Well, looks like this will be my last post. I initially planned on this blog being a resource for fellow I.T. professionals that were thinking of taking a similar overseas position in Iraq or Afghanistan, as well as it being a diary of sorts for my family & friends to follow along my journey.
Facebook filled the role of diary quite nicely, allowing me to post pictures and updates on a regular basis.
As for the resource to other I.T. professionals - my advice: don't do it.
If you're new into the I.T game, or you "don't get it" when working in the civilian I.T. sector back in the states - then this job may be for you. If you can't find a job or get hired back in the states - then this job may be for you. If you have personal problems, have issues with your social skills (moreso then the average computer geek), then this job may be for you. If you are in massive debt, then this job may be for you.
I had none of these issues when I took this position. I, naively, believed I was going to be working with the best of the best; the cream of the crop in the I.T. field - supporting the most powerful country & military in a mission I strongly believed in. I still believe in the mission, and believe what I did this past year was extremely beneficial & necessary. However, the price paid to do so was heavy.
No, I'm not talking about the fact that I've been in a war zone, or overseas & away from family. Those were expected & I knew I had the capacity to deal with both of those issues. What was unexpected was the level of mismanagement - from the bottom to the top - and the complete lack of competence by my peers at every level of the I.T organizational structure supporting the mission.
Turnover is extremely high here. But, not for the reasons you think. It's not due to lack of money; it's not due to being shot at; it's not due to being overseas. It's because the few qualified folks simply get sick & tired of not just being "leaned on" by their managers - but because they have to literally carry the whole team they work with. Those who either don't know what they're doing - or simply don't care to do more are left to do "nothing". They will not be reprimanded nor fired. To the contrary, they will find themselves transferred when enough people have had it with them, or, even worse - they apply for & often receive promotions! I've seen it with my own eyes time & time again.
Now, don't think I'm disgruntled because I was passed up on a promotion or something to that effect. I applied for - and turned down - one position because the contract I would've had to sign if I accepted it was absolutely ridiculous. I was offered another position at the top level of the I.T. organization in Kuwait - but, honestly, you simply cannot pay me enough to stay in this type of "amateur" environment. I did accept another promotion - but only because I felt that if I was going to continue to have to carry the load as much as I was - I may as well get a few dollars more in the process.
Am I glad I did this "whole thing"? I have mixed feelings. As I said before, I'm glad to have been a part of the mission. I gave a lot to the cause. I set several goals for myself this year - and achieved all but two of them. I have a new appreciation for "home" because Kabul, Afghanistan is no place to live - no matter who you are or where you come from. It's as bad and worse than those of you who have never been here may think.
But ultimately - I honestly expected the threat of death & attacks to be my biggest worry and concern; and while those thoughts & fears were definitely ever present, they paled in comparison to the level of aggravation, frustration and stress I dealt with day in & day out simply because the I.T. personnel & those that manage them are just so poorly qualified and lacking even the most basic industry standard best practices & principles. And, no, the fact that we're "in a war zone" has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on those deficiencies. It's simply the blind leading the blind.
While I did make some great friends, and found myself working with some highly skilled and professional contractors & military personnel alike - these were rare exceptions. Based on conversations & comments from these folks, I think its safe to say that I'm echoing their thoughts as well. It's a damn shame there weren't/aren't more like minded individuals serving over here.
I'm looking forward to my return to the US, joining up with a company I am proud to be a part of - finding myself once again rubbing elbows with & working with true professionals - and just putting the bulk of the memories of this past year behind me.
Best of luck & safety to all those contactors & service membes who continue to fight the good fight.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Much Needed Update
Here it is, 1am on 9/15/11. Just took a much needed shower. Was hoping to have a more refreshed & invigorating feeling - being that I haven't had a shower in quite some time, but I'm not surprised at that lack of energy. You see - the last month and a half - and especially the last 24-48 hours have been quite a ride.
I first need to share with any contractors that may be reading this - if you plan on taking R&R and utilizng MILAIR for your flights - ensure that the country you wish to fly to is very clearly listed on your orders / LOA. You see, my company lead me to believe I could fly from Afghanistan to Germany. Not only did all discussions I had with coworkers & management believe this to be true, but my company also approved their leave request form that I filled out 5 months prior to taking vacation. It clearly stated my intentions for travel & my destination to Ramstein, Germany. Their leave form even used two examples of using MILAIR to fly into Ramstein or Frankfurt. So imagine my surpise when I arrived in Bagram Air Base to catch a flight (there were 2 getting ready to leave in the next 24 hours), only to be told that I wasn't authorized to use MILAIR.
Seems my company changed their contract the the government. And in doing so, no longer allowed MILAIR flights to anywhere but Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait & Qatar. No one shared this with me. None of my coworkers - or immediate managers - had any idea. I ended up speaking with the country manager and his deputy - and was told "Oh yeah, they changed that. We've been trying to get it changed back but it's no use". So - I got stuck in Bagram, forced to purchase a commercial flight - which then got cancelled - so I had to buy a whole NEW set of tickets on different airlines. By the time I was done - I did make it out of Afghanistan and into Germany - only to realize all the funds I had put aside for my vacation where just burnt up on 2 sets of plane tickets that I had no expectation to buy. I slept and ended up taking a free MILAIR flight BACK to Afghanistan (that's authorized remember). My R&R consisted of me having 1 bud light, catching up on my sleep and being out of A'stan for a whopping 48 hours total. This occurred in the beginning of August. And I have still not heard a single thing from any level of management apologizing, communicating the changes, or offering to reimburse me for thier (frequent) blatant mistake(s). 150 days and counting folks...
I should mention - while I was at Bagram Air Base, I was outside on a picnic table with a couple folks when I heard a loud BOOM. I raised a brow & looked at one of the guys, and he said "Contrstruction. Sounds like something else, but its noise from construction".
Ok - 5 minutes go by - and BOOM again. Another guy says - "That doesn't sound like construction to me" - but the first guy assures us it's noise from construction.
I think to myself he must be right, because surely alarms would have sounded by now, right?
