Day 288: Itchy trigger fingers

SFC Ralph Parsons quizzes an Afghan National Army soldier during tactics training on responding to an ambush. Parsons is with the Kabul Military Training Center's Mentor Group. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Itchy trigger fingers not allowed:

Alamo mentor stresses the basics with ANA soldiers

By G. A. Volb

KMTC Public Affairs

CAMP ALAMO, Afghanistan – “Kilke-ta-Az-masha Durku,” the 45-year-old Sergeant First Class from Lawton, Okla., told Afghan National Army soldiers on Kabul Military Training Center’s tactics range.

The words he spoke, in Dari, reminded the young Afghan troops to keep their fingers off the trigger when not needed. It was the type of exchange that had onlookers wondering if the seasoned noncommissioned officer was fluent in the language.

“Actually, that’s all I know,” said Army SFC Ralph Parsons, with a slight grin on a cold, wet day atop the rolling hills of KMTC’s ranges.

Parsons, a mentor with the Basic Warrior Training branch here, focuses on the ANA’s command staff instructor section, evaluating training, and helping them develop new tactics and techniques for instruction.

“The typical ANA soldier wants to learn,” he said. “I think they want to be challenged and want to belong to an organized group with a unified effort.”

On this day, there were about 600 soldiers from a training Kandak practicing their reaction tactics to an “ambush.”

“ANA soldiers excel at anything they can actually physically practice,” he emphasized. “They do extremely well at hands-on practicum -- like assembling and disassembling weapons, first aid and such.”

He said the biggest challenge is the obvious language barrier and having to use interpreters for everything. There’s also a certain level of trust that has to be developed between the soldiers and mentors.

“They know that with each new mentor comes change, and they expect that,” he said. “But sometimes they’re not sure who the expert is or who’s ideas and suggestions they should accept – yours or the previous mentor’s.”

Such things are important since the training methods push a lot of information at the soldiers in a small amount of time.

“When I conduct a check on their progress, sometimes they get eight out of 10 questions correct, and sometimes just one or two,” he said. “So those are the types of issues my team is trying to identify. They grasp the overall concept of the instruction, but not the details as to why something is.”

In the mud and rain on the tactics range, the training scenario tested their ability to discovering an enemy lying in wait and reacting to an ambush. “The concepts of laying down a base of fire, assaulting and flanking through the ambush site are also taught,” said Parsons. “To help them survive they must work together in fire teams, to communicate, put down a large base of fire and immediately react to contact, to assault through the objectives, and to be aggressive.”

The ANA, if nothing else, is aggressive according to those closest to the training. Parsons attributed that to their belief that one day they see Afghanistan being the country their grandparents told them about, a free and prosperous nation. Many too said the Taliban had terrorized their villages and families and that they are here for revenge. But first things first – and that’s the training.

This six-week course is broken into three major categories: First aid, tactics, and basic rifle marksmanship with AK-47s, plus Soviet weapons familiarization.

“These privates come from all over Afghanistan – all provinces and villages – but here at KMTC they are unified for the first time as one Kandak (battalion) and one Tolli (company). It’s my hope that, following the course, they realize they have the ability to learn a wide variety of tasks that it takes to be a soldier and a warrior. That they’ll continue to build on what they’ve learned here at their corps.”

Day 252: Training in the mud

At their newly formed Forward Operation Base, an ANA officer discusses security requirements with his troops. (Photo by G. A. Volb/Select photo for hi-res version)

Members of the coalition training force set up a command post in order to track their ANA soldiers during their final battle field test before heading down range to join the ongoing fight with the insurgency. (Photo by G. A. Volb/Select photo for hi-res version)

By all accounts, the Afghans are indeed warriors. They've been fighting for decades and they know the lay of the land. 

Their ability to roam the mountains isn't lost on coalition mentors as they've seen them in action. Not much in the way of upper body strength typically, but they are aggressive hikers and climbers. 

Recently, in testing a Kandak's -- or battalion's -- ability to react to situations on the battle field the Mentor Group here held a Situational Training Exercise. Complete with all the specialties that would comprise an operational battalion, they were put through the paces of: 1) Reacting to a staged ambush, and 2) Setting up, securing and operating out of a forward operating base. 

It was a cold, nasty, muddy three or four days for the ANA soldiers. Yet, according to those observing their actions, they did quite a nice job. 

