On the road... again

I'm going to be gone for the next week on a trip to Helmand Province. This is the most active area in Afghanistan for insurgent activity and fighting. I'm shorthanded right now with two of my team away on R&R so I'm picking up a video shoot. I'll be putting together a piece on ISAF troops and how they are teaching the Afghan National Army to detect mines and safety remove them.

If you don't hear from me for a week or so, that's where I am. This training is taking place at a remote Forward Operating Base (FOB) and odds are they have little to no Internet connection. I'll be posting pictures and a story when I get back.

Our new Commander & Chief

I am optimistic for our new President and the future of our country. This is my new Commander and Chief and I have sworn an oath to follow his orders. But as an American, I am also blessed with freedom of speech and the rights of a citizen to criticize authority. As I watched the inauguration, I was disappointed to see our country spend $150 MILLION DOLLARS on this changing of the guard.

I would have been really impressed with the new administration if they would have simply said, "we can't afford the pomp and circumstance right now. We're in the middle of an economic crisis." A simple swearing in live on television from the Oval Office would have been much more appropriate and fiscally responsable.

Just my opinion.

Another refugee camp

News Release

International Security Assistance Force

ISAF joins Sozo International to provide relief to Afghan refugees

By: LT Dave Hecht

KABUL, Afghanistan – They are the poorest of the poor. Nearly 70 families, more than 100 young children; all displaced Afghans forced to move to this tent city near downtown Kabul because of intense fighting taking place in Helmand Province. Life in this camp is hard, but it got a little easier thanks to supplies delivered by ISAF troops and Sozo International, Jan. 24.

“There is a lot of desperation here,” said Abdul Wakil of the non-governmental organization Sozo International “I came here last night and all the people were cold and sitting in their tents gathered around a small candle for heat.”

For security reasons, refugees at the camp were unaware that a convoy of relief supplies would be coming. When the four vehicles arrived, ISAF troops helped distribute three blankets to every family, winter clothes and food. For the refugees, the donations literally mean the difference between life and death which explains why the crowd began fighting over the last boxes to be handed out.

“It’s a different world,” said U.S. Navy CDR Harold Roy of Bishop, Texas. “I guess a different mentality when survival is at stake and definitely these people are trying to survive. It’s an eye opening experience but it feels good to provide some kind of support.”

The tents the refugees call home are simply pieces of wood lashed together to create a frame with plastic tarps, sheets or rugs thrown over the top for shelter. While most appeared to have coats to battle the cold overnight temperatures, what refugees didn’t have on hand were hats and gloves, particularly for the children. It’s the same case for shoes as most wore a pair but with no socks.

“Can these people really change their future, can they really work their way up” asked U.S. Army Major Linda Sue Schwartz of Milwaukee, WI. “Unfortunately, I think their future is already determined for them.”

Donations from abroad are the lifeblood of Sozo International’s efforts across Afghanistan. The organization delivers supplies to not only refugee camps, but also hospitals, schools and orphanages. To keep those donations coming, ISAF’s Chaplain, U.S. Air Force Captain Eric Whitmore coordinates with military members and civilian personnel from all ISAF contributing countries to participate in these deliveries.

“They’re not going to change the world,” said Whitmore of Denton, Texas. “They’re not going to change Afghanistan in one night. I want them see firsthand what’s happening here and to take this story back to their local church, local school, local community and together, that’s how we fix the problem.”

B-I-N-G-O!!!!!!

The MWR (Moral Welfare & Recreation) team on base hosts events throughout the month to help keep the troops happy. They run the base theater and hold a special birthday dinner each month. But the BIGGEST event they coordinate is Bingo Night which is held every other Wednesday. I have never seen so many people get into Bingo like they do here. It’s an intense competition between nations. When an American wins, the Americans go wild. When the Brits win, the Brits go wild. It’s really a riot to watch. They also give out some pretty good prizes like cash, portable DVDs and Afghan rugs. So far… I’m winless. I’ve been close, but still winless.

The first wave out

For several people in my office, their tour in Afghanistan is now over. At the same time, their relief have arrived. To celebrate the new arrivals and the latest departures, we held a "Hail and Fairwell" last night in true Royal Navy style. Our outgoing boss, Captain Mark Windsor is a Royal Navy officer and he commanded the formal event which began with the national anthem of each nation represented in the room. There were speeches and award presentations, a grand evening for the public affairs team.

Outgoing staff include:

Capt. Mark Windsor - Chief PAO

Col. K - Deputy Chief PAO

Lt. Col. Dave Honchul - Media Analysis

LCDR James Gater - Deputy Operations

1LT Yuksel Kilic- Planning

MC1 David Hamilton - Media Analysis asst.

1st Sgt Ramazan - Planning

Gentlemen, I wish each of you "fare winds and following seas."