3 minutes later "KA-BOOM". I say "Come on now that was an explosion. Second guy agrees. First guy says, "I know - it sounds a lot like incoming - but it's probably just construction". It's been 10 minutes since the first boom, we decide it's time to get to head to the other side of the base, hop in their truck, and then we hear the alarms going off. Guess what? Those were most definitely mortars or rockets coming in. My combat cherry was technically just broken. And here we were driving around Bagram Air Base without a care in the world - as were about 95% of the people we saw along our driving route. No one was in protective gear, no one was in bunkers, nothing. It was no big deal. I know the base is big and all...but I was surprised at the complete lack of concern for ones own safety.
So - fast forward to a couple days ago...I get off of work Tuesday morning at 0700. I get back to my room in the safe house and go right to bed. I'm exhausted from not being able to sleep the last 3 days. Sleeping during the day - for me - is extremely hard. Power failures often result in the A/C going off and my waking up to 90+ degree tempts, sweating. Additionally, there are two generators about 25 feet away from my bed (seperated by a thin wall of glass/wood) that are often worked on during the day by noisy local nationals. There are plenty of other noises and activities that prevent a decent day of rest. So after working Monday night - I coudln't wait to get to sleep.
Unfortunately (or fortunately as you'll learn shortly) I wake up around 1130. I've gotten MAYBE 2 hours of sleep. But for some reason, I'm WIDE awake. I am supposed to be "off" that night, so I figure I may as well go to the base & get a haircut. I make it there around noon. Stop in at the NOC (my office), have small talk with some coworkers - and then it happens. First there are travel restrictions. No big deal - my route betwen the base & house aren't affected. I figure I better get my haircut quick so I can get home in case things get tighter. Only the barber shop is closed for lunch until 1300. A short while later, we're told no incoming or outgoing on the base; gates are closed. Great. I wonder how long this will last. Hopefully only an hour or two. And then, the alerts start strolling in and the alarm & big voice begin to sound. Apparently, the shit is hitting the fan.
I'm ordered to get to a bunker. 10 - 15 minutes there, and I hear a very very close sounding "Pop!". Myself and others recognize it as a single pistol shot. Odd. Why wasn't it followed up by more? Maybe there was an accidental discharge by someone we wonder. 10-15 minutes later - we here rapid pops. And boy, the sure do sound close. Then, BOOM. Some idiot just blew himself up, we're certain of that. And then the gunfire erupts. And again, it is CLOSE. Explosions begin to happen - a few at a time, then spaced apart by a few minutes and longer. One explosions rocks us pretty good. So far - it sounds like there is attacking going on from 3 different directions.
I fire up my Twitter account and start reading the tweets from reporters around Kabul. I would come to solely rely on those tweets to know what was going on and where the next 24 hours. After 4 - 5 hours in the bunker, I have learned that 3 attacks have taken place. And one rages on near the Embassy & the ISAF base. I communicate on Facebook with coworkers in our safe houses - getting the play by play of their proximity to the gunshots, explosions, and vehicle movements. I'm told our local guards are still on post - and are poised & ready for action. That is comforting. But, what's really comforting is, I was on base, in hardened structures, surrounded by (mostly) well armed soliders. Apparently, I was woken up after 2 hours sleep for a reason.
Throughout the whole event, I was never "scared". My adrenaline was definitely in overdrive at times; I felt angry and wished I could go get the bastards who were attacking, but I never felt true "fear". I know if I was in my room at the safe house and woke up to this - I would've been crapping my pants for the duration.
About the "mostly" well armed soldiers....seems the Army has a policy of collection a soliders ammunition a day or two before they deploy out of theatre. Because, surely, they won't have a need for it in the last 24 - 48 hours, right? Good Lord is that an assinine policy! In my bunker, I was better armed than the 8 soldiers around me because at least I had a sharp pocket knife! They had guns - but not a one had a single bullet to shoot. Amazing. Fortuantely, we did have a sharp, all-business Mongolian soldier stationed at our bunker. If the bad guys came, I know this guy would've taken out most if not all of them. He was very professional & very focused. Not like most of the U.S. soldiers unfortunately.
Anyway - I won't get into the details about how close everything was and exactly where I was located - but I will say that over the next 24 hours, I mostly heard & felt the gunfights, rockets, grenades, chopper fire, and Lord knows what else. I "saw" very little. And only when I was allowed to leave the base,this afternoon - did I actually smell (and taste for that matter) the gunpowder that permeated the air. I felt safe, overall, but, I know the bad guys get "lucky" - and that luck concerns me - but they weren't even close when it came to myself and those immediately around me.
I'm pretty certain a suicide bomber attacked about 200 - 300 yards away from my bunker location - off the base - near an Afghan police station - based on news reports. No rounds landed in my compound. I didn't see any damage or indication of attack upon my return "home". These are all good things. While technically, my cherry may have been broken up at Bagram - this event was what I had been wondering about since the day I agreed to come over here. I reacted far better than I thought. My frustration at being helpless to "fight" quickly turned to acceptance of the situation. And, my complete & utter lack of respect for the Taliban and its partners has grown & intensified.
Many will say that taking 20 hours and the amount of firepower shows the failure of Afghan & ISAF forces. I say the results of all the attacks are what's truly important. Yes, there is still a policing problem when it comes to the availability & transport of weapons. But that's occuring world wide - in the U.S., Mexico and darn near every other country, isn't it? Improvements will be made. But, the fact that the insurgents had firepower does NOT constitute a failure on Afghan & ISAF forces.
The insurgents failed to attack their intended targets due to qualified & excellent response from security forces.
All insurgents are dead.
There were no ISAF or ANA KIA's. A small number were wounded, yes.
Some ANP were killed; they were the front-line defenders/first responders - and it's unfortunate. But at least they were doing the right thing & defending the Afghan people valiantly. Still - those numbers were extremely small.
Most of the action was taken by Afghan forces. ISAF forces provided support, assistance & guidance.But the Afghan people can be proud of the courage & abilities of their forces through all of this.
None of the secure structures throughout Kabul were breached. Sure, some were attacked - but from a distance. Without significant casualties or damange.
The Taliban will continue to follow their pattern of ignorance. Lying about the events & results of their failed attacks and meaningless sacrifice of life by their ignorant suicide bombers. And, the "leadership" (I used that term loosely, because they've demonstrated the leadership abilities of a drunken tootheless hillbilly with a shotgun trying to lead a flock of sheep back to his trailer) will encourage the use of ignorant, brainwashed suicide bombers to attack gatherings of civlians because attacks on security forces almost always results in the death of the bombers and no one else and very little damage otherwise.
