Last one from the Front

 Most of you know by now that we are back...actually, I am sending this from my living room.  It is always quite the experience 'living out of a duffle bag' for the roughly 3 weeks as we make the different stops to make our way back.  We spent a few days in Bagram, aomw more more in Manas, and a final few at Camp Atterbury.

Last email home… Then I will be home!

There has been so much to do before we go and I wish I had a couple more months to do it in, but I have decided I really am ready to be home. Here are the last of my missions.

We visited a small village that we go to once a month with the engineers, only this time for my mission we walked over to an area full of little girls. As we approached the group of kids, we found an outdoor school. Several teachers came up to us and explained that the school was too full so all students in the lower grades had to hold class outside. There were several hundred children, mostly girls, sitting in small, organized groups on rugs. They children were being taught off of large white boards or chalk boards. The principal came and told us that he has requested a bigger school, but is not as concerned for the building as he is for a protection wall to keep the kids from getting hurt. The week prior there had been a blast on the road and children went running as fast as they could.  He explained that they make the “outside school” work, but cannot protect the children from danger and begged us for help. We then walked through the village market. It is not a very big market and I was sad to not see very many women on this day. It is possible that the lack of females was due to the recent blast on the road.

The weather turned really cold in Mehtar Lam and I had a big box of wool blankets and children’s coats, so I talked to the mayor of the FOB to find out which group of workers were in need the most. I was told that the trash collectors came on the FOB every day from the village right outside our walls. I was told that they are the poorest people who work here and would be grateful for any help we could offer. I already knew some of the old men since we see them a couple times a day around our building. They are always very nice and tell me good morning and those that speak a little English try to tell me all the words they know. I got a handful of SECFOR guys and a couple interpreters and we set up at the gate so that when the workers left for the night we surprised them with blankets and warm coats for their kids. They were so happy and it was really good to see the items go to those that needed it most.

I did a joint mission with SSG Lang and SGT Peterson to the Teacher Training Center. The guys talked with the Chancellor and some of the staff while the USAID female and I went to the class rooms to talk with the female students. There are 110 females attending the 2 year program to become a teacher. Females have a very hard time getting employment in Afghanistan and one thing men say they will let women be are teachers. The females go through 12 different subjects and when they complete the program they file their paperwork to teach. Most of them said they would not find jobs in their own villages or in Mehtar Lam, but would go to larger cities for employment. They said the biggest issue they face is security to get to school and did not feel they would be safe to teach here ether. One female was late getting to class because she travels on foot from a very far village (walking for 2-3 hours to attend). I was impressed with the women we talked to and the risks they take to become teachers. Some said their family had decided they would be teachers, others said they wanted to become teachers and the family supported their decision. Half of the group was married and said their husbands supported them becoming teachers. We returned a few weeks later with 1500 notebooks and 1000 pens that the students said they were in need of. I invited the Director of Women’s Affairs to join us in handing out the items and visit with the females. My female cultural liaison was with me and she went back the following day to make sure that the females that were absent received some notebooks and pens too. They were very excited and I got a promise out of the Chancellor to work on mending his relationship with the Director of Women’s Affairs. 

As the rule of law person for the PRT I went on missions with the BDE Attorney, DOS Rule of Law guy and worked with the local Afghan Attorneys. We went to the Huqooq facility (informal justice system; land disputes, divorce, civil cases) and assessed their system and documentation of their cases. Most of the women’s issues go through the Huqooq system and the men we met with were very willing to discuss what they do. In the same facility we spoke to the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center staff. There are 27 boys in the juvenile center and most are 14-16. Juveniles go through the adult system, but are monitored and taken care of by the staff at the Rehabilitation Center. We toured the very small facility and I spoke with a couple of the boys. Most of the boys are in for murdering someone and only a few thefts and assaults. The facility was horribly filthy and the smell unbearable. There are 2 rooms that they squeeze the boys into for living quarters. The middle hallway area between the two rooms had a sink and all their shoes that they take off before entering a room. There were feces all over the wall, floor and sink in this hallway and it was hard to walk through. The only bathroom/shower is barely big enough to stand in and smelled terrible. The office was packed with junk and not being used. The boys were shy and stayed back as I walked around. I was told that they are trying to start an educational program and some kind of physical activity. A mullah comes from the villages to teach the boys prayers, and they are hoping for a larger facility someday. We put a word into the Governor about the need for a larger facility and of course he gave us the song and dance of how he cares about the kids and knows what they need.  A few weeks later we returned to the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center to take them school supplies, 2 bags full of balls, and 27 bags containing a prayer rug, blanket, shoes, and personal hygiene items. The best part was seeing the facility cleaned up. The staff showed me that they had cleaned up the rooms for the boys, middle hallway area, shower, and office. The staff let me hand out the bags to each of the boys and they told me they are treated good and thanked us for the balls and notebooks.  I was pleased with the improvements and hope that the school supplies, balls and prayer rugs will keep them busy and give them an opportunity for growth knowing they will be released someday back into society.

It may sound funny, but my monthly visit to the prison is always a joy. I really like the new Prison Director and am happy that he made a lot of improvements to the women’s area. He installed a wood burning stove for heat, new mattresses and blankets, and cleaned up a room for the female guards to stay next to the female inmates so they can talk or check on them. I took a couple boxes of shampoo, conditioner, soap, pads, and other hygiene items they had requested. I also took clothes, sewing kits, and art supplies for the females and toys for my little guy staying with his mom. There was a new female being held for investigation and I was able to have my Cultural Liaison and the Female Afghan Attorney speak to her about her case.  The relationship with the Prison Director and Afghan Attorneys has been beneficial; together we keep an eye on the women’s rights that frequently get ignored. The new female said she is the second wife and her husband was trying to sell her into prostitution, but not the first wife. She said she fled and wanted a divorce. Getting a divorce is shameful in Afghanistan and it is a risk for her to try to get one. The prison director said she could stay for her safety if they found no charges against her. She is from another Province and it was not safe for her to be without any family. I was able to make one more trip to the prison right before we left Mehtar Lam. I was glad to have the opportunity to say good bye to my friends and see that over the short time I was here they have had their rights protected and as I leave I am reassured by the Human Rights Commission, the Afghan Female Attorney, the Prison Director and my Cultural Liaison that they will continue to visit the prison on a regular basis and monitor the cases for these women and those that they see in the future. Most women here will be charged with killing an abusive husband or for fleeing an abusive husband. I am not saying that killing someone is acceptable. I am hoping that our “mentoring the system” and getting the word out on rights and laws explaining violence against women will continue to have a positive impact on the lives of Afghan women.

I was able to accompany the Commander to a transition ceremony at the Governor’s compound. One of the Districts down south is politically transitioning their security over to the local police agencies. The celebration at the compound had several Line Directors in attendance and their guest of honor was a very high ranking, national level, highly respected and influential Afghan man. We were invited to meet privately with the Governor and the VIP guest. I was introduced as the PRT’s rule of law advisor and women’s affairs specialist. I was asked my opinion on the judicial system and he asked me to tell him something good about it. I explained that they were very organized and appeared to document well.  We then had a discussion about his desire to have the cases of all 400 women in prisons all over Afghanistan reviewed for violations. We sat through the ceremony and listened to all the speeches about change in Afghanistan from various agencies and the VIP guest, followed by lunch and chai. We took pictures with the Afghan band and talked with all the people I knew. After returning to the FOB, I realized just how many people I worked with during my time here; Line Directors, Sub Governors, DoWA, Police Chiefs, Prosecutors, Judges, Prison Director, NDS Commander, Mullahs, and Elders.

In my bi-weekly meeting with the Director of Women’s affairs (DoWA) I finally was able to have the two Line Directors I worked closely with sit down together and see how they can work together.  I really wanted the success and forward thinking that the Social Affairs Director does to be taught to the DoWA. She is not a bad person and not as corrupt as some may think. Her problem is her fear that working with people that are smarter than her will make her look bad. The DoWA believes everyone is after her job, but if she would just do a better job she would be trusted more. My hope was to link her with people who can each her ways to be transparent and earn the respect and trust of those that can assist her in doing more for her people. This mission was followed by another meeting with USAID, a female Provincial Council member, female Parliament member, female senate member, as well as three male line directors. The meeting was a way to encourage influential people to communicate and combine efforts for all gender issues. I feel there needs to be a new, younger, and outgoing DoWA. Until that happens this DoWA needs to make very clear changes and work much harder to represent women here.

