Stabilization vs. Corruption

The biggest challenge of our job as CA (besides finding a decent shower, see left) is how to create stabilization for this country. It’s chaos right now. I look at it as a ‘RIP/TOA’. (‘Relief in place/Transfer of authority’ – when one unit replaces another to carry on the mission). We should be training and mentoring the Afghan Government, Police, Army, etc. to build and stabilize their own county… with the goal of the U.S. leaving, right? Ideally that’s how it should work, but in my opinion, it doesn’t. They want us to provide everything for them, including security and money. (Yeah, I’m grouping them all into ‘they’ and it’s not fair to the good guys. Sorry good guys.) It’s been very frustrating. I am growing somewhat pissy about it all. The thing that keeps me going is not the Afghans, it’s the Soldiers on the ground. I know whatever we can do to create some jobs, some sort of government support, any increase in the standard of living or education, will make their jobs easier and safer. The Afghans obviously benefit greatly from this too. We’re still trying to make them understand this, and some do. But there is too much corruption. The question isn’t so much who is corrupt, but how can we persuade them to take a stand, support their government (that is practically non-existent at this point), and open the path for stability then development. It’s a choice and unfortunately many of them are too scared to stand up for their rights. In most cases, it’s a choice of life or death. Some things are worth fighting for though, right?

Currently my team has about 15 current or potential projects in the works for our area. I only have about 2 or 3 villages that I’m trying to find a small project for so we have something lined up to implement when the time is right. Some of the things we are doing include canal cleaning/renovations, canal or river bridges, road repairs, water pumps and wells, and schools. We try hard to get the people in the villages to work on their own projects. However some areas they are afraid to work because it’s too dangerous. So we have to hire some other contractor from another city, and usually pay him too much. Or better yet, we can pay a corrupt powerbroker in the area to do a project in his village, that he will directly benefit, employ his security, and let him still skim off the top for himself. Oh fun times.

I know I sound hateful. But that’s just how I feel right now. Something very exciting has happened though! I opened up the cooler in the DFAC (mess hall) the other day to get some juice and guess what was there??? Chocolate soy milk!!! Things are really looking up here. ; ) And to top that off, the Battalion Commander (not my Commander, the Infantry Commander that my team supports) informed me this morning that I was the battalion motivator… yep, he sure did. He said he never wanted to see a “poo-poo face” on me. I swear he said that. I’m still a little confused by our conversation. But hey, he’s the Commander and I said “Roger that Sir.” I think he mistakes my smile for happiness when it’s just delirium… ha!

I work out with my Commander in the mornings when I’m at the main FOB. We do a little cardo, either the stationary bike or elliptical, or sometimes he makes me run. I used to like running… but I hate running on these rocks and dodging the dust from the helos. The part of running I enjoy (from home) is the scenery or the smells, and the freedom of course. I can’t wait to smell flowers again. Anyway, it stinks here and the only scenery is concrete T-walls, tents, and port-a-johns. The other day we go into the cardio tent and I get on the bike. There’s a guy on the other bike (there’s only two) and he smells so bad that I actually got pissed at him. He’s one of the ‘haji’ store owners on the FOB, a local national. He’s in there most mornings working out. He apparently doesn’t shower, or doesn’t shower well. I threw up a little bit… j/k, but I wanted to so I could then tell him why. Here I go stereotyping again … this is a dirty culture. It disgusts me.

It just dawned on me how different my life here is from the average E-4 in our company. One of the girls walks in our tent…

Me – “Hey KP, how are ya?”

Her – “Oh okay, just real tired.”

Me – “Why are you so tired?” I ask knowing they she hasn’t been out on any missions or anything.

Her – “I had to get up at 0730 this morning. I usually sleep until around 1100 everyday.”

Me, after absorbing that – “Get out of here now.”

Most of the time I don’t know what to write about, so I babble. A lot of things go through my head that I want to talk about, but shouldn’t, so I babble. One thing never changes though – I miss home. As long as I stay busy, I am happier though. It’s those times when I’m really tired, or it’s been a bad day, and I make myself slow down a bit that I do think about it. I count down the days every day. Today I have 62 days until R&R (rest and recoup leave) and about 220 days left in-country. I just count the in-country time now. I’ll restart the count once we hit the States. = )

Here are some more pics.

Far left - Children from village Hadakaly. They were making these funny zombie sounds and making faces at us. Middle - Grape fields... not so fun to climb over those walls, ugh. Right - Just a little cutie. His father brought him to me while he was trying to convince me to give him my gps. Idiot father with beautiful child.