afghan leaders say is hurting growth is a lack of experienced enlisted and officer leadership. As the backbone of any military force, NCO’s use their knowledge, experience and wisdom to develop younger recruits, but they take time to build.

Training, education and experience are essential to building leadership; with the help of U.S. and NATO forces, the ANSF is working on the first two, but only time will bring the last and perhaps most, important quality.

I pledge allegiance to ...

2010-05-26T14:43:00.004+04:30

At the Turkish-run Gazi Training Center, 400 Afghan National Army recruits stood in the hot sun waiting to swear their commitment to the service of their country. Half-way through their eight week basic training course, the trainees were participating in an oath-swearing ceremony, promising to protect and defend Afghanistan.

The ceremony reminded me of an event in my own Air Force basic military training almost seven years ago; since then, basic training has been extended and changed to match the skills Airmen enlisting today would need, but back then, we had something called a coin ceremony. In our fifth week of training, known as “warrior week” trainees are sent out for a week-long field exercise. At the conclusion, each of us was presented with an Airman’s coin, symbolizing our transition from “trainee” to “Airman.” Patriotic music played in the background and our drill instructors who had yelled at us, pushed us and motivated us (sometimes out of fear) congratulated us on our hard work and achievements. I know for many, including myself, it was a proud and moving moment. It was also the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel; it meant we had made it through BMT and provided we didn’t royally screw up the rest of the time, we would be graduating.

The ANA ceremony, while a lot different, was still a very cool experience – I hope the trainees felt the same motivation my fellow trainees and I felt when we received our coins. The patriotic music playing in the background, the marching and presence of leadership was all very similar; but they took it a step further. Each trainee placed one hand on a table and one on the trainee next to him and swore that he would defend and protect his country. They were sharp and crisp in their movements, and the oath was said in unison.

For four-week trainees, I was very impressed. Their marching was better than that of some of the eight-week graduating classes I’ve seen.The Gazi Training Center has been considered a success since it began operating in February 2010. With a 27 Turkish instructors and 28 Afghan instructors, the teacher to student ratio is only 1-to-8, much lower than the 1-to-50 (and often, more) ratio at the much larger Kabul Military Training Center nearby. The additional trainers allow instructors more hands on time with students. The first graduating class - more than 600 trainees - had a 38 percent literacy rate; the average graduating class at KMTC may have about 18 percent and literacy training has been dropped from the course to allow for more time on infantry-essential skills such as marksmanship.

The Turkish have been so successful in their training effort that after this class graduates in June, they’re going to switch from running a basic training program to teaching a non-commissioned officer course. I have no doubt they’ll be churning out skilled, literate NCO’s to help lead the Afghan Army in no time at all.

A place for women?

2010-05-23T16:46:00.005+04:30

A few weeks ago I was invited by a female captain at Camp Eggers to attend a planning session at the European Police headquarters. As a civilian and non-government organization outreach liaison, Aheather is responsible for working with Afghan, U.S. and NATO groups to facilitate progress and implement change.

She’s worked on everything from getting Afghan National Security Forces to invite and help pay for families to attend basic training graduations to facilitating women’s rights talks. The planning session centered around a team of engineers, Afghan National Police leadership and European police who were meeting to discuss how to adapt existing and future Afghan police office buildings for female police officers.

The challenge was multi-faceted – policewomen need a separate area to receive female citizens, question suspects and if necessary, incarcerate them. They also need a safe and again, separate, area for themselves to work, including a break area and bathroom facilities. Women also need a separate entrance to their facilities from the men, which must be secure and clearly marked so the local female citizens will feel comfortable enough to visit the police office. All of this needs to be kept apart from the men’s facilities – separate but equal, right?

And the biggest challenge of all – however they designed the women’s facilities, they couldn’t be too nice, or the male police would take over the area for themselves. Very gentlemanly.

The initiative to provide a space for female police officers is just that – it’s in the very beginning stages, but with the help and cooperation of Afghan police leadership, it will hopefully come to fruition. It has multiple benefits – women citizens will be able to seek help or report crimes to the police, women suspects can be kept separate from male suspects (something that should always happen, no matter what the culture) and it serves as a recruitment tool; husbands, fathers and brothers will be more likely to grant permission for their female relatives to join the police force if they know that cultural and religious sensitivities will not be violated.

Already there are police office buildings being modified for women. While I would personally like to see a solution that includes men and women working together, I realize that it might take their culture a very long time (if ever) to get to that point. In the meantime, it’s an encouraging sign that they are indeed making a place for women in the workforce.

To drive or not to drive ...

2010-05-12T10:37:00.003+04:30

Anyone who has driven in Kabul knows that it can be a nerve-wracking experience. Literally, there seem to be no rules of the road – cars on both sides of the road will drive in any direction while people on foot, bikes, horses, donkeys and push carts will dart in and out of traffic. Cars driving down the road will come to an abrupt halt, stopping to pick up someone on the side of the road and zoom back into the flow again without so much as flick of the blinker. Vendors set up stalls alongside the road, selling fruit, clothes, shoes, sunglasses, phone cards and balloons to anyone and everyone. Stop signs, traffic lights, heck even lane markers are nonexistent. It’s pretty much a free-for all out there and anything goes.

Which is why, one day as we were driving through the city, I had to laugh at the irony of seeing this ‘traffic information’ booth; empty, unkempt and warning drivers to obey traffic rules. I did manage to capture a picture for posterity. I remember thinking, "What traffic rules?"

Despite the lack of road rules here, there are encouraging signs.

A team from my office went on a three-day trip to the Kabul Military Training Center, where the Afghan National Army runs their basic training program and four other advanced training schools. Our goal was to get as many stories as possible during our stay, and one of the schools we covered was the Advanced Combat Training program which covers everything from advanced heavy weapons to reconnaissance and logistics. And of course, driving. After completing basic training, soldiers are selected for one of the advanced schools, depending on their previous skills or experiences. Those with driving experience are often chosen to attend the five week up-armored humvee course, where they learn driving fundamentals and maintenance basics.

During our interviews with the U.S. Army instructors, we learned that the concepts that seem to be the easiest for most people – review and side mirror use, seatbelt use and blinker use - are some of the most difficult for them to learn. They either don’t use them at all (mirrors and seatbelts) or in the case of blinkers; they use them to indicate to drivers behind them it’s ok to pass. Those who do have driving experience have never had to follow any sort of safety precautions designed to protect themselves or others on the road. One of the most common injuries among Afghanistan’s uniformed military and police is vehicle accidents, a combination result of speeding and not wearing seatbelts.

So while the course is helping teach the basics of driving, the instructors are trying to instill safety into the students. Although graduation from the course only guarantees them the right to drive military vehicles and not a civilian license, the instructors are hopeful that the lessons they teach pay off in both worlds. At the very least, they say it feels good knowing they are teaching them something that will save someone’s life.

The Afghan interpreters in my office also tell me that it is required for Afghan citizens to have a driver’s license in order to drive and, that if a driver is pulled over and doesn’t have one, they can be fined. When I ask how often that happens, they laugh. So, I’m guessing, not very often.

But knowing that one the streets will be a little easier to drive is a good start. Now, if I could only peel my fingers off the dashboard …

The land of opportunity

2010-05-10T11:08:00.002+04:30

This is a land of vast differences – rugged terrain and tenuous beauty, all surrounding a fragile hope for the future. We came to make it a better place for the people who live here, to give them a sense of the world around them and let them know that there is more to life than just survival, that with hard work and determination (and maybe a bit of luck) anything is truly possible.

Sometimes it’s easy to lose perspective of that sense of possibility, of adventure and excitement ourselves. We get caught up in the day to day routine of our lives and forget or don’t have enough time to dream or imagine a better future for ourselves. In other cases, we have to put dreams behind us in order to be adults, get jobs that pay the bills rather than fulfill us and do what we need to in order to get by.

