FOB Ghazni Bazaar

Finally feeling like I am getting settled in. This place, which lays on a plateau along a mountain range, is really what you imagine a FOB (Forward Operating Base) in Afghanistan to be. Rugged in every way without lots of lavish comfort. The buildings we live in are hardened structures which resemble a long warehouse. Inside the buildings, the ADT 1 guys, who were the first ADT in Afghanistan (GO TEXAS), built plywood rooms. The size of your room is largely determined by your rank. The lower enlisted get a 8' by 10' plywood room and senior enlisted and officers get a little bit larger room. I lucked out and I think mine was built to be about 10' by 10'. The main goal when we arrived was to make the room our own. Two years of ADT's have built some of the rooms into palaces! The guys are so creative. They use lumber to raise their beds to about 5' off the ground so that they can reclaim the majority of their room for daily activities. Your bed is much less used than your desk/laptop area. This allows them some space to call their own and to have a space to get away from all of their fellow soldiers.
Where do you get fine furnishings for for your plywood room? Well you go to both of the local bazaars. One is open 6 days a week and one is only open Wednesday and Saturday. These bazaars are like an open air flea market. The one open two days a week is all Afghan locals and it is located about 25 feet from the front gate. They have pirated DVD's and Folex watches as well as Foakley sunglasses. The bartering is universal kind found worldwide. They ask $40 for a big blanket and I say WOW! way to much. They say in broken english that business is slow today so just for me they will sell it for $34 which cuts their profit. I finally talked the guy down to $25 which he claims is a loss of money for him. I personally feel guilty when I open my wallet and pull out 2 $20's and ask for change. I feel guilty because the average Afghan lives on $1 a day and I am bartering away over two weeks worth of wages!
The bazaar holds many things for many people, for me a new blanket and for the Afghan blanket seller a small profit that would otherwise not be in his pocket if not for our presence here trying to help.

The USO

SO I am sitting in the barracks, half packing and half feeling homesick. Just being bored mainly when as it always happens in the Army someone comes in and says that the Sgt Major wants everyone out in the street for some information. We are told we have to be at the USO building at 1800. The soldiers who are napping suddenly start moaning and groaning about "mandatory fun" and about how they just want to be left alone BUT when the Sgt Major says fall out then everybody better fall out! Like good soldiers we walk down to the USO office and are greeted right away with free snacks and that cold Dr Pepper I was craving. With the free snacks come the warm and friendly smiles of the USO volunteers. Mostly older folks from the Atterbury area but some imports from Indianapolis I imagine. The little building is warm inside and smells of the popcorn machine which is mostly empty and it has multiple internet terminals which only require that you sign in to use. We are then told that there is a USO concert planned for 1900 out at one of the training areas and that we have been assembled to go watch it. Now the grumbling really starts, why do we have to go, who is singing, how long will it last??? We board the bus and they transport us to an area where we did some of our training. Once there we walk in and see Ruby Tuesdays is catering the event and the band is in full set up mode. The mood starts to lighten when the USO volunteers show up and start mingling. We are told that the band is called Blue Suede Shoes and they are a Johnny Cash and Elvis impersonator band. Wow they are impressive! The Johnny Cash is dead on and Elvis gave a great concert. Soldiers are dancing with USO girls, dinner is served and everyone is now happy to not be in the barracks including me.
I will not lie to ya, I was feeling pretty down earlier. I was in my area packing and was mainly bored. When you get bored you have time to think about how the world at home goes on without you. My wife and daughter in Canton buying ducks and enjoying dinner, My best friends at a Stars game, Northpark and then a great dinner and here I sit in the barracks. I guess that is where the USO finds their place and always has. The event coordinator told us that this is the first live USO concert at Camp Atterbury since Bob Hope appeared in 1942 during the train up for WWII! How cool is that? How cool is it that you find people willing to volunteer their time and money, the Ruby Tuesday crowd was on their day off, to come and support a bunch of guys and gals they have no connection to. I guess in a way they do have a connection, the American spirit and love for the men and women who are willing to go where most won't. It is so refreshing to see that spirit, to feel the support and the love from strangers who just want to do their part. I made sure to shake every employees hand from Ruby Tuesdays, I wanted them to know what it meant to us that they were there. The USO group were just totally amazing and the band was great! Overall it was a big morale booster and I am glad the Sgt Major made us all get out and go.
I can't go into details but I will be sending my next blog update from the mountains of Afghanistan. Talk at ya'll soon!