I finally made it back up north to Najil. I really wish I had spent my entire deployment there (except when it snowed as bad as it did) and had an opportunity to reach out to the local women. There is a lot to be done there and even though I understand how dangerous the area is and the condition of the small cop the males live is rough, I still would have enjoyed the challenge. CPT Love, SSG Carlson, our replacement CA CPT and I spent 3 days visiting a District Center and speaking with the Sub Governor, local police and villagers. I was able talk to women working in the fields and ate several Afghan meals with the locals on the COP. We never made it to our second District Center since we were informed that an IED was found in the road. I was actually on the clearing team so when we dismounted out of the trucks we walked around the fields clearing the area and stopping traffic so no one would get blown up. As we waited for EOD to come out, I spoke to local women picking vegetables in the field and talked to them about the security in the village we could see ahead. Once EOD arrived they prepared the device to be blown up and allowed me to detonate it, twice just to make sure… it was exciting to stand behind a truck and pull the pin then hear the boom and have asphalt fly over our heads. I do feel bad that I blew bigger hole in the road than what was already there, but it was fun none the less. I appreciated new Infantry guys allowing me to hang out at COP Najil and blow stuff up with them. 

I was able to make one more trip to see the girls at the orphanage. They moved to a new rented facility and even though we were not able to fund a new larger place, I was very happy to see the improved conditions and hug my girls one more time. Their smiles and excitement to see us always make my day. They remember my name and are so proud to tell me who is doing the best in class this visit. I am very proud of them and was glad to provide the last of the donations from the states to them. I would rather call it an academy rather than an orphanage, because even though these girls have one or both parents deceased, they are very well taken care of and don’t look like you would expect an orphan to look. They are healthy, smart, happy and just a joy to be around. I will miss giving out hugs the most.

My replacement arrived and I introduced her to as many people as I could so she can continue to do some of what I have been doing. We found out our replacements will be shutting down the PRT and will be leaving by June 1^st. For my last mission I was able to go to the International Women’s Day Event. I received an invitation and was granted permission from the Governor to attend. There were 300 local women invited and the Governor requested that we not have our trucks or security hinder any females from attending. I worked it out with the SECFOR and had MAJ Mejia (BDE Attorney), CPT Love (photos), two females from ADT FET, my female Cultural Liaison, my replacement Susan and I all attend the event. I was asked by the DoWA to give a short speech to the women and the PRT provided radios and scarves for the DoWA to give away to local women as gifts.  I did make it through my speech in front of the media and CPT Love recording it. To my surprise the four of us females were given gifts of scarves and Afghan dresses. I was also honored with a certificate of appreciation signed by the Governor (presented by the Deputy Governor) and thanked for my contribution to the women of Afghanistan. Later that night one of the Line Directors called me and told me he saw me on local TV. The turnout was pretty good and reports stated that 350 Afghan females received gifts; that is not including all the children and men in attendance.  I have to admit it was a pretty cool way to end my time in Mehtar Lam. I met some great people and had many locals come and talk to me as I prepared to leave. It was hard to say good bye to my Cultural Liaison and I will miss her dearly. The interpreters and locals I worked with were very good to me and I am touched by all the gifts and even tears as I left.

We left in the dark on Chinooks and now I start the long journey back to the states. We have several stops to make and I miss my friends already. There were some very hard and frustrating experiences on this deployment, but I am very lucky to take away the good memories of missions with a purpose and even the minor changes and hope I was able to bring during this time. I truly believe I learned a lot on this deployment and will cherish the friends I leave behind. You never know, maybe I will be able to take them up on their offer to visit them in a peaceful Afghanistan years from now.
We will be flying to our next stop soon then I have a couple more before getting back to New Mexico. I have learned a lot about the religion and culture here and it has been an amazing experience. I am ready to not live out of a ruck sack and have a little freedom. Thanks for your prayers and I will see you soon.

Sabrina

As SPC Archuleta eluded to, this rotation was quite the challenge.  I could use this as forum to vent, but it would be terribly unproductive and detract from what good things we were able to get accomplished.  Those of you that know me will probably hear about it through conversation, but know that as a collective whole, we did the best with what we had to work with.

I started this blog while in our mobilization process, so it was difficult to get the other members to contribute.  once I am able to get back to the unit, I will pass this on so others can use it to get out the good word.  I know that we have Soldiers in Afghanistan now, so check back periodically and you might get to see what other 492d Soldiers are up to.  Once I am able to get fully situated, I will up load photos to the photos section.

CPT Love

Couldn't have said it better....

No surprise, SPC Archuleta has managed to keep us all in the loop:

Happy Holidays!

Christmas has come and gone and I have so much to catch you up on… We have had so many missions I may have to break this into a couple emails. Talk has started about getting ready to go home and as I write these I think I am still too busy and have too much left to do to go home.

We went on another market walk, but this time to see the “Women’s Market” in Mehtar Lam. This part of the market is where they sell items for women to use. There were rows and rows of beautiful and colorful scarves, material and Afghan clothes.  The area has a two story section that has shops like an outdoor mall. There are several shops full of shoes, sandals, hats, and household items. (tea kettles, pans and dishes) We were surrounded by children and had a hard time walking through the very narrow area. The children were so curious and wanted to be helpful when I asked for something. We spoke with various vendors and found out that women can own their own store, but rarely do. Men rent the space, but women can make or send items to be sold. I spoke to a few women shopping in the area, but they are very afraid. (don’t blame them with my entourage of men with guns) We walked through the chicken farm area and the smell is indescribable. The meat or butcher area is interesting; the cows are much smaller and the blood and parts they cut off are all over the ground. Parts of the market are so dirty and it is hard to believe people eat this stuff. I talked to a shop keeper about the burkas he was selling. They are made in Helmand Province and they are more expensive because they are made of a heavier material. I did buy one and my interpreter and other local national with me said they were very good quality. It is blue like what most women wear here and I have found that most women want to wear the burka and are not forced to other than their own fear of security.  The kids try to talk me into buying all kinds of things. Some shopkeepers will answer our assessment questions with no problem, but the burka shop keeper would only talk if I was buying. I have a good time on these missions learning about how people earn a living, what they are proud of, and the children always entertain me.

The 25 of November is International Awareness “Violence Against Women” day. I was asked to come up with a campaign and display for the FOB. The focus was on Local Nationals living on the FOB and what the laws and rights of women in Afghanistan are. I did a nice display with the law and rights written in English and Pashtu and contact information for various agencies in our Province. I posted color cartoon style drawings of women experiencing violence and forced marriage. It was interesting to watch people read the display (posted in the cafeteria/DFAC area where we eat) and had some positive remarks come from people (local and military) that were not aware of the extent of the rights women have here. I have been working with Brigade Rule of Law and have learned a lot.

We conducted another tour of the Prison. It is always interesting to take people to visit the Prison. This time I took a LTC and MAJ to do their sit down with the Director of the prison and tour the facility. The highlight for me is getting to check on the two female prisoners and two female guards. I get along well with the male guards and they wait to see if I brought them chocolate. The females were doing well and had simple requests for soap and shampoo. I love how excited the young female inmate is to see us. On this tour I learned the process to enter an inmate into the system and how they track them. Also on this trip I viewed the “Insurgent Compound” and hate to stereotype, but these men looked like “bad guys.” They did not look like the other men in the regular compound, with their dark beards and nicer appearance. They are dark and serious looking. (I did not stay in there long) I played with some kids who were there visiting and helped them pump the well to fill containers full of water. We saw the vocational training area and saw the uniforms and clothes the men were making. They have neat old style Singer sewing machines and coal filled hot irons.  The MAJ presented the Director with a sewing machine and we were treated to a traditional Afghan lunch.

We visited the Chief Prosecutors office to discuss anti-corruption cases and the Prosecutors. We took some military visitors from another Province that wanted to know why there is such a high success rate of prosecuting and convicting corruption cases in comparison to the low numbers in their Province. The Chief Prosecutor said it is simple “we just apply the law and don’t listen to the pressure.” They do a great job at meeting and coordinating with all parties involved in the judicial processes at a round table type of meeting. Any one from the Governor to the local police comes to these meetings and the law is discussed. The Chief Prosecutor said he always fears for his and the Prosecutors safety, but believes they are doing the right thing by just applying the law no matter who the accused is. It was interesting to hear the local attorneys speak and see how important their jobs are to them even though they face very serious danger. Judges are blown up or shot or families of the judges and attorneys are frequently harassed and threatened.

I visit with the Director of Women’s Affairs regularly now and I have started a joint mission with ADT, BDE Rule of Law, and the PRT. This has eliminated the Director being able to play mom against dad when we are all in the room together. We can all hear her needs and concerns at the same time and each does our part to support her and her efforts for the women of Afghanistan.  BDE has hired a female local national attorney and she has an office at the Directors Office. We (females) will be mentoring the Director and the female attorney to build relationships and work together. The meetings are always interesting and I believe the Director is on the right track with the programs she has established for women. I hired a female Cultural Liaison “Basraj”. She is a young woman who has come to work for the PRT and live on the FOB which is a risk for her since men don’t think women should work for Coalition Forces, but she is great and we have just begun working on her building a relationship with the Director of Women’s Affairs as well. Maybe Basraj will have a future career when the PRT leaves country. I am blessed by the women I have met here and the odds they are up against to work or gain their independence.