The possibilities that exist for us are still there, but often life gets in the way. To me, one of the benefits of being deployed is it takes you out of your life, strips everything away and gives you something that we don’t always have at home – time. Time to think about what we want, what we’re doing and where we’d like to go. You think about what you really miss, what you’d really like to do when you get home and the things that are important to you. The last time I was in Afghanistan, I started thinking about families and how much I really did want one of my own. There is huge emphasis on families here; they will do just about anything for their families and unfortunately that is why some of them turn to the Taliban, to get the money they need to feed their family or help them survive.

I find that as I work to tell the story of the work the we are doing to create a stable, peaceful Afghanistan and through all that the U.S. and our NATO partners are doing to give hope to the Afghans, all we are doing to be optimistic and enthusiastic about their future, that I’m just as excited about my own. Who knows what will happen next? Will I buy a home in California? Will I get orders to Korea? Will I get another overseas assignment and extend in the military? Will I fall in love and finally have a chance at a family? There is so much opportunity for change and a whole new set of adventures; I just have to wait and see what comes next.

It takes an village to raise a daughter

2010-05-09T17:45:00.004+04:30

They say it takes a village to raise a child ... in my case there was my mom and dad, and two other very special women. This is dedicated to the women in my life ...

To Mary Ann, my pseudo stepmom:

She watched me grow up and treated me like I was one of her own. She listened to my problems and gave me incalculable advice over the years; by turns a mother, a therapist and a friend. Mary Ann encouraged me to follow my heart, to listen to my instincts and to always pursue a path that makes me happy. From boys and dating, finding my first apartment, graduating college, and joining the military, marriage, divorce and losing my father and her best friend, her friendship and support has helped me through years of growing up, adventures and difficult decisions.

For the past 18 years, she’s been a willing part of my life. Mary Ann has been a shopping partner, confidante, companion, teacher and friend. She helped my dad be a better father. She’s helped guide and shape me into the person I am today. Thank you Mary Ann for always being there.

To my Aunt Lorraine:

All of my childhood, my Aunt Rainey was synonymous with the best toys, snacks and playtime around. My cousins, brother and I had grand adventures in her house, playing with the great bins of toys she kept stocked, the snacks she kept in the pantry and the little quirks of her house that let us eavesdrop on adult conversations. She was always willing to let my cousin Krista and I spend the night and we’d battle over who got to sleep in the daybed in the guest bedroom. She read to us, took us to see the Little Mermaid (still one of my favorite movies) and had grand summer adventures with us.

Now that I’m older she’s more of a friend, although I appreciate her advice, wisdom and surprisingly sharp wit. Although she has children of her own, my aunt Rainey, just as in my youth, always has space for me in her heart and home. Aunt Lorraine’s house is my home away from home. Thank you for always welcoming me home, no matter how long I’ve been away.

And last, but not least, to my mom:

Our path hasn’t been always been easy one. We fought tooth and nail over clothes, boys, chores, curfews, attitudes, eye-rolling and back-talking. The last three were all me, I’ll admit. There were times when I was so mad her I thought I would never talk to her again, that she didn’t understand me and never would. I know I didn’t, or wouldn’t, understand her. It seems that most of my life, we were on two totally different planets.

But then there were the days we spent in the kitchen, our hands covered in flour as we rolled and cut out dough and decorated cookies by the dozen. There was my prom night when she let me stay out until 5 a.m. trusting that I would be responsible and smart enough to get home safe and sound. And when I did, my bed was turned down and the nightstand lamp was on for me. Or there was the time that my boyfriend and I broke up and I was so devastated, I cried all night and the next morning, she called into work sick for me. Or when I called her about my divorce and instead of playing the blame game or giving me the third degree, she quietly accepted my decision and told me how sorry she was. Her calm support was exactly what I needed at the time. It seems no matter how much we don’t get along or understand each other, when I need her the most, she’s always there. And that’s what I remember most, and am thankful for, on this Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful women in my life! Thank you for helping make me who I am today.

It's a small world ...

2010-05-04T09:27:00.005+04:30

My friend Nestor is one of the happiest, easy-going, likeable people I know. He’s always smiling, full of jokes and good humor and is just loving life. We met in Guam, during my first assignment in the Air Force and his first public affairs assignment; the shop we worked at had some difficult personalities and Nestor and I bonded. It was great to have a friend in the office. He was so enthusiastic about life in general and about being in the PA world. Definitely a glass-full type of guy.

I moved on to assignments in Italy and then California and he to Japan and then Arkansas, but we stayed in touch via Facebook and email. I was lucky to meet up with him again during this deployment, when we found ourselves working at two missions not far from each other. He’s at the International Security Assistance Force headquarters and I’m at NATO Training Mission –Afghanistan headquarters, which are very close together in Kabul. We managed to see each other a handful of times, usually unplanned, at various events or around our respective bases, and it was so nice to see that in the past six years, Nestor’s enthusiasm for the Air Force, public affairs and life haven’t dimmed. A few days ago he invited me to his going away dinner with his shop and I just had to be there. I knew we’d have a good time, and finally get to chat in depth, instead of quick bursts of conversation in between photo jobs. Plus, when he mentioned barbeque, I knew the food would be good!

We can walk to ISAF from Eggers, but you need a battle buddy, so I grabbed my co-worker Davis and with the promise of good food, got him to agree to walk over with me. Sure enough, I could smell the food cooking on the grill from around the corner. It was a nice night of good food, a beautiful sunset and seeing old friends (another friend whom I met at pre-deployment training was also there) and of course, with Nestor and me, goofy photos.

So while I’ve still got a few months here, Nestor is about to head back to Arkansas to his beautiful wife, Sherrill, their bakery business, and some fun Vegas vacation plans. I hope that whatever happens, Nestor never stops smiling and that I have the good fortune of working with him again someday.

Taking the time to be a kid

2010-04-21T15:10:00.008+04:30

For the past week, we’ve been escorting a crew from CBS’s 60 Minutes around Kabul as they work on story on the Afghan National Police. We’ve been everywhere; Central Training Center, Camp Phoenix, the Afghan National Police Academy, ANP headquarters in Kabul; you name it, if it had to do with police, these guys wanted to film it. It was a nice chance for me to get some photos too since pretty much everywhere we went, they were putting on the show for the big time media.

From South Africa and Australia, the film crew was a fun group; most of the journalists and photographers we’ve had out here are and I can imagine why - they have the coolest job; traveling around the world, documenting stories and amazing events and getting paid to do it. Sort of like being in Public Affairs, but with more money, more freedom and civilian clothes. So almost.

On the third day out the film crew wanted to get the Kabul police chief on patrol so we headed to the streets of Kabul, where of course, a big crowd gathered in minutes. It’s usually the kids first, and today was no different. Two little boys immediately came up to the vehicle windows and started trying to get our attention.

While I find it extremely sad to see little kids playing or going through garbage, I don’t like to give them money, no matter how much they beg. I’m sure they all have the phrase, “Missus, missus, one dollar, you give me one dollar” memorized because that’s all they seem to say, over and over. I know people hand out money but I can’t do it; it doesn’t teach them anything, the other kids might beat them up and take their money and it just encourages them to ask for more. Not to mention, you’ll have every kid in a two-block radius begging you in a matter of minutes.

But these two little boys were being relatively well-behaved and were asking for food so my co-workers and I gave them some snacks we had and a couple of bottles of water. While they were quiet about their prize, it was inevitable that other kids would find out and come running. Sure enough, five more kids came over trying to beg for money or sell us trinkets and gum. After awhile, they ran off, but the first two boys stayed and after sneaking them some lollipops, I started to play a combo of hide n’ seek and tag with them. They were laughing and having fun, and it was nice to see them taking the time out to be kids because I imagine their childhood doesn’t allow much room for playfulness. There is something about interacting with the Afghan children that brings out your protective insticts; they have so little disregard for their own safety, health and well-being; it makes you just want to take care of them. I tried to clean their hands and faces with the baby wipes I always carry and the 'What is THIS?' look on their faces was almost comical.

