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 1st. 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
