I returned back to HQ yesterday. For Boris, our HQ is in capital district right near the US Embassy if that helps. I’ll have to hit just the highlights and I expect this post to be long anyway. We convoyed to the airport Tuesday morning. Five of us were on this trip, all Dutch except for me: our General, two security personnel, and our Sergeant Major, a good group to travel with. Our plane left the airport on time … two hours late. We flew on a German C-160, much like our C-130 only smaller. We flew to the northern region. The country up there is considerably different from here. The economy is booming by this country’s standards. There seems to be a night life and all the stores are well stocked. I even saw a computer store with a top-of-the-line abacus. The air is cleaner, the geography similar in this case. The base we stayed at the first night is designed, built, maintained, and operated by the Germans. I have rarely seen a better base anywhere, certainly not in this country. It is clean, well built, and our accommodations were first class. Nothing like this base. The Germans know what they are doing in my opinion. We made a few visits out to some commands in the area – the purpose of our trip – and I learned a lot about the local army and their training. One of our stops was to watch one of their training centers in action (the equivalent of our boot camps). They are training well. As usual, I see children all over and feel for their plight. They all wave to us and give us the “thumbs up.” No question we are welcomed.
The General and I attended a Protocol Dinner that night. I was hoping for traditional German food, but no such luck. The dinner was the best I had while deployed though. Good conversation. I spoke with a number of different people including the Commanding General who will become a grandfather about the time my baby is born. I also spoke at length with the Deputy Commander who is from Norway. Very interesting and it prepared me for our trip the next day to a remote forward operating base in the region.
So we flew the next morning to the western part of the northern region. The geography changed a bit with smaller mountains, rounded, mostly sand covered. The base we stayed at this time is built and run by the Norwegians. There is also a Latvian contingent there. I was the only American. (Note to self: the Norwegian and Latvian armed forces have very attractive women serving, good thing I am married. As if.) This base was also immaculate with excellent facilities. However, they are overcrowded, so four of us slept in a tent, which was fine. The restroom/shower facilities were top-notch (my metric for a professional base). We travelled out to another forward operating base that we use to help mentor and train the army. Both of these places gave me a true feeling about what it means to be out in the middle of nowhere. Really in the middle of nowhere. At night we returned to the Norwegian base. I took a walk around after dinner when no one was out. Cold, dark, and quiet. Behind a stone/concrete wall with some razor wire, you are very alone.
We had time to socialize and it so happens on Wednesday nights they have a Norwegian tradition, “The Quiz.” This is a trivia competition open to all and prizes are awarded (more later). During dinner, of all things, I had to defend American whiskey. I was asked, “What do you Americans use for drinkin' whiskey?” I replied, “Drinkin' whiskey.” I then had to defend American whiskey on a Norwegian base to a Dutch general in Afghanistan. The kicker is the base is dry, so all we had later were a few cans of Beck’s non-alcoholic beer. So on to the quiz. It varies each week I’m told depending on who makes it up. This week mostly consisted of showing pictures of people who you had to ID and music where you identified the song and artist. We came in third, a good show I would say. Most of us couldn’t guess the recent music, so that was it. Of special note, while I got the answers for musicians like the Beach Boys and Kenny Rogers, our general got the answers for Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. I’m not joking and I couldn’t stop laughing. He explained that was his era. Kathy would be proud; he would do well in Amped Up.
They usually serve waffles Wednesday night as it is traditional, but they didn’t make them this time. My loss. Apparently, they are too sweet for breakfast in Norway. They eat them with either jam or goat cheese. I’ll stick with the syrup I suppose.
We flew back the next day without incident. The airstrip out in this remote place is just a long line of dirt. When our plane was coming in, our escorts decided it would be a good time to drive us on the airstrip (they didn’t know the plane was coming). So, the plane had to divert and make another approach. That was interesting. This time we flew a Fokker 50, commuter plane, and we even got a cup of coffee.
For the trip, I saw at least five more insects I never saw before. Jeff would have liked that part I suppose. I never saw so many sand flies (or whatever they are) before. I’ll have to cut this off now, I hope I’ve given the overall feel for the last few days. I’m sure I’ll remember more soon enough.