When ISAF leadership says the Taliban are desperate, they're 100% accurate. They have nothing left but to try to wage a campaign of sensationalism - which is failing. Only the ignorant & uninformed believe their lies. I say - let them continue to blow themselves up and chip a little concrete from fortitifed walls. Their numbers are decreasing, and soon, they won't have enough left to do much but send out tweets on the internet.
I've said it before & I'll say it again. Information and education is key here. A well informed people will stand up for what is right. Yes, progress is slow - but it is happening. As Afghans continue to learn, their country will evolve into a good place to live. When we leave - we'll be "cutting them loose" - not "running away". We have to let them build & control their country. They want it now more than ever. They are smarter than ever. And I hope they eventually succeed.
The purpose of the United States & ISAF forces was to clean up a mess that the Afghan people had no control over. A mess that allowed the proliferation of terrorists. We've cleaned up a lot of that mess. We've taught the population that the problem is REAL, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it. Is everything perfect? No. Far from it. But, our job - our main goal & purpose - is done. I truly believe the Afghan people can and will take care of themselves when we leave. We'll still help out when asked - but they will get it right eventually.
While I can't stand the company I work for, am frustrated by the lack of efficiency & illogical ways of the U.S. Army, and do not like being confined to a filth, dirty, uncomfortable and hazardous area - I'm still glad to be a part of this whole mess. Because I don't just believe - I KNOW - that ultimately, being here is saving the lives of Americans around the world, and at home. And now, I realize and understand it's helping to save the lives of many many Afghan people as well.
As always, I am proud to be an American.
I first need to share with any contractors that may be reading this - if you plan on taking R&R and utilizng MILAIR for your flights - ensure that the country you wish to fly to is very clearly listed on your orders / LOA. You see, my company lead me to believe I could fly from Afghanistan to Germany. Not only did all discussions I had with coworkers & management believe this to be true, but my company also approved their leave request form that I filled out 5 months prior to taking vacation. It clearly stated my intentions for travel & my destination to Ramstein, Germany. Their leave form even used two examples of using MILAIR to fly into Ramstein or Frankfurt. So imagine my surpise when I arrived in Bagram Air Base to catch a flight (there were 2 getting ready to leave in the next 24 hours), only to be told that I wasn't authorized to use MILAIR.
Seems my company changed their contract the the government. And in doing so, no longer allowed MILAIR flights to anywhere but Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait & Qatar. No one shared this with me. None of my coworkers - or immediate managers - had any idea. I ended up speaking with the country manager and his deputy - and was told "Oh yeah, they changed that. We've been trying to get it changed back but it's no use". So - I got stuck in Bagram, forced to purchase a commercial flight - which then got cancelled - so I had to buy a whole NEW set of tickets on different airlines. By the time I was done - I did make it out of Afghanistan and into Germany - only to realize all the funds I had put aside for my vacation where just burnt up on 2 sets of plane tickets that I had no expectation to buy. I slept and ended up taking a free MILAIR flight BACK to Afghanistan (that's authorized remember). My R&R consisted of me having 1 bud light, catching up on my sleep and being out of A'stan for a whopping 48 hours total. This occurred in the beginning of August. And I have still not heard a single thing from any level of management apologizing, communicating the changes, or offering to reimburse me for thier (frequent) blatant mistake(s). 150 days and counting folks...
I should mention - while I was at Bagram Air Base, I was outside on a picnic table with a couple folks when I heard a loud BOOM. I raised a brow & looked at one of the guys, and he said "Contrstruction. Sounds like something else, but its noise from construction".
Ok - 5 minutes go by - and BOOM again. Another guy says - "That doesn't sound like construction to me" - but the first guy assures us it's noise from construction.
I think to myself he must be right, because surely alarms would have sounded by now, right?
3 minutes later "KA-BOOM". I say "Come on now that was an explosion. Second guy agrees. First guy says, "I know - it sounds a lot like incoming - but it's probably just construction". It's been 10 minutes since the first boom, we decide it's time to get to head to the other side of the base, hop in their truck, and then we hear the alarms going off. Guess what? Those were most definitely mortars or rockets coming in. My combat cherry was technically just broken. And here we were driving around Bagram Air Base without a care in the world - as were about 95% of the people we saw along our driving route. No one was in protective gear, no one was in bunkers, nothing. It was no big deal. I know the base is big and all...but I was surprised at the complete lack of concern for ones own safety.
So - fast forward to a couple days ago...I get off of work Tuesday morning at 0700. I get back to my room in the safe house and go right to bed. I'm exhausted from not being able to sleep the last 3 days. Sleeping during the day - for me - is extremely hard. Power failures often result in the A/C going off and my waking up to 90+ degree tempts, sweating. Additionally, there are two generators about 25 feet away from my bed (seperated by a thin wall of glass/wood) that are often worked on during the day by noisy local nationals. There are plenty of other noises and activities that prevent a decent day of rest. So after working Monday night - I coudln't wait to get to sleep.
Unfortunately (or fortunately as you'll learn shortly) I wake up around 1130. I've gotten MAYBE 2 hours of sleep. But for some reason, I'm WIDE awake. I am supposed to be "off" that night, so I figure I may as well go to the base & get a haircut. I make it there around noon. Stop in at the NOC (my office), have small talk with some coworkers - and then it happens. First there are travel restrictions. No big deal - my route betwen the base & house aren't affected. I figure I better get my haircut quick so I can get home in case things get tighter. Only the barber shop is closed for lunch until 1300. A short while later, we're told no incoming or outgoing on the base; gates are closed. Great. I wonder how long this will last. Hopefully only an hour or two. And then, the alerts start strolling in and the alarm & big voice begin to sound. Apparently, the shit is hitting the fan.
I'm ordered to get to a bunker. 10 - 15 minutes there, and I hear a very very close sounding "Pop!". Myself and others recognize it as a single pistol shot. Odd. Why wasn't it followed up by more? Maybe there was an accidental discharge by someone we wonder. 10-15 minutes later - we here rapid pops. And boy, the sure do sound close. Then, BOOM. Some idiot just blew himself up, we're certain of that. And then the gunfire erupts. And again, it is CLOSE. Explosions begin to happen - a few at a time, then spaced apart by a few minutes and longer. One explosions rocks us pretty good. So far - it sounds like there is attacking going on from 3 different directions.