After awhile it was time for us to leave, but I managed to get a few pictures of them playing first. I don’t know if those two kids will remember us but I hope that whatever comes their way, they remember there are decent people in the world.

Getting the party started right

2010-04-21T12:34:00.005+04:30

Every culture celebrates a special occasion in its own unique way; in the U.S. we typically have cake, balloons and music. In Afghanistan, they sacrifice a cow.

Our office covered the cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Afghan Defense University headquarters at Quarga in early April, where, after the typical speeches from various Afghan National Army leaders, a few ceremonial bricks were placed at the construction site ... and then the Afghans blessed the land by sacrificing a cow.

When I arrived at the construction site, I started taking pictures and talking to people, looking for a few good interviews for the story. One of my co-workers handed me a program and said, ‘Did you see their going to kill a cow’? Up on hill, overlooking the construction site, was a cow and two handlers. I wasn’t sure if really believed they would kill the cow or not, but indeed, they did. I had a front row seat; turns out I’m not that squeamish. I found out later they distributed the meat to families in need; nearby there was a refugee camp so hopefully some was brought there.
The ADU will be home of the National Military Academy of Afghanistan, a four-year military university modeled after the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a dining facility, library, clinic, post exchange and several additional military schools. Over the next three years, these facilities will be built on 1,500 acres of land that was once used as Ahmad Shah Massoud’s stronghold. Known as the Lion of Panjshir, Massoud is an Afghan national hero who fought against the Soviets during the Russian occupations and then the Taliban; he was assassinated, Sept. 9, 2001.

Although it will take a few years for the ADU to be finished and all the schools moved there, it’s a huge symbol of courage, strength and hope for the people of Afghanistan. They are consolidating their Afghan National Army training facilities in one central location, and this place will hopefully become synonymous with honor, security, educated and ultimately, the future of the country.

Paving the way

2010-04-04T14:44:00.004+04:30

The room was filled with movers and shakers – generals, colonels, counter narcotics investigators, prosecutors, Drug Enforcement Agency leaders and judges. And me. Myself excluded, it was a powerful group of people gathered from all different backgrounds and life experiences, cultures and nationalities … in fact; one of the only things they had in common was their gender. That and these women were all there because they had achieved what they did in spite of great obstacles, and they wanted to make the path easier for the women behind them.

Facilitating the meeting of the minds was Brig. Gen. Anne MacDonald, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan assisting commanding general for police development, and Michele Leonhart, acting administrator for the Drug Enforcement Agency. General MacDonald’s focus is police development and one of the big pushes right now is how to make the police force a safer, more appealing place for women to serve.

Earlier this year, President Hamid Karzai mandated that an additional 5,000 women would be added to the police force by 2014; currently there are roughly 1,000 women serving. Lack of familial support, corruption, cultural beliefs about men and women working together, low pay and dangerous duties are just some of the issues facing the brave few who choose to enter the police force.

Each woman got to tell a little about herself and her personal experience and as I listened, I heard the same struggle over and over again. Some, who were policewomen before the Taliban came into power, recounted tales of violence toward women, financial hardships and freedoms destroyed. Younger women spoke of lack of respect from male colleagues, lack of promotions and of being forced to administrative tasks rather than real police work.

Michele Leonhart shared some of her experiences first as a uniformed police officer, then as a DEA agent. Like the other women at the table, she had her own challenges to face as a woman police officer in the 1970’s: low numbers of women in the police force and negative attitudes from her fellow policemen and even their wives. But she made it to the top of her game and while I’m sure it was frustrating and difficult at times, something she said really struck me. She told the women that ‘it didn’t matter if you were a male or female, people are just looking for good leaders.’

I think that was something these Afghan women really needed to hear, to know that they weren’t alone and that while it may take some time, things will improve. I think it helped them to see that even in a country as modern and advanced as the U.S., women still faced similar attitudes and obstacles, and not that long ago. Their struggles are something I can’t even imagine, that I don’t have to imagine, because people like them and Ms. Leonhart, paved the way.

Eye on the prize

2010-03-27T18:46:00.001+04:30

For the most part, being deployed isn’t fun. You’re away from most things good in life – family, friends, good food, the freedom to enjoy your hobbies at your leisure, wearing civilian clothes, comfortable beds, hot showers … the list is endless.

But all of that is usually offset by the knowledge, the hope, that what you’re doing in your deployed location is making life better for someone else, that you’re providing an opportunity, a chance for a safer and happier life for someone that may not have had that chance. For whatever reasons any of us join the military, there is a part of us, however small, that joined to serve our country and make the world a better place.

Being in public affairs lets me talk to a lot of different people, from all different career fields, backgrounds, walks of live etc., so I hear a lot of viewpoints, but one common theme I’ve come across while deployed is, well, I guess the best way to describe it, is frustration. After a certain amount of time, deployed life starts to wear on people. Some sooner than others, but eventually I think it gets to all of us. We become short-tempered, complaints are voiced more frequently, and we start to question what we’re doing here.

Yesterday, while doing an interview for a police anti-corruption story, I talked with an air force captain who, if he felt any of that negativity, definitely didn’t let it show. He was at the tail end of his deployment, and one of the best interviews I had in a long time; articulate, well-spoken, knowledgeable and full of details. He was definitely what we in the public affairs world would call a subject matter expert. But not only that, he was passionate about his topic – he came prepared with a binder full of notes, facts, figures and detailed information and spoke at great length about the pay by cell phone program, a new anti-corruption measure being implemented through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Finance, and the finance reform office at NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.

The program allows Afghan National Police serving in remote or dangerous areas to receive their pay electronically, through their cell phone. It’s a creative and unique way for them to get paid, reduce corruption and help build the Afghanistan banking infrastructure. Currently, only about 3 percent of the population use banks in some sort of capacity. For police in remote areas to get paid, they send a representative to the provincial headquarters, who picks up the pay – in cash – for his unit and brings it back to them. Yeah … you can see where this is going. But the new pay by phone program has been successful in its test districts, so much so it’s being expanded to three more this month.

While the story itself is really interesting, as I talked with the captain, he said something that really struck me. He had worked very hard during his six months here, to create a payroll system that could be run by Afghans and in fact is run by Afghans. Essentially, as he put it, he worked himself out of a job. If we could all be as successful in our efforts in our mission, we’ll not only have our eye on the prize, but firmly in our grasp.

A presidential duty

2010-03-23T09:29:00.001+04:30

Imagine the president of the United States coming to your college graduation; having him (or her!) be the guest speaker and personally handing you your crisp diploma. How exciting, how cool would that be? And imagine how you would probably always remember something like that. A few days ago I attended the graduation ceremony for the National Military Academy of Afghanistan Class of 2010, where Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke and then stayed to personally present each of the 212 graduates with their diploma and ceremonial sword. Talk about making someone’s day!

I was thoroughly impressed. The guest speaker at my college graduation was Eliot Spitzer, then the New York state attorney general, who became the NY governor several years later, quickly followed by his resignation over his involvement in a high-priced prostitution ring. Ooops.

Since Karzai was attending, security was extremely tight for the graduation and our gear had to be examined and all of us patted down. Once inside the gymnasium, our movements were restricted to certain areas. Not being one to listen, I moved around under the glaring eyes of the presidential secret service. “Madam, you can’t go here.” And “Miss, you can’t go there.” Oh, ok, sorry, sorry, I nodded. All the media were penned up in one section and I was told that they would let two or three come to the front at a time. Finally, I just went to the front of the room where the U.S. military guests were seated and parked myself up there. There was no way I was getting stuck in the back. So I was lucky enough to get some great views, and shots of Lt. Gen. Caldwell and President Karzai speaking, and I was able to get an earpiece that we use to hear the interpreter give the English translation.

