Afghanistan Cliffs Notes

A friend/employee of mine sent an email to a person asking him about a job over here - so he used the text of a conversation he and I had with another job seeker last week, only he captured it in text - so I thought I'd share with you how he says "I" described working in Afghanistan.

From Bob Zook;

"Hi Dave

Yesterday I had a friend of mine send me an e-mail asking if there might be a way that she could contribute to our effort here in Afghanistan. In my response below I reflected upon what I heard you describe to the phone interviewee last week. In a message this morning my friend thought that maybe this was not such a good fit for her:

This is not a place for the squeamish, delicate or fragile.

Live in an 8 by 10 room made out of a conex box with very thin walls and a toilet and shower outside down the row and around the corner.

Extremely dusty environment (khaki is the favorite color because everything is coated with dust and anything dark will have multiple smudges on it).

People with allergies or respiratory problems have problems.

DFAC cafeteria food that is prepared for the military that we wait in line to eat next to them.

Working 12 hour days, 7 days a week. No days off and a too short vacation everything three or four months.

Using a Porta-Pottie because the closest flush toilet is a 10 minute drive away, if you can find a vehicle

Walking to or from work once a week or so, over dark roads and rough gravel because your work schedule does not necessarily align with a ride to catch.

Working with, living with, eating with, everything with, the same people all of the time every day after day.

Staking out a desk to work from and then claiming squatters rights when somebody else sits down and tries to claim it.

Working less than a quarter mile from an open sewage lagoon that has a bad smell (and multiple signs around it that say no swimming).

Working in a changing environment where responsibilities, roles and procedures can vary from day to day.

Working with hard working, hard living, hard driving people who would just as soon step on you as step around you.

Working with people where probably 90% have either been in the military and/or worked in Iraq.

Working on a military base and having to go by military rules every day.

and finally the kicker....

Spending a half an hour in a bunker a couple times a week because there are bad guys shooting missiles at us.

My boss emphasized that if you are a seasoned professional that feels that after x number of years you have earned the right to a certain level of comfort, respect and privilege...then this is not the place for you.

It is not unlike camping out every day and slogging through the multiples obstacles to get the job done. We are all in it together and we are all making the best of it together.

The interviewee was anxious to describe how he had worked for 11 months in Alaska last year. When later he acknowledged that he had to fly back home 9 times during that period to manage problems at home...both my boss and I shook our heads."

So there you have it. It's a pretty decent summary. Last night we did have an incoming rocket attack at 3am. I actually did not hear it or the "big voice", and wasn't woken up until I started receiving phone calls on my cell phone from staff checking in with me and reporting "all ok". As the Operations Manager, that is my responsibility to know where and how everybody is. Guess I must have been tired to sleep through that.

The Big Announcement

Most of the world, and certainly everyone here in Afghanistan waited with some anticipation for the US President's announcement on what if any additional troops he would deploy here to continue to fight the Taliban Insurgency. For those of us on this program, we recognized that an increase in troops is going to mean alot more work for us in one way or another.

As it is, the announcement came - 30,000 additional troops - and where are they going? The following is an excerpt from the New York Times...

"An American military official said Wednesday that the bulk of new combat forces approved by President Obama would be sent to southern Afghanistan, an area including Helmand and Kandahar Provinces that is the financial and spiritual base of the Taliban as well as the deadliest part of the country for American troops."

Yep - that's home for yours truly - and the Taliban, as well as the lions share of 30,000 more American Troops. Now from my experience in Baghdad during the US Military Surge in 2007, that mean that insurgent attacks on US military installations increased during that period. Afghanistan is not a metropolitan area like Baghdad, and its not easy to run and hide here, so I don't know that the same will be the case.

Neverthless - If by comparison I hadn't been busy up until now (which I have), it's going to get down right sporting here soon. There are 2 main runways these new troops can land on going to these main areas - Kandahar and Bastion (Leatherneck). It's only about an hours helicopter flight to Leatherneck from here - and with the majority of those troops parked in between these two locale's - its gonna get crowded quick.

Last night I was startled awake, when what I believe was an A-10 Warthog cut loose with several bursts of fire from its cannon right outside the base. It had to be very close - because it woke me out of a dead sleep.

God bless our troops, and I'm glad to see 'em come - I hope with every fiber of my being we can break the back of this evil movement, and have peace for this country as well as our own.

Unexpected conversations...

You ever have those chance meetings that result in conversations that catch you out of left field? I had one of those today. I went out to our RSOI tents to do a new arrival orientation -- rather I gave a ride to someone going out to this session - and because our HR representatives were half hour late, being the operations manager - I took over and started without them.

