Winter in Kabul

Steve finally sent over an email and pictures... so I am going to copy all he wrote onto here:

I hope this letter finds everyone doing well and hopefully, one hell of a lot warmer than I am over here.  I am fortunate (ha) enough to be deployed here in Kabul for the worst winter that this city has seen in 15 years.  For those of you keeping track, that is 5 years longer than the US (en masse) has even been here.  So - its cold.  Day time temps have been in the low teens with the wind chill well into the negative digits.  Nighttime, as you'd imagine, is even colder and has been taking its toll on the populace.  With the extreme poverty, unstable / unreliable utilities, and inadequate housing, there have been dozens of deaths.  Sadly, the vast majority have been children, some of whom were less than a year old and had never experienced warmth a day in their short lives.  This winter has certainly been a humbling experience, one that I could have gladly done without, but am nonetheless thankful for.  I'm not sure I can ever complain about being cold or going without again.  More snow is predicted for this weekend starting tonight through monday morning.  So, unfortunately, it looks like it will get a little worse in the short term before it gets better.

On the brighter side of life, 210.67 days down, 155.33 to go.  Well over half way now and time continues to fly by.  Excel is a wonderful tool to drive you crazy if you'd like to know how many seconds you have left in theatre, (13,420,379), or how many meals for that matter, (465).  We'll just say that not only am I counting, I am counting with OCD level accuracy how much time I have left.  The mission pace has picked up considerably, so I haven't had much time for responding to emails.  Sorry about that.  I do read every single one and they are all hugely appreciated.  This is the first entire day I've had off, (off meaning no mission, still have office type work to do), in 17 days.  Basically what I'm saying is that this is the best way I can respond to everyone.  And clog all of your inboxes with photos.  I'll try to break them up better this time. 

I am fortunate enough to be able to travel back to the states for work though.  Our next (and final) Program Management Review is in DC for the middle 2 weeks in March which means I'll get to spend some time in Dubai on the way to and from, which is an experience in itself, and then have 10 working days in the US.  A blessing, really.  Following that, I still owe myself 2 weeks of R&R which I'll be taking the last 2 weeks in April.  Upon my return (just in time for "fighting season") I'll only have 60 days left.  After that, onto much bigger and better things as we'll say Adios to the states and spend the next 3 years living on the southwest coast of Spain.   A more than fitting payback if you ask me. 

Again, many thanks for all of the support of me, but more importantly, of Keri and the kids while I've been gone.  We are truly in a debt to all of you that can never be repaid.  Thank you & take care.

Tomb of Zahir Shah, the last king of Afghanistan and something of a local legend.  Both he and his father are the principals who lie here, along with a handful of other royals and Generals.  This was a security mission, just making sure our VIP's had a safe outing.

Under the tomb, skylights illuminate the halls where the others not directly related to the king are buried.

 A close up of a Generals grave

Upstairs, the actual Tomb of Zahir Shah.  No one really comes up here anymore, it's not the greatest pat of town.

This kid wanted me to ride his horse in the worst way, I didn't have the words to tell him that my 210 lb frame plus 70 lbs worth of kit would not make is 5 foot tall horse happy.  Looking back, a pretty stark contrast of young kids trying to make a living and us, preparing for the worst just by being out in town.

 Frozen Kabul

 Different mission, handing out toys & snacks to the locals.  COIN (counter insurgency) in action.  The idea is that we promote goodwill, in return locals tells us who is in town, who doesn't belong, who's planning to blow things up.  Don't ask where my kit is, body armor tends to make people nervous.  (Not nearly as nervous as not having it.)

 Another experience I could have done without.  This little girl's brother had zero interest in the toys and things I was handing out.  He wanted the box I was carrying them in so he could burn it for heat.  I ended up giving their mom all the money I had in my wallet. $8.  She cried.  An afternoon I will not soon forget.   

My friend Danny and I, the morning I brought him to the airport to fly home for good.  We ended up getting 18" of snow during this storm, it lasted about 2 and a half days.

 Different mission, this would be considered a mansion in Kabul.  We were, once again, providing security for some visitors.

 Yours truly, from my rooftop vantage point.

  My sector, for about 5 glorious hours, fortunately a quiet little street in northwest Kabul.  Notice the lack of ANY street clearing.  When it snows here, the cars just pack the snow into ice and every road is a frozen disaster until April.  Joy.

After being deployed in a coalition environment for the last 7 months, I have found that there are certain countries that I I feel I MUST visit, based solely on the people I have met here that hail from them.  Austrailia, for sure.  The Aussies I've met are excellent and I think it would make a great trip.  Greece, definately.  The country may be a little on edge just now, but the people that hail from Hellas are unbelieveably kind and, I guess if I thought different, I wouldn't have married one ;)  Nepal, I wish.  The Gherkas that I have met are some of the most gracious and hilarious guys that I have ever come across.  But for some reason, beginning in King's Bay, GA, I seem to make more British friends than anyone else.  I don't really have the words to describe it but I feel that this picture, which is of a sign at the only exit point from the British compound in Kabul, sums up pretty well why I seem to see eye to eye with the Brits I meet.  At least they're honest.....