Although graduations seem really common around here, this one was particularly important. The academy is modeled after the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and provides graduates with a four year degree in civil engineering, computer science, management, law or English language. It also allows the graduates to become commissioned officers in the Afghan National Army or the Afghan National Army Air Corp. The Class of 2010 was only the second class to graduate from the academy; the first graduated last year. And the audience was packed with undergrad cadets, who were very enthusiastic and supportive of their senior counterparts. So while the program is relatively new, it’s produced and is continuing to produce, qualified, educated, literate leaders for Afghanistan.

Oh, and did I mention, after President Karzai finished handing out diplomas, he took the time to greet several of the U.S. military officials attending the ceremony … including yours truly! Ok, now that made MY day.

First comes career, then comes marriage ....

2010-03-20T19:25:00.009+04:30

I learned yesterday that even when you are at your most frustrated and annoyed, good things can come out of a bad situation.

I had the worst headache yesterday, so after coming into work for a photo shoot that got moved to 8 p.m. I decided to lay down for a bit. Not 10 minutes after I turned off my light, my phone rang, and against my better judgment, I answered. It was work. Bad idea. I got assigned to go into Kabul to do a cultural piece about what Afghans do on a typical Friday, which is their religious day of worship, their day off from work.

As I grumpily gathered my gear, I realized was in no mood to talk to people. This isn’t going to work, I told my boss. We don’t have an interpreter, no one speaks English, etc. But he was determined that we go, so we headed out to the Olympic Stadium, which was built in 1923 by King Amunullah Khan, in celebration for defeating the British; it marked Afghanistan as an independent nation. Under the Taliban it had a less illustrious role – it was the site for public punishment, including executions and stoning. Since 2001 it was gradually gone back to the people and is now used for local and national sporting events. On this particular, beautiful, sunny Friday, it was filled with people playing soccer, having picnics and hanging out.

And of course, the first person that we spoke with, barely minutes after getting out of the vehicle, spoke English. Seriously. There went that excuse, right out the window. As I walked around the field, I started to enjoy the day, the weather and just being out with the people as they played in the sun. We don’t get many opportunities to freely mix with the Afghans without a lot of military people around so this was a nice change. I started taking pictures of people playing soccer and soon, kids started crowding around. The ball came to me and I kicked it back, to big smiles from the players.

We left shortly after to move on to the next spot, where again, we were greeted with smiles, curious glances and eager children. Sometimes the kids want to just talk to you, or be near you, maybe have their picture taken and some want something, anything they can get from you and they won’t take no for an answer. It can be frustrating and sad, but I don’t like to hand out money. I hadn’t brought candy like I normally do, which in this case, may have been a good thing because there were quite a few kids and it could have turned ugly, quick, especially if I hadn’t brought enough.

There were lots of people playing soccer and cricket, this time in fields near the old presidential palace and we stayed for a bit, talking and taking pictures.

On our last stop, on a crowded city street, with lots of traffic, our colonel got out of the vehicle to buy some sodas and bread. I hopped out of the vehicle to keep an eye out and to see if I could get any more photos. The light was going, but it was beautiful too, casting a soft, golden glow on everything. An elderly man walked up to me, speaking in English. As I chatted with him about being a “soldier” and what we were doing here, the line of questioning went down a familiar path.

“How old are you,” he asked. Sigh, I knew where this is going. Sure enough, the next question came out: “Are you married?” I guess to be a 28-year old, single woman with no children is not a common occurrence here, and often my responses are met with looks of surprise. “Why are you not married?,” he asked. Oh boy, how to answer this one. I smiled vaguely and said, “Someday, I hope to be.” This usually works, earning me nods of approval and big smiles. I’d interviewed several people who turned the tables on me with these types of questions – both men and women. This time the man looked at me and said, “You finish being a soldier, and then get married. It is good what you do.” This time it was my turn to nod and smile, and although I think women can have both a career and a marriage, I’m not sure that’s something they are accustomed to here. I guess it was a big step just to have him be accepting of a woman “soldier.” I'm glad he's got it all figured out; at least one of us does!

Regardless, as we headed back toward camp, I realized my headache was gone (although I was starving!) and that I was no longer frustrated by the day, and in fact, was happy that I’d gotten to go.

In my father's eyes

2010-03-17T15:08:00.006+04:30

Sometimes it’s the oddest things that can remind you of a loved one, a song, a person, a place. For me it’s the sound of a train whistle or a motorcycle revving, the scent of a cigar or burgers cooking on the grill that bring back memories of my father.

I arrived at Eggers the day before what would have been my dad’s 59th birthday, so he was on my mind a lot during my first few weeks here. While I still think of him constantly, the pace of work soon distracted me, as it did during my first deployment to Afghanistan, during which my dad passed, and at the time I was grateful for return to the deployment tempo. So the other day, I was a little surprised to find myself thinking about my dad while flying down to Helmand province with my boss and his staff. I was in full work mode, writing notes and thinking about what I would try to get photos of, while listening to my boss talk to his staff about the day ahead, and I was reminded so much of my father. They don’t look alike, and while he served in the Navy, my dad was nowhere near the rank of general, but all the same, my dad had a similar commanding presence of my current boss.

My dad was a tall, broad-shouldered man with red hair and large features. When I was young, he was a giant and when I was older he was the man I most wanted to impress, with my accomplishments in school and then in the Air Force. I know he wasn’t perfect, and he had his flaws, but people gravitated toward him. He had a way of making people feel comfortable, to tease them and joke and tell stories until you were on the floor laughing, barely able to breathe. His self-deprecating humor and story-telling ability are things I miss almost constantly.

But even more, I miss something I took for granted when I was young: the opportunity just to talk to him, to get his advice and perspective. I found as I grow older myself (and supposedly more wiser) I valued the inputs my father had on my life more and more, and I wish I could still have him in my life, to talk with him, to bounce ideas off him and to just have him listen and be there.

I wonder what he would think about the decisions I’ve made and how my life has changed in the two years he’s been gone - getting stationed in California, getting divorced, starting my master’s program, running my first marathon - and what he would think about my being in Afghanistan again.

All I know is as I sat on that plane, I was overcome by a longing so fierce for my father, that I had to fight back tears. It took me a long time to be able to talk about my dad without crying and even longer to look at his pictures. It’s been two years since we lost my dad, and while the pain lessens over time, I miss his presence in my life every day.

A true partnership

2010-03-16T17:39:00.010+04:30

“Oh my god. I’m going to fly right out the back of this thing,” I thought. On jell-o legs I clung for dear life to what I termed the ‘oh sh&t’ handle the gunner pointed out, braced myself against the tug of the wind and snapped picture after picture out the back of the Osprey as we zipped across Helmand province.

Not quite a helicopter and not quite a traditional airplane, the Marine-owned V-22 Osprey is something I soon learned was a very cool aircraft. When I told my co-workers what I’d be traveling in, they were pretty envious, so I was expecting something pretty neat and the Osprey definitely didn’t let me down. Operating as a helicopter when taking off and when making vertical landings, the Osprey can convert mid-air to a turboprop aircraft for faster and more fuel-efficient flight; it also allows the aircraft to perform rolling take-off and landings. When the aircraft makes the change, it almost feels like it stops completely and you get the brief moment of weightlessness, followed by a powerful surge, where, if you happen to be standing on the edge of the gunner platform, you feel like you’re going to be sucked right off. I wasn’t sure if I was more worried about me, or my very-expensive camera, flying out.

The purpose of our visit was for Gen. William Caldwell IV, commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, to get a better picture of how the Marines in the south were partnering with the Afghan National Police. Our journey took us from Camp Leatherneck to Forward Operating Base Delhi in Garmsir district of Helmand Province to Delaram where a unit of Afghan National Auxiliary Police live and work.