Almost Time

Wow, Where to start?? It has been a very hectic month here at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. My internet connection is crappy at best. The Morale Welfare and Recreation people charge $24.95 a week.......yes you read right! $24 Freshing dollars and 95 cents a week and the service has gone down once already since I started typing this.

The training here at Camp Atterbury has been very good. Some of the best I have been through. Seems the Army has finally figured out how to condense the training to what we need in the shortest possible time frame. My first train up in 2004 was 6 months at Fort Hood. My friends who went back to Iraq in 2007 did 3 months at Camp Shelby, Mississippi and this trip in 2009 is 25 or so days at Camp Atterbury.

Our advanced party is already on the ground in Afghanistan. Some have made it to the FOB (Forward Operating Base) where we will live for the next year or so. I recieved word that in true Texas fashion the unit we are replacing, also Texas National Guard, are in the process of moving into the transient tents so that we can move into the rooms that they have for us on the FOB. I am told that each senior NCO gets a 8' by 10' plywood room inside a hardened building. The lower enlisted get 8' bt 8' rooms. As small as that sounds just any area with a door that you can call your own is an amazing thing. We have been living in what we call "Open Bay" barracks here which means we have about 12 guys to one big room and we all share the showers and latrines with three other 12 man bays. The best way to describe it is imagine that you work all day with all your co-workers, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with them, see them on the toliet, in the shower and brushing their teeth every day!! Makes even that 8' by 8' with a door seem like a mansion of privacy.

The next few days will be filled MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle training for our drivers and mechanics. We are basically just waiting for our fly date to get underway to Afghanistan, seems like we need to get there already.............

Todays picture really brings out just how hot it is out here. This picture was taken in the land navigation course at 10:30 am. Spec. S. is plotting his points on his map and already feeling the effects of a Texas Summer.

My re-direction today!

I think for many people you go through life sometimes wondering why you put yourself through what you do. For most people they would say that they work hard to provide for their families. So that their kids will have a better life or not have to work as hard as they did. I too work hard for these reasons but I also find myself drawn to a calling that takes more from my family and from my loved ones than it gives to them. I serve because I have an inner desire to serve. Was it put there by my parents, friends, the reverence with which I looked upon my Grandfathers WWII service? I may never know. It is there and I am glad I have it. The fact that some have this strong desire and some don't doesn't make one a hero and one not it is just being wired different I guess.
This desire to serve has tested me many times in the past and I have had some really low spots during my military service. One of the lowest points being when I wasn't in the service for 5 years before coming back. Anyway.....I have felt myself tested emotionally and physically the past three weeks and I was really feeling tired today. I was running around trying to get a few last minute things completed before leaving Camp Swift tomorrow for a week off. I found myself in Walmart surrounded by what I feel is the real America. The people who work hard everyday, who raise their kids, go to church and unashamedly drink cold beer on the weekends. I guess I could say "My People". While in line at Walmart I saw a couple in front of me, middle aged, dressed for the weekend and gathering a few things for around the house. The woman turns to me and says "Are you out at Camp Swift?" I told her that I was and that I was going home after 20 days of training. She went on to explain how they live right outside the base and that they hear the training going on everyday at the ranges. I immediately thought to myself how I would be annoyed by the constant gunfire, helicopters and explosions till all hours of the night. I apologized to her for Camp Swift being so loud and for the machine gun fire. She looked me in the eyes and said that wouldn't want it any other way, she went on to say that she sleeps well at night knowing we are there. She then caught me by complete surprise and said that the sounds she hears coming from Camp Swift are the "Sounds of freedom" and that she appreciated what the Texas National Guard does for our country and state.
That was what I needed after 20 days of hard training in 100 degree weather with minimal sleep and away from my family and friends. Not the usual thanks for serving but an honest explanation, from the heart, about what our military means to the everyday American. It put me back on track, back to not questioning why I do what I do. I am sorry I didn't get her name but I will never forget her words.

