Comments for Compounds at http://www.michaelyon-online.com , comment 1 to 22 out of 20 comments http://www.michaelyon-online.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:50:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16160 When in a discussion, it is best to come in and see what you learn, how accurate that knowledge is, how that compares to what you already know and if you are going to assimilate that into your opinion or if you are going to discard some or all if it. If it is not like that, then it is not a discussion, it is a debate. If American loving people keep getting debate and hateful comments during discussion, it is likely that the majority of us will write you and your words off. Instead of multiple opinions, to two sides where at least one of the sides hate the other. It is my opinion that will make having more than one opinion on issues will then go from healthy to disastrous and then how will we continue to have checks and balances? A divided people is not healthy and makes it hard for any of us to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you Michael for everything that you do. - Tom Harrington Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:47:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16146 Michael, you are a man of action providing us with the info the men of ideals will not. Thank you sir. - Mikey Lee Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:44:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16145 Michael: I found the Afghans very hospitable and friendly. I remember one time when we got out of Jalalabad proper and visited a village that had a large and beautiful mosque. A large number of boys and men gathered around us and were very friendly. We had a good chat with them. The Imam of the mosque gave us a tour. As you said, they just want what most of us want: a roof over there, food for their family and chance for their kids to have something better. - Greg Hostettler Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:15:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16135 Care to explain to me how the Afghanistan war is illegal? Juan, he says that the plane belongs to an old friend of his which means it isn't blackwaters plane. - Noliving Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:19:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16132 May I remind you that Afghanistan like Iraq, is a country that the US with its stooge allies invaded in an act of premeditated, illegal and unprovoked aggression. The Afghani people do not want alien foreign occupiers without respect for human life or any culture in their country. One hopes that the US economy collapses soon, and that this will cause a massive rolling back of US arrogance and influence in the world. i hope one day you face the retribution as a nation led by war criminals that you richly deserve. - N3m!s!s Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:52:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16126 During our 9 months in Bagram, my wife and I spent a lot of time with the French Military and were more than impressed with their hospitality and companionship. We ended up leaving Bagram at the same time as the French, who pulled out for the friendlier bases around Kabul. I'm getting ready to head back to Bagram and looking forward to resuming my friendships with Afghanis, Poles, Germans, and American soldiers, as well as my fellow contractors. Keep safe! - Chris Pugrud Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:14:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16125 Great post Mike! Is that one of Blackwater's planes? - Juan Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:02:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16124 Michael, Found your page from a contributor link at SurvivalBlog (http://www.survivalblog.com). Very interesting photos. I noted similar farm compounds near the West/East border when I was stationed in Germany during the Cold War. Yeah, they're little use against armor, air or artillery, but country folk tend to have long memories, and they probably figure the same thing I do -- when truly hard times come, it's best to close the gate, hunker down, and hope the world and its events will pass you by. Main change I would make over both European and Asian configurations would be to NOT site them right on a road (or canal), but, of course, that luxury is limited by the amount of land available to you. Better a compound on the road than a wide open farmstead on the road. Thank you for sharing this! I'll take a look at your book. I'm WAY behind in my reading, but it may be worth popping onto the stacks. Richard - CountryTek Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16123 i'm always interesed in how other people build thier homes and such. thanks - wally Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:01:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16117 I've got some photos that aren't nearly as good from my rare flights into and out of J-bad and Bagram. On the ground, my ANP and I searched many of them during cordon and search operations in the Tag Ab Valley, just north of Surobi. It's 1387 now on their calendar, and many times I would look around and think that the date on their calendar was more accurate than the date on ours. Great photos, great musings, great impressions. I agree so much with your thoughts on all of this. Keep up the good work, wish I could be there writing about it as well. I'm still telling tales from last year. Stay safe! - Old Blue Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:44:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16115 My father was in the Air Force and when I was 5 (1960) we lived in Turkey. At that time, People lived much the same way in the rural areas. I actually remember a lot! I'm sure Turkey was much more westernized, due to our presence there. These pictures are fascinating! I'm wondering if some of the compounds are really bunkers with living quarters underground? I so appreciate your work, Mike. My Army Sgt son recently arrived back in Iraq for his 2nd tour and it was your posts that helped me survive the first tour! However; more than that - your work helps me to understand not only what our soldiers are up against and what the conditions are but also the people of those countries; their history; their culture; their hearts and what we need to do to win their hearts and thereby win the battles and ultimately, these wars. It also helps me to understand the enemy somewhat, if that is at all possible! Your accounting is the only one that I trust and you and your work there is as important to the good people and the government of this country as that of our Generals and military personnel there! Godspeed, Michael. - Dee Peterson Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:08:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16110 Michael, I've got to say this is one of my favorite posts. The thing I take from your photos and writing is that these conflicts are somewhere real. It's hard to picture the difficulties our soldiers and allies face in a far off land. Looking at these compounds gives everyone an idea why the fighting is as precarious as it is. The difference between friend and foe is the inhabitants. Now if we could just get the Predator to positively ID shoe styles.... Keep up the great work!! - Stephan Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:04:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16109 Interesting altitude. At first I thought the shots were you taking off or landing, but then noticed they are all about that same altitude. Wondering if that is mandated or just so you could get some good pics? - Ronster Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:53:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16108 Michael, You continue to capture the humanity and way of life in the distant places that we send our soldiers to. I pray that we can, as you say, win over the hearts and minds of those rural Afghans who live in compounds. Keep up the good work! - Adam R. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:27:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16106 Can we assume NIKE will be releasing the Air Osama's any time soon? :) - haptiK Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:31:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16104 "pretty hard to run and fight in sandals or flip-flops." To quote Marcus Luttrell, several times: "I'm a pretty fit guy, but here I am, humping up some mountain, huffing and puffing, and these local guys run past me, and on over the crest. And he's wearing some kind of sandals ! " - Haole Wahine Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:01:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16103 The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 10/02/2008 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. http://thunderrun.blogspot.com/2008/10/from-front-10022008.html - The Thunder Run Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:06:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16098 Michael, once more the lonely voice of truth form out in the willy wags. Hopefully, the lessons from General Petraeus have been hammered home to the powers that be. But this appears to be a long drawn out process, and very different from Iraq. Keep the faith brother, and as always... check 6 semper fi - Steve Burnett Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:58:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16097 Those pics could easily be aerial photos from here in N.M. Long talks I've had with a friend from Kabul sound like we grew up just down the road from each other. Wish I could be with you to visit some of those villages. - Solo Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:18:00 +0100 http://www.michaelyon-online.com/compounds.htm#comment-16096 All of this is fascinating. Is there any chance of saying who you're talking to, so, gender, what level of education/year they reached, what their age is, job? I'd LOVE to know what the under 20s think as I bet that contrasts with the older people - ha! over 35, that is. - Carol Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:17:00 +0100