One of the biggest goals of NATO Training Mission is get the Afghan National Security Forces up and running so they can train and equip their own forces and secure their own country. So far, more attention, time and money has been spent on the Afghan National Army and they are far more capable than their police counterparts, something that has been noticed and mentors and trainers are working alongside the police to bring them up to speed. This pairing up is exactly what the Marines of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines out of Camp Lejune, N.C., are doing in the south of Afghanistan.

At FOB Delhi, the Marines have created a police mentoring team (PMT) that is embedded with the ANP, living and working alongside them. This, they found, has been successful and plans are underway to create more PMT’s at the police district centers. The police and the local population see that the Marines are in it with them; they are living in the same conditions, they are training the police hands-on and are eating, sleeping and patrolling together and this, more than anything, has had a positive effect on the reception U.S. forces have received. The police recruits see that we are here to help them, we won’t abandon them and that we’re trying to improve security in their country, now and for a lifetime. But let me tell you friends, I will NEVER complain about deployed conditions ever again. These Marines are tough – it was 85 degrees at 10 a.m. and as I ran around taking pictures in my body armor, I thought I was going to pass out. These guys live with no air conditioning, no dining facility where someone else makes the food, no real toilet that flushes and hot water with the turn of a knob. They are truly hard-core.

As the Marines and the ANP took us on a tour through the village outside FOB Delhi, it wasn’t obvious at first (I was too busy keeping the sweat out of my eyes) but soon I noticed that there were no women around. I saw two girls, too young to be in burqa’s, but other than that, nary a woman in sight. It was something I had gotten used to on my last deployment to Afghanistan, where I traveled to rural provincial areas like Teg Ab, Panjshir and Sharana, but in Kabul it’s quite common to see women walking around, both in burqa and in more western-style dress of jeans and dresses, with a simple scarf over their hair. Also noticeable was a less-friendly atmosphere; the people, while not hostile, were definitely less open and quick to interact with us as we walked through the town, even the children, who were curious but didn’t come up to us like usual. When one of the interpreters came up to me and quietly suggested I put something over my hair, I complied, although I don’t like wearing a hat when shooting; the brim always hits the camera.

In addition to the PMT station where the Marines live and work with the police, we saw their Operational Coordination Center-District, which is essentially an operations center where the Afghan police can communicate emergency situations around their district; and the Afghan National Auxiliary Police station, where again, Marines are working side-by-side with the Afghan forces.

Overall, despite the heat, it was a good trip. It’s also interesting to see other parts of the country and get a feel for how different life is for the people here in the rural and urban areas, and to see what progress has been made by our efforts. I only wish there was some way to show the Afghan people that we don’t want to make them into America and we don’t want to be in their country permanently, but we just want to leave them a country that is safer, more stable and secure, where they can live and work in peace, and have a future other than poverty and violence. We just want to give them a chance.

A hero’s heart

2010-03-13T15:41:00.006+04:30

I’m the type of person who finds it hard to sit back and watch, especially when it comes to showing someone how to do something. My friend Nestor can attest to that - when I was training him on design and layout at his first public affairs position, I was not the most patient of instructors, often pushing him aside so I can finish pages faster. I'm sort of like the parent who completely takes over their kid’s science project, because, obviously, I can make the volcano bigger, better, cooler.

So I understood completely when Dr. Lorn Heyne, an Air Force colonel in charge of a medical advisory team at the Afghan National Army hospital at Camp Hero, Kandahar, told me that his team was trying very hard to step back and let the Afghan medical staff take charge.

“We, as American’s, have an inherent desire to do, we want to get in there but we made a conscious decision and effort to have them do it so they could arrive at the right decision and course of action themselves,” he told me.

For the last eight months or so, Colonel Heyne and his embedded medical team has been mentoring the ANA doctors and nurses at the military hospital, with great success. The hospital mortality rate has declined 20 percent and they’ve doubled the number of doctors on staff; no easy feat in itself when staffing is one of the biggest challenges the hospital faces. Kandahar is a dangerous area, and professionally-educated people aren’t exactly jumping at the bit to work there.

But despite the obstacles – lack of qualified personnel, supply issues, inexperienced staff and security concerns, the hospital and its staff are doing amazing things. They’ve created a medical library, host a weekly women and children’s clinic, and have an emergency system in place including inbound patient communication systems and ambulances, and an intensive care ward, which they beefed up in preparation for Operation Moshatrak – their ICU is a source of pride for the hospital staff. On a visit to the hospital, the ANA deputy surgeon general said it was the best ICU capability he’s seen out of the other military hospitals.

There are three other regional ANA hospitals, and the 400-bed national military hospital here in Kabul, all doing their best to create a nationwide military medical system. It’s hard to see the big picture in Afghanistan sometimes, about what we’re doing here and even harder to see the results of all the time, money and energy we’re putting into this country. But when I toured the Kandahar hospital and saw the dedication of the staff, the pride in what they’ve been able to accomplish and where they hope to go, it definitely fills in the gaps. Two years ago, a suicide bomber attacked Kandahar City, killing 100 people and injuring 67; 47 of those wounded were taken to the Kandahar regional military hospital. For two days, they worked non-stop and in the end, they managed to save all but one patient.

The list of accomplishments is remarkable, but what was most impressive to me was the professionalism of the Afghan medical staff. These are people who were either left Afghanistan during the fighting to continue their education or practicing medicine, and have come back to care for their people. Col. Aelaj Basir, the hospital commander, is determined to follow his physician’s code of ethics and insists on treating everyone – civilians, Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, who are infamous for their rivalry, and even Taliban patients – with equal care. He believes that all patients are human beings and deserve the same care and treatment.

And it is that belief more than anything that will help the Afghan people to have faith and trust in their government and leaders – I’m sure the Taliban isn’t offering their IED or bomb victims medical care.

Family reunion

2010-03-06T16:10:00.003+04:30

It’s a small Air Force … that’s a pretty common phrase used in the Air Force to explain how you can run into the friends and previous co-workers when you least expect it. I guess the same can hold true for any branch of the military. I have several relatives serving in the Air Force and Army but the last place I expected to run into one of them was in Afghanistan, but yesterday my cousin Haley, whom I hadn’t seen since 2003 (when we both enlisted; her in the Army National Guard, me in the active-duty Air Force) met up at Camp Eggers, Kabul.

When I left for this deployment I had hoped I would have the opportunity to see her; her unit deployed in August so I knew we’d be in Afghanistan at the same time, but initially she was stationed at a Forward Operating Base in the south. When we found out she’d be moving up to Kabul and I got really excited. Then Thursday afternoon, I got a phone call at the office; my co-worker answered, and with a confused look on his face, he came in and said there was a girl on the phone and she was saying she was my cousin. We chatted and Haley told me she would be at Eggers the next day so I was super excited to see her.

The last time we met was the summer before I left for basic training; we were at my Aunt Lorraine’s house in New York and Haley was young, only 18. I wasn't sure what to expect six years later, but when she showed up at my office I was blown away. Now, she’s 24, all grown up, beautiful and totally in love. She possesses much more poise and confidence than I did at that age, and probably more than I do at almost 29. We had a great time laughing, catching up and sharing stories. Haley is a Brown, through and through.

She goes on leave soon, and I hope that her time in Europe is amazing and everything she hopes for. But most of all, I’m excited to have a cousin, whom I hardly get to see, here in Afghanistan so we can re-connect. I think she’s most excited about the fact that I promised to get her a mattress pad at the BX. That’s what big cousins are for!