Myself, CPT Love, SSG Carlson, and a small group of our SECFOR flew to Alishang to live in the village for four days. We stayed in a police headquarters building that is still under construction and is close to the District Center.  We were able to walk over and meet with the Sub Governor, Line Directors and the Prosecutors. We quickly made friends with the local police and they were very nice to us and said we could stay as long as we wanted. We spent time with different people discussing their day to day jobs and we visited the local market. I made a lot of friends as soon as the kids realized I was the only female. The kids are very poor in this area and I watched them from the tower as they played soccer or with a plastic bag tied to a string and found other ways to entertain themselves all day in the dirt. We bought food from the local “restaurant “and our interpreters cooked for us. We had some really good meals of rice, potatoes and bread.  The Contractor and his employees working on the building we were living in spent time with us. He served chai for us on a hill in the sun and taught me how to pray and why they wash the parts of the body they wash to be clean as they present themselves to God.  He showed me his pictures of his recent trip to India when he found out I want to see the Taj Mahal someday. We had a very relaxed atmosphere to work in and talk to people. I got to shoot mortars in the middle of the night and had sleepless nights of tower guard then sleeping on the floor in a room together with the guys. I have no problem being the only girl on these trips and I can hang with the boys, but next time will choose a room that does not echo so bad and have 15 or so guys snoring. It was a great experience and I love living off the FOB and seeing new people and places. The danger is real, but we had the local police there and our guys to do their job as CPT Love, SSG Carlson and I talked to the people and assessed the capabilities of the District Center and local Government in this District. It is always interesting when you get dropped out of helicopter in the middle of nowhere and go into a village riding in an Afghan Police truck or jingle truck, a choice of MRE’s or local food and watching people live their normal lives around you. It was very cold at night (30’s) but the stars were amazing.  Good times!

CPT Love, CPT Delatorre and Myself went to Qarghayee with the USAID representative to assess some smaller markets. The area had a bunch of cauliflower fields and some were much larger heads of cauliflower than in the US. The markets sold similar items like the one in Mehtar Lam, but they sell more local things rather than products from Pakistan and India. More prepared food was sold and the SECFOR guys tried the Afghan version of French fries. I love the local bread called “non” and bought a bunch to take back as well as a bag of sugar candy that is so good. I had one little girl hold my hand as we walked down the road and stopped to see the prices of items being sold. We always pass out candy and play with the kids for a bit. We visited with the locals and ask about where things come from, how their business is going, and what currency they use. (most Pakistani Rupee, not Afghani)  I got to talk to some females about going to school and the beautiful scarves they were wearing; most are very shy or afraid. The young girls in this area seemed more open to coming up to me or joining the large group of boys following us. This area is along the river and is much greener than Mehtar Lam. The people were friendly and there were huge flocks of sheep walking through one area of a market we were in. The roads are narrow and the shops are close to each other, but they all sit and talk to each other and seem happy.

One very interesting mission I went on was the visit to a cheese factory and a henna factory. We drove to a village down south and found the location of the cheese factory. It was hidden away in a farming community and inside this little room was equipment to make cheese.  The owner explained to us the process and how 20 families bring in cow’s milk and the women rotate in groups to make the cheese. The process is very simple and we were able to sample some of the cheese along with hot, sweet milk. After that we found the henna factory. It is currently under construction but people were still working on filling bottles of hair products. The owner showed us how they package the henna that women use in their hair (like hair dye) and the talcum powder they also make at this facility. Women make the products and the men package it. I sat and helped the guys fill little glass bottles of hair softener. They said I did a good job, but was too slow. I wish there were more paid jobs for women and opportunities for these programs to reach a larger area. On this mission we also visited a bridge and a river project. The big blue bridge is impressive and I got some neat pictures. But, once the Engineer was telling the local contractor how he had bolts upside down and how the planks could just fall off, I took that as my queue to get off the bridge. The area where we looked at the canal and river project was very pretty. We stood on the hill overlooking the river and got to sit for a bit holding security. It is an area where there are no houses or people and reminds me of back home around the Rio Grande River.

The visit to the court house to look at their filing system was fun. They do well and I found it funny that they rely on the Prosecutors office for all files. The Prosecutors start the file then the courts use it until the end of the case and give it back to be stored by the Prosecutors office. They use straight pins instead of paperclips and it is so simple that you have to wonder if we have over complicated our systems in the States. There is hope for a new court house to be built since the one they are working out of is small and falling apart. I enjoyed listening to the Prosecutors tell me what they are doing and how proud they are of the training they have been through. They all smile a lot and like to take pictures with me.

We had lunch with the Director of Women’s Affairs (DoWA). They made us Afghan rice, chicken, beans and bread. I take a group out to meet with her every couple of weeks and on this visit we were able to sit in a women’s workshop teaching management skills to adult women. The 30+women in the room were preparing to get their certificates for completing the course and the DoWA addressed them then asked me to speak. I congratulated them for completing the class and encouraged them to continue learning and building a future for the women they are an example to. I am very proud of the women who strive to better themselves even though their families are threatened and just walking to the workshop have to run from harm. It is hard to listen to their stories, but I am in awe of the determination. We have an Afghan female attorney that is now working out of the DoWA’s Office. I am looking forward to see how she can help the DoWA spread the rights women have here. It will take years to make change, but I am hopeful that the right people with the right resources can bring some light to the truth of equality here. The DoWA tells me there is hope because she has already seen less legal cases when people know the law and their rights. I study the Quran and laws here and it is clear on paper, but the culture is very set on the way they believe women should be treated.

Christmas Eve was very different for me this year. I spent the day filling 388 back packs with personal hygiene items, notebooks, candy, toys, pens, pencils, crayons, stickers, bracelets, and books. I organized 16 different donors from the states and 100’s of boxes of items they sent. I ordered the bags from my PSYOP counterparts. I did get some help at first, but ended up doing 300 of the bags myself. I appreciate the group of interpreters that helped me carry groups of 5 bags tied together by grade and fill 4 tri wall boxes with all the bags. I did not mind the quiet time with my Christmas music and putting it all together.  For my first Christmas with out the big tree, presents, and family, I must say I was blessed with the love and spirit of the holidays when we took the bags into the classes and watched the girls look through the goodies and thank us for caring about them. I fight the tears as they hug me and squeeze me tight. They pose for pictures and started a board of pictures in the hallway so they can be reminded of the people in America that love them.  

We are starting to prepare for our replacements to come and I have worked hard to document all the things we have done and people I have met. The next group will be in my prayers. At times I feel like I haven’t accomplished much, but other days I know I have encouraged a handful of women to believe in themselves and continue to get an education and beat the odds. They live in a place where women don’t count and get beat or killed or imprisoned for trying to better themselves. Sometimes all you can do is care, listen, try to reach the men who need to open their minds and encourage the young ones that may be the future leaders of their country. And of course, I hug them all!

 

Sabrina

Things are going as well as can be expect at this point.  Everyone is eager to get home, but it is a bit to far off to get excited over....too many things to get done before the long flight home.



CPT Love

The ole stand by....

SPC Archuleta has been keeping better track of everything...no sense in reinventing the wheel:

Hello from Afghanistan!

All is well here and we have been very busy with missions. I am really missing my boys with their birthdays and Christmas coming up. It is strange to be so far away and spend holidays and special events out here. Good thing I stay so busy.

November started with a visit with Director of Youth regarding his youth shuras. He holds these shuras for the youth (14-22) to learn educational and vocational skills. He trains a team of youth leaders first then they invite youth from all over to attend. The last shura had over 200 in attendance. As we spoke to the Director you could tell he was passionate about the youth here in Afghanistan. I am working on donating a bunch of coats and shoes that we have from the states to the youth. We were also invited to attend a meeting they have where they get 50 boys and 50 girls and meet to talk about training and the needs of the kids.

