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Now Ye're Talking - to a worker on a US Military Airbase

Boards.ie: Niamh

We have a new AMA for you today, today's volunteer lives and works on a US Military Airbase in Afghanistan.

There may be some questions asked that relate to classified information which he will be unable to answer. Please be respectful of this.

I'm sure I will have a few questions of my own to ask shortly! Let's be having some questions

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I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

Big Nasty wrote: »

I just presumed you were single doing what you do. You obviously love it and are building a hefty nest egg for yourself. I'm married with a young child myself and there's no way in he'll I'd consider doing what you do now, nor would I be let.

How does your partner feel about it?

It's definitely not for everybody.
Some people come out here and last a month and realise it's not for them and just go home.
A lot of people get here and then when that first rocket comes in on their first or second day, reality sets in and they just pack up and leave straight away.
Other people have been here since '02 and will be here until the gates close.

My wife and I discussed it at length before I came out here. We knew it was going to be a challenge and we both said if it ever gets too tough on either of us I'll jack it in and come back home.
For now, she's coping well and enjoys having me out of her hair for a while. One less kid to look after as she puts it!
She does get lonely from time to time but that's to be expected. We Skype every night and are always in contact so it's not too bad. Plus I get 3 months off per year so I get a good bit of quality family time in when I am home.

The goal is to save up some money and buy a house. With the way Ireland is at the moment, it's impossible to save for a house while paying rent and bills and everything else life throws at you. So we decided it's better to make a small sacrifice in the short term and gain in the long term.
Another added bonus is I think having this on my CV will at least make it stand out from the bunch a little bit and should help me land a decent job when I do decide to go back home permanently.
Well I hope so anyway!

Big Nasty

I guess if you're both happy with it then it's fine. High risk but high gain also.

Roughly how many are in your Base and at a very rough average how many would die or be seriously maimed on Base per annum?

I understand those figures vary greatly and you're probably at less of a risk than military on Base when the rockets come in. Guess I'm trying to build a picture of how big your own personal risk is.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

Big Nasty wrote: »

I guess if you're both happy with it then it's fine. High risk but high gain also.

Roughly how many are in your Base and at a very rough average how many would die or be seriously maimed on Base per annum?

I understand those figures vary greatly and you're probably at less of a risk than military on Base when the rockets come in. Guess I'm trying to build a picture of how big your own personal risk is.

I know the number of military on base but technically it's information I'm not supposed to have so I can't say. But a rough figure of military plus contractors on base right now would be approximately 8,000.
You're right though; the figures change daily and can increase or decrease by a few hundred at any time.

As far as being at risk during rocket attacks goes, there's nobody at risk more than others while on base. The rockets come in at random and can land anywhere. And we're all housed together. Military and contractors can all live within the same housing units for the most part.
The good thing is the Taliban have a terrible aim. They pretty much just fire them off and hope they hit the jackpot. And the C-RAM's do a pretty good job at shooting them out of the air before they land. The worry then is getting hit with shrapnel flying through the air which is a very real danger.

Thankfully people don't die or get seriously injured too often. We can't keep a track of it though because they don't broadcast when a person is injured or killed. The rockets come in and we get back to business. I'd say people killed on base this year is less than 5 anyway. Injuries happen a bit more often but thankfully nothing too serious.

From what I can recall, there was an Afghani soldier killed from a rocket attack last month.
A female contractor was killed a few months before that.

The biggest disasters here in recent years were when the 6 guys were killed last winter when a suicide bomber detonated near one of the gates.
And then there was the plane crash that was all over the news a few years back.

It is of course dangerous being here but probably not as dangerous as you might think.

helimachoptor

Great AMA!

I've a few questions.. (avid military book reader)

- Have you been around any Green on Blue incidents?
- How cold does it get at night?
- Are there any locals you're particularly wary of?
- Did you take any weapons training before you went (assuming you arent ex irish/british military)
- Do your family think you're trying to be Rambo :pac:

On a side note, fair play OP cant be easy

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

helimachoptor wrote: »

Great AMA!

