Common Scenes & Common Thoughts
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Common Scenes & Common Thoughts
from
Common Days & Nights
05 August 2009
The helicopter pilot wearing night vision goggles roared in so fast it looked as though he were crashing. The four green Cylums (Americans call them Chemlights) mark the HLS. While the helicopter is above the dust cloud, it melts into the dark, but as it approaches the HLS, dust swirls high, setting the stage for an amazing light show. The Chinook descends through the dry dust and the rotors glitter brightly, creating an eerie glow as if sparklers are attached to the rotors, which in reality appeared brighter to the eye than in the photo below. If the helicopter were not so loud, the millions of static discharges might be heard crackling and popping.
Daylight
While walking across FOB Jackson to find Nepalese Gurkhas, this air cooler caught the lens. After sprinkling water on the straw, evaporation cools the air. Construction of air coolers has been taught in military survival classes, yet like much of those classes, the field craft is just part of daily life around the world. In India, many hotels will advertise they have “air conditioners” when actually the rooms often use various sorts of air coolers which—though better than languishing and sweating through nights of Indian summers—are not the air conditioners that many people expect.
Annual recruitment for the Gurkha regiment is brutal, and I asked about the different “selections” they underwent. One Gurkha said his selection started with 26,000 applicants, though only about 200 were chosen for the Regiment. I have trained with Gurkhas in Brunei, and been to Nepal many times, but this was my first mission with Gurkhas that included real bullets and real enemies.
Gurkhas serving in the British Army have been rotating through Afghanistan. They can converse with many Afghans, at least on a basic level, by speaking Hindi. The Gurkhas also look like many Afghans (especially Hazaras), and in fact many Filipinos, Thais, Nepalese and Hazaras look very similar. As British soldiers, Gurkhas travel the world and see many things and they also live for years in the United Kingdom and Brunei. They travel to Africa, Central America, Europe and often America. Add to this fact that these men tend to come from remote, rugged villages where the terrain will match or possibly even exceed any of the severe difficulties found in Afghanistan, and the insight created from this confluence of experience can be invaluable. Gurkha impressions of Afghanistan are of particular interest to me.
The young Gurkhas at FOB Jackson are working as part of a PMT, or Police Mentoring Team. When the Afghan policeman in the photo above showed up looking pregnant I asked, “Do you have baby?” and armed man lifted his shirt to show the magazines of ammunition. Just why he was carrying the ammo under his shirt remains a mystery. You never know what these guys will do next. The Gurkhas have good words for the Afghan Army here at FOB Jackson, but are wary of the police, who they say are lazy, inept, and lack initiative and professionalism. The Police Mentoring Team works to the intent of Captain Toby Woodbridge, whose assessment of the ANP introduces context that the ANA here had roughly three years head start on the ANP. According to Captain Woodbridge, the ANP respond favorably to consistent, long-term training. “There is clear evidence that when you provide the ANP with adequate training, you create the conditions for development of a professional, motivated security force. These guys have a hard life and do a difficult, dangerous job.”
The pre-mission briefing, delivered by a Gurkha soldier, was identical to what one would expect from another British soldier, or an American infantryman, only it was delivered with a heavy Nepalese accent. Each important detail of today’s mission had been discussed in advance. So we headed into the Sangin market along with several ANP. There was a fair chance that we would get into some sort of fight.
Having trained with Gurkhas for a month on Brunei and reading battle citations from their tours in Afghanistan, I was confident that if there were any dramas, the Gurkhas would hammer the Taliban flat. The Gurkhas all seem to think that the Taliban are poor fighters, but Gurkhas say the home field is a crucial Taliban advantage. Many Gurkhas say the Taliban often are brave, though they perceive Taliban in Sangin as cowards because they mostly only hide and plant bombs. When the Taliban do stand and fight, the British soldiers tend to out-fight the Taliban and kill them.
Comments
We need this information to fight enemy propaganda. In 2007 insipred by the Afghan landscape and the fact the enemy propaganda machine was NOT concentrated on afghanistan made me concerned. I am mostly referring to how in 2007 we would have fox news saying here is a al qaeda video we found at YOUTUBE. It was regarding Iraq and the call to young disenfranchised muslims to kill americans in Iraq. That led me to believe al qaeda was worried they could lose Iraq and AQ was not worried about Afghanistan......So I read about Ahmed Massoud and counter insurgency history of the areas from all types of sources to get all angles, and stumbled on a terrorist web site. I spent that summer showing people how to fight them online. Now many people reporting those things and making the enemy have to work harder to accomplish goals. As you said in 2007 during that tiime "We may own the air, but the enemy owns the air waves." I will again start to help you by promoting your web site and try to increase readers and sponsers. The work you do makes all our jobs eayier and more effective.
I know this will sound dumber than h*ll, but just listen out:
1> The problem with helicopters bringing in supplies. After WW2 the US had a bunch of assault gliders that could lift a jeep and an antitank cannon. Thousands of them in boxes. They were made of steel tubing, some wood and canvas. They were made for a one time use. Sadly we don't have them. They land on a dime, have no IR signature and at night coming in on NVG would be a lot -- LOT -- less vulnerable than a helicopter like the Chinook or Mi-26 for resupply. And what to do with them after they landed. Heck, give them to the Afghans or burn them.