CPT Love and I conducted two bazaar walks. We plan on doing a series of these to gain information about the people, markets, products and economic stability. We did the first one focusing on prices and products in the market. The streets are lined with store fronts and organized by products, for example one area will have all food and produce then another area will have wood, door makers, bike repair, and hardware type products. The second Bazaar walk we did we took the ANP along with us. The local police were very well received and I walked with a few of them while they handed out IO messages about peace and working in unity. I had several men come up and talk to me about how coalition forces have upset their lives like the low flying helicopters “causing brain problems” and a man that said he was not allowed to pass a convoy when his wife was in labor and she ended up delivering the baby in the vehicle. Of course the most I can do is apologize and tell them we are here to be friends and help the people of Afghanistan. As we walked through the shops the locals were very friendly and explained what they were doing or making and where they get their supplies. The prices we gathered were very similar to what locals are charged (that is a really good thing). Over all I feel CPT Love and I learned a lot about the pride the people take in their shops and what they make. We both bought a few things and tried to contribute to the economy as we gain information and try to put a positive face on coalition forces in the area. When all the locals ever see is our big trucks rolling through their villages they don’t see that we are people just like them inside.

One of my female engagement missions was to walk a long stretch of road called Chelemati Road. There are tons of children in this area and we went on a mission with the Engineers as they checked on the repairs to the road as the FET girls and I handed out pencils and visited with the local populace. I spoke to a couple groups of people who drove from a village four hours away to cut the rice harvest. They come and camp in their tents and once they are done with the harvest they return to their home. They had a couple women with them and several children. Their clothing was very colorful and the women had designs and dots painted all over their face and hands. As we walked along this muddy dirt road we had children of all ages come and talk about school and the village. Many of them were on their way to school and have to walk a little over an hour to get there. We met teachers, a doctor, and many adults who spoke to us about the needs of the village. I love these missions where the kids hang out with us and when I do get a chance to talk to the women at length I am always blessed by their hospitality and positive response to a female soldier.

The last few missions CPT Love and I have been on have allowed me to spend more time amongst the people and talk with more women. I spoke to one woman that lifted her burka once she realized I was a female soldier and she explained to me that she is a widow and has two boys. She was waiting for them to get out of school so they could go shop in the market for ‘little EID’ (Afghan Holiday Nov 6-8) She said they don’t have a lot of money but she was going to buy bread and stuff for the feasts for EID. Another group of women I spoke to were on their way to the hospital. They would not remove their burka but told me that they had one adult and one child sick and they were walking to the local hospital. They asked why we were there and said they were very excited to see us. I can’t imagine what goes through their minds as we walk around their towns with our gear on, guns, and sun glasses. Once you sit and talk to them they sound just like us. Normal people going about their daily lives of chores, work, raising kids, and going to the doctor. As I am walking down the street I see trash that is piled on the sides and chickens climbing over and pecking at the trash. The walls of the buildings are either made of mud bricks or cement bricks. The doors are made of wood or metal and most are very decorative and painted in bright colors. There are some doors that have a big cloth over them and usually you can see a dirty, barefoot little boy or girl peaking out to see the soldiers walking down the street. There are children on the roof and they wave and give us thumbs up. I don’t know what they are saying, but it is as if we are in a parade and the kids are cheering for us and some run up to shake our hands. Cars and motorbikes speed by as they stare at us. Some people wave if you acknowledge them and smile as soon as they see I am a female. Some of the men and boys on bikes will stop till we pass or will follow us and talk to us about what we are doing. I had a young boy about 10 years old offer to sell me a white and red chicken as we walk along the road of the market. Two women ran up to me as if elated to see us and the interpreter explained to me that they are poor people who are probably widowed or just very poor and will ask for money. The one woman let me hold her baby that was wrapped up in a bundle with a hard back board like Indian children. She had a brightly colored silky blanket around her that had little bells on it and her face was painted with little dots in black. They explained that they were trying to get food in the market and we talked about the baby.

As the rule of law representative from Civil Affairs, I visited the courthouses with the rule of law advisor from Department of State (DOS). We went to do a security assessment of the facility and I was asked to help look over the filing system they use in the courts. The courts ended up being closed still due to the National Holiday, but we were able to do the facility assessment and I was lucky enough to have some of the employees there and they explained how the courts work and tour some of the facility. I made friends with some of the older males that work for the courts and explained what that I work for the Prosecutors and the courts in America. The men were very nice and unlocked one of the courts for me to see. They have invited me back to look at their filing system and see how they document cases. I wasn’t sure how they were going to receive me since women here are not allowed to hold “office jobs” and men are usually the only employees in their judicial system. The buildings are not in good condition and they told me they were heavily damaged when the Russians were here. They have tried to keep them up so they can still use them, but they look like they would fall down easily. They are simple cement walled structures with rough built roofs made of pieces of whatever they can find. It is so dusty here that everything looks abandoned even though it is clear they still use the space. I seem to have hit it off with the guys and they asked me to take pictures with them and come back anytime. They invited me to their houses when they found out I was not having a dinner for EID (national holiday) on the FOB. They did have some simple requests for supplies like pens and notepads. I will see what I can do to get them some. After we left the courts we went to the prison to check on the females there and deliver the school supplies and toys I have for the kids living with the females. The two females incarcerated were very happy to see me and said they had prayed that we would be back. The little boy really liked the toy cars and stuff we brought him. I stayed and talked with the women and they seemed to be doing well. It is getting colder and I was making sure they had blankets and if they needed anything. I got hugged a lot and the older female holds my hand so tight I have a hard time getting her to let go. I also got to visit with the female guards and give school supplies and toys to their little ones. One of them has a baby and I found a few baby toys for him too. The school supplies and books are not much and the women are not educated to teach them. I am hoping to see what I can do to get the children and possibly the women that work and live there some form of education. It is encouraging to see the two women that work at the prison. It is very hard for women to work in Laghman. Most are teachers or sew, but majority of the Afghan women work from home in the fields or taking care of their families. The system here is very different. I have been studying their constitution and laws and find that they do not live by these laws. There is no equality of the sexes and I cannot tell if it is a lack of knowledge or just the cultural climate. They do get through cases much quicker here, the three levels of trials take 10 days each and if you are convicted in all three you start your time. If you are not convicted in the third (Supreme Court) then you are done, so in a matter of a couple months you are done with the process. No computers to mess with and most people get off. The hard part is females definitely do more time than males. For example, this female is doing 18 years for killing someone vs. a male who will get two to four years for the same charge. (don’t worry; I’ve heard every joke the guys here can think of about women vs. men)

I have been tasked with meeting with the Line Directors that have any involvement with women’s affairs. One of them is the Social Affairs Director. He is also trying to get assistance with building a new orphanage and currently runs the Mehtar Lam Orphanage. We visited his office and discussed the plans for the new orphanage and the purpose of the Social Affairs Department. I was impressed with how organized everything was and how many employees they have. They document all the people in Laghman that are disabled, poor, orphaned or have had a loved one killed by any war. They teach educational and vocational classes to both men and women, but the difference being that they give work permits and try to seek employment for those who graduate their programs. They even teach vocational courses to insurgents who are reintegrating into society. If there aren’t any jobs here in Afghanistan they are trying to seek International employment. I am trying to get him to work with the Director of Women’s Affairs, but am finding that she is not very well liked nor do the ministries work together to help the Afghan women. We got a tour of the facility and met the staff. They are very proud of their tiny offices and the titles on the door. They have stacks of old (antique looking) leather ledgers where they document the people they assist. It is true organized chaos and he could tell me what stack was for which district and when you look in the ledgers they have pictures of the people and lots of notes. He is very intelligent and as I get to know him, I want to believe that this dark haired, well dressed man with a charming smile is really working for the good of the people and maybe, just maybe, there is hope for jobs for women and safety for orphans.

I visited the NDS Prosecutors Office with a couple of Special Forces guys, DOD Rule of Law Civilian and our DOS Rule of Law Civilian to review the evidence in a case. They found over 300 containers full of ammonium nitrate in a vehicle. There are two problems, one the law states they must prove the guy has ties to insurgents or it becomes just a local crime and he walks, two the guy has political ties and there is the possibility he will get off. The NDS Prosecutors want to keep it an Organized Crime and prosecute him. We will assist them in getting all agencies to share information and build a stronger case. If they don’t get it together in their 15 day investigation time limit, they can request another 15 days. If they don’t have enough after that the guy walks away with transporting over 300 containers of illegal explosives. Not uncommon here for the NDS Prosecutors to have to fight to get what they need. We discussed at length the need for the law to be changed and how it impacts the legal system in stopping the explosives from coming into Afghanistan. We did not sit in a nice and air conditioned office, instead I sat in a chair in the tiny office on a dirt hill with an Afghan carpet on the floor. The ceiling is made of wood beams like in the southwest, but whatever they used to glue them together seeped down the wall. The desk was an old metal desk with fancy handles and there were several couches and matching chairs. They served us apple juice and we talked with the Afghan Attorney, NDS Chief Prosecutor, Investigating Prosecutor and the NDS Police Commander. It was a very interesting experience.