Day 10,

What a whoop. The early mornings and late nights have finally taken their toll on me. I am beat down and in need of sleep. The picture to the left is my required "battle rattle". My gas mask, Camelbak, Assault pack, Kevlar(complete with fun meter arrow patch, pointed down/none!) and IBA (Individual Body Armor). The IBA comes with ceramic plates which at an additional 20 or so lbs to the vest. The morning starts with the 1 mile walk to class in full Battle rattle. Then you spend all day in a non air conditioned warehouse sitting through classes fighting to stay awake. At some time during the class you pick at your MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) or as some call it the Meals Rarely Edible. Anyway....you make it through the classes and head out to where you gear is staged. If you get to class early enough you can get lucky and find a place to stage your units gear in the shade. If not your battle rattle sits in the 104 degree heat all day. We have a special name for those ceramic armor plates after they sit in the sun. We call them "George Foremans" because when you put them on you feel like you are wedged in a George Forman grill! Major Jason said today that after class he put on his George Foremans and stood in the sun waiting to leave the warehouse area and that he stood there counting how many sweat drops fell off the end of his nose in one minute. 12 was his count. 10 More days to go! Coming up is 9mm qualification, M4 rifle qualification and a few other classes that I already did in May, THANK GOODNESS! I went to the medical clinic tonight, after the training day ended not during, and they said I have the "barracks crud". That is what you get from living with 60 other people in two rooms. I was given some tylenol and robitussin then told to go to sleep. So thats where I leave you all. Good night!

Day 6, 15 more to go

Day 5 was interesting for many. It was a day where a lot of soldiers learned about themselves and what I call intestinal fortitude. Do they have what it takes to finish the job, to tough it out, to push up to the end? Are they disciplined enough to drink the required amount of water? To eat the MRE and not snack foods? Some found out yesterday that they couldn't! That their best found them falling just a little short. Those that have ever done PT with me know that at the end of my run or end of hitting the heavy bag I do a mad minute. That last minute, when you get to the end and need it. We had several "heat casualties" yesterday. They didn't hydrate or didn't have their physical fitness where it needs to be. Granted the heat index was 108 yesterday with no wind but they should have prepared for this 3 weeks of fun in the sun. The way it works is you become a heat casualty, get an IV bag of fluids stuck in your arm and off you go to the TMC (Troop Medical Clinic) which is like a redicare clinic. Not really a hospital but not your school nurse's office either. Anyway...You get to the TMC and they evaluate you for heat stroke then they give you 12 hours quarters (sleeping quarters/barracks) so you can get your temperature down. The next day you are up and running again.
Today is the IED (Improvised Explosive Device) defeat class. They will do a mounted (Humvee) portion and dismounted (on Foot) portion. They will also be shown what we call a "petting zoo" of various ordinance. Old Russian mortar rounds, rockets, flares, artillery rounds and the like. This is to help the soldier later in country when they encounter something on the side of the road or sticking out of the sand. Hopefully give them an idea of what type of munition the item is. The main thing to remember is.....IF YOU DIDN"T PUT IT THERE DON'T TOUCH IT! :)

PMT again

I find myself back at Camp Swift for PMT (Pre Mobilization Training). Showing up and moving in was quite a chore which had us working about 18 hours. The speed with which the Army can move in and take over a space is amazing. Back up the truck and 18 hours later you have a fully operational TOC (Tactical Operation Center) complete with printers, internet, and the required coffee maker.

Moving into the barracks was also an experience. The AC doesn't work in one area of the barracks and of course it has to be the area where the hardest working Infantry kids sleep. The hardest working also means the strongest smelling :)

going to bed at 0030 and waking up at 0430 I thought was rough. I was shocked to find the 34 man security (Infantry) team had already showered, dressed, prepped their gear for training and were in the process of giving the latrine area a good cleaning. This was all complete before their breakfast. To think they volunteered for this mission, they do it for the chance to serve their country. It really is an amazing thing and it makes me proud. There is also the humor that surrounds everything they do. While shaving I heard this conversation between a young Sgt and a Private

Sgt...This is what I am talking about, you have to wipe all of the water off of the toilet seat Private, did you think this was complete??