A woman of courage

2010-02-28T19:02:00.001+04:30

Today I had the unique opportunity to interview a very dynamic woman; her name is Shafiqa and not only is she a colonel in the Afghan National Police, she’s been nominated by Secretary Hilary Clinton as one of 10 International Women of Courage. Colonel Shafiqa joined the police almost 28 years ago, when she was a young girl hoping to serve her country, and has seen destruction and devastation brought by the civil war and the rise of the Taliban that I can only imagine. During the eight years the Taliban was in charge, she was forced to stay at home but she quickly returned to service and advanced through the ranks despite the many cultural obstacles in her way … and in a few days time she’ll not only celebrate her first wedding anniversary, but also her promotion to general.

Although during our interview, Colonel Shafiqa said she wasn’t scared to wear her uniform to and from work, there are many policewomen who are; they leave their homes in a burqa and change at work. This isn’t the result of paranoia – in September 2008, two Taliban assassins shot and killed a senior policewoman, Malalai Kakar, who served as the head of the department responsible for investigating crimes against women.

A few weeks ago I attended a police women’s conference in Kabul where I spoke with several policewomen; a few mentioned that security was a big concern and one of the main reasons women are so reluctant to join the police force. One woman, an 18-year police veteran, told me that if the Taliban kills 100 men, it’s nothing, but to kill one female is a significant accomplishment. That is the fear and power these insurgents have over the Afghan women, yet there are a brave few who risk everything to make a better life for themselves and for their people.

Despite the inherent risks involved with police work, Colonel Shafiqa is listening to the fears and wishes and is doing everything she can to make the ANP a safer place for women to serve, including offering reduced hours and having a choice over assignment location. Unlike their male counterparts, female trainees will be allowed to go home at night to be with their families, while existing female police members will only work during the day to mitigate risks associated with nighttime duty.

It is my hope that Colonel Shafiqa’s goal of seeing women commanding large units and serving at high-level ministry positions, happens in her lifetime. With her serving as an example for the women of Afghanistan, I have no doubt it will.

I just don't get it ...

2010-02-27T10:09:00.002+04:30

Yesterday, my first day back to Camp Eggers from my trip down south, started off with a bang. Literally. After spending most of the previous day sitting in airports, first in Kandahar with my fingers crossed hoping I would get on the plane to Kabul, and then at Kabul International Airport, hoping for a ride to Camp Eggers, I was glad to have finally made it back “home” so to speak. Back to my room, my co-workers and my desk. Leaving one rocket attack behind, I was welcomed home in the morning with an explosion that shook the windows and rattled the room.

It’s a little disconcerting to know how easily you can become accustomed to this type of incident … at first I lay there wondering if it was just a loud truck, perhaps from the ongoing construction or some sort of improvised explosive device. I lay there in the dark, half-asleep until I heard people excitedly talking in the hallway. Then came the sounds of gun fire and I knew it definitely wasn’t construction. I knew an accountability check would happen, to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for, so I kept my phone nearby as I got ready for work.

It turns out that several insurgents, using suicide vests and a car bomb, attacked hotels in central Kabul, killing 17 people and wounding more than 30 others. Why people do these types of things to other people is beyond me. Even if they completely disagree with U.S. and other foreign forces in their country, there has to be a better way to resolve issues than to destroy your capital city and kill innocent people.

What do they possibly hope to accomplish? Do they think the world will simply pack up and leave? All these insurgents are doing is slowing the inevitable progress and development of their country, and why they want to keep their people and their country from growing into their own secure and thriving nation escapes me completely. Hopefully, in time, the training and support the world is providing will take root and the Afghans will refuse to tolerate this type of behavior. Until then it is up to us all to keep trying and them to take advantage of the help that is here.

You gotta fight for your right ...

2010-02-22T21:00:00.002+04:30

It’s funny to think how a majority of American youth, at some point, go to great lengths to avoid school work, putting off homework, skipping school (sorry mom!), not studying for tests, all but scoffing at education. I’m not exempt from this – yes I skipped class and procrastinated on papers, even when I was paying for my college education. Easy access to education is something we, as American’s, take for granted. And now that I’m in Afghanistan I see the struggle the people face not just for the basics – food, shelter, clothing etc., but for their future.

Some people may discount Afghans, saying they are illiterate, uneducated, don’t know how about the world around them and it’s true. They are illiterate, uneducated and don’t know all the opportunities that exist out there for them. But they are SO hungry to learn. I’ve talked to a police woman who joined before she had reached the minimum legal age just to continue her education, and I am currently working on a story about the various literacy programs being offered to the population through Afghan National Security Forces basic training. These literacy programs are so popular that the students are bringing their families to class, parents are teaching what they learned to their children at home and often there is a waiting list to get into classes. The organizations that run the literacy programs are so overwhelmed with the demand that they are trying to recruit more teachers to fill the demand.

Yes it’s going to take work and dedication … nothing worth having is easy and they haven’t been fortunate enough to have had years of natural progress and development. They aren’t all uneducated or illiterate; the older generation, those born and raised before Russian occupation and subsequent civil war and rise of the Taliban, are the ones currently teaching the younger how to read and write. The youth of Afghanistan, those who are supposed to be leading the country into the future, don’t know how to hold a pencil, write their names or read a newspaper. And when you’re trying to survive decades of war, education isn’t a top priority. Fortunately for Afghans, this wasn’t always the case; there are plenty of educated Afghans, those who left the country during the wars but came back once the U.S. and NATO forces arrived, the ones who were going to school when the conflicts began and those who are doing their damndest to educate themselves now. Most everyone I’ve talked to say that the Afghan people have an intense desire for knowledge; my own experience has proved similar; they want to know, they ask questions and they are immensely curious.

I see American children shunning education in favor of hanging out at the mall, playing video games and hanging out with friends and I wonder how they would feel if getting an education suddenly became a challenge. We take our education, and our easy access to learning opportunities, for granted. It makes me wonder what it would be like to have to literally fight for an education, to know that by going to school could mean real physical danger – to have acid thrown in my face as I walk to school, to have people blow a school up rather than let me go or to have it forbidden completely. Or what it’s like to know all of that was possible, yet going anyway.

I think that, more than anything says something about the Afghan people. It says volumes about their determination, resiliency and their desire to learn and become better, as individuals and as a nation. And I think with that going for them, literally nothing can hold them back. It’s only a matter of time.

It's the little things ...

2010-02-17T19:24:00.003+04:30

It’s amazing how something as simple as a care package can turn an office full of adults into a bunch of little kids. For the past two days, our office has received a large number of care packages from support organizations in the states, and all of them have been ransacked with savage glee.

It was like Christmas morning, combat style. Gerber’s and knives came out to cut through the tape and hands were everywhere as we dug through the boxes to see what goodies had been sent. Some things were awesome; pistachios, toiletries, tissues, power bars and fruit snacks, while others were inexplicably bizarre … a four pound can of tuna fish for example. I’m really not sure where that one came from and it has been the source of much joking in the office.

But overall, the generosity, money and time that people put into these care packages still amazes me; it’s so nice to know that people still care and think about the military over here. I’ve been collecting things from each care package we get to make other care packages for our Public Affairs mentoring teams who are serving at remote forward operating bases. Those folks are the ones who living pretty bare bones, often without some of the creature comforts we have here, so it’s nice to be able to share the care package goodies.

So thank you to all my family and friends, and the support organizations, who have kept the care packages coming regularly – it is MUCH appreciated and definitely put to good use … although I think we’re good on tuna fish for quite some time.

Seeing stars ...

2010-02-09T10:59:00.007+04:30

Ok, I have to admit it … sometimes my job is SO cool. While I don’t love it all the time (I’ll be the first to admit I have my days!) I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in the Air Force. No other job lets you get outside the office and meet so many people from all different career fields and walks of life. I’ve gotten to meet music stars, First Lady Laura Bush, military leadership from every branch, and most importantly, I’ve gotten to see the bigger picture Air Force – learning how other career fields train, work and get the mission done. For someone who loves to talk, it’s the perfect job.

