Getting by with a little help from my friends...
I am currently on an R&R pass. One that was much needed. It's great to get an opportunity to relax and unwind a bit. I can not wait to get home...
In any case, one of the things I have been doing on my pass here in beautiful Qatar, is taking the time to write a lot of e-mails I have been needing to catch up on, and the time to conduct some web site maintenace. The internet connection here is woefully slow, but still way faster than the one in Afghanistan. And since it is an MWR machine, there are fewer restrictions.
I am again having serious problems with my site being bombarded by spammers. I need to upgade to a newer version of my blog engine in an effort to get better spam protection. The problem is my connection here is FAR too slow to perform the upgrade myself. Therefore I have requested the help of my friends at Defending the Truth to help me conduct the upgrade and transition to the new software. They have been a huge help to me in the past, and even funded the establishment of this site for me. So I am hoping they will not have a problem answering my call one more time. Needless to say the beers are gonna be on me when I get home... I am going to have to do a lot of traveling.
But in anycase, please be aware that there may be a transition to new software in the next few days. If all goes well it should be invisible to you the reader, but the site may get a new look and/or feel. It should get a bit faster. And if all does not go well, the site may go down (temporarily). Please just bear with me during the transistion.
If you keep reading I'll keep posting, and doing my best to make the site the best I can, as best I can from the front lines of the "War on Terror".
Down Time
Obviously, even at war we must occassionally get some 'Down Time'...
I hate this photo of me because I had not shaved my head in a while, and so you can clearly see my bald spot! Getting old sucks. But football is a fun way to pass the time (even in the desert heat) and I thought this was a cool action photo. If you look you can see my rifle is slung accross my body, I was not expecting the pass to come to me...
This is one of our officers hard at work in the HQ. It's really rough working at HQ...
Convoy Pictures 2
Although I hate this picture, I felt compelled to include it. I was VERY tired when this shot was taken.
This is one of the coolest buildings I have seen in Kabul. There are not many buildings this nice in Afghanistan.
Check out her shoes!
Life in Kabul
I was providing security on the roof of the Ministry of the Interior.
We take any chance we get to get some rest and get our minds right. Clearly getting ready for a convoy is stressful...
While some guys are always just Rarin' to Go!
An Afghan National Police Truck, donated by the U.S. Clearly a little different from the ones we have at home.
Pictures from Downtown
This is a Mansion next to the Ministry of the Interior Building. This was our second trip to the MoI, I have post cards of what this building used to look like. It was beautiful once. Now it should be condemned. I believe numerous families likely live inside of it.
A Photo of me and a Shipmate. He's in a Navy Issue Uniform (minus the hat), I am stuck with my ACUs.
Myself and a few team mates with members of the Afghan National Police
Sometimes dealing with a crowd can be very stressful and hectic.
Convoy Pictures
Chief Fraser and I Get ready to head out. I had the pleasure of taking him out on his first convoy in Afghanistan!
Devastation seen from the road. Most of the destruction in this country was done AFTER the Soviets left.
Many women here still wear the Burqas. It is a sad reminant of the Taliban's reign. Burqas are actually an Arab tradition, not an Afghan one. The Islamic Extremists who came to Afghanistan to aid the Taliban brought the tradition with them.
Bicycles are a very common mode of transportation throughout the country. Very few places outside of Kabul and Kandahar have any kind of regular electrical service. Those people who have electricity run their own generators. This man is clearly carrying one home on his bike.
Two members of the Afghan National Police (ANP) ride a motorcycle donated by the Coalition.
We passed a stopped Coalition Convoy comprised of regular forces.
A roadside grave. It is common here to bury people wherever they died. This is a very common sight.
A lot of kids spend their days sitting along a roadside waiting for work, or herding sheep. They all watch the convoys go by, they should be in school but most don't go.
This is me conducting a comms check before rolling out on a Convoy. We usually prefer to go out in Non-Tactical Vehicles that make less obvious targets. Personally I prefer to look as little like 'Big Army' as possible. 'Big Army' attracts bullets.
The Shappards here have no problems herding their sheep right into the middle of the road. This sometimes creates a dangerous situation. (If you look in the rear view mirror you can see me driving!)