Hello from KAF... again

Well... I jumped on a Canadian C-130 and flew down to Kandahar Air Field today. It was a great flight. Although, the Dutch EOD guy puking next to me was kind of a bummer. I flew down to mail my HP 9000 series notebook computer home. It broke. I'm really not happy with how HP has treated me thus far. I also came down because I need to pick up some drawings, get organized and figure out who the heck I work for. I don't really know anyone yet. Just the LTC who snagged me. I'll be headed back to TK ASAP. I don't know exactly when, but construction has begun and can't be away long. I had an ice coffee at Tim Horton's on the boardwalk. I never thought that I'd be happy to see KAF. It does stink here though. The waste treatment ponds are still putting out a potent aroma. The Internet is down back at our camp at TK, so another benefit to flying to KAF, is the MWR Internet. It seems that the Romanian horde that used to frequent the MWR Internet room has been replaced by a similar strength Bulgarian element. Hey, the Eastern Europeans are doing their part too. You know, I was thinking... I'll just go ahead and mention this now. Those Chora pictures a few weeks back... on the convoy back to TK...yeah, IED. Not my truck, I was two trucks back. No one was hurt badly. I was filming just sort of randomly for several minutes prior to the explosion. I put my camera away and then KA-BOOM. It's still a war over here.

Job Change and Broken Computer

Well... let's see. You are probably wondering why JP has not updated his report lately. Maybe it's that he's on a Secret Squirrel mission somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan... or maybe he's so busy training the finest Afghan warriors, that he just hasn't had the time... Umm... no. My computer crapped out on me. It won't power up. I've been trying to HP to help me and when I can get through on the Satellite Phone. I have to hold the antenna in a very precise way... for an hour at a time while they keep putting you on hold. I'll get deeper into that subject later depending on if they send me a new computer or if they make me wait longer. I'm using someone else's computer at this time. So here it is... I'm no longer an LT Infantry Company Mentor. We knew that though. So... I'm no longer a on the Police Mentoring Team. Although, I still live in the same hut on the same camp. I am now... drum roll please.... AN ENGINEER!!! again. I was snatched up by an O5 to over see a few million dollars worth of Afghan National Army base construction. So, I'm doing the architecture/contract administration thing in a third world country now. If I wasn't done with IDP already, this would be outstanding. That's it for now.

Chora Photos

Smelly, Scuzzy, Sweaty, Sleepy in Chora. New Swimming pool for the Taliban... Taliban leadership was having a meeting and the good guys found out. No Taliban here... Dutch Soldiers, Afghan Soldiers, civilians and reporters The Tajiman (terp) and ANA Commander AKA Fidel Castro RPGs were found in the "rafters" of one of the remaining small buildings. "Tractor, take my picture." Notice the Afghan dude complaining. Mr. Hilarious... the mud hut behind him has the hidden RPGs. Dutch EOD had some fun with that hut. It's gone now. "Tractor, take my picture." The Green Zone in Chora Where the Green Zone ends... Patrolling Me again! There's a reason I call him Tractor! It wasn't running and he got it going. Tractor (an American) manning the French MG on the Dutch Bushmaster (an Australian vehicle) in Afghanistan. Umm... me. The obligatory Afghanistan marijuana photo. It's everywhere in this country. Ummmm... me again.

S.C.M.O.D.S.

I bet those ANP have S.C.M.O.D.S....