Last but not least for this email… We returned to the Orphanage to visit the 330 children (mostly girls) and I got a tour to assess the need for a new building. It is so nice to see the girls light up when you get there and the smiles on their faces are priceless. They are so proud to tell you the alphabet or count or recite poems. They squeeze 20 to 50 girls in little tiny dirt floor rooms on thin cheap rugs or mats. They learn off of beat up old white boards and repeat after the instructor and read from books they have no choice but to share (not enough for all to have their own). They wear scarves to cover their heads. Most wear black or white scarves, but some have more colorful ones. There is a group of older girls that wear burkas to cover themselves up as they walk to and from the orphanage for safety. Some had purses and their hands were painted with henna. They scoot away from me at first when I sit on the floor with them, but lean over to touch me quickly and shy away. I walked through each room and learned the classes and ages. I brought some goodies that a Boy Scout group sent from the states. They sent pictures of the boys in the box and we showed the girls the picture and told them that people in America were thinking of them and praying for them. Some of the girls giggled and said the boys in America looked funny. I stood in the middle of one of the large classes and started to hug some of the girls, soon I found myself swarmed by about 30 girls trying to hug me. It took everything I had to keep from crying and it was very hard to let go and leave the room. I had several of them hold my hand and pull me back or hold on so tight I could barely stand. The Director and my Sergeant Major came in and took pictures of us and told me the girls can tell we care for them. The director thanked us over and over for coming and showing the girls that they are loved. I wish I could have stayed there forever just holding them and reassuring them that they are smart and beautiful and loved beyond words. I cannot save them, and Sergeant Major said I can’t fit all 330 of them in my house so stop crying and keep praying because I am doing the best I can for them. I am happy that they are getting an education, but know that once they get to a certain age they will be married off and there is little hope for jobs or freedom from violence. This is one of my favorite and least favorite monthly missions. I will do what we can to provide supplies, hope for a new orphanage, prayers, and hugs for them for the next 3 ½ months I am here. Some of my interpreters told me to have faith because things have gotten better for the girls. Thousands of girls are now in school and less and less girls are married off early when they have opportunities to learn and be supported by the military, NGO’s or locals who try to provide for them Like the Social Affairs Director. I even wore the bright colored polka dot scarf one of the interpreters bought me because he thought the kids would like it… and they did!

We are working on mission planning for the next few months. We (Civil Affairs) have some overnight missions coming up and ask for your prayers for all our safety and successful missions. As we continue to work diligently on transitioning our Province to the Local Government I will send updates and stories about all the ways I am blessed by this experience. I of course leave out all the frustrating and never ending military stresses and obstacles we face. It is never easy when you are in another country and are trying to coordinate the efforts of so many people, but hope you see the positive things we are doing really is what gets me through this day after day.

 

Blessings,

Sabrina

So for me, I have been tasked in a slightly different support role, so I should be able to post out via the articles I will (and now have time to) write supporting our mission....who knows, maybe I'll get published.

Safe and Happy Holidays to all,

CPT Love

So much for that Idea....

Well, we both struggled trying to keep this a weekly thing.  SPC Archuleta was able to get her roll up done, so I will again post it.  I have been keeping busy with most of the missions that she has been on, but purely in a mentor roll so she will be in a good position as a Team Sergent should she get tapped for a future deployment.  I still go to different places around Mehtar Lam and Laghman in general and find myself surprised at the progression.  When I was last here 6 years ago, there was one section of paved road in all of Laghman, now there are more than I can count; that is just the beginning.  All of the new structures and just normal population growth is truly amazing.  I can definitely see why Laghman is mentioned so much when talking about Transition....they are well on their way.

In what will be the next post, you will hear about the "bazaar walks" and other missions we have done.  It was actually a really good time.  Well, enough rambling from me, I know you came by to see 'the real story'...

Hello All!

Paris was everything I hoped it would be and more! I could fill this entire letter with Paris details, but I will save that for another time. I did enjoy myself and look forward to sharing my pictures with everyone. When I returned to FOB Mehtar Lam I had some time to get caught up on the latest changes then started back on missions.

First was a QA/QC to the Mehtar Lam Power Plant. The engineers are monitoring the repairs to the local power plant so after photographing the progress we drove to a place in the city to do a presence patrol. We walk for a couple of hours and talked to the locals along the road with our SECFOR. I love these patrols because I get to interact with the children. This particular area has a lot of schools and they go in shifts throughout the day so we were able to talk to the kids as they were walking home from school. They were very proud of their UNICEF notebooks and shared their school work with us.

On another mission we visited the Social Affairs Director, who runs the local orphanage, at his office to discuss building a new orphanage. We spoke with the engineers and looked at the land where he would like to see it built. The view from the hill where they want the orphanage is beautiful. The mountains and the fields below in the village were a great backdrop. The Social Affairs office holds vocational workshops for men, women and for men leaving the Taliban trying to reintegrate into society. We visited with lots of children as usual and I was stopped by a woman who was having a hard time trying to get money for her son-in-law who was killed. There is a program here that provides assistance for families when a family member dies in war time. The old woman had a lot of questions and comments about being strong and brave to leave my family and come to help the women of Afghanistan. She was trying to get me to come to her house and sit with her. She would not let go of my hand and kept hugging me. I feel bad when I can’t sit with them and talk at length and I wish I could go and spend a day in their life to truly understand them better.

Next CPT Love and I went to visit the known location of the Mehtar Lam District Center (DC). We needed to confirm what the facility was being used for because some districts have a government representative from all the different ministries at the DC for the locals to address their needs. We found that the NDS were located in the building instead of it being used as a district center. The NDS are kind of like the FBI in America and it turned out to be an interesting visit after all. They explained how they do their background checks for hiring employees. They go into the village the person comes from and talk to everyone about the person and their entire family. If the family lineage is bad or if there are other bad reports from locals they cannot be hired.

Another mission was to the Mehtar Lam prison.  I learned a lot about the court process from the civilians from the US that went with us and the locals that work there. We were not allowed to wear our vests or carry any weapons while we were touring the facility; the SECFOR guys were not happy about this. The men roam freely and don’t get locked up in individual cells like in the states. The male side of the jail was full and had some of them working and some lounging around in the open courtyard. The women have their own area to live in individual rooms that open up into a courtyard. The courtyard had all kinds of flowers and a walk way all around the flowers in the center. The rooms are very simple with a bed, a cabinet and a table. We visited with the two women currently incarcerated. One was sentenced to 6 years for leaving her husband. She said she left after taking enough of her husband beating her with a strap and causing her kidney and heart problems. She snuck out in the night and stayed with family until she was caught. The husband’s family refused to let her see her children all these years, but she had only ten days left of her sentence and hoped to see her children when she gets out. The other younger female has been through the first of three court processes and has been convicted of killing someone. She claims that a man did it and there is no evidence to prove she was involved. She will serve 18 years if all three courts keep her conviction.  The young woman had her little boy with her and we were told children are encouraged to live there with the moms until they are 7 years old. The women make beautiful beaded jewelry and gave us some things they made. They try to sell the jewelry or just enjoy passing the time with them. I met with two women that work at the prison and had their four children living with them in a very small room with mats on the floor for sleeping. The facility has a medical clinic and a little store. I got permission from the guards to go back to take some toys and school supplies for the kids living there. It is very hard to see the little kids playing in the dirt. The facility is nothing like what we have back home, but it is interesting learning the rule of law stuff here in Afghanistan.

I went on a mission to the Governor’s compound. It was an interesting experience sitting in a room full of US Military Officers, our Sergeant Major, and Dept of State Representative as we listened to what the Governor is upset about this week.  Our Commander introduced me to Governor Azizi as the Female Engagement Team Leader and we briefly discuss Women’s Affairs in Mehtar Lam. We talked, had lunch and then chai in the garden. The governor has great English skills due to receiving his education in Pakistan and has a background in education. The food was really good; I really like the Afghan rice and the bread they serve. The Governors daughter sat on my lap in the garden and colored in my notebook while we drank chai and talked some more. I am glad for the experience, but would much rather spend time talking with the locals and playing with the kids in the village.