I fire up my Twitter account and start reading the tweets from reporters around Kabul. I would come to solely rely on those tweets to know what was going on and where the next 24 hours. After 4 - 5 hours in the bunker, I have learned that 3 attacks have taken place. And one rages on near the Embassy & the ISAF base. I communicate on Facebook with coworkers in our safe houses - getting the play by play of their proximity to the gunshots, explosions, and vehicle movements. I'm told our local guards are still on post - and are poised & ready for action. That is comforting. But, what's really comforting is, I was on base, in hardened structures, surrounded by (mostly) well armed soliders. Apparently, I was woken up after 2 hours sleep for a reason.
Throughout the whole event, I was never "scared". My adrenaline was definitely in overdrive at times; I felt angry and wished I could go get the bastards who were attacking, but I never felt true "fear". I know if I was in my room at the safe house and woke up to this - I would've been crapping my pants for the duration.
About the "mostly" well armed soldiers....seems the Army has a policy of collection a soliders ammunition a day or two before they deploy out of theatre. Because, surely, they won't have a need for it in the last 24 - 48 hours, right? Good Lord is that an assinine policy! In my bunker, I was better armed than the 8 soldiers around me because at least I had a sharp pocket knife! They had guns - but not a one had a single bullet to shoot. Amazing. Fortuantely, we did have a sharp, all-business Mongolian soldier stationed at our bunker. If the bad guys came, I know this guy would've taken out most if not all of them. He was very professional & very focused. Not like most of the U.S. soldiers unfortunately.
Anyway - I won't get into the details about how close everything was and exactly where I was located - but I will say that over the next 24 hours, I mostly heard & felt the gunfights, rockets, grenades, chopper fire, and Lord knows what else. I "saw" very little. And only when I was allowed to leave the base,this afternoon - did I actually smell (and taste for that matter) the gunpowder that permeated the air. I felt safe, overall, but, I know the bad guys get "lucky" - and that luck concerns me - but they weren't even close when it came to myself and those immediately around me.
I'm pretty certain a suicide bomber attacked about 200 - 300 yards away from my bunker location - off the base - near an Afghan police station - based on news reports. No rounds landed in my compound. I didn't see any damage or indication of attack upon my return "home". These are all good things. While technically, my cherry may have been broken up at Bagram - this event was what I had been wondering about since the day I agreed to come over here. I reacted far better than I thought. My frustration at being helpless to "fight" quickly turned to acceptance of the situation. And, my complete & utter lack of respect for the Taliban and its partners has grown & intensified.
Many will say that taking 20 hours and the amount of firepower shows the failure of Afghan & ISAF forces. I say the results of all the attacks are what's truly important. Yes, there is still a policing problem when it comes to the availability & transport of weapons. But that's occuring world wide - in the U.S., Mexico and darn near every other country, isn't it? Improvements will be made. But, the fact that the insurgents had firepower does NOT constitute a failure on Afghan & ISAF forces.
The insurgents failed to attack their intended targets due to qualified & excellent response from security forces.
All insurgents are dead.
There were no ISAF or ANA KIA's. A small number were wounded, yes.
Some ANP were killed; they were the front-line defenders/first responders - and it's unfortunate. But at least they were doing the right thing & defending the Afghan people valiantly. Still - those numbers were extremely small.
Most of the action was taken by Afghan forces. ISAF forces provided support, assistance & guidance.But the Afghan people can be proud of the courage & abilities of their forces through all of this.
None of the secure structures throughout Kabul were breached. Sure, some were attacked - but from a distance. Without significant casualties or damange.
The Taliban will continue to follow their pattern of ignorance. Lying about the events & results of their failed attacks and meaningless sacrifice of life by their ignorant suicide bombers. And, the "leadership" (I used that term loosely, because they've demonstrated the leadership abilities of a drunken tootheless hillbilly with a shotgun trying to lead a flock of sheep back to his trailer) will encourage the use of ignorant, brainwashed suicide bombers to attack gatherings of civlians because attacks on security forces almost always results in the death of the bombers and no one else and very little damage otherwise.
When ISAF leadership says the Taliban are desperate, they're 100% accurate. They have nothing left but to try to wage a campaign of sensationalism - which is failing. Only the ignorant & uninformed believe their lies. I say - let them continue to blow themselves up and chip a little concrete from fortitifed walls. Their numbers are decreasing, and soon, they won't have enough left to do much but send out tweets on the internet.
I've said it before & I'll say it again. Information and education is key here. A well informed people will stand up for what is right. Yes, progress is slow - but it is happening. As Afghans continue to learn, their country will evolve into a good place to live. When we leave - we'll be "cutting them loose" - not "running away". We have to let them build & control their country. They want it now more than ever. They are smarter than ever. And I hope they eventually succeed.
The purpose of the United States & ISAF forces was to clean up a mess that the Afghan people had no control over. A mess that allowed the proliferation of terrorists. We've cleaned up a lot of that mess. We've taught the population that the problem is REAL, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it. Is everything perfect? No. Far from it. But, our job - our main goal & purpose - is done. I truly believe the Afghan people can and will take care of themselves when we leave. We'll still help out when asked - but they will get it right eventually.
While I can't stand the company I work for, am frustrated by the lack of efficiency & illogical ways of the U.S. Army, and do not like being confined to a filth, dirty, uncomfortable and hazardous area - I'm still glad to be a part of this whole mess. Because I don't just believe - I KNOW - that ultimately, being here is saving the lives of Americans around the world, and at home. And now, I realize and understand it's helping to save the lives of many many Afghan people as well.
As always, I am proud to be an American.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
I know - It's Been Awhile
You know that phrase your mother used to say: "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all"? Well - that's why I haven't posted in quite awhile. Honestly - of all the things I thought would make this year difficult, the last thing I suspected was management & incompetence. But, as a friend reminded me while corresponding through email - I should've known better.