Welcome aboard:

Major Chris Sergeant - Royal Navy

LCDR Chris Hall - Royal Navy

TSgt Bobby Maki - ISAF

Do American still care - think not

While I'm in Afghanistan doing public affairs for NATO, my friend James is doing the same for U. S. Forces in Iraq. The article below is from James. Interesting stuff.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A national survey released last month listed the news stories Americans followed most closely in 2008. Number one was the U.S. economy. Second were gasoline prices. Third, the Wall Street bailout.

Missing from the list of 15 topics? The Iraq war, where more than 4,200 Americans and at least 90,000 Iraqis have died. It was the first time since the war started in 2003 that Iraq didn't make the list, which is put out by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

"People have gotten lost in the economy," said the Rev. Jim Lewis, a founder of West Virginia Patriots for Peace. "People have gotten lost in the elections."

In 2007, Iraq made up about a fifth of the print, online and broadcast news content analyzed at Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism, said Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the project.
In 2008, war coverage dropped by 75 percent, dwarfed by stories on the economy and the presidential election, he said.

For the week of Jan. 5, the war made up less than 1 percent of news content -- behind stories like the death of John Travolta's son, Jurkowitz said.

It's getting harder for many media organizations to cover Iraq, Jurkowitz said.

I can dig it

If Afghans are the world's leading producers of anything... it's holes. They are incredible diggers. They dig holes all over this base. Why? I have no idea. I think they just like to dig. They don't use any heavy machinery, just picks and shovels.

The guy in this picture dug this hole all by himself in about five hours. The hole has to be atleast 6' deep and 8' across. In the Tennessee clay, it would take me a month to dig the same size hole.

Good job hole digging guy!

Thank you for your donations

While I said our next delivery of hospital donations wouldn't be until February, an opportunity opened on Friday morning to deliver the supplies. Above are pictures of the delivery and the difference you helped to make.

I'd like to thank the following people for caring:

William Frazier, Tucson, AZ

Rick and Dena Lentz, Oconomowol, WI

Gloria Stuart, Topsham, ME

Kim Treber, Mount Vernon, OH

J.T. Lohrer, Batavia, OH

W. Bivins, Lexington, KY

Beth Fowler, Cincinnati, OH

Mike & Rosie Scherb, Tucson, AZ

Merkel Family, Cincinnati, OH

Byron & Jolene Masson, Monroe, MI

Joe West, Butler, KY

Castalneri Family, Anada, CO

William Wilder, West Chester, OH

Michelle & Scott Sloan, Mason, OH

John Donnelly, Melba, ID

Halfway there!!!

This month marks the halfway point for my deployment here in Afghanistan. Three months down… three months to go. Actually, it’s four months down, but the one month of training back at Camp McCrady doesn’t count as part of my six month orders.

I’ve found the best way to make time fly is to have something to look forward to. With a little more than 100 days left, I’m now counting down the seconds to our family vacation at Disney World. My wife and I just made reservations over Skype for eight fun-filled days at the Magic Kingdom.

This kids have been very good while Daddy has been away and deserve a big reward like a trip to Mickey’s place. And while I play with the kids, Mrs. (Blank) is more than welcome to relax poolside, get a massage, go shopping… whatever she wants! She too has well earned this vacation.

I encourage my fellow military members to contact Disney about their “Red, White & Blue Salute” package. Not only are there good discounts on rooms, military members get a free five day pass to the park and your family members get five day passes for just $99 apiece.

Here’s a link to their website: http://www.shadesofgreen.org/salute.htm

Stupid things make me laugh!

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other, “Does this taste funny to you?”

- I'm sorry, but I think this is just hilarious.

Car bombing near ISAF

On Saturday, the Taliban exploded a vehicle born suicide IED near our base. Two Americans and four Afghans were killed while dozens of others were seriously wounded. The explosion rocked my building less than a mile away. Above are a couple photos of the scene shot by one of my photographers, TSgt Brenda Nipper.

Please keep the innocent victims of this attack in your thoughts and prayers.

ISAF News Release 1/15

International Security Assistance Force

Afghan contractor kidnapped, murdered in Kapisa

KABUL, Afghanistan – A local-national contractor who worked on road construction projects for ISAF forces was found murdered three days after being kidnapped by insurgents in Kapisa Province last week.

The local-national contractor was kidnapped on Jan. 6. During his captivity, he was shot three times and killed. Afghan police found the contractor’s body hanging from a tree near Feroza, Jan. 9.

The contractor was part of a road construction project in the Afghanya valley of Kapisa, in Regional Command East.

ISAF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, condemned the kidnapping and murder of the local contractor and said “this local national man was merely trying to do his job and help build his country and, in doing so, was mercilessly killed by insurgents.”