I went along for a village walk with our Commander. The area is very poor and the children are known to be very aggressive and out of control. I did not know exactly what that meant until I experienced it for myself. I barely got off the truck and was being pulled on by children. I had a bag of toys and candy that the commander asked me to hand out. I had a very hard time getting the kids to stay back so I could pass it out fairly and they almost knocked me over in the process. I had kids bending my fingers fighting for stuff and many times SECFOR had to help get the kids under control. Finally we divided up into smaller groups and entertained the kids with playing games, climbing trees with them, and talking with them using Elders or police to calm them down. The area and children were very dirty with trash all over and some kids did not have shoes on. The Commander met with one of the Elders then joined us with the kids. It is very hard to see these kids living in this area. The smell alone was hard to handle and the body odor of the people as they crowd around us was hard as well. I still love talking to the people and it is funny how some of them act. I was proposed to by three guys this time and joked with them as they tried to outdo each other and impress me. One guy showed me his business card with Bruce Lee on it and told me he teaches Karate; they are so funny. I try to learn what is important to them or how they spend their time. It is a very simple life of work or school and not much in between. No TV, video games or books to read. The children hang out or walk around; many of them sit on the side of the road with what looks like nothing to do.  The best part for me is when you speak to the kids and they come alive as they tell us things they know or ask about America and their facial expressions or how they try to talk over one another. They ask me what my name is, if I am married, if I have brothers, and if I like Afghanistan. The smiles on these kids faces made up for the way I felt attacked when we first got there. (Except for the kid that stole my glasses out of my helmet I was holding in my hand) I love to go back and look at the pictures everyone takes and see the expressions on the people’s faces. Old and young they all fascinate me.

Part of my job as the Female Engagement Team Leader is to work with the Director of Women’s Affairs (DoWA). We went to the DoWA Center and met with her and took a tour of the facility to see what kinds of things they have for the women of Afghanistan. The DoWA and her staff were very nice and of course asked for our assistance. It was interesting to see what kinds of jobs she said women can have here and the problems they face with the Taliban trying to keep them from getting to work. A German NGO donated 30 sewing machines for females to take sewing classes. I was very excited when they showed me a room full of “antique” sewing machines. I have an Antique Singer machine similar to these and I love that they will be using these machines. I found it interesting that the workshops that the women can take are advertised by the Mullahs in the Mosques in town. The DoWA helps the women get legal help and tries to find different ways for the women to make money or learn skills. She does not have a good reputation, but I hear everyone is corrupt here so it’s hard to tell.  We were given a box of cookies as a gift and the DoWA repeatedly said she appreciated all the support she has received for the PRT. I have become friends with her assistant, a male who has been working on women’s issues for several years, and will be working with her and her office while I am here.

One of the hardest missions we went on so far was to the orphanage.  We took clothes and blankets to them and the Governor of Laghman Province came to visit the orphanage. The children and the Social Affairs Director gave us a tour of the school before handing out the donated items. The children recited songs or the alphabet for us and we got to see what they do for Pashto/English lessons. There are 318 children in the orphanage; mostly females, but a handful of boys. The facility does not have overnight accommodations so the girls who are missing a mother, father or both go sleep with family members and return during the day. The down side of that is some of the uncles allow the girls to live with them for free but they marry them off to the male cousins as payment for their kindness. The Director is trying to get a new orphanage built so the girls will be safe and not be married off.  The average bride price in our Province is $15,000 (US) so anything they can do to not pay it or take advantage of the orphans is a big problem here. There is a group of girls that took part in a sewing class. We got to meet them and give them sewing kits to use now that they have graduated the class. When we walk through the orphanage the kids shouted “thank you” or came to the doors or windows trying to shake our hands. Ordinarily, the girls are shy, but in the enclosed environment they acted a little different. On the street they come up quickly, shake our hand then get back. Inside the rooms it seemed like they were studying us. They asked some of us questions and would hug us or get very close when we took pictures with them. I had to follow the Governor around with his entourage to make sure him and the Social Affairs Director looked like they were working together on camera. I like the Social Affairs Director because he seems to really care about the girls. His son (4yr old I think) is also a student at the school and when you talk to him he seems passionate about wanting to get the girls a safe place to stay. I struggled with playing the political game of the Governor walking in and looking like he made this all happen, but I want to believe that the end state is that the kids got needed clothes, hats, socks and blankets.

I still have about five months left and since I got back we have three to five missions a week planned. We are going to be busy and I love every minute we get off the FOB to experience Afghan culture and all the people here. I try not to be sad for them and I try not to feel like I need to save them all. I am trying to understand the transition happening here with the pull out of troops that is supposed to happen in 2014. It makes our job so much harder when we have to say no more money and you have to help yourself because we are leaving. Some don’t believe it and some just blow us off and look to the next NGO for a hand out. I feel so restricted by my uniform and gear and wish I had a better way to spend time with them. I learn so much from them and am blessed by the smiles and hugs and the little ones that follow us around in awe of a girl in a uniform carrying a gun. I have one little girl in particular that I run into every time I am in the city and she follows us and smiles the whole time. I just want to wrap my arms around her and tell her she can be anything she wants to be if she puts her mind to it. If only it were true.

Blessings from Mehtar Lam. More mission updates to come soon.

Sabrina

I assure you, we heard ALL about Paris for the last few weeks....she really had a good time.

CPT Love

Sometimes....

I question how does a month go by when it seems like a week has barely pasted?  I am currently on forced R&R leave.  I opted to go to Ireland.  before I left, SPC Archuleta sent out her weekly-ish email she has allowed me to share it again....I think I am going to have her make me write this one once a week as well.

"Hello from Mehtar Lam,

After returning from Kandahar things slowed down a little and I was tasked with getting the office organized…sound familiar?  We are currently all organized in binders, drawers, calendars and bulletin boards. All is good now (had to order some more Post-it’s though).  I have temporarily been the Interpreter Manager while SGT Lang is out on R&R.  I have spent the last three weeks scheduling the 10+ interpreters that work for the PRT and working on their payroll.  I have really enjoyed getting to know them and I ask them a daily cultural question; sometimes my questions start a long discussion (like their belief in ghosts – that one is still going!).  I am reading the Quran and we have discussions about having 4 wives and other interesting religious beliefs.  It is a neat group of guys and it’s been fun learning their culture. I feel like their mom trying to keep them out of trouble, where they are supposed to be and spending time with them but, thank God I do not have 10 boys to raise full time.

Upon my return, I had to prepare a slide show to brief the PRT about the Female Engagement Team training I attended. My Commander has tasked me with organizing a team here.  I have been meeting with the other team that is getting ready to leave Afghanistan and see how we can help keep their programs going.  I am meeting people like the Afghan Gender Director that works for the Director of Women’s Affairs and the eight departments under them.  I have decided to focus on economic improvement for the women in Laghman Province, especially widows and elderly.  As sad as it might sound, my goal is to in some way make them more valuable to the family….you have to start somewhere.  I will start going on missions that are focused on this goal when I return from my R&R in September.

 

One of the highlights to date - Major General Daniel Allyn, Commanding General of the First Cavalry Division and Combined Joint-Task Force 1, visited our FOB.  Five Soldiers were chosen (out of roughly 1000 people on the FOB) to be introduced to the General. I was the only female, the rest were guys - either mildly injured or Snipers. I was introduced by my Commander “as the only Civil Affairs Female in our PRT who just returned from Female Engagement Team training. “She was asked to stay an additional week by the (FET) creator for her knowledge and professionalism.” The Commander told the General that I was an outstanding Soldier and “an asset to not only our PRT, but the mission here in Afghanistan.” If I wasn’t standing at attention and so nervous I would have looked behind me to see who he was talking about; surely not me. As the General shook my hand I received an “Awarded for Excellence Coin”. It is my first coin and everyone around here teases me about the “coaster” I received because it is so big and heavy. The five of us then ate lunch with the General and spoke with him for a couple of hours. I talked about the 16 or so missions I have been on and what I hope to do with the female engagement team. It was a cool experience and honored that I was nominated by different people in my PRT.

I went with the Engineers on a quality control check mission in Qhargayee to visit the mosque being built.  It is always neat going up to the mosque, knowing how important it is to the locals and watch the progress. As seems to always happen, as soon as the local children realized I am a female I had a lot of them come and talk to me. The younger ones want to shake my hand or slap it. I think it’s their way of showing off to me, but they hit my hand pretty hard sometimes. We also went to a bridge on this trip and my job is to talk to the people wherever we go. We recently have had a problem with a kid that throws rocks at our vehicles. We have had to replace a very expensive window already and not sure what the issue is. This time we arranged with the convoy commander to stop and talk to the locals if it happened again. Good thing we did. The minute it actually did happen, I had to get out of the truck nearly as fast as the squad leader did to keep him from killing the kid. After I calmed the squad leader down I coached the conversation so we were talking about “disrespect”. We spoke to the men that were working in the area and we were told they were “just kids being kids”.  Disrespect is taken very serious here and it can have serious consequences. The rocks being thrown are huge boulders and cause a lot of damage and this time almost hit the gunner. The local men suggested we meet with the village Elder or Mullah to find out why the boy throws the rocks. Eventually, the local police came up and said they would help to keep it from happening again. The squad leader did tell me when he got back in the truck that he was glad I was there. I think it is funny sometimes what happens on missions and who I am really there for.

