FOB Chapman Hit

This is bad. How did he get in there?

I always thought that base was a waste of resources, what with Salerno so close by. I don't know why they didn't just combine the bases, but I guess all the secret squirrels didn't want to rub elbows with us regular Joes.

I am really sorry to hear about this and send condolences to the families of the fallen. I hope they fix whatever shortfall was in place that allowed this to happen.

LTC JOHN ADDS: See here for further.

Want to see some happy people?

The welcome home for CSM Bones and Friends (the HQ of the 33rd Brigade Combat Team):

Photo From The "Front"

My dad just sent me a couple of photos and an email that came from Afghanistan and BG Huber, Commander of the 33d BCT and CSM Bones' boss.

I'd love to hear CSM Bones tell the story (assuming he was on the trip) since it was a trip the "Old Man" took to Herat.

The text of the email was a story about the trip that was sent to the Illinois National Guard PAO (Public Affairs Office) so I suspect it may be out there somewhere (if not waiting to show up on the latest issue of the NGAI newsletter).

Khost, ISAF?

This report this morning says that a base near Khost, Afghanistan was attacked by suicide bombers. There are two bases (or at least there were when I left) near Khost, but they were both US bases.

The good news is the suicide bombers got their wish and there were no ISAF casualities. Unfortunately there were civilian casualities and that is very sad. Their families have my sympathy.

If this was FOB Salerno, then given that the attackers were engaged 1000 yards from the base with small arms indicates to me that the Afghans actually did the direct fighting until the helicopters got there. There is a defensive ring manned by Afghans about 400 yards beyond the actual base wire (I'm not giving any secrets away here, the towers are plainly visable).

This report also says that the base was attacked recently by a car bomb or VBIED (vehicle borne improvized explosive device (at least I assume it was improvized)) and that that attack was repelled at the gate. I wonder if the new gate, to the east, closer to the road intersection was ever built.

I appologize that there are more questions than answers in this post.

33rd Leads the Way

I attended the regional Family Support Conference this last weekend and I have to say that there is a great deal of command emphasis on family support in the 33rd IBCT.

It is very refreshing to see that kind of focus from higher command. This is a program, if done correctly will be a tremendous asset to the families of deployed soldiers (and the 33rd is taking almost a third of the state with them) as well as an asset to the soldiers themselves.

When I went with the 33rd to Afghanistan (with CSM Bones and Major John) it was just the HHC of an ASG and it wasn't even used that way. On top of that there was no, none, zip, zero… support for the families. We had enough trouble trying to figure out what our jobs were and how we were going to do them with too few people. We didn't need the stress of worrying about our families back home.

The last thing a soldier needs to worry about when they're getting shot at is the leaky faucet at home (believe me, I've tried).

Now they have Family Assistance Center Representatives around the state to provide support and guidance to the families, including making a monthly phone call to a family member designated by each soldier. The 33rd has one better than that with the Family Readiness Support Assistant who helps the Family Readiness Groups of each individual Company.

Several Company Commanders even attended the training this weekend. Many of them attended with their FRGs or at least their FRG Leaders.

I applaud the efforts of the 33rd IBCT in this facet of keeping the soldiers safe and I give kudos to the leadership for making this a priority and providing the tools to get it done. The FACRs and the FRSA are state employees so the credit there goes to the Adjutant General (MG Enyart) and the state staff (JFHQ), but there seems also to be emphasis by the Brigade Command team.

Kapisa

Kapisa Province. کاپيسا

CSM Bones and I would travel there - particularly to the capital, Mahmud-i-Raqi. One learned three things about the province right away - the Tagab was a smuggling route (drugs, guns, anything), it was a very small province (the smallest in Afghanistan) and the governor was a venal, thieving, and ineffectual bum.

Al-Biruny University seen center and left. On the right edge is the ruins of a once very large textile plant.

(Photo by ... me)

It's still small. The Tagab is still dangerous. The Governor was replaced with a better man.

H.E Abdul Sattar Murad, Kapisa Governor

I was not happy to see that someone had fired at the PRT working there - the response might have caused a bunch of civilian casualties. The M.O. of the attack fits the bad guys that worked this area when I was there. But it also fits the smugglers M.O. We had PRT personnel driving up the Tagab get shot at by people who thought they were going to come and raid their poppy fields. The Tagab wasn't much of a producer, but during a drought year - you could fly over in a Blackhawk and see poppy patches that were normally hidden behind mud walls.