Private...but Sgt when I scrub the toilet it gets it wet and I don't have gloves to wear while I wipe the seats

Sgt...Thats why they make hand soap Private, and for Gods sake wipe out and dry the sink after you wash your toilet hands!

I sometimes feel sorry for myself that I only got four solid hours of sleep and then I am shocked back to reality. These kids are the backbone and will carry the brunt of our work during this deployment. I felt a little guilty about shaving in the clean sink but since I was once a private also I am very well versed in cleaning so I left it like I found it, sparkling!

IED training lanes

This picture of Staff Sergeant Gil pretty much sums up how we felt at the end of our training today. This is after a long day of classroom and field work. We are all feeling that this is the 4th day of 9 days of training. I can't tell you all how happy I am that I am doing this in May and not July!

Today started at the usual 0530 wake up for the 0700 formation. Sometime during the night "They" who ever that is we may never know, changed the formation location. I showed up after eating my breakfast in the Dining Facility (DFAC) and no one was at our usual formation. Turns out they moved it to the motor pool area so we could ride on trucks out to the training area. Riding in the trucks is an experience all it's own. The roads here were once made from large chunks of white rocks. We always called them caliche rocks. Anyway these rocks are long gone from all of the years and wars of big Army trucks rolling through which now leaves a very fine almost baby powder. This powder gets into everything! you get out of the truck totally covered in a white powder. I noticed one hispanic Major who's mustache is normally jet black looked white!

After our numerous truck rides we finally ended up in the improvised explosive device (IED) training classes. 5 long hours spent in powerpoint training looking at IED slides and gruesome pictures of what can happen to you if you are not vigilant. The truth is what I learned in Iraq. The only way to defeat IEDs is to not be where they are. If you build patterns you will get hit. If you go the same way on the same day at the same time you will get hit. The bad guys watch what you do. They watch what gate you use and what route you use. The only way to avoid it is to use your crew device (electronic jammers) to keep them from setting off the bombs by remote means such as car key fobs, cell phones or even toy care remote controllers and by changing your routes constantly. When planning convoy routes in Iraq in 2005 I would purposely route us right through the insurgent neighborhoods. The places we weren't supposed to go. Who plants a bomb in front of their own house? Not them! they want to kill Americans and possibly innocent civilians in someone Else's neighborhood not their own.

Back to the training.....We finished our 5 hours of classroom then climbed back on the caliche dusters to go to the training areas. Once there we dismounted and spent about 4 hours walking around in the heat with all of our battle rattle looking at fake IED's planted in the ground, bushes and roadsides. Our job in the training is to find the instructor planted IED's before they simulate blowing us up. We did well because most of us are already combat vets and have done this work for real. The instructors try really hard but they are at a deficit because no matter how hard they try they can't make Camp Swift, Texas look like Iraq.

Leaders PMT, Camp Swift (Bastrop, TX)

I started this week on my Pre Mobilization Training (PMT). I was selected to attend the 7 day Leaders version of this training so that I can knock it out and be there to assist the main body when they attend the full 21 day version in the horrible heat of July.
The PMT is set up to cover 32 warrior tasks set out by 1st Army. They say what must be performed prior to a soldier entering Iraq or Afghanistan. These tasks are non rank specific so every soldier from colonels to privates must complete them. This policy has made for some interesting training. Watching fullbird colonels roll around in the dirt and run through the woods doing insanely outdated warrior tasks is quite good for the staff sergeant's soul!

The first day started with inprocessing at noon and ended with a long 12 mindnumbing powerpoint classes that lasted until 11pm! We breezed through a lot of the weapons classes because lets face it Majors won't be using a vehicle mounted heavy machine gun.
Day two started with a 0340 wakeup to head to the Warrior Training Tasks (WTT) lanes. These are made up of all of the old school tasks like employ and hand grenade from the standing, kneeling and prone position. Some of these tasks are fun and some are just annoying. Of course you have to have the Individual Movement Techniques (IMT) lane. That is the lane you see in all of the old cheezy war movies......the crawl in the mud, slide under the barbwire on your back jump over wall junk while explosions and smoke grenades go off all around you. It was a whoop for sure. All of this sounds like fun until you strap on the 40 lb Individual Body Armor (IBA), knee pads, elbow pads, kevlar helmet, gloves, eye protection and of course your Army Combat Uniform (ACU). All of this gear combined makes up what soldiers call "Battle Rattle". Are you keeping up with the acronyms? Lets see........So you show up for PMT wearing your ACU but have to put on your IBA so you can move to the WTT and start the IMT. :)

