Rebuilding Afghanistan

iceage

thanks for the updates Manic, and nice pic, take care guys.

Victor

Manic Moran wrote: »

Of course, you can't go to Afghanistan and not get a rug.

NTM

I'm sure it'll fit, but are you admitting to having bought a household decoration item. :pac:

Manic Moran

Might well donate it to my local tank museum. Does it still count?

NTM

diverdriver

Manic, as you said it's sure a different kind of war. If it wasn't for the occasional KIA and other casualties sometime you sound like you're on holiday. Definitely a fascinating insight.

I also noticed an an AFV club M88 model kit in your accomodation pictures. Is that yours? Are you really building that out there? Model kit bashing during combat operations?:cool: If there's any there you certainly will have impeccable references. But what if you want to add crew. Surely it's impossible for anyone to paint a model figure with the new digital camouflage?

Hagar

diverdriver wrote: »

Surely it's impossible for anyone to paint a model figure with the new digital camouflage?

Virtually impossible but there is an art technique called pointillism which could give a half-decent effect if done with a fine enough brush.

Manic Moran

I've seen reasonable results using salt crystals and an airbrush. The crystals 'stick' to the wet paint of the basecoat, and 'mask' squares for the next colour. Alternatively, you can use decal sheets with ACU pattern on them, drape those on the model.

I also noticed an an AFV club M88 model kit in your accomodation pictures. Is that yours? Are you really building that out there?

Yes, yes, and yes. Further stores have arrived, the DML M51, and an Italeri M978. I did not bring any paints, it's purely a construction operation. Will ship them back and airbrush them at home.

Model kit bashing during combat operations?

There's a fairly active modelling club in BIAP, has been for a few years. Might be one in Anaconda as well. Not aware of any in Afghanistan, but wouldn't be surprised to find one in Bagram.

If there's any there you certainly will have impeccable references. But what if you want to add crew. Surely it's impossible for anyone to paint a model figure with the new digital camouflage?

I'm going to replicate my motor pool in Iraq, so back then it was three-colour DCUs.

NTM

Manic Moran

If it wasn't for the occasional KIA and other casualties sometime you sound like you're on holiday

Effectively the only difference between me and a slightly overworked office worker is the fact that my suit is a sort of green/grey, and I wear a sidearm at my desk.

Well, election time is here. I'm going camping for a day or two, as part of the overall security surge.

Temperatures have dropped a little. In the last week, we've been seeing the occasional cloud, but it's still not enough to reduce the requirement for sunglasses. Highs today seem to be about 98, unlike the 107 (F) which has been the routine average. Things might be getting a little more reasonable. Still, I do prefer 'too hot' over 'too cold', so all things are going to be relative in a few months!

NTM

Manic Moran

Election day. Spent the last 30 hours or so out and about, and sure enough, getting shot at.

If I never climb another mountain again, it will be too soon. 34-year-old tankers are seriously out of place chasing insurgents down and up mountains wearing all the crap we have to wear. I take solace in the fact that the early-20s infantrymen were pretty knackered as well.

Elections themselves seemed fairly successful in our area. A number of harassment attacks, but nothing which would affect voting.

NTM

citizen_p

seems it would be annoying carrying so much....
what happened to the good old rifle and a couple of clips approach...:p

guess youd never actully want to get trapped..... but the day to day would be alot easier without the piles of gear.

btw what do they afghans carry besides ak47 / rpg 7??? ( and other soviet weapons of course)

Poccington

I'm glad to hear the whole getting shot at thing resulted in nothing worse than tiredness after a spot of hill walking.

helimachoptor

Manic blowing off some post election steam :D

On a more serious note Manic, what was the turnout in your area?

Manic Moran

Not sure. I didn't get the big picture at the time. We did see people queing to vote early on in the day, nobody likes being out in the mid-day heat. Thus voting was brisk early, and nearly dead at 2pm. One or two of the sites which were closed due to harassment fire were re-opened again at the request of the locals who weren't interested in not being allowed to vote just because somone lobbed the odd RPG in their direction.

NTM

Manic Moran

According to the Provincial Governor, the turnout was about 65% of registered voters. That's a little better than the US, if I recall, and in America you don't need to worry about small-arms-fire, people lopping off your fingers, or having to walk five miles over a mountain.

Our XO was listening to a Podcast from The Economist this afternoon, and he was astounded. He usually thinks they're pretty decent, but he has no idea what country they were talking about on the radio, it certainly bore very little resemblance to what we could see.

NTM

Manic Moran

Time for a few more piccies.

The hill is where we were shot at. It had a distinct lack of cover when being fired on from the other side of the valley, we were initially at the top of the hill, had to run down the side under fire (easier said than done, when wearing 60lbs of crap), and the charge across the valley and up the other side. Then, after having exhausted ourselves on the far side, we then had to trudge back up this one again. Hateful hill!