2> Use of Fertilizer to make IEDs. I don't know how to do it, but the British use to leave behind ammo accidently while on operations in Afghanistan in the late 1800s and 1900s. Only the rounds were way overloaded and the bullet was fixed to the casing. You can imagine the results when fired by Afghans who thought they came across a gold mine. To make sure the Afghan's did not think they were all that way they spread some that weren't only with the bullet modified (where it could not be detected) so it would not shoot straight. To wit, it would be neat if they could come up with something that they could mix with those bags of fertilizer that when mixed with diesel would cause some reaction. Explode being the best option. Neutralizing the second best option. Sort of like they mixed mustard seed with airplane glue to keep it from being huffed by teenagers today.
Told you it was some crazy ideas.
Jack E. Hammond
.
Yon glances over the fertilizer stuff, makes me wonder why we don't try to penetrate that market, get an agent or work on a bunch of the folks in it now. Might be some good intel there.......
Mike, thanks for the regular writing. I wish I were rich, but I'll send what I can when I can.
you are right on the money regarding the issues facing the coalition both on the ground and the national level. As for the fertiliser then control of supply and maybe the use of dye or adding elements to it seems the logical answer. We faced the same issues in Northern Ireland and found ways around it. In the end if not fertiliser though it will be something else so, we have to beat them on the ground and that will take many more boots than we have there at present. Recently an ex officer re stated the phrase " use more to lose less " and I suspect we will need to do just this to reach a stronger negotiating stance as surely we will end up at the table with some of our enemies.
I have not read despatches before that give such an insight into the daily lives of our soldiers and it should be compulsary reading not just for school kids but also for politicos and all the people who inhabit our Ministry of Defence.
thanks you
almost all of whom seem to have served in first, the Royal Green Jackets and now their descendants, The Rifles!
A tough tour for the Bn. so far but I know they will make Terry pay.
"Black and Green, the finest colours ever seen!"
This is great reporting. We need to know what is happening in Afghanistan, and you provide the very best information.
I am sending a small donation.
We also are urging others to send money. We know it is needed.
Take care of yourself. Keep your head down. We will send some prayers as well.
Keep up this great work.
FROM Joseph Patrick Meissner, LTC-RET,
Editor, PSYOP Military Journal of PERSPECTIVES
(Also Author of the book, "The Green Berets and Their Victories"
meissnerjoseph@ yahoo.com
God Bless every soldier of every nationality, fighting the good fight.
Thank you, Michael for your amazing photos and your insightful reporting.
Thanks for all you do.
Unless something has changed since I enlisted in 1986, you still need a SSN and resident alien card to have a recruiter lie to you (snark).
I do beleive that if we opened up the US military to qualified immigrants we would be blessed with standout troops in addition to our current, American born warriors - and considering where they come from we would benefit from their backgrounds too.
Keep up the good work and stay lucky.
Everyone else -- There is a "Contribute" button to allow us to assist in covering Michael's expenses in the field. It also has the ability to set up a recurring Monthly Contribution. I'm not rich, but I can add a little each month; if we all do that we will be able to keep reading the unvarnished, unwashed by some PC gatekeeper, truth. Please contribute. Thank you.
cheers john
Pam, Proud Marine Mom!!
Like all who go to work, they learn more as they go and do become creatures of their element. We can only hope that our overall strategy gets more well thought out, as modernizing this country and bringing enlightened thought is a long, long process in an archaic world.
Dear Member,
Many of the areas have 300 meters or more space. That is over half that is required to bring a glider in. All the areas are not like those bases you see in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Jack E. Hammond
.
A similar scenario is shaping up with the Taliban. If we are successful in taking out the Taliban, will we stay and help the Afghans in their re-building efforts that might take several generations? Or will we repeat the mistake of '89 and say "The Taliban are gone, our job is done, good night Kabul and Kandahar, and good luck"? Some of our NATO allies already hesitate in their support of the mission - both in terms of financial and military support. If that happens again, it'll be the return of the warlords slugging it out for control. Or, God forbid, another form of a jihadist death cult.
And on a related note, a recent article in the August 8th edition of the Wall Street Journal asks if a centralized form of government in Afghanistan is the right way to go considering the reality of tribal divisions. Even prior to the Soviet invasion, the sphere of political influence extended only around Kabul and its immediate area. As you pointed out in your piece, the terrain plays a large part in preventing societal cohesion in Afghanistan. Only time will tell which form of governance will successfully take hold.
One of the reasons their is a shortage of helicopters was the USMC decision two decades ago to stick with the MV-22 Osprey come hell or high water, which meant the Vietnam era CH-46 had to continue in service way beyond the date it should have been retired. Now some Marines in the aviation community are now stating that the MV-22 is not a good mix for Afghanistan. One it is way to expensive in cost and prestige to risk.
Jack E. Hammond
.
MV22 Osprey has nothing to do with the helicopter situation in Afghanistan. The 2nd MEB out there now has plenty of helicopters (the best ratio in the theatre at something like 1 for every 33 grunts). They have CH-53 Sea Stallions, Hueys and Hueycobras. They're not using the CH-46 Sea Knight, so even if it were past it's retirement (and I notice that the equally old Hueys and Air Force Chinooks are still in service following similar mid-life updates), it is not an issue. Helicopters are not generally an issue for US troops, which is why they are able to loan them out to British generals
Watch your back and keep the faith!
Keep the articles coming Michael
Great photos, insight and information!
Be Safe,
Leyla
Us Brits respect the gurkhas and trest them as our own. same can't be said for our useless goverment and spineless silver spoon politicians.
RSS feed for comments to this post