P.S. Anyone know the movie that had the drinkin' whiskey lines so Bill doesn't go nuts?
9 comments:
Boy that really was some trip! I'm glad you are getting educated and it sounds as if at least some of our allies are doing their jobs very well. Just as I expected, but we don't read about the good things in our media.
But now the important part! Drinkin' Whiskey to real Americans is only Jack Daniels. Good old Tennesee Mash!! Don't let Al Gore know, he'll say he invented it. Years ago that's all I drank. Sometimes with 1/2 Southern Comfort. It made the best tasting Old Fashioned ever. Norman Cogliati used to call it the Zimmer cocktail! There is a 1gallon bottle of it on the floor in Lake George given to me when I left Touche-Ross. Now that's American.
Could the movie with the "Drinkin' Whiskey" lines have been "The Alamo". It had all the drinkin' Tennesee Volunteers in it.
Well done! It was The Alamo. I explained the whole Jack Daniels thing to no avail.
So, when you go to classified meetings do you have to press the secret button or does someone press it for you. I assume it is clearly labeled secret button.
We had recruiters on campus this week. Hundreds of US flags were posted on the walkways. My officemate and I made a point of talking to the recruiters and welcoming/thanking them. They noted our campus had given them one of their warmest welcomes. ROTC is coming back to our campus (it was the Army that removed it a few years back). There are a few faculty members against it, but they haven't said anything in front of me.
We use the Cone of Silence. There are some Americans who are too young to know what that is, but we have to explain it anyway to all our European allies. So many of my jokes are lost on them.
Another interesting post! I just re-read a 2002 National Geographic article on Afghanistan. I wonder how many of the author's observations and predictions for the future hold true today?
One photo that struck me depicted a roofless, bombed-out building in the midst of more roofless, bombed-out buildings. A small group of boys were kneeling on a rug paying rapt attention to a teacher writing on the smallest scrap of blackboard. It appeared that they were very grateful to be in school. The article said that so many kids in Kabul wanted to go to school that they had to go in shifts because there wasn't enough room in the schools. Is that still true?
The "Mr. SBHS" contest was held last night at the high school. It's really my favorite event of the school year. I was hoarse this morning from the whoopin' and hollerin'
This afternoon, I cut my grass and enjoyed the promise of spring.
I'm glad you're well.
Take care,
Kathy
I want to learn more about the schools around here, but I do see some myself and I have heard some horror stories in the not too distant past. I have a few pictures I'll show when I get home.
I think I mentioned that my bodyguard, Jawaid, loves school, but he is way behind our kids. We are getting more and more children into school and the government has learned if you educate women, then their children may have a better chance of being educated and have more opportunities. More opportunities means not growing up to be a suicide bomber, no exaggeration, as that is how recruitment works. I know of stories here where teachers were murdered, in mass, because the school allowed girls to attend. The insurgents thought killing the teachers (and burning down the schools) would deter the desire for education. It hasn't. Also interesting to note, female teachers get paid $60 per month.
One of our bases right near us has a school near it and I got to see the kids at recess today. It was nice, but a bit too emotional for me. These kids were better off than the ones I mentioned in a previous post based on their clothes and backpacks. So sad, they don't know what is going on around them. They are walking home almost carefree and we are carrying weapons and wearing body armor. They deserve a future too, I'm happy to help pave the way, the little bit that I do.
4/13/08
Hi Ithan, I thought the north was more hilly than in Kabul. It’s good to hear that the other countries aren’t scared off. It sounds as diverse as NJ. Ya, ya the waffles would have been good, ya, ya?
Since when are you happy with third place in a competition? You are going to have to study up on the new artists.
Blue skies,
Terry
Yes, it is flat here in the city, but we are surrounded by mountains, some a bit closer than others. The Norway guy wanted to be the scribe for our team and he couldn't write fast enough in English. It was his house, so I couldn't take the paper although a Latvian guy recommended I take it. Whatevs. If Jane and I have a dodgeball team, you'll see some fire.
Cone of silence. That’s Get Smart. I thought we were talking about James Bondstein. 00$9.95.
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