 I posted some pictures from the multi day dismounted Op we went on. I didn’t necessarily take to the idea of going out on a mission to look for Taliban and IED’s, but my job is to be part of the Civil Affairs element to talk to people, especially women that we may encounter. We left in the evening and walked through the village in the dark. It felt really odd walking through a village for about six hours; I found myself wondering if anyone was going to be out or what might happen. Thankfully there was moon light so you could see pretty well (we have night vision gear as well). We would stop every now and then and take a break. I was happy to stop and take my assault pack off and sit for a bit. We did not find too many people out, but we passed a mosque where a lot of men were praying. The leader stopped praying on the loudspeaker and you have to wonder what they are thinking as a very large group of soldiers march by in the dark. At one point we had to wait in a (dry) rice field to get other elements in place.  Somehow, I fell in an irrigation ditch and got only one boot muddy and wet.  As I sat in the middle of the field, listening to every noise, I watched the infantry guys move around the security position with my night vision gear. It isn’t really like camping because in the back of your mind you can’t help but think I really don’t want to get shot sitting here. We did not stay long and continued to walk through the village. Finally around 2 am we stopped for the night in an open area past some buildings. Unfortunately, at this time I got (what was) my first 1000 ml IV. I was able to fall asleep for a couple hours. When I woke up, it turned out we were in very large open area behind some schools.  And, just like everywhere else we go, we were “surrounded” by kids and men (curious I am sure) wondering why we were there. To complete the ‘camping trip’ every girl’s dream/fear – having to go to the bathroom.  We were quite fortunate to have some ‘facilities’ near us….well, kind of.  After ‘clearing’ (not joking) the stalls in a small building with a wall around it, and posting a guard (CPT Love) I experienced “squatting” over a tear-shaped small hole in the ground to … take care of business.  Add that to my Afghan experiences! After that, I was able to talk to a group of kids about the schools we were close to. They explained that school is out right now, but the buildings were a school for girls and a school for boys. They were very excited to tell me what grade or as they call it what “class” they were in and what subjects they liked best.  Most of them said religion was their favorite subject. They were practicing the English they have been learning in school, asking me questions in English and naming all the body parts.  I taught them a few new things and they did a great job at trying to pronounce “it’s very nice to meet you”. As always, the kids are great. They are really interested in why a girl is there and sometimes ask me funny questions or want to see how strong I am. They like to touch me or shake my hand and have me take their picture.  The Afghan Police and Afghan Army guys treated me really well too. They let me play with the RPG. (CPT Love told me I cannot trade my grenade launcher in for one) The Afghan Army guys showed me how to hold it and showed me the different rounds they have for it.  We then walked back into the village again. We continued to walk for several hours through villages, back yards, farm animals, and rice fields before taking up our predetermined position; quite the surreal experience. It was very warm and humid. During our time there, we heard shots fired from far away.  We sat for a while so it could be assessed where the shots were coming from.  It was strange sitting low on the ground and the rice plants being tall enough to hide me. It was the middle of the day and we ran out of water. I did not take the heat so well so I ended up getting an IV…..again (another 1000 ml). After a while we made our way back into the village and waited for the water to be delivered to us. (4 hours late) Adding to the adventure, we rested along a stream of water under some trees, and oddly enough, behind a cemetery. We had several kids follow us to this spot and they continued to talk to all of us.  Since we really didn’t have much choice, we opted to give them some empty water bottles to fill (we did insist and check it was well water). Blessed with a chance to recover, I was able to talk to a lot of the kids.  The highlight was talking to a young girl (10) who was actually asking to talk to me. While I was talking to her, the baby she was holding reached out to me and I was allowed to hold him.  He was a year old and had more eyeliner on than I wear. He was very quiet and just looked at me as I spoke to the young girl. Over all, the girls are very shy but some more came up and talked to me. They are very curious about why I am here.  As you can tell, I really enjoy hanging out with the kids. It is a blessing to hear them laugh and see them smile and joke like normal children without a care in the world. The young boys were trying to write English words for me in my notebook and show off. Water finally arrived, but CPT Love did not let me stay for the last night of the mission. He went back with me so I could be checked by the doc’s on the FOB.  I still wish he would have let me stay. I was well aware of what was left of the mission, and feel more water and some rest should have been enough and I am not a quitter. (He knows I am still mad at him)

Anyway, it was an interesting experience and hard to explain what goes through your mind as we walked through the villages, sleeping outside of the FOB (on the ground in the middle of nowhere), helicopters flying really low overhead, engaging the locals, being stared at everywhere we go etc… At times I feel safe and others I am nervous. We get reports of suicide bombers on bikes, motorcycles and as we walk through traffic you have to be very aware of your surroundings. The kids make it all worth it, but you can’t help but remind yourself that they are not all innocent little children. Some days all I can do is pray for every one of them that I touch and tell myself that God knows what their needs are. I can’t save them all, but I hope to be there to make them smile and laugh if only for a little while. This is the only life they know and we don’t realize how spoiled our kids in America really are till you see this for yourself.

My next mission was to the Mehtar Lam Hospital. As we walked through the multiple buildings on the property, we saw that they actually had a pretty good set up. The equipment is old and worn, but everything is clean and usable.  I was surprised to see the birthing room and hear that they deliver and average of 600 babies a month (675 last month!). We saw several newborn babies in incubators and saw the moms learning to feed them.  We met some midwives and a couple male doctors. The waiting room, for the men who are soon to be fathers, is actually a separate metal structure since they are not allowed in the women’s part of the hospital. Once we made it through that portion of the hospital on the top of the hill, we went outside and quickly became surrounded by women who would walk up and lift their burkas to talk to us. This is the first time I have seen so many women in one area. We explained that we were not doctors and could not help them with the medical concerns they were telling us they have through our interpreter. Some women would bring their babies to me and I began to touch them and pray for them. A few women caught on to what I was doing and would walk up and motion for me to do it again. I found myself surrounded by women in blue burkas watching me touch the foreheads or bodies of their little ones and close my eyes as I prayed for them. They would smile and touch my hand or bow and walk away. It breaks my heart to see these tiny children that are obviously malnourished and sick. I don’t know what the answer is to help Afghanistan and I can’t believe we have been here ten years and they are still in the condition they are in. There was a group of young girls that would follow me around and when I sat for a while they would sit really close to me and touch either my uniform or the rings I wear. They would giggle and tell me about school, their clothes and jewelry. A lot of the young girls were wearing clothes made of fancy and colorful material. Some wear makeup and jewelry and have their noses pierced. Most of the “dressed up” girls were around ten years old. I took some pictures and we took one with the group. We finished our tour of the emergency room and labs. As we left we had a lot of the kids trying to shake our hands one more time and waving. The doctors seemed glad to have us there, but of course asked us to help them with all kinds of things like equipment, security walls, and medication.

Well I have been here since June and I think I have a different experience and different emotion for every day I wake up. It is rewarding to be here and try to do the little things.  I am missing home very much, especially my boys. I stay busy and try very hard to keep a positive attitude. I got to shoot at the range the other day and that helped to blow off some stress. I am very excited to be leaving on Sept 3^rd for my R&R leave. I will be spending my birthday, Sept 8^th in Paris France.  My childhood dream of going to Paris is coming true and I can’t wait. I have tours, museums, Eiffel tower, catacombs, and so much more on the agenda for my 15 day stay in Paris. I will have so much to report for my next letter home.

My whole Civil Affairs team was just here on the FOB together for the first time since we got here. I still don’t think a lot of people know or understand what it is we do, but I think we are all doing the best we can under the circumstances."

She is really good at keeping track of everything she does every day....I need to go back to that.

For real this time....

Greetings!  Sorry for taking so long to post.  It has been pretty crazy.  FOB Methar Lam is nothing like the place I left 6 years ago.  It is weird to sit around and talk about things then versus now.  For starters, we have a lot more Afghan National Army (ANA) guys around that we used to.  I love talking to them about where they are from.  The other day I came across a guy that was from Logar (south of Kabul). He was one of the ones that came over to play soccer with the 82d Airborne out in front of our base there.  What a small world....

I spent the first few weeks traveling with one of my team members (SPC Archuleta).  She tries to write an e-mail once a week.  She managed at least two that I know of.  Below will be the two posts.  Her audience is her Church group, so she broke it down in to as many non-Army terms as possible.  I keep telling her they are perfect for what I am writing for the blog, since most of the audience is non-military anyway.  I am really starting to enjoy this deployment because I get to be there when the "new guys" experience things for the first time.  They are really getting the hang of things pretty quick, so it makes the missions/meetings a lot more productive.  I hope you enjoy her accounts of the trip.