Day three was spent mainly focusing on land navigation. We started the day with a 2 hour block of instruction (that’s what the Army calls a class). This class teaches you everything you should already know about land navigation. For those of us that are Infantry or Scouts we use this skill all the time in both training and real world situations. Most other soldiers do this right before they deploy and then not again until their next deployment. Anyway, after the classroom portion you strap on all of your “battle rattle” and move to the large wooded area where the instructors give you a list of grid numbers. These numbers correspond with actual markers out in the woods. You take these grid numbers using the Military grid reference system (MGRS) and plot them on a horrible Xerox copy of an actual map. Once you know where your points are you can just go find them right? But how will you get there? Ah! This is the exciting part……you take the map and use a protractor to find the distance and direction (azimuth) you have to walk. You take this MGRS azimuth and have to convert it to a magnetic azimuth because the Army laid a square grid over a round planet, silly Army! Once you convert it to magnetic you can use your compass and set off the desired distance and direction. But WAIT! How do you know how far to walk? Well the Army has the scientific answer for that. You walk a known 100 meter distance and count every left foot. This is your pace count. Mine today was 71 left feet in 100 meters. So picture this…..70 office clerks or truck drivers or medical supply soldiers heading out into the woods wearing full battle rattle, carrying a compass, looking at a horrible Xerox copy of a map from 1957 walking and counting every time their left foot hits the ground! Are you picturing it? OMG! It was quite a scene!

Started the drill with what we call death by powerpoint! Classes on using an interpreter, negotiations and culture awareness for the middle east. I spoke to the Col who is in charge of the ADT III mission and he is thinking I will be used in the S3 shop as the Operations NCO. I found a description of the OPS NCO on Global security.org............

Operations NCO/Shift NCO:

The operations NCO is generally the most underutilized individual in the TOC. The operations NCO seldom works inside the actual TOC. He is typically only responsible for the logistics support, movement, and security of the TOC. These are important tasks, but do not require total commitment of the senior TOC NCO. Doctrinally for some types of units these tasks are the responsibility of the HHC XO. The TOC NCO, if trained and utilized properly, can be of much more use to the battalion in the TOC. Duties and responsibilities may include:

• Ensuring that reports and messages are distributed properly.
• Updating units statuses on maps and charts.
• Supervising the publication of orders and graphics.
• Supervising the setting up and dismantling of the TOC.
• Supervising all enlisted personnel assigned to the S3 section.
• Managing guard rosters, sleep plans, and shift schedules.
• Assisting in developing and wargaming COAs during the TDMP.
• Serving as a recorder during the TDMP.

Not as exciting as kicking in doors and chasing the Taliban but with rank comes the realization that you have to put the good of the unit and the mission above your own selfish wants/needs.

First Drill weekend

This starts my journey to Afghanistan. Finally released from the RTI, although not on paper yet. I am in a 15 passenger van heading south on 35 to San Antonio. I have met a few old friends so far this morning. One former scout who is now the Lt over the security forces and another Scout now a recruiter who is going on the trip with us. He told me he is up for a deployment and is not looking to deploy with a BCT (brigade combat team). I would have to agree because deploying with 3000 other soldiers can really make you feel like cattle. Lost in the pasture, loss of control over your present and future. Just get in line with everyone else. This mission is a max of 66 soldiers which makes it feel more like a family. The line up so far looks good. Some old I troop friends will be joining us and as usual I will be tagging along with Maj Jason.

As it looks now I am slotted to be the Large animal specialist. Maj Jason is trying to steal me away to the Operations side but we will see how it goes.

On the list for this weekend is briefings, meet and greet and a 4 mile ruck march ( just an army term for walking with a 35lb backpack)