Yesterday was one of those days where nothing went as planned; bad weather delayed the arrival of two general’s, one who was going to take a tour of the Kabul Military Training Center, where the Afghan National Army and Army Air Corp train. I was scheduled to document the visit but it wasn’t until the advanced security team, including me, was already there, that we learned the visit had been cancelled. Making the best of it, I snapped away, pictures of trainees, the British soldiers I was riding with having a snowball fight, having tea with the Afghan’s and more Afghans. They absolutely LOVE to have their photo taken.

The second visitor of the day, Gen. Ann Dunwoody, was someone whom I really wanted to meet, so I was disappointed to know she had been delayed due to all the snow, rain and sleet we’d gotten the last two days. Then late in the day, our chief came to my desk and said she would be here tonight so the photo shoot was still on. For those who don’t know, General Dunwoody was the first women to reach four-star status, out of ANY branch of the military, and she is currently, the only female to hold that rank. It wasn’t until 1970 that the U.S. military had its first female one star – Brig. Gen. Anna Mae Hays, chief of the Army Nurse Corps. Now there are 57 active-duty female general officers in the U.S. armed forces, five of whom are lieutenant generals or vice admirals, the Navy's three-star rank. When the nomination announcement was made, General Dunwoody said, “While I may be the first, I know I won’t be the last.” I can’t imagine all that she has seen and done in her 33 years of service … and all that she has seen change. And General Dunwoody just so happened to have graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland … just a hop, skip and a jump from where I graduated at the State University of New York at Albany. Needless to say, I was excited to meet her.

As I snapped pictures of General Dunwoody and Lt. Gen. Caldwell, I casually let it slip that I was a SUNY graduate too … actually I was so eager to talk to her, I think I blurted it out as thrust my hand in her face. I think they could both tell I was excited, so General Caldwell offered to take my picture with her. As I stood next to her in front of the United States flag, I couldn’t help but think how crazy it was … there was a three-star general, the commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, taking MY picture with the military’s only female four-star general. Wow. I really love this job.

It's a girl thing ....

2010-02-06T13:23:00.000+04:30

During the short time I’ve been here, my co-workers and I have visited many of the Afghan National Security Forces training centers including the Kabul Military Training Center where the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Army Air Corps train, the Central Training Center where the Afghan National Police basic training course is taught, the ANA commando training center at Camp Morehead, and the ANP Academy where the officer’s course is taught. At first, every training facility we visited, it was just men learning how to handle and shoot weapons, perform search and arrest and counter-ambush techniques, first aid, conduct security check-point procedures and applying the Afghanistan constitution.

Then one day we went to the Central Training Center to cover the Afghan National Police (ANP) basic training course. We watched a group of trainees in their 7th week learn riot and crowd control tactics, and took a tour of some of the buildings. It was in the dining facility where I saw a woman sitting in the corner by herself. I was interviewing some of the male trainees, and when I asked the interpreter if she was ANP, he said yes and indicated we could go talk to her. Her name was Hafra and she was gracious and welcoming, explaining that she had joined the ANP because no one else in her family was earning money and that she was working so her children didn’t have to. After we left her, I asked the interpreter if the men treated her as an equal, if they were welcoming and accepting; she was sitting by herself, while all around her men laughed and joked over their lunches. He looked at me and with a little shrug and a smile. Hmmm, guess that one was open for my own interpretation then.

At the police academy, I interviewed another female, a cadet about to complete a three year officer training course. Unlike Hafra, who had attended enlisted training, Mawolda and two other female students mixed freely with male trainees at the academy. The academy commander, Lt. Gen. Sayed Mohammad, changed the academy curriculum to include females and males learning and training side by side. Mawolda had the blessing and permission of her family to join the academy; her brothers encouraged her and were happy when she decided to enter the school. When I interviewed her about her experiences, she told me she had a message for the women of Afghanistan, that sitting in the house was useless, and that she saw positive changes in her country, but it needed more women to step forward.

And most recently, I attended a recruiting conference for police women in Kabul. Afghan President Karzai had mandated that 5,000 women be added to the police force, and the conference served as a forum for recruiting and training in order to meet that objective. There I met Zainab, a 21-year old policewoman from Takhar province, who joined the police two years ago over the objections of her father and family. Although her father ultimately came to support Zainab’s decision, other members of her family didn’t, and to this day she has no contact with them.

I couldn’t help but think about how courageous these women were … and how lonely their days must be. For American women, a lack of family support or approval doesn’t prevent her from serving her country and now, for women, military service is commonplace, accepted and encouraged. Of course, that wasn’t always the case. I’m sure some of the earliest women in the U.S. military – Esther Blake, Opha Johnson and Loretta Walsh, all felt a mix of feelings; doubt, anxiety, pride, courage and hope that they made the right choice. There were an estimated 350,000 American women who served in some fashion during World War II and more than 230,000 have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Currently there are an estimated 950 women serving in the Afghan National Police and just over 1,000 in the Afghan National Army.

I can only hope that the Afghan women who have been courageous enough to serve – whether in the police forces or army – know the brave and wonderful thing they are doing not only for the women who will follow them, but for their country. I am honored to have met them.

Best of the best ...

2010-01-21T23:35:00.022+04:30

I’ve flown on UH-60 Blackhawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters all over Afghanistan but never on a Russian Mi-17. I wasn’t sure quite what to expect, but the clean, large and roomy interior wasn’t exactly what I had pictured.

Today, I was assigned to cover Lt. Gen. William Caldwell’s visit to the Afghan National Army commandos at Camp Morehead. The purpose of our visit was to see the newest class of commandos graduate – this would be the 7th Kandak (the Afghan equivalent of a company) to graduate since the first class on July 28, 2007 – as well as see an awards presentation.

A large group of commando’s, and one in particular, had helped put down the Taliban attack in Kabul on Monday. These commando’s had graduated on Dec. 31, 2009, and just over two weeks later, they did exactly what they were trained to do – kick some ass.

After the main group of 929 trainees graduated, trading in their green and black berets for those of the elite red that identify them as commando, the Afghan National Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, called forth 1st Lt. Mumtaz from the 6th Kandak to be recognized.

Looking like, as my co-worker Petty Officer 2nd Class Hall said, an Afghan version of Jean Claude-Van Dam, Lieutenant Mumtaz was quiet and humble as he accepted his decoration – a first class Barya, similar to an U.S. achievement medal. During the multiple-pronged strategy that made up Monday’s complex attack on the capital, Lieutenant Mumtaz shot and killed a suicide bomber before he could detonate his vest.

During my short time in Kabul, I have witnessed other Afghan security forces graduations and training, and I can say that without a doubt, these forces displayed a strength and discipline I had yet to see. Their 12-week training course is modeled after the U.S. Army Ranger training; in fact, Army Rangers deploy and embed with the commando trainees, living and working with them, instilling their values of discipline and endurance. I spoke with the Task Force Morehead commander and several trainers and they all had the same thing to say – these commando’s are the best of the best.

It was clear to see, from the pride on the faces of the graduates, and the way that they responded to Monday’s attack, that the Rangers training had paid off, and as the commando forces continue to grow, it can mean nothing but good things for the future of Afghanistan.

Just another day in Kabul

2010-01-18T13:25:00.004+04:30

As I was sitting at my desk, writing a story on the new Afghan biometrics capability, my email notice messenger went off – Ding! Ding! Ding! Distracted from my story, I checked my email and saw the words: explosions, rocket fire, small arms fire, Kabul.

Random rocket attacks are fairly common occurrence in Kabul so I wasn’t immediately interested but in rapid succession, three more emails popped up – reports of suicide bombers at the minister of finance and justice were coming in. These buildings are just a few hundred meters away … and suddenly I was interested. I walked out to the main office where the TV was on - Al Jazeera reporters were on scene and had more details. A suicide bomber had attacked the presidential palace; a hotel was engulfed in flames and reports of suicide bombers loose in the city and green zone. The footage was shaky and unclear, but it conveyed the sense of confusion and distress felt by a city under attack.

