Well, I've arrived at Kandahar Airflield.
This blog was never meant to be a "this is my life" blog. I originally concieved of it as just a good way to keep my family informed of my adventures in Afghanistan. I never thought anyone outside my immediate family would ever read this blog. But, since it is read by so many now it has become a way for me to share one Soldier's experience in Operation Enduring Freedom. And, in keeping with that objective, my last post and the next few posts will describe how quickly things can change during a deployment and the wide variety of living and working conditions one can experience throughout Afghanistan.
On 12 December I was at FOB Salerno, happy and content with my life and my mission, when I received an order to "get to KAF as soon as possible". Well, as soon as possible is not always very soon in Afghanistan. On 16 Dec I finally got a flight to BAF and after about 36 frustrating hours I got another flight to KAF on 17 Dec.
This blog was never meant to be a "this is my life" blog. I originally concieved of it as just a good way to keep my family informed of my adventures in Afghanistan. I never thought anyone outside my immediate family would ever read this blog. But, since it is read by so many now it has become a way for me to share one Soldier's experience in Operation Enduring Freedom. And, in keeping with that objective, my last post and the next few posts will describe how quickly things can change during a deployment and the wide variety of living and working conditions one can experience throughout Afghanistan.
On 12 December I was at FOB Salerno, happy and content with my life and my mission, when I received an order to "get to KAF as soon as possible". Well, as soon as possible is not always very soon in Afghanistan. On 16 Dec I finally got a flight to BAF and after about 36 frustrating hours I got another flight to KAF on 17 Dec.
On the C-17 to KAF.
I'm now at Kandahar Airfield (KAF, in OEF-speak). It's bigger that FOB Salerno, but much smaller than BAF. And it's got character....
The building we use for a passenger terminal is knows as the TLS building, which stands for Taliban Last Stand. Rumor has it that this is the building where, obviously, the Taliban held their last stand before the fall of their regime in the opening months of Operations Enduring Freedom. Kandahar is the spiritual home of the Taliban, and still a very unfriendly place for Coaltion Forces.
Tomorrow (19 Dec) I move out of KAF to FOB Laghman, where I will be working with a Jordanian Army Field Hospital which is in Afghanistan to teach and train and mentor Afghan providers at one of the provincial hospitals. My day-to-day activities will be in and around the capital of Zabul Province.
KAF is a multi-national FOB, with forces from Canada, Romania, the Netherlands, the US and several other nations. It's a great experience and a real adventure.
KAF is a multi-national FOB, with forces from Canada, Romania, the Netherlands, the US and several other nations. It's a great experience and a real adventure.
Land Rover Defenders wherever you look!Since I'm on the move I'm using computers at the MWR, so I've got limited time to post to my blog. I'll update it as time permits. For now, let me just say that one's experiences in Afghanistan depend a great deal on where and when one serves. KAF today is not what it was in 2002, nor what it will a few years from now. BAF, KAF and SAL are all FOBs, but all very different places.
My time on the MWR computer is up. I'll post more later.
On thing I've noticed, on all the FOBs I visit, there is no shortage of memorials to fallen heroes.
Phillips, out.