We Americans are so arrogant that we believe "we" are the best, and most qualfied when it comes to just about anything. Oh how untrue that is. I learned shortly after joining the U.S. Navy, back when I was 17 - that - at least from what I could see - the military was made up mostly of: criminals, gang members, social rejects & power trippers. Skill, patriotism, service towards country - those folks were in the minority.
Guess what? Not much has changed in the 20 years since I served. Well, not entirely true. I think we've got more patriotic active duty service members in our ranks since 9/11; guys & girls who have joined and are serving for the right purpose & right reasons. And, what I've really learned is that the highly paid contractors aren't getting those big bucks for their skill & expertise. They're getting it because apparently companies can't find enough qualified people to willingly come over here. Which, honestly, surprises me.
I've worked at a handful of medium to large sized companies. In every single company, I always managed to work with qualified peers. Those who couldn't pull their weight - left or where let go pretty quickly. Not here. Why? Especially at the amount of money some of these contractors are pulling in? I'll tell you why. Management. I have yet to run into proven, skilled and qualified managers at any level of my experience since signing up for this gig. All managers I have seen thus far were either told they were going to be placed in a lead or management role, or, the position was offered & given to junior personnel who are are not qualified. I'm all for hiring from within, but only when it warrants it - or, at the very least, there's some sort of mentoring or training program to teach them how to lead & manage.
None of that exists here. We have the blind leading the blind. From the very bottom levels of leadership all the way up to the top. Blame it on the bureacracy? Maybe. I blame it on corporate greed. The companies offering services here aren't interested in much more than the dollar. If their contract gets pulled or doesn't get renewed - no worries; they'll reform under a new name and continue to game the system.
I've never been a big complainer about "the man" - but here, well, I hate what I'm experiencing. I hate seeing the few qualified & competent people get the shaft, time and time again. I hate to see good people leave. And management - well, they don't appear to care a single bit. It's every man for himself I guess. Management feels that if their boss isn't on their back - then all is well. But when he is - then it's time to discipline the children (the workers) instead of identify problems and implement solutions.
I don't believe I've mentioned the company I work for in this blog. And from what I have seen and heard - all I've mentioned so far isn't isolated to just the company I work for. I know I did my research before coming out here - to try to get an idea of what I was in for. One website - glassdoor.com - had some scathing reviews from current employees about the company I'm currently under contract. I chose to ignore it - giving the benefit of the doubt - and wanting to believe it was just a few disgruntled employees who couldn't cut the mustard of an overseas deployment. Well, I was wrong. Those guys were likely "good guys" that the company treated like crap and let get away.
I should say too - that it's not even that I, or other people, are being "picked on" or anything like that. It's just the way things are run here. The mismangement, poor management and lack of management is just mind blowing. And there aren't any real mechanisms in place to fix things. Well - there are some - but it appears that some of the "old dogs" who've been here longer than others feel that their way is the right way and that's that. So they choose to just ignore things more often than not and hope problems just go away or get transferred away. Thank God most businesses in the states know better than to function this way. But what an utter waste of tax payer dollars.
People in the states watch the news & say Afghanistan is a mess. That's true. Except that I see how much a mess it is on so many, many levels now that I'm here and a part of it all. It's really pretty sad - and kind of depressing. I believe our purpose for being here is valid and I support it 100% - but, so much of it: what we do, how we do it, the finances of it all - just so much - is so wrong.
I'm doing my best to keep my head up - and look forward to my return to the states. As I type this - I've got 175 days left...or, with days off, 125 more actual shifts....or, 13 paychecks...yeah - 13 paychecks; that's a nice low number to hang on to and focus as my countdown timer ;)
Peace.
We Americans are so arrogant that we believe "we" are the best, and most qualfied when it comes to just about anything. Oh how untrue that is. I learned shortly after joining the U.S. Navy, back when I was 17 - that - at least from what I could see - the military was made up mostly of: criminals, gang members, social rejects & power trippers. Skill, patriotism, service towards country - those folks were in the minority.
Guess what? Not much has changed in the 20 years since I served. Well, not entirely true. I think we've got more patriotic active duty service members in our ranks since 9/11; guys & girls who have joined and are serving for the right purpose & right reasons. And, what I've really learned is that the highly paid contractors aren't getting those big bucks for their skill & expertise. They're getting it because apparently companies can't find enough qualified people to willingly come over here. Which, honestly, surprises me.
I've worked at a handful of medium to large sized companies. In every single company, I always managed to work with qualified peers. Those who couldn't pull their weight - left or where let go pretty quickly. Not here. Why? Especially at the amount of money some of these contractors are pulling in? I'll tell you why. Management. I have yet to run into proven, skilled and qualified managers at any level of my experience since signing up for this gig. All managers I have seen thus far were either told they were going to be placed in a lead or management role, or, the position was offered & given to junior personnel who are are not qualified. I'm all for hiring from within, but only when it warrants it - or, at the very least, there's some sort of mentoring or training program to teach them how to lead & manage.
None of that exists here. We have the blind leading the blind. From the very bottom levels of leadership all the way up to the top. Blame it on the bureacracy? Maybe. I blame it on corporate greed. The companies offering services here aren't interested in much more than the dollar. If their contract gets pulled or doesn't get renewed - no worries; they'll reform under a new name and continue to game the system.
I've never been a big complainer about "the man" - but here, well, I hate what I'm experiencing. I hate seeing the few qualified & competent people get the shaft, time and time again. I hate to see good people leave. And management - well, they don't appear to care a single bit. It's every man for himself I guess. Management feels that if their boss isn't on their back - then all is well. But when he is - then it's time to discipline the children (the workers) instead of identify problems and implement solutions.
I don't believe I've mentioned the company I work for in this blog. And from what I have seen and heard - all I've mentioned so far isn't isolated to just the company I work for. I know I did my research before coming out here - to try to get an idea of what I was in for. One website - glassdoor.com - had some scathing reviews from current employees about the company I'm currently under contract. I chose to ignore it - giving the benefit of the doubt - and wanting to believe it was just a few disgruntled employees who couldn't cut the mustard of an overseas deployment. Well, I was wrong. Those guys were likely "good guys" that the company treated like crap and let get away.
