Safe and Sound AND SAD

For the sixth time since I arrived in Bagram (Camp Sabalu-Harrison) we took indirect rocket fire (IDF) from insurgents.  With great sorrow, I write to inform you that four U.S. servicemembers were killed last evening (June 18th).  The impact occurred approximately one mile from where I was working in my office when the IDF siren sounded.  My thoughts go out to their families and friends.  I will continue keeping my head down and providing the assistance to the Afghan government with the hope America's sacrifices won't be wasted. 

A Taste of Italy in Afghanistan...Really!

Part of the Rule of Law mission in Afghanistan is run in conjunction with NATO and Italy is the RC-West commander.  Because of this, the mission often required meetings with the Italian Civil Affairs folks at Camp Arena (about fifteen minutes down the road from Camp Stone, where I was at).

In addition to working with other nations (Italy, Spain, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland), one of my favorite things was visiting Camp Arena because of the pizzeria on the base.  Unfortunately, it also meant that I had to deal with watching our NATO partners partake in the consumption of alcohol (US personnel are forbidden from consuming any alcohol anywhere).  Regardless, the pizza was awesome!  Here are some pics from the pizzeria and of the pizza I so enjoyed each time I visited Camp Arena:

The best thing about this pizza (besides the taste) was knowing that it was free of any additives and made completely from all natural ingredients.

Once Again Operational (Pun Intended)

As you can see, I have fixed my laptop.  While I cannot claim to be a Microsoft Certified Technician, I am confident that I can tackle many technical issues.  Additionally, I have been working in an operational environment for almost two months.  Unfortunately, I have had to enlist the help of some tech types here at Camp Sabalu-Harrison (in the Parwan Province and adjacent to the Bagram Airfield) to try and recover many photos that were lost when my laptop crashed.  Consequently, there will be less photos for the past six weeks that I can share, but hopefully, I can do so in the future or when I return home.

Shortly my arrival in Afghanistan I assumed duties as the Team Chief in RC (Regional Command) West for the NATO Rule of Law Field Force Support Mission (NROLFFSM)/Rule of Law Field Force Afghanistan (ROLFF-A) -- the similar U.S. Mission-- in Herat, Afghanistan.  While the Herat Field Team was being drawn down, I was still able to conduct several Key Leader Engagements (KLEs--there is an acronym for everything!).  Many of the KLEs involved meeting with Afghan Partners who were local leaders in the legal and/or law enforcement sector of the government.  If you had a chance to read the information that I previously posted concerning Herat, you probably remember that it is one of the few cities in Afghanistan that still has historical buildings and other sites.  The NY Times wrote an interesting piece about Herat that mentioned some of the many historical and Western sites in the city.  Here's the URL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/world/asia/herat-freewheeling-afghan-city-fearful-of-us-pullout.html?_r=0

Here are some photos (those that I have been able to recover thus far) of the ice cream shop and the Minarets mentioned in the article:

 Ice Cream Shop -- Did not get a chance to try any of the offerings though...

If you look closely, you can see some of the ornate features of this minaret.

Next Post:  Italy in Afghanistan?

Blog is Temporarily Unavailable Due to Upgrades

Actually, it's not.  The inactivity is due to my laptop dying a few days ago.  At present, I'm in the middle of trying to repair it.  While I could post some updates, they wouldn't mean much without photos.  Unfortunately, government policies prevent me from downloading personal media to any government asset...so this is about as much as I can do for now.

Hopefully, I will have my laptop fixed in the next couple of weeks.

Best,
Ben

Who Says Life is Rough in Afghanistan!

While I miss the serene beachy confines of Southern California, I have been able to enjoy the "high life."

I've been able to drink Cristal and ride in expensive imports...see below:

It ain't champagne, but it'll do!

Mercedes Benz G-500?

What a Long Strange Trip it's Been

After departing Kyrgyzstan, I finally arrived in Afghanistan on May 4th.  However, I have thus far been unable to get to my "initial" final destination of Herat.  I was stranded in Kandahar for four and a half days followed by a three day stay in Kabul (my present location) via Camp Leatherneck/Bastion. 

Hopefully, I'll be able to make it out in the next few days on "Space-A" (space available = standby).  I'm not holding my breath.  In all fairness, I have been enjoying my tour of the various installations (all of which have been joint with NATO member countries) throughout Afghanistan.

I have recently been made aware that a I will work with Afghan judges at the Justice Center in Parwan (aka the JCIP) after my time Herat.  The JCIP is located near Bagram Air Base.  At this point things are fluid and I am just going with the flow.  I've enclosed some pictures of the geography near Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, Kandahar Air Field (KAF) and Kabul Afghanistan International Airport (KAIA).

Manas Air Base:

 Kandahar Air Field:

 Kabul Afghanistan International Airport:

 Note the blue mosque above.

Pictures of Herat, Bagram and anywhere else I'll go to follow!

I'm Here!....Sort of...

Well, it took a while, but I finally arrived in AFG after leaving the US (BWI) on April 29th and passing through Manas Airbase in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan I arrived in Kandahar just before midnight on May 4th.  It was a long flight from BWI to Manas followed by three long days (one day delay due to the unfortunate crash of an Air Force C 135 tanker) in Manas.  Nonetheless, my transit from Manas was aboard an Air Force C17 in the cargo bay which was configured for troop transport.  See photos below of the small view from one of the windows on the C 17, the internal layout and me while on board.