It's very early in the ANA development process -- it's a marathon for sure, so I caution our western partners to keep that in mind -- but minor successes continue as slowly, but surely, their tactics and ability to execute on the battle field improves. Much of the ongoing training has now been taken over by the ANA themselves and stories from the front point to more and more instances of the ANA leading the fight.

I asked my interpreter when it would get warm again; March he said. I asked only because I was glad I didn't have to trudge around the countryside and mountains training. That train left the station nearly 26 years ago for me. And I'm glad for it. 

Day 183: Can you hear me now?

I’ve been in Kabul for just shy of seven months now and the routine, while still routine, has begun to nip at my nerves a bit.

Let me explain: First, the early morning bathroom trips to facilities about 50 feet away which, during the summer months served as a nice escape from my quarters, is now into a 40-degree chill – right around the corner snow will make it even more “fun.” As the Afghan National Army major I mentor told me; “It’ll get much colder here,” and he used his hand to show how much snow is possible – extending his hand from the ground, stopping just under his knee caps.

Secondly, each time I “phone a friend” I’m faced with the typical three or four tries – network failures, lost signals etc. – before a successful call. Once a cute cultural disadvantage, “Can you hear me now?” really has taken on a life of its own here. Members of the team can be seen moving in crisscrossing patterns around the camp, with each step hoping to bring a better signal. “Go outside the gate,” one tells me. “No, behind the piss shack,” another yells.

I describe my living quarters as something comparable to those serving a year’s sentence at a minimum security prison – though prisoners have access to indoor plumbing.

My “living area” is 7x9 feet worth of Little America – slightly smaller than I had given it credit for initially. On occasion the cramped quarters has me, first, banging my head against the underside of my bunk bed; then backing up into my wall locker and spinning around just in time to smack my toes on the ladder that takes me to my bed. Again, initially quite comical, but now tend to piss me off a bit.

After multiple such instances, it's become aggravating – though I find myself laughing about it all in a twisted sort of way. And I continue to tell myself it could worse … and it surely could be, as our young troops across Afghanistan are living in much more austere environments, dodging bullets.

At work flecks of yellow dust float down from the ceiling whenever someone on the second floor moves; I presume it's paint as it settles on my keyboard, computer, chair and hair. At the base of the walls little yellow "ant hills" grow in size as the weeks pass. I sometimes wonder whether the Russians or Taliban noticed such things when they occupied my chair. 

Every night I call my lady friend back home, and I repeat the process in the morning. It's just to say "Hi." But she too notices the difference in my demeanor on occasion. I'm an easy going "Guy" but with each passing day, I look for a new hobby or vehicle to expend some energy. It has become such that I look forward to laundry day.

Anyone need some laundry done? Can you hear me now??

Istanbul:Wild Art

Sights along the Bosphorous Sea. Turks are patriotic, with large flags dotting the landscape. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Nightlife in the Sultanhamet district. The Blue Mosque visible in the background. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Boats tied up on an island 90 minutes south of Istanbul by ferry. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Fishing, as you may have guessed, is a major industry. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Historical images can be found throughout the city. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

The Blue Mosque during the day. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Yes, cotton candy has made its way to Istanbul. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

Day 27: Sacrifices made

For the last three years I sat in my apartment watching coalition efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan unfold. What struck me the most was the age of those making sacrifices --- they were youngsters separated from loved ones, walking into harms way daily.

At 44, I couldn't help but think I was somehow cheating. That I was circumventing the rules so to speak; shouldn't I take on the hardship so the younger generation could enjoy their lives for a while longer? The reality is, at 44 I've lived a pretty good life ... I've seen a lot of the world, enjoyed happy times on several continents. I'm single with no immediate family to worry about me. To watch the youngest members of the U.S. effort in the Middle East step up to the plate ate at me enough that finally, well, here I am.

And I continue to be impressed with their strength of will and character. For those of you who look on at the evening news with indifference, take the time to study the faces, forget the politics. Then ask yourself, "How would I stand up to a similar challenge. Could I show the fortitude to step up like these young soldiers do daily? Could I handle the pressure?"

New topic: There's an old saying that goes something along the lines of, "Stick six economists in a room and an hour later they'll emerge with seven different theories as to where the economy is headed."