As for me, I have been a little slow to get back in the groove.  I haven't gone in as the "primary", so that doesn't help.  Not that I am objecting, it would just be nice to be able to get back to where I was when I was last deployed.  It will come.  I am conflicted since these are the prime opportunities to train future leaders…it is more important they get the chances I didn’t.  I will stop here because I don’t want to steal too much from what she has to say, so without further adieu –

This is her first post in country (~July 10th):

“Hi All from Methar Lam, Afghanistan...So I sat in Bagram for a week then they finally let helicopters fly to Laghman and we made it to our final destination. I thought that was the good news until I got here... I am on a very small FOB and it is very primitive. We live in a coed building two to a room, unless you are higher ranking. Small rooms and not very up to date. We walk up the hill to the shower/latrine, and the DFAC/cafeteria is also up the hill. Food is interesting and not horrible, but the Afghan take on spaghetti was fun for example. Bottled water only and it is around 110- 120 degrees daily.
I did my first mission "outside the wire" as they say. We drove in big up-armored vehicles, strapped in for dear life, until the first sign of an IED (improvised explosive device). We sat for several hours until EOD cleared the culvert and the remnants of a prior IED and we tried to continue on to our destination until we were told another IED was up ahead and our radio communication went down. Needless to say after five hours of this we turned around and did not make it to our destination. The good news is we made it back safe and I was able to see a lot of the area, even though I never got to get out of the truck. There are so many children in the villages. The children are very dirty, beg for things and steal from you any thing they can grab off you. It broke my heart to watch them. Some villages the children spit at our trucks as we passed and it was clear that they do not want us there. The men were out in the village where we got stuck waiting to clear the IED and they tried to keep the children away from our vehicles. The few women I saw were covered from head to toe in blue burkas and had children with them or followed directly behind the men they were with.
 
My Civil Affairs team is being divided into different areas of our province. I was upset about this, but understand the need to stretch us out to areas that are in need. (SSG)Carlson is going to be in an area that is not safe so please keep him in your prayers. (SGT)Martin and (SPC)Peterson will be in another area together that is not female friendly and in a remote location, so please keep both of them in your prayers as well. As for me, the only female, I am going to shadow CPT Love for now and speak to women in the villages he goes into. When I am here at the FOB I will go on certain missions as the CA representative.  We carry weapons on us at all times and are in constant danger of the FOB being hit, and of course once we leave the FOB we are less protected other than the security forces we have with us. Not to spread fear, but here is the reality of the situation and prayers are much appreciated.
 
I am looking forward to seeing the villages, talking to the people and helping them get their needs met. It is our PRT's (Provincial Reconstructive Teams) responsibility to start the process of handing over the work the military has been doing to the locals. We are trying to transition and leave Afghanistan. Boy do we have our work cut out for us. I am very glad to be here and have already had many experiences that lead me be thankful for all that we have in the US. I miss you all and will have email, not Facebook, access on occasion. For the first few months, I will be a nomad; going where I can to learn and be utilized for the greater good of the people in Laghman.”

This post is from July 18th, it is also one of my favorites:

“Hello!...I just returned from a week in Najil Afghanistan. CPT Love and I spent the week getting to know the Infantry group up there and see if they needed assistance from our Civil Affairs team. I was the only female and the soldiers treated me well. They took us on 2 to 3 missions a day and expected me to keep up and hang with the boys.
 
Our first night there I was invited to shoot mortar rounds into the side of a mountain. Each round weighs approx 30-35 pounds and you have to hold it half way into the tube until they yell "fire" then you drop it down the tube. You have to move your hands in a downward motion so that you do not blow them off and tilt your body and head away from the cannon for the very loud boom it makes. Then you wait for one round to light up the night sky (shot from another cannon) and then the mortar round to blow up the side of the mountain. It was awesome! After the first 3 out of 5 rounds I felt like my arms were going to fall off. I am a little short for the tube and had to hold the rounds high above my head. After a while they get heavier and heavier, but it was very exciting. The blast on the mountain has a blast radius of about 500 meters. The mortar guys thought I was pretty cool and invited me to hang out anytime.
 
One mission we went on was a very long and hard walk to a village across the river to speak to the Village Elder about security and their needs. We walked through a huge field of onions and other vegetables. The hard part is balancing yourself with a weapon and all your gear on the 6 inch wide dirt or rock walls that line the crops. We weaved our way to the river then walked across river rocks of all sizes in the dry bed.  Then we crossed the river run off where you have a choice to hop across the rocks or just walk through the knee high water. (I slipped off a rock and got to walk through the water anyway) Then we came to a foot bridge that was about 12-15 inches wide and spanned the river approx 30 feet. The rapids below were moving pretty fast and three people at a time cross the bridge. The bridge kind of bounces as you go across and the sound of the water seemed very loud; I prayed all the way across! Finally we got to the other side to the small village built into the side of the mountain. We were told by some children that there were Taliban in the village so we had to pull security until the leaders decided it was safe to continue on into the village. I was personally glad for the break after walking/climbing just to get there.
 
Once all was clear we sat with the Elders of the village and discussed their village needs or concerns and wanting to form a friendship with them. Word spread fast that a female soldier was in the village and I became surrounded by 25 or so boys of all ages. They stared a lot then finally shook my hand and talked to me. I had my picture taken with some of them and they joked with CPT Love and the Sergeant about trading me for 5 goats and a car. :0) The village elder then gave me permission to speak to the eldest woman and I climbed up to where she lived and we sat and spoke through an interpreter about the women in the village. She said they make cheese and work in the fields. They have 5 to 10 children per family and all kids go to school. She said she was glad I was there and said I was welcome to come back. After I played with the kids some more we made our way back toward base. Along the way I got to stop and talk to two girls working in a field. They told me they were sisters, work in the field every day, and explained that the red brown paint on their hands had been painted on to look pretty and was henna. The younger girl told me she goes to school, but her older (maybe 10 yrs old) sister doesn't anymore because she doesn't have to. They were dressed in nice dresses and had their heads covered.  For my first real mission I was very happy to interact with the people as much as I did, but my goodness... I was beat.
 
We later went on a mission to a construction site to see the progress of a road being dug through a canyon. I took pictures and walked around the site while the KLE (key leader engagement) took place with the workers. Another mission we did was a drive out to a village to do another KLE with the Village Elder. The village is much poorer and had so many children. Small groups of children were meeting under some trees and possibly holding classes.

The Afghan soldiers that work on the base are the ANA and the ASG. The ASG killed a goat for us and made CPT Love and me a great dinner of goat, soup, rice and bread called “non" (Pashto). It was very good and after dinner we ate watermelon and a melon that tastes like a mix of melon and cantaloupe. The ANA invited us to a dinner the next night and we had turkey, potatoes, “non”, and melon. They asked a lot of questions about what I was doing in Afghanistan and being a female in the Army. The ASG said I was brave for coming to help them in Afghanistan and the ANA said we were friends. It was nice to hear from them how they felt and both groups treated me very well the rest of the week we were there. The interpreters made us an amazing lunch of chicken cooked with tomatoes and onions and we talked about their upcoming holiday in August called Ramadan. I really have enjoyed the food here and the green tea chi isn't too bad either.
 
We did a night mission to a nearby tower that looks much closer to the base than it is. After the third hill I wanted to quit and my friends from the ANA made sure I did not stop and was safe all the way to the top. The moon was out and I could see fairly well, but It was a very hard climb up the mountain and back down. I have a lot of respect for the guys in this area who have to do this every day. I don't think I will have any problems staying in shape if I continue to work with them! The last two missions we did were to photograph a large bridge that washed away in a flood and a girl’s school that was built on top of a hill and not open yet. The bridge would be a very expensive project but a worthy one for the village in the valley. The girl’s school is built but there are requirements for bathrooms and security walls that have not been met so they can not open it yet. The climb to the school is unbelievably steep and slippery. (I slipped and fell!) The view from the hill is amazing. You can see the green fields and the town bazaar (market). It’s hard to believe it is so dangerous when you look out and just see a simple way of life with people who work hard.

Sunday we flew by helicopter back to Methar Lam. I am very sore, cut up, bruised and tired, but it was an amazing experience. I leave soon to visit another area for a few days then I will be going to Kandahar to attend a week long "Female Engagement Team" (FET) training. After I return from the training the Commander will be deciding where I will spend my time. I am praying to go back to Najil because they have the most need for me and I feel a kind of peace there I have not felt anywhere else here. The government politics get frustrating and I remain faithful that the Lord has a plan for me.”

I am still struggling with a way to post pictures.  The blog supports it, but getting them to the blog is the issue.  This took two computers to post….I’ll get it.

CPT Love