I've a few questions.. (avid military book reader)

- Have you been around any Green on Blue incidents?
- How cold does it get at night?
- Are there any locals you're particularly wary of?
- Did you take any weapons training before you went (assuming you arent ex irish/british military)
- Do your family think you're trying to be Rambo :pac:

On a side note, fair play OP cant be easy

- Have you been around any Green on Blue incidents?

No but I've heard of some stuff happening. It's really nowhere near as frequent as it has been in the past. What I do know is there is a distinct feeling of distrust from most of the coalition forces when it comes to Afghan forces. They tend to keep them at arms length. I've been told by a good number of troops that they don't trust them one bit and don't like going on patrol with them. They feel as though they always have to look over their shoulders.

- How cold does it get at night?

Right now it's 20 degrees and it's almost midnight. It's usually a bit hotter than this at night but it's cooling off lately. During the day it gets up around 40.
In the winter it's below zero at night. Snow is frequent depending on your elevation and which base you're at.

- Are there any locals you're particularly wary of?

Definitely.
Some are really nice guys and are very friendly. They ask about our culture and are genuinely interested. Others are very shady and you know they'd kill you if they got a chance outside the gates. I'm not sure how true it is but the figure thrown around base is 1 in 5 of the locals working here are connected to Taliban in some way and feed them information.

- Did you take any weapons training before you went (assuming you arent ex irish/british military)

No formal weapons training is required and if you're civilian you don't get a weapon anyway so it wouldn't matter if you had any training anyway.

- Do your family think you're trying to be Rambo :pac:

Not really but they all have varying ideas of what it's like out here. I'm pretty sure my mother thinks I'm basically in the movie Lone Survivor!
She usually cries when I come back here. :pac:

Skyfarm

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA wrote: »

Honestly I just wish I did it sooner.
You see and experience so many things most people only see in movies and wish they could experience so it's fantastic in that regard.

I've a toddler at home and it's tough being away for long periods and missing things like birthdays and Christmas. But in the long run its worth it so it makes it all worthwhile.
Doing this as a single carefree man would be much easier and would make it more enjoyable.

This is your partner , your now single

aside from my brilliant quip,any visiting celebs ,i.e. dickie rock, ronan keating etc to entertain the troops

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

Skyfarm wrote: »

This is your partner , your now single

aside from my brilliant quip,any visiting celebs ,i.e. dickie rock, ronan keating etc to entertain the troops

Not in recent times unfortunately. Still crossing my fingers for the playboy bunnies to make an appearance!

Apparently celebs aren't allowed to come visit during fighting season as it's too dangerous.
(Yes there's a fighting "season")

GLaDOS

Has there ever been an attack where you thought "Shít, this is it"?

When you finally decide to leave do you think you'll miss it?

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

GLaDOS wrote: »

Has there ever been an attack where you thought "Shít, this is it"?

When you finally decide to leave do you think you'll miss it?

The first time I was in a Black Hawk and travelling through mountains and saw one of the gunners jump and swivel his gun to one side and start firing I thought I was going to be in trouble. I didn't see much more than that as the pilot swung to the right and that was it. Never got any explanation as to what that was all about.

Also being in a C130 that does a combat landing while the base is under rocket fire is pretty scary. The plane basically nosedives towards the runway so that was a change of trousers moment.

Other than that there's always some nerves when the rockets come in multiple times in a short period of time.

I think I will miss it when I leave. I'll miss the excitement and the way it's all go all the time. It's just a cool place to be a lot of the time and being in a "normal" job seems a bit tame in comparison.
I'll also miss the 3 months off a year that I get.

[Deleted User]

Do you have any interaction with the locals? If so, what are they like?

When is fighting season? Summer?

tea and coffee

I take it you got clearance to answer whatever? Is there confidentiality agreements contractors and also military personnel have to adhere to? Could someone write a tell all book /tabloid story?

Cookie_Monster

What the coolest piece of kit you've encountered on the base in your opinion?

irish_goat

Do people make their own booze there?

maryishere

In the part of Afghanistan you are in, are there much other "western" coalition forces eg British and if so do they ever visit your base? Have many of the US troops there passed through Shannon, and if so, have they ever mentioned anything to you...do they know Ireland / Shannon is not part of the UK or what is the general soldiers geographical / political knowledge of n.w. Europe like, if they ever comment on it?

stereomatic

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA wrote: »

There's a few