The valley pic is actually the same valley, but taken a little downriver. You can see the variety in terrain, going from lush fertile croplands to rugged, dry mountains. Much like the Iraqis, these people are masters of irrigation. Their aquaduct engineering would rival the Romans in terms of effectiveness and gradient.

The office picture... well, it's where I spend most of my war.

Took another helicopter ride today Black Hawk out, Chinook back. I still don't like nor trust the things, but I will grant that the 15-minute flight to the French base was a hell of a lot easier than the two-hour drive I took last time. Their Caesar guns and Tiger helicopters just showed up. The arrival of the Tigers were a monumental occasion, the aviators in the unit cheering the first flypast. "At last! After decades of work, the things enter service!" Some of their other assets are excellent as well. Plus this seems to be a fairly squared-away bunch of lads. Should be fun working with them.

NTM

Manic Moran

Sometimes you just get the most bizarre happenings in a war.

Imagine the following scenario:

Person A comes over the hill, from an unusual direction, usually only used by insurgents. Encounters Person B.

Person B to Person A:
"Are you a Taliban?"

Person A to Person B:
"Yes, I am"

Person B to Person A:
"Right, you're nicked"

___________________________

Now, let's change it around a little bit. Person B is not Afghan, he's Eastern European.

Person B to Person A:
"Hi!"

Person A to Person B:
"Hi!"

B to A:
"Are you a Taliban?"

A to B:
"Yes!"

B to A:
"Right, you're nicked...."

__________________

Let's change it up a little further. Let's say Person B is armed, and wearing armour.

B to A:
"Hi!"

A to B:
"Hi!"

B to A:
"Are you taliban?"

A to B:
"Yes"

B to A:
"Cool. How do I join?"

A to B:
"You want to join? Certainly. I have the following friends, have weapons stored in these towns..."

B to A:
"Right, you're nicked"
__________________________

But no, that's too simple. Let's add the fact that our European doesn't speak Pashto, Dari, or any other local language, so he must speak in English via an interpreter.

B to A:
"Hi!"

A to B:
"Hi!"

B to A:
"Are you taliban?"

A to B:
"Are you kidding, you're an American"

B to A:
"No, I'm not. I just speak English to the interpreter as it's a common language. But I'm here for Jihad against the Americans."

A to B:
"Oh, that's OK then. Yes, I am Taliban."

B to A:
"Cool. How do I join?"

A to B:
"You want to join? Certainly. I have the following friends, have weapons stored in these towns..."

B to A:
"Right, you're nicked"
_____________________________________-

One of these above scenarios happened yesterday. Who wants to guess which?

NTM

concussion

So what you're saying is that 75% of Taliban are unable to lie?:D

iceage

Or extremely gullible or naive. Doesn't matter, Strike 1 to Team B!:)

tbh

Manic Moran wrote: »

The office picture... well, it's where I spend most of my war.

an Irish guy eating lucky charms - not a fan of the quiet life, eh?

Manic Moran

No, not eating them. Some smart-ass delivered them to my desk.

NTM

Manic Moran

Our nice, quiet area had a little incident today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8233265.stm

We have some theories...

NTM

AbusesToilets

How have you found working with ISAF forces in your area? Are they able or willing to get into the fight? I know many US troops would have a poor impression of the willingness of ISAF to get involved in combat operations or otherwise usefully contribute. Also have you come across any problems due to the ROE?

Manic Moran

Umm.. We are the ISAF forces in the area.
See left shoulder.
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/4281/electionday.jpg

No issues with ROE. They're sensible enough and let us shoot at the people we want to shoot at.

NTM

Victor

tbh wrote: »

an Irish guy eating lucky charms - not a fan of the quiet life, eh?

#29 http://skippyslist.com/list/

goldie fish

Manic Moran wrote: »

No, not eating them. Some smart-ass delivered them to my desk.

NTM

Same kind of people would deliver bananas to an African American officers desk... I think not.:mad:

Manic Moran

We've been putting the newly-arrived Eurocopter Tigers to good use. One of our patrols (20-man, or so) was ambushed by 40-60 members of the opposition last night. Total full moon, beautiful night, you could see for miles with the naked eye. Fifteen minutes later, a couple of these guys show up.

The cannon is most impressive, so I'm told.

NTM

Manic Moran

Of course, in today's safety-conscious military, when going on helicopter rides, please read the in-flight safety card.

I'm not sure they really needed the diagram showing where the nearest exit is located, though. Not as if you're more than four feet from it.

NTM

Victor

The short version.

p1akuw47h5r3it

Victor wrote: »

#29 http://skippyslist.com/list/

HAHA no. 102 HAHA

Manic Moran

Well, I'm offline for a few days, I think. Off to join the Foreign Legion. May not have internet access for a week.

NTM

iceage

Au revoir! think thats farewell....I was crap at French!