I should say too - that it's not even that I, or other people, are being "picked on" or anything like that. It's just the way things are run here. The mismangement, poor management and lack of management is just mind blowing. And there aren't any real mechanisms in place to fix things. Well - there are some - but it appears that some of the "old dogs" who've been here longer than others feel that their way is the right way and that's that. So they choose to just ignore things more often than not and hope problems just go away or get transferred away. Thank God most businesses in the states know better than to function this way. But what an utter waste of tax payer dollars.
People in the states watch the news & say Afghanistan is a mess. That's true. Except that I see how much a mess it is on so many, many levels now that I'm here and a part of it all. It's really pretty sad - and kind of depressing. I believe our purpose for being here is valid and I support it 100% - but, so much of it: what we do, how we do it, the finances of it all - just so much - is so wrong.
I'm doing my best to keep my head up - and look forward to my return to the states. As I type this - I've got 175 days left...or, with days off, 125 more actual shifts....or, 13 paychecks...yeah - 13 paychecks; that's a nice low number to hang on to and focus as my countdown timer ;)
Peace.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Love Those Holidays!
Seriously - the Taliban need new PR people. Between blowing up the civilian population of the country they desire so badly to "control" again, and the way the celebrate holidays, they're guaranteeing we'll be here fo many years to come!
Today was the Afghanistan Independence Day from the Russians. What do the bad guys like to do around the holidays? Oh - make their own types of fireworks you could say. Needless to say - I've been pretty vigilant. So, on my way "home" from work - as I'm waiting "in the road" with a couple of co-workers, we start hearing gunfire. And it just wasn't a pop or two - it was rapid, and constant for at least 3 - 4 minutes. And it was CLOSE. We were waiting for our driver, watching the local guards lock & load, and wondered WTF do we do now!?!?! We literally had no where to go. I was kicking myself for having not worn my protective gear (hardly anyone does in my line of work/location) even though I had planned to today - because of the holiday...
Finally - our driver pulls up - we jump in - and tell him to get the F outta here! He slowly turns the vehicle around...and calmly says..."relax...it's just fireworks". And then I remembered the holiday. Really? They allow fireworks in this place?!!??! It was pretty funny - but also a bit of a wake up call. Let's call it a nice "drill". I'll definitely be a wee bit more of my egress routes during all movement, that's for sure. And I may just wear that vest in to work once in awhile - if not every day. We'll just see.
So - after getting "home" - and working for 3 hours on "internet problems" that some of the folks are experiencing (I volunteered to manage the safehouse internet service - not sure that was the wisest move) - and catching up on my computer - I hear a chopper. And then I hear it again. And again. And again. Normally - a chopper or two will fly over enroute from A to B. Not tonight. There were a couple of choppers zigzagging overhead - and I'm pretty sure they weren't your average Blackhawk. I peeked outside - but didn't see'em. No big spot lights like the police choppers back in the states. Just big loud popping/flutter noises...sounded pretty cool really. The finally moved on after about 30 minutes or so.
Anyway - this was a little while ago - and I'm now pushing 1am - for the 3rd night in a row....SO, I better shut myself off & get some sleep...very much looking forward to Saturday and a day of rest!
Today was the Afghanistan Independence Day from the Russians. What do the bad guys like to do around the holidays? Oh - make their own types of fireworks you could say. Needless to say - I've been pretty vigilant. So, on my way "home" from work - as I'm waiting "in the road" with a couple of co-workers, we start hearing gunfire. And it just wasn't a pop or two - it was rapid, and constant for at least 3 - 4 minutes. And it was CLOSE. We were waiting for our driver, watching the local guards lock & load, and wondered WTF do we do now!?!?! We literally had no where to go. I was kicking myself for having not worn my protective gear (hardly anyone does in my line of work/location) even though I had planned to today - because of the holiday...
Finally - our driver pulls up - we jump in - and tell him to get the F outta here! He slowly turns the vehicle around...and calmly says..."relax...it's just fireworks". And then I remembered the holiday. Really? They allow fireworks in this place?!!??! It was pretty funny - but also a bit of a wake up call. Let's call it a nice "drill". I'll definitely be a wee bit more of my egress routes during all movement, that's for sure. And I may just wear that vest in to work once in awhile - if not every day. We'll just see.
So - after getting "home" - and working for 3 hours on "internet problems" that some of the folks are experiencing (I volunteered to manage the safehouse internet service - not sure that was the wisest move) - and catching up on my computer - I hear a chopper. And then I hear it again. And again. And again. Normally - a chopper or two will fly over enroute from A to B. Not tonight. There were a couple of choppers zigzagging overhead - and I'm pretty sure they weren't your average Blackhawk. I peeked outside - but didn't see'em. No big spot lights like the police choppers back in the states. Just big loud popping/flutter noises...sounded pretty cool really. The finally moved on after about 30 minutes or so.
Anyway - this was a little while ago - and I'm now pushing 1am - for the 3rd night in a row....SO, I better shut myself off & get some sleep...very much looking forward to Saturday and a day of rest!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Day Off Road Trip
Today was my day off. I awoke to the sound of a Chinook helicopter circling overhead for at least 20 minutes. That's how long I hear it after it woke me up at least. By the time I made it outside to check it out - it buzzed over the top of me - and was gone. So much for getting a good picture. It reminded me of when you turn the radio station only to hear the last 10 seconds of song you really like.
I figured I'd better get up & moving - so as not to be a hermit all day and risk waking up my roomate who works nights - or getting more sore muscles due to lying in a bed all & shifting around while I use my laptop. I'd kill for a comfy couch to relax on! Anyway - I went to the base, ate a meal - and was forunate to be offered a road trip to go on. Seems one of my drivers needed another person to go with him to the airport to pick someone up. Something about the ID requirements changing or something. I had mentioned to him how bored I was when I have days off - so it worked out well.
I was really curious what things would look like - since the last time I was on public roads, I hadn't slept in well over 24 hours, and was somewhat "shell-shocked" by what I was experiencing. This time around, I was familiar with my base's location, as well as the rest of the Kabul cluster of base's - and the housing area I lived in - not to mention I've hit old Google maps a few times to get a better idea of what all else is around me. I was very eager to go.