Somebody bad shot at our people, and when they responded, the innocents that the bad guy(s) were hiding behind got hurt. I can only hope that we can make good for the families of the hurt and killed - and find out what happened to the bad guy(s).

News of Afghanistan ۴۷

Ah, the past weekend reminds me of what one of my favorite interpreter's father would say... "Snow in the mountains is better than gold in the bank." As, I do not have any farmland along the Panjshir River, he may have my allotment of snow. Please come and remove it ASAP.

A great muddle if you ask me - Talbin scum...

Testifyin' about security.

The Canadians mull over a very old problem.

Britain's Prince Charles greets President Hamid Karzai at Clarence House in London. Afghanistan is at a "tipping point" ahead of an expected Taliban spring offensive, a hard-hitting report warned, despite upbeat comments from Karzai and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.(AFP/POOL/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Oh brave Talib - got enough children to flee behind?

Rebuilding Torkham.

I am wary of the numbers cited here. But one shouldn't downplay all of the report.

Photo: IRIN

I weep for our media when I can look at an article in the Tehran Times and see they are very much more careful in how they treat claims by a "purported" Talib commander than our own...

Another good Canadian idea!

Ugh.

At e-ariana.com

Gimme energy!

I wonder if he said this with a straight face....?

Uh, wait one...over.

A bit of an angry, historical oriented polemic.

Over to you, Airborne.

Go watch this - it's a bit long. I, and my co-workers, helped a bit with this...

The leading citizens of Rogmati. [photo by...me]

News of Afghanistan ۴۶

Oh happy day. Shall we start with the News then?

From Maxwell Street, to Columbia? "A few years ago, anyone with a folding chair and a table could deal...now, eh..."

I can only imagine how busy the tazkera offices will be.... (the tazkera is a sort of cross between state ID and birth certificate and Social Security card).

Get out! Anyone who worries about how illegal immigrants might be treated in the US, Australia, etc., take note. [note - internal problems too.]

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (L) greets to his Afghan counterpart Abdul Rahim Wardak (C) next to NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (R) during an informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Seville February 8, 2007. The meeting will be held in Seville from February 8-9. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo (SPAIN)

Oooh, this isn't gonna play well....

Nor did this.

Artistes, arise!

© IRIN
Rights groups oppose a draft law which grants immunity to former warlords, such as Ismail Khan (left) and Rashid Dustum.

Good for her!

Note two things: the paper this review appears in, and the irony of the possible trouble the Iranian government is causing/has caused Afghanistan. I take more hope from this than dismay. The Iranian people have a great interest and bond with the Afghans - no matter what their regime's attitudes and actions.

Talk about squeezing blood from a turnip...

My favorite of all the pictures I took in Afghanistan. Opening day of a girl's school in Parwan Province

I'd bet you won't find much current US pop music allowed.

The AQ coming into Afghanistan - they couldn't care less who they hurt. Mortar shells hit kids - they don't care. Bastards.

Oh, that porous Pak border...

Good on ya moment of the week: The Aga Khan Foundation is helping rebuild the Babar Garden - one of the nice things the terrifying conqueror and founder of the Mughal Dynasty, Babar - the Tiger of the North - left behind. Go look at the pictures.

News of Afghanistan ۴۵

Man, I must be getting old - good thing I have a mug of Alokozay Tea at hand (thanks to The World's Greatest Military Contractor)...

e-ariana posts the following:

I can only surmise they may have found the Thomas Nast of Afghanistan!

I think that this is called "self-interest"... at least for several members. This is why the amnesty really pisses me off. #$%&!

Chiding the Pakistanis...I wonder if the reporter and her photog hadn't been messed with, would we be seeing this article?

© Sultan Massoodi/IRIN

The only targets they can't hit are economic?

Speaking of Pakistan - a reply by a former FM.

Ungood. Plus ungood.

photo: UNHCR/N.Behring-Chisholm

Ungood. Double plus ungood.

Ha! I actually said this would happen back in 2005...so I was just a couple of years off...

Say, any contraband in that there truck?

I just wanted to post this photo of Squadron Leader Rich Langley ... because I could [photo by me!]

Heh. First thing I'd do is make the Germans and French hustle.

Cell phones - leading the way to Afghan prosperity! CSM Bones had one (was that Roshan or Afghan Wireless?)

Yea, Japan!