And we've all heard the saying, "It's the economy stupid." Especially during campaign time. Here in Afghanistan it takes on a whole new level of importance. The economy is, in my mind, the key to success here, but to ensure a viable infrastructure is in place for such progress to take root takes a reasonable amount of national security. Hence the coalition's challenge, to provide enough training and support to the Afghan government so that they can make it happen. Security will be the beginning of a domino effect.

National security equals economic growth; economic growth equals individual prosperity; individual prosperity equals regional stability; and regional stability leads to global security. It's a small world people.

Day 8: Memorial Day

Memorial Day means a tad bit more when you're serving overseas, especially in a danger zone. There's a kinship with those you're honoring. And there's a special type of camaraderie that develops between those in such a situation.

There's little in the way of daily entertainment; you can't travel and enjoy the local sights, clubs, cultural centers or sports events. Instead, you bide your time working, sleeping, eating and repeating the process daily.

The day or so that you have off lets you pause for just enough time to realize you "might as well be working."

My situation isn't as bad as many, as I have a gym to occupy some time. And I find myself eating more than I would back home ... because it's one of the amenities offered here.

While my diet has made a 180, I'm doing my best to ensure those extra calories end up in the right places. We'll see how that works out, but I'm guessing I'll be adding an extra 10-15 pounds.

The Village Malik

The Malik, or elder of the village, speaks with members of the civil affairs team May 24 in Khowjagher. Khan Mohamed told the team his village is in dire need of a school house, new well and medical clinic. The team is going to try and get him the well and school house by year's end. (Photo by G. A. Volb)

A trip to the box: Rectifying a wrong

The box refers to the sandbox, or any number of countries we're now deeply entrenched in throughout the Middle East. My sandbox is Afghanistan for the time being, the trip here was largely an excruciatingly painful stay aboard various aircraft, in terminals and in hotels.

Total time was somewhere in the neighborhood of two days -- including three nights in two separate hotels, 20 hours in the air, and 10 hours loitering in terminals while awaiting another flight. Seven of those hours were spent in Amsterdam alone, staring at two or three dozen others in the same predicament -- waiting on a trip to Dubai.

On the positive side, I caught up on all the movies that have come out recently: "No country for old men," "I am Legend," "American Gangster," "Meet the Spartans," and "Charlie Wilson's War." The latter an appropriate watch given where I was headed.

One could actually argue it foreshadowed American presence in Afghanistan now, and its efforts not to leave our allies "hanging," like we did following the defeat of the Soviets there nearly two decades ago.

“Those things happened. They were glorious, and they changed the world. And then we fucked up the endgame."

-- Charlie Wilson's War

We (the U.S.) have the reputation overseas of pulling out of difficult situations with unfinished business left behind. It's the equivalent of tossing a mongoose into a snake pit and then leaving as the carnage begins.

Our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is, in large part, an effort to rectify such perception. The question is whether we (those who make up the coalition effort) have the political foresight and strength of character to stay the course until stability is restored.

It's a tall order given our nation's zest for quick fixes -- instant gratification on a global scale. That's a story for later though -- back to the trip.

I arrived in Dubai at midnight of the 16th. It was still in the low 80s. People say that some 150 ethnic peoples live and work in Dubai, and judging by the throngs of ex pats gathered at the terminal, it may very well be spot on.

It was hot as hell there.Your eyes burn from the sun glare off the sand ... my dress shoes -- once a sparkling brown -- were quickly covered in white powder.The local culture is an eclectic mix of Middle Eastern, Asian and European ex-pats. The whole country, from my vantage point, was under construction. I was told by a young lady sitting next to me on the plane over that we (outsiders) can own land/property etc. in Dubai. I plan on finding out, since it would be nice to have a condo overlooking the beach here.

I spent two nights in Dubai and flew into Kabul on May 18th: it was a fabulous ride ... up 'til the time we entered the valley in which Kabul sits. The plane met with heavy winds which blew it from side to side, up and down ... violent jerks had passengers grabbing for arm rests, there was a pucker factor. At the last minute the pilot thought better of setting it down during the first go and essentially made it a "touch and go." The second time around he came in "hotter" and positioned himself a tad bit better.

Afghanistan is hot and dusty also; the people friendly enough. I'm surrounded by very nice looking mountains -- the heat a dry heat so far. My understanding is that the winters are harsh.