When I was done with my "Welcome to Afghanistan....." schpeil....I stepped to the side and let some of the subject matter experts take over and do their thing. That's when a fellow walked up to me and says...."hey - your the guy with the blog right? You know - that 7th son of Mort thing...Good stuff man...keep writing"

Needless to say I was stunned - never figuring anyone outside of those I told about the blog would ever read it, never mind - I'd meet someone by chance who'd read it...

He then goes on to ask me..."How's your wife doing? Over the Pneumonia yet?"

Gotta admit, took me way off guard and made me do a big double take about this blogging thing.

Anyway - it was a blogworthy conversation...and he's probably reading this right now.....He's an HR Manager for DynCorp here in Kandahar, so I'm sure I'll be seeing alot more of him.

Colleagues, Friends and Loved Ones...

Anybody who knows me has probably heard me at one point or another talk about how much time those in the workforce spend with their colleagues as opposed to the time during waking hours spent with their families...I'm usually making the point that it's so important to be in a working environment where your enjoy the people you are with, because you will end up spending as much time if not more with them, than your own family - or loved ones.. I'm not saying that's right....just the way it is...

Anyone who knows me also knows how much I love my family. My wife Karen is my heart. My sons, Jake and Jonah are my soul. They are so dear to me, and speaking with them via skype or on the phone is such a treat. Karen is taking such wonderful care of our sons, even though at times I know she feels like she can't possibly do it. Thanks sweetheart for your perseverance and courage. Mi' Corazon...(that's just between us....)

I have been so blessed in my career to work with some of the finest people I've had the pleasure of knowing. Right now - I'm not talking about my colleagues in Afghanistan. I'm speaking of those I left behind in the US.

I just spent the last 48 hours dealing with any number of issues from moving people out to various FOB's around southern Afghanistan, and receiving new people on Charter flights into this Country. All of that while trying to balance the number of actual bed spaces we have in this country. Tonight - I had to respond to a near riot in one of our large tent areas where two naieve finance professionals with the best of intentions took $50,000 in cash at night to a tent with over 200 people living in it to pay staff in cash - without any security or other assistance. I had just sat down to a wonderful DFAC dining experience when the phone call came, and had to get up immediately and leave.

All told - I was up at 4am to move passengers via C-130 to Camp Leatherneck - and then greet 120 Indian Food Service works at 6:30am on a flight directly from Baghdad to Kandahar (talk about bad Karma....Shiva must be pissed at them...) to work all day - and then respond to a tent of pushing and shoving 3rd Country nationals all wanting their piece of payday.

When I got back to my room I was greeted with a huge box addressed to me from my colleagues who have become my friends and loved ones back in Denver. To you - my friends at CH2M HILL, thank you! What an incredible surprise - and just at the time I needed that kind of pick up.

So - to all of you - my colleagues - who are definately my friends - and in some cases I would even go so far to say - my loved ones....(just ask my wife - she calls Scott and Jeff wifes #2 and #3....no its not a Mormon thing...) - your friendship - and goodness is appreciated.

To Karen, Jake and Jonah - I love you! I miss you! I'll see you real, real soon!

A month long week....

When you start getting emails from people saying its time to update the blog, I guess its been a while....

The problem with a blog is, it requires clear headed thought to not sound like a complete buffoon, and memorialize that "buffooness" for the whole world to see. These past few weeks have felt like months! By the time the day is over, for me its been around 11 -11:30 pm before I'm done with work, that the last thing I want to do, is sit at the computer and write some more.

Since I last wrote, I've been asked to take on the role of Operations Manager for LOGCAP IV Afghanistan South AOR. No small task, as I work directly for the Project Manager, Hank Miller, a former 1 star General in the Army Corps of Engineers. The job entials "riding herd" on all the moving parts of a program of this size ..... >$1 Billion annually. Yea - I'm a little overwhelmed and sometimes feel like a high priced Admin Assistant, but we are getting there.

I've successfully transitioned away from Mail Room Jockey to running the Operations Cell. Man, talk about career growth...all while never performing the job description I came here with - Director of Risk Management. I did however manage to slip the "R" word into a staff meeting yesterday, and wans't bludgeoned for it, so I think we are making headway.

At any rate - we have now more than 1,800 people on the ground - approximately 5,000 to go along with all the materiel, equipment, tools and computing and communicatiosn necessary to support a widely disbersed staff. Afghanistan is rough. Nothing happens the way it should - and most things take 4 times longer than what would be considered a poor time frame.