To get a better view, we went onto the roof where we could hear the rapid gunfire and see the billows of smoke. The gun fire was steady and at times loud … it was difficult to tell exactly how far away. The Mongolian’s security forces stationed here were deployed to provide assistance and our commander pulled us of the roof. Back downstairs, the TV had updated news – a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gates of the presidential palace. After a few minutes, I decided to go back to my desk and try to do some more work. Not a minute later, I heard gunfire – this time louder, as we couldn’t hear it inside before. Suddenly the base loudspeaker, or giant voice, went off announcing that the base had to go to amber status – all personnel had to put their IBA on and report to the bunkers.

I grabbed my vest, helmet and of course, laptop. Anyone could tell we were a bunch of Public Affairs workers – all of us had laptops, camera’s, video cameras, notebooks etc. We crowded into the bunker, waiting for further direction. In a way it was extremely frustrating; most expressed the desire to do something … get outside and document what was happening, fight back, help out, anything but just sit there. Our chief, recognizing our frustration, told us that we’re doing exactly we would should be doing but I know if my co-workers felt anything close to what I did, it was a mix of frustration, anxiety and excitement. We were sitting there, talking about what we'd heard outside and on the news before we had to leave. MC2 Horvath helped lighten the mood with a few jokes and soon, everyone was joking and laughing, trying to keep the mood light, when BOOM, we heard another explosion.

After awhile, we got the clear to come out of the bunker since we were in a hardened facility, but had to stay inside; most of us gathered around the television or computers to see if there were news updates. Dozens of emails with details about the attack were coming in – buildings on fire, additional explosions, gun fights etc. The Taliban had already claimed responsibility and said their plan was to attack the ministries of finance and justice, central bank and presidential palace by sending out 20 suicide bombers – some of them were the explosions we were hearing.

I learned from my co-workers that it was exactly one year ago today that a 500 pound vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detonated next to Camp Eggers, a reminder that while we’re in a fortified area, anything can happen. Today was also the day that Afghan President Hamid Karzai was to have sworn in 14 new cabinet members; I have to wonder if the attacks were a coincidence or not. It seems to have been a well-planned out assault, striking multiple locations within the city simultaneously, and even now, hours later, there is still the sound of explosions, sirens and helicopters overhead. As the excitement from the morning wore off, things in the office settled down and we slowly turned our minds to more ordinary things - if the dining facility was open and our work we still needed to finish - I heard one of my co-workers sum up the day with, “It’s just another morning in Kabul.”

A nurse I am not ...

2010-01-13T13:44:00.010+04:30

I'm bleeding. A lot. I'm bleeding and I'm in a war zone. As the blood pours from my arm, I feel a little faint. Not good. Suddenly, hands are everywhere and as the IV bag was attached, the blood flow stopped. Petty Officer 2nd Class Horvath gently held onto the catheter as he placed tape over the IV tubing to hold it in place and gave the instructor an expectant look. He'd successfully placed an IV in my arm.

Ok ... so I wasn't wounded, I was attending a Combat Life Saver Course (CLS) at Camp Eggers where several of my co-workers and I were learning how to place IV's, apply tourniquets and to observe and treat for shock. CLS, a 40-hour course designed to supplement combat medics in the field, was taught at our Combat Skills Training (CST) course at Fort Dix, N.J., however I didn't have the chance there. When I got to Camp Eggers, manning levels required that most of the public affairs staff be CLS qualified. I was certified in 2007 during my last stint at Fort Dix so most of the training was familiar. The only hard part was knowing that I was hurting my "patient."

In reality, if someone had to place an IV or treat a buddy in the field, the injured person probably wouldn't even feel the slight pinprick and burning sensation as the needle pierces the vein, but in the classroom setting, you're focused on your partner's every grimace. When my turn to administer the IV came around, I felt fairly comfortable, despite my victim's, I mean patient's, hard to find veins, but after the first unsuccessful attempt and what I thought were his very unmanly grimaces, I was a little nervous about the second attempt.

Hands shaking, I tried twice more, both times successfully entering the vein but not making a solid connection with the IV tube. Although it wasn't required to actually give the IV, I wanted to do the whole process from start to finish ... unfortunately, my partner had had enough. I had to find another willing patient. Luckily, our fearless co-worker, Petty Officer 3rd Class Putnam stepped in, and on the first try, I placed the catheter, attached the IV and hydrated my patient. Hopefully, as they say, practice makes perfect, and if the time ever comes when I'll need to help someone in the field, I'll be ready.

The journey begins ....

2010-01-11T18:27:00.000+04:30

From the beginning, I knew that this deployment would be an interesting experience. Things were rapidly evolving in Afghanistan, from leadershipto organization, and the information being passed on was changing daily. From the time I received my initial deployment notification in September until the time I actually landed at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, in January, the transition hub for Afghanistan deployers, my deployment had changed five times. Although this was my second time to Afghanistan, and my second JET or in-lieu of tasking, I knew things would be much different than the first time around.

Upon landing at Bagram Air Base our group of about 20 Public Affairs personnel learned there was a flight leaving for Kabul International Airport in less than 12 hours. We were determined to be on the flight; having spent several days in Manas waiting on our luggage to arrive, two days getting from Norfolk to Manas and five weeks at Combat Skills Training in Ft. Dix, N.J. the, "Are we there yet?" feeling was running high. Since the flight show time was relatively close to our arrival time, we were given the direction to stay close by the passenger terminal, so our options included the dining facility, the USO and transient restroom facilities. Already sleep deprived, some decided to just hit the coffee pot and stay up all night, while others curled up wherever there was a space - on benches, chairs and floors. I was somewhere in between. I went for food, used the morale computers to send a few e-mails and decided to take a shower. During my previous deployment and from this travel experience, I learned it was always best to eat and take a shower whenever the opportunity presented itself as you never knew when your next chance would be. Slightly refreshed, I sat down to watch a movie and promptly fell asleep.

That two hours of sleep got me through the next day of travel to Kabul International Airport, Camp Phoenix and then, finally, to Camp Eggers. Another Air Force public affairs member was traveling with me, and as the Army convoy carrying us and our combined 14 bags of luggage dropped us off at the gates of Camp Eggers, we just looked at each other and laughed. It was just getting dark, we didn't know where we were or how we were going to get in touch with our points of contact, move our gear or find a place to sleep forthe night. It was one of those classic "so there we were" moments.

Luckily, the gate guards let us call the PA shop, who promptly showed up with enough people to carry our luggage to the office. It was a whirlwind of movement and within two hours, we'd had dinner, picked up our inprocessing paperwork, got assigned a room and were shown around the camp. My travel partner and I both were lucky enough to get a room in the brand new lodging, complete with a real door and indoor bathrooms. For those military folks who've had to get dressed and walk through the freezing cold in the middle of the night to get to the bathrooms, all the while cursing the fact that you drank water after 7 p.m., you understand how glorious this is.

Understandably, my co-workers who had to live in transient tents for weeks were a little jealous. I had been forwarned that living space was tight so I was prepared for the possibility of tent living but it was just the luck of the draw. So, on day two of my stay at Camp Eggers, I'm beginning to learn the ropes of a joint NATO Training Mission and our role here in Kabul. For me, our mission here is a new concept in military journalism; instead of covering the U.S. military and our efforts in Afghanistan, we highlight the progress the Afghan's are making in learning to govern and discipline themselves and their development as a nation. Both are vital topics, and so while my official capacity is to focus on Afghanistan, I hope to use this forum as a way to share what our team of 20 plus photographers, broadcasters and journalists are doing here, along with those serving with us in Afghanistan and Iraq. What we do, as media professionals, is important, but even more so are the efforts of our fellow military members.