As we left our "secure" area & hit the public road ways - that "edginess" I had shortly after arriving here came back. Although I tried to fake myself out & play it cool. My living area & the base I work at really are smack in the middle of a very busy & bustling city center. It's so hard to believe when living within the confines of armed guards, concertina wire, hesco & metalith barriers, and concrete t-walls everywhere. I took comfort in the relaxed attitude of my driver. Although even though he appeared relaxed, he was still very focused on the task at hand. Driving the roads of Kabul is an experience like no other. There are civilian vehicles of all shapes & sizes. Some with 1 or 2 persons, yet others packed like a circus clown car with very unsavory looking fellows. There are many different flavors of armed personnel along the way. Many being the "ring of steel" - the Afghan police force - as well as the ANA or Afghan National Army. Military vehicles permeate the civilian traffic. As do the typical Iranian/Chinese/Afghan built motorcycles that are so popular. And, let's not forget the animal drawn cart every once in awhile too!
Our ride to the airport was fairly smooth - with only a couple "tight spots" where our movement slowed to a crawl - and we found ourselves boxed in by lots of different vehicles mere millimeters away from our own vehicle. That's just typical of traffic here, but it has a more pronounced feeling of tension when you know that these are the types of situations where vehicle born IED's (VBIED's) and/or suicide bombers like to make their mark. I managed to snap a couple pics, which I'll post below - but, fortunately, things were typically uneventful and rather boring.
On the way back - the gentleman we picked up talked about how not so long ago, folks from my company actually had the ability to drive themselves around in unarmored cars all over the place. Things have definitely changed out here, and not for the better, from what I learned. All I know is, my intention of agreeing to go on the road trip was to break up the monotony & check things out a little. I barely achieved that. However, it also put into perspective the environment that I currently live, travel & work in. It's quite removed from the life that goes on an extremely short distance away - beyond a couple small layers of concrete, steel & armed guards. Unsettling? Yep. And reaffirming that, once my 1 year contract has been fulfilled, I will be getting outta dodge & never coming back to this place. This I know.
(I know - nothing exciting - but it's not exactly easy to take a picture with
an iPhone while trying to be discrete)
I figured I'd better get up & moving - so as not to be a hermit all day and risk waking up my roomate who works nights - or getting more sore muscles due to lying in a bed all & shifting around while I use my laptop. I'd kill for a comfy couch to relax on! Anyway - I went to the base, ate a meal - and was forunate to be offered a road trip to go on. Seems one of my drivers needed another person to go with him to the airport to pick someone up. Something about the ID requirements changing or something. I had mentioned to him how bored I was when I have days off - so it worked out well.
I was really curious what things would look like - since the last time I was on public roads, I hadn't slept in well over 24 hours, and was somewhat "shell-shocked" by what I was experiencing. This time around, I was familiar with my base's location, as well as the rest of the Kabul cluster of base's - and the housing area I lived in - not to mention I've hit old Google maps a few times to get a better idea of what all else is around me. I was very eager to go.
As we left our "secure" area & hit the public road ways - that "edginess" I had shortly after arriving here came back. Although I tried to fake myself out & play it cool. My living area & the base I work at really are smack in the middle of a very busy & bustling city center. It's so hard to believe when living within the confines of armed guards, concertina wire, hesco & metalith barriers, and concrete t-walls everywhere. I took comfort in the relaxed attitude of my driver. Although even though he appeared relaxed, he was still very focused on the task at hand. Driving the roads of Kabul is an experience like no other. There are civilian vehicles of all shapes & sizes. Some with 1 or 2 persons, yet others packed like a circus clown car with very unsavory looking fellows. There are many different flavors of armed personnel along the way. Many being the "ring of steel" - the Afghan police force - as well as the ANA or Afghan National Army. Military vehicles permeate the civilian traffic. As do the typical Iranian/Chinese/Afghan built motorcycles that are so popular. And, let's not forget the animal drawn cart every once in awhile too!
Our ride to the airport was fairly smooth - with only a couple "tight spots" where our movement slowed to a crawl - and we found ourselves boxed in by lots of different vehicles mere millimeters away from our own vehicle. That's just typical of traffic here, but it has a more pronounced feeling of tension when you know that these are the types of situations where vehicle born IED's (VBIED's) and/or suicide bombers like to make their mark. I managed to snap a couple pics, which I'll post below - but, fortunately, things were typically uneventful and rather boring.
On the way back - the gentleman we picked up talked about how not so long ago, folks from my company actually had the ability to drive themselves around in unarmored cars all over the place. Things have definitely changed out here, and not for the better, from what I learned. All I know is, my intention of agreeing to go on the road trip was to break up the monotony & check things out a little. I barely achieved that. However, it also put into perspective the environment that I currently live, travel & work in. It's quite removed from the life that goes on an extremely short distance away - beyond a couple small layers of concrete, steel & armed guards. Unsettling? Yep. And reaffirming that, once my 1 year contract has been fulfilled, I will be getting outta dodge & never coming back to this place. This I know.
(I know - nothing exciting - but it's not exactly easy to take a picture with
an iPhone while trying to be discrete)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
My 2 Cents on My Day Off
So I had a day off today. It started with me waking up & wondering: since I can see daylight coming into my room - past the heavy duty window tint & old nasty curtains - why my roomate who works the night shift wasn't back in the room yet. Maybe he was getting his I.D. card renewed. I felt bad for him since it was cutting into his ever important sleeping time.
So I hopped online - and low & behold - I read reports of "activity" in the news websites. Seems that up in Mazar-e-sharif - which is a fair distance to the north west of Kabul - there were protests that turned violent. Apparently, the protesters scaled blast walls at a U.N. compound and killed a number of people - including some civlians from other countries (no Americans or Afghans).
In addition, and quite a bit closer to "home" - some knucklehead insurgents tried to breach Camp Phoenix by dressing as women - in burqa's - and firing off their AK-47's and suicide vests. They reportedly had RPG's too. Guess how that turned out for them? As expected (see pic below). Now I know why the roomate wasn't back yet; he got held up due to movements being restricted in light of the attacks.
So I hopped online - and low & behold - I read reports of "activity" in the news websites. Seems that up in Mazar-e-sharif - which is a fair distance to the north west of Kabul - there were protests that turned violent. Apparently, the protesters scaled blast walls at a U.N. compound and killed a number of people - including some civlians from other countries (no Americans or Afghans).