The Caravan Moves on....

Some Pictures..

Today's entry is going to be simple and to the point. Not much to say - so I dropped in some pictures.

Dave at work

New Arrival Orientation - Same tent I spent many nights in.

Crazy Canucks even play hockey in the desert

Crazy Canucks - playing hockey in the desert...just no ice...

Finding Peace

24 hours a day - 7 days a week - fighter Jets scream just a couple hundred yards away, bombers take off, Helicopters come and go, transport planes are non stop. Soldiers mill about, contractors are building this and that - the dust of all the activity fills the air like a throw blanket, covering everything. Ten minutes into your day - your hair is covered in dust, you can taste the smoke and sewer smell - generally speaking - its next to impossible to find a peaceful moment, place or feeling. When you do - it becomes a noteworthy, or I guess "blogworthy" event.

Like all military posts you can find a chapel with church services without too much trouble. It's not uncommon to see chaplains on the flight line having quiet moments and prayers with soldiers getting on planes and helicopters and going into battle. So you find yourself looking to acquaint yourself with something familiar, and comfortable, and for me, that's my religious belief, and conviction.

So I did locate a worship meeting on Sunday for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ,(LDS) and so I made it a point of taking a little time out of my day to attend what we call "Sacrament Meeting". One Sunday a month, generally the first Sunday of the month, members of the LDS church "fast" for 2 meals, usually breakfast and lunch, and then donate the equivalent amount of those 2 meals in monies to the Church's welfare program, in order to assist others in their immediate community who may be less fortunate. In addition, on these Sunday's the worship service is different, in that the meetings are called "fast and testimony" meeting.

Fast and testimony meetings are somewhat of an open forum, where members can have an opportunity to come to the pulpit and bear their own personal witness of the things which they know of their own experience is true. It is not intended to be a travelogue, or storytime, but occasionally there are experiences which people have that are truly miraculous, and they feel impressed to share them.

At this particular meeting, a US Service Member took the opportunity to share an experience which he had on October 16 of this year. This serviceman is a Warrant Office in the Army and pilots an Apache attack helicopter. He conveyed that he is very accustomed to being shot at while flying, and that there is always risk in what he does, and he's come to accept that be able to live with that. On this night, there was no moon, and it was a black night, and he was flying on the helicopters night flying system over a mountain range that was 6000 feet. He was flying at approximately 8000 feet.

The mountains in southern Afghanistan resemble those ranges you would find in the Mojave Desert of Nevada, AZ or California in the US. Very rugged, jagged, rocky peaks with desert floors on either side of the ranges. These traverses are dangerous because if you have to set down, there is no level ground, and landing is next impossible. If you do go down, it is typically a tragic event, and he relayed that he had lost one of his best friends in May to a situation where this pilot was forced to attempt a landing in just such terrain.

As he was flying over this range, his cockpit began filling with smoke. The "generator" in the helicopter caught fire, and within moments the cockpit was full of smoke, making it impossible for him to see or breath. Instinctively and necessarily he began descending to the put the helicopter on the ground.

He conveyed that he wishes he could say that he had the presence of mind to utter a prayer and ask for help, but things were happening too quickly and he merely recalls had the instantaneous thought of "Oh LORD, please help me..."

No sooner had this thought come into his mind than he was overcome with an absolutely overwhelming feeling to level off his aircraft and stop descending. He recognized this feeling and acted on it as an impression from the holy spirit. This action was in direct contradiction to all of his military training and what would seem the prudent course. As he did this, and got the helicopter leveled off, he all of the sudden felt an incredible vibration in the tail end of the aircraft, and then felt a snap. This pilot is also a maintenance test pilot, who flies aircraft that require maintenance and after they have been fixed, so this vibration and snap he felt told him that the generator shaft had sheared - which in this case was a good thing.

By that shaft shearing, the shaft quite spinning making the fire in the generator go out, and almost as quickly as the smoke filled his cockpit, it disappated, and he was able to breath and see again. He was able to limp his aircraft back to Kandahar Air Base unharmed, and with an absolute "testimony" and conviction that what he experienced was in fact the promptings of a power greater than himself, and his own ability on a course of action that was counter intiuitive and against all training and preparation.

He obeyed this prompting and as a result was able to share this experience with us.

There were other such instances relayed during this meeting, and it was just as powerful to me in my heart and my mind - as I felt the truth of what he was saying I found a moment of peace, and knew that there was some power greater than me who is watching out, and who knows me personally, and is caring for not only me, but my family.