Boots on Ground: 1st Week in Afghanistan

After a 17 hour plane ride from Norfolk, VA, a 4 hour delay in Leipsteg Germany, and a 48 hour stay in Krgzystan, I finally made it to Afghanistan.  I will be staying here for 6 months as I fulfill my deployment rotation.   I will be supporting coalition forces in monitoring services and construction contracts for forward operating bases in Eastern Afghanistan.  In some ways it doesn’t seem like I am finally here.  We were notified of the deployment back in August.  So for 4.5 months we’ve had this looming over us, but now it is finally real. 

For anyone visiting this base for the first time, you might be surprised at some of its amenities.  We have a Pizza Hut here, a Popeye’s, and a small shopping district.  I found out this week you can even buy a car over here and have it delivered to the states.  They have a salon here where people get 1 hour massages for $20.00.  And there is the Bazaar here where you can haggle with locals to to get rock bottom prices on everything from fake jewelry to ugly rugs to illegally copies DVD’s.  The main road here is Disney and the traffic congestion results in backed up traffic just like at any other base in the states.  I’m typing this in my room with high speed, wireless internet in the middle of an Afghan desert.

But don’t be fooled, we are in a wartime environment too.  You don’t go anywhere without an M9 strapped to your leg or M16 on a shoulder strap.  My housing compound is situated near the runway and I can hear all kinds of aircraft – fixed wing and rotary – taking off at all hours of the day (and night!).  Disney Road is packed full of soldiers heading out on convoys to run missions.  Outside my housing unit is a bunker we are supposed to enter when the base gets rocket attacked.  Under my bed is a chemical warfare suit, body armor, kevlar helmet, and extra ammunition issued from the armory.  The base gets attacked about once a month, but according to the guys the Afghans are not very accurate. 

When I first arrived here I thought I would enter transient tents until my housing came thru.  Most people stay in tents until they can find somewhere to live.  But my sponsor was able to secure a B-Hut for me.  A B-Hut is a small, shoddily made wooden structure with 8 rooms separated partially by 1/4 inch ply wood.  It offers little privacy, but when you’re comparing it to a tent it’s like Beverly Hills.  In the states you would find structures like these in the poorest neighborhoods.  But B-Huts are prime real estate here!   All the rooms are completely full.   I live in Infantry Village with 7 other guys – 4 Air Force, 2 Navy, 1 Army.  After I landed we had to convince an Army First Sergeant that I needed to live here.  We got him to say yes, and the sergeant had to take a pair of bolt cutters to get me into it. 

A look inside one of our dining facilities. I have eaten in about 4 different facilities here at Bagram. The food here is surprisingly good. Last night they offered steak and lobster at one of the dining halls.

Here’s the tent I stayed in for 2 nights at Manas AB, Krgzstan.  The tent was completely full of bunk beds, about 50 of us sleeping in here.

Here we are suiting up in our armor, getting ready to board the aircraft bound for Afghanistan.  It was kinda weird getting on an airplane with an M-9 and M-4. 

Here we are sitting in the airplane getting ready for take-off.  Notice the green lights?  Those turned to red when we entered the combat zone and everyone had to don their gear.  It was about a 2 hour flight from Manas to Bagram.

Here’s a picture of where I’ll be living in the B-Hut for the next 6 months.  It’s about 6 feet by 8 feet.  Here’s the before shot.

After shot

A look at the outside of our B-Hut, with the bunker to the bottom right

Another angle

A look at traffic on Disney Rd.  I happened to shoot this right as the MRAP entered the picture

Living on a larger base here has its privileges, as many of the USO performers will come here to perform.  This is American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks performing.  I’m guessing there were at least 1,000 troops here.

That’s all  I have for now.  Will continue to keep everyone posted with my adventures here!