In addition, and quite a bit closer to "home" - some knucklehead insurgents tried to breach Camp Phoenix by dressing as women - in burqa's - and firing off their AK-47's and suicide vests. They reportedly had RPG's too. Guess how that turned out for them? As expected (see pic below). Now I know why the roomate wasn't back yet; he got held up due to movements being restricted in light of the attacks.
Yes, he's picking up insurgent body parts.
I just do not understand these suicidal bomber types. Without getting into too much detail - for fear that one of these knuckleheads might be able to read, and could stumble upon this blog - I just can't comprehend what sort of "plan" these idiots "think" is going to "work". Almost always - they decide to attack a base or compound - get nowhere even close - are detected - and then get shot up and decide to explode themselves - causing little to no damage upon their intended target. It's just unfathomable to me. I mean - they have to run through the events in their mind. If only I could see inside their minds to see how it plays out to them prior to launching their attacks.
Now, I know the Taliban like to put an uber positive spin on everything insurgent related - and in this case, they actually reported that the insurgents breached the base, got inside, took control, and that ISAF forces were fighting the insurgents from the outside-in! They are also stating there were "lots" of ISAF casualties - when the reality is, there were none. So, if this is what they spread - and these people have no knowledge of actual events besides what Taliban folks tell them, then, I guess it's no wonder, and I shouldn't be so shocked. I have to remember that my way of life is different in almost every way compared to theirs.
Anyway - I feel pretty secure in light of everything that has happened today. Almost everywhere I go - there are Hesco barriers, concrete barriers & bunkers, and metalith anti-ram/blast walls. Not to mention armed guards and lots of anxious active duty military members (some with individually named rounds just waiting to be "set free"). I didn't like reading that the protester's up in Mazar-e-sharif scaled the UN compounds blast walls - but I feel pretty confident that, where I'm at, plenty of people would take notice and those who attempt to scale would drop like flies pretty quickly.
So, on my day off - I did what every patriotic American loves to do: filed my taxes! How exhilirating it was - not! I will say, that, after having been here for over a month, I do have a new appreciation & respect for the taxes I pay - and did so this year with only a slight grimace as opposed to a full fledged frown. My tax money is all around me here. And it's obvious more needs to be spent. So I'm glad I'm doing "my part".
Before I go - one more item. In regards to the protester's up in Mazar-e-sharif...the people up there were protesting "...because of the burning of the Quaran by an American pastor..." Ok - fine, I get it - protest. BUT - when you maim or kill someone, and use the burning of a book - the Quaran in this case - as justification - keep in mind that you just lost a ton of points in the minds of reasonable human beings. You make yourselves and your religion look extremely bad.
What? Is your relgion not stronger than paper with words printed on it? What - Allah is Quaran you say? Oh, puh-leeze. I thought God was "everything"? And, God - yours, mine or anyone else's - is surely strong enough to withstand someone destroying His written words, isn't he? And, surely, wouldn't this God also take it upon Himself to destroy other living beings if it was so vital to His religious institution? There's just so much hypocrisy in organized religion - it just so happens that Islamist are currently going through their period of "violence in the name of our religion" (ie, like the Christians & the crusades,or the Salem witch trials, etc).
I don't want to get into a debate about Islam, Christianity, or any other religion, but I have to say - for all of this "glory" and "goodness" that is alleged to be waiting for followers of any religion - it sure is hypocrytical to act out in violent ways in the name of Him. Simply put - actions of violence have no part in any religion - period. I'm proud to say I no longer "follow" any religion. I'm a spiritual being having a human existence. I believe in a God - a creator. But I cannot accept that He wishes or expect us to live by strict rules, especially ones that require violence on other living beings. These days, I'm doing the best that I can to be a "good person" - and try to live my life by doing "what's right" and not hurting or harming other people. Isn't that enough?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Baseball Diamonds
So the Persian New Year has come & gone - and things were nice & quiet. I've lost most of that uneasy anticipation I had been feeling - but have to keep things in check so I don't become complacent. There's a fine line in my situation between being "comfortable & not worrying" and being complacent.
This post will be quick - I've just got 2 things to say:
1. All the stereotypes about Swedish girls being beautiful, blude eyed, blondes appears to be true. I'm currently researching what it would take to enlist in the Swedish Army. I mean - how in God's name can you look smoking hot in a set of BDU's? All I know is, Swedish women can.
2. I feel like I'm stuck, indefinitely, at a little league baseball park. I played played when I was younger, and before I played, I would go to my older brothers baseball games. The park had 4 - 5 baseball diamonds, dirt & gravel roads around the whole complex - and a couple little buildings for things like the concession stand, dugouts and restrooms. It was often dirty, dusty and everything was "a little beat up" from so much traffic having passed through it all. Well - where I'm at in Afghnistan isn't much different. If it's not dusty - then it's muddy. The structures on my base are a hodge podge of whatever could be stood up to support workspaces, latrines, living quarters, storage sheds, etc. The houses are no different. Trust me - nothing is like it is "in the movies". It's a mess - a mess I now use for work, play & living. And I kinda like it. Of course, I know I'm not stuck here "permanently" - and once I leave, I plan on never returning. I'm just making the best of it, knowing I'll never have an experience like this again.
This post will be quick - I've just got 2 things to say:
1. All the stereotypes about Swedish girls being beautiful, blude eyed, blondes appears to be true. I'm currently researching what it would take to enlist in the Swedish Army. I mean - how in God's name can you look smoking hot in a set of BDU's? All I know is, Swedish women can.
2. I feel like I'm stuck, indefinitely, at a little league baseball park. I played played when I was younger, and before I played, I would go to my older brothers baseball games. The park had 4 - 5 baseball diamonds, dirt & gravel roads around the whole complex - and a couple little buildings for things like the concession stand, dugouts and restrooms. It was often dirty, dusty and everything was "a little beat up" from so much traffic having passed through it all. Well - where I'm at in Afghnistan isn't much different. If it's not dusty - then it's muddy. The structures on my base are a hodge podge of whatever could be stood up to support workspaces, latrines, living quarters, storage sheds, etc. The houses are no different. Trust me - nothing is like it is "in the movies". It's a mess - a mess I now use for work, play & living. And I kinda like it. Of course, I know I'm not stuck here "permanently" - and once I leave, I plan on never returning. I'm just making the best of it, knowing I'll never have an experience like this again.
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