Connex Construction

I came out of the Swamp (my residence connexes) one morning and they were using a crane to load new connexes for a third floor on the Maxwell House. Its surprising how fast these self contained rooms can welded in place creating living and office space for Camp residents. The connexes are quite hospitable, if cramped.

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Afghan Photos

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-60767-6.html

Here is a link to six photos from Der Spiegel from Northeastern Afghanistan. Beautiful and quite explanatory.

Little Girl's Future

We were driving back from KMTC the other night and there was this cute little Afghan girl hanging out the back window of her father's car. We both were stuck in traffic and I saw her for several minutes as we passed her car and then she passed us. I thought about what kind of future was in store for her over the next fifteen years or so here in Kabul.

It was rush hour--about 1700 hours in the afternoon. Many people were out shopping, but it was predominantly men. I saw very few women shopping in the bakeries, none in the electronics stores, none in the small shops bordering the highway--very few women on the street. I saw many young girls below the age of say ten, but no teenagers, no young working women, no women in the streets. How different.

What does the future hold for the cute, four year old girl who was hanging out the car window of her father's car?

End House

Here is the front of the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) office--End House. It has offices in one of the turrets and a stairwell in the other. It is called the End House because at one time it was the last or end house on the street. Since then we have put connexes in front and on the sides so it no longer is the end house, but the name remains.

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Coalition Routs Taliban in Southern Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

I saw this article in the New York Times today. Our strategy is starting to pay off. We are starting to pinch the Taliban, intercepting their supply lines, killing or capturing their leaders. and instilling security in Southern Afghanistan. They are retreating to Pakistan. Now we need to go after them in Quetta and in NW Waziristan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/world/asia/21kandahar.html

Tostitos are Back!

After nearly a months absence, the Tostitos are back! One takes things for granted, such as the well stocked consumer items on the shelf. I have delayed buying things, but now--if I see it, I'm buying it and stocking up. I may not have the chance again. Thus, I bought a storage box and a comforter on Tuesday; plus, I bought four bags of Tostitos today.

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ANA Court

Here is an AF TSgt standing in front of the 205th Kandak Military Court building. The building and court are new. The ANA have 3-4 trials a week here. One murder case and mostly traffic cases.

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Third Row of Cans

Here is part of the construction process of welding new connexes on to our previously existing dorms. They have been blocking off the road for several weeks while they connect, wire, and plumb the dorm rooms. All the construction is making it difficult to get around.

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LTC Herring and Canadian Navy LCDR

Before our departure to the Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC) to observe the first graduating class of Paralegal NCOs. The Canadian Navy Lieutenant Commander has been working with the Afghan National Army for many months and was our driver and convoy commander. He did a superb job getting us out there and back safely. We got back into Kabul at rush hour and he maneuvered the vehicle like a pro.

Afghan TJAG, Brigadier General Karim

We visited the Staff Judge Advocate's HQ for the 205th Kandak (Brigade). Here is a photo of the ANA TJAG, BGen Karim and his deputy, Colonel Momil. Also pictured is a U.S. Air Force Major who is a mentor at KMTC. We had several cups of tea (chai) at each of our stops as is the Afghan custom.

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Afghan Attorney at KMTC Graduation

Photo of Afghan attorney and instructor at the Kabul Military Training Center's Legal School speaking at the Paralegal NCO graduation ceremony on Sunday, 17 Oct 10. The mentors reported that the NCO did very well during the course.

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U.S. Advisor, Parliamentary Member Anjeer Ramazan, and Gen Nooristani

We spent nearly three hours with Gen Nooristani. Gen Nooristani is the head of the Afghan National Army Legal Department. It was a very enlightening cross cultural exchange. It is great being foreign.

Base Exchange - bare shelves

Our little BX was stocked with a limited, but good variety and quantity of goods when I arrived two months ago. Sometimes I would wish I had bought an item after it disappeared from the shelves, but this was rare. Over the past two weeks the shelves are showing large gaps and the items are not being replaced. It makes me appreciate the way it was before. Generally, other Camps, coalition forces, and U.S. agencies would come shop at our BX because we were better stocked. Now the shelves are bare.

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Farewell

This is a scene from the farewell of a fellow Air Force deployee. A small ceremony was held in front of the legal office for the presentation of medals and mementos. The Army personnel deploy generally on one year tours. We Air Force usually rotate back after six months. It's kind of a sad moment, but all of us are grateful for the duty those leaving have performed and thankful for their friendship. We are happy that they are able to return to their loved ones and their home bases. Their leaving is a reminder that we too will soon depart.

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Old Mother Hubbard

Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard, but when she got there, the cupboard was bare--and so the little children had none. Wow! I wish I would have bought those corn chips when the shelf was full.

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Mirwais' Afghan Meal

This is the desert for Mirwais' Afghan meal--pomegranates. He says that the best pomegranates come from Kandahar. They are huge. He would squeeze the pomegranate to crush the fruit inside and then make a small incision so that you can drink the juice. Otherwise, they would cut the pomegranate in quarters (like in the lower right of the photo). I was picking the seeds out one-by-one when I noticed Mirwais biting into the quartered fruit and getting a mouthful of seeds at once. I tried this method and it was much more flavorful and successful.

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Afghan Meal

Here was the spread after we had devoured most of it. The nan bread was nearly a foot long and perforated so that it could be torn into strips. You can see on the plates at the top of the photo. The mantu are spicy dumplings with ground meat and chick peas. The kebab was barbecued goat meat. Some of the pomegranates were the size of sofballs. All-in-all, a great experience.

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Mirwais Raham

Mirwais owns several Afghan rug and carpet stores in Kabul and on coalition bases. I asked him if he had Persian rugs and he said "I only sell rugs that help my people--Afghans. Why would I want to help the Iranians?"

Over the past two months, Mirwais has become my friend. I go over to his shop for a cup of "chai" or tea. If you have three cups of tea--you are family. We called Ermie the other day about a Bokhara carpet and Mirwais told her that I was his "brother" and that he would sell us the carpet for a very fair price. It was heartwarming to have Mirwais call me his brother. Anyway, I had been asking Mirwais to bring some Afghan food for us. He said he couldn't do it Saturday (Shanbe), but he would do it Sunday (Yak Shanbe).

I didn't think that he would remember, but when I went to his shop on base at 1215 on Yak Shanbe--everyone in the shop was eating kebab, rice, nan, chicken, mantu, and vegetables. Several attorneys in the office wanted nan and pomegranates. Mirwais even remembered to bring the extra bread and pomegranates. I offered to pay Mirwais for the food but he refused. Afghan hospitality!

The food was delicious. Mirwais' wife had cooked it for us. She said that restaraunt food wasn't as good, so she would do it. She is nine months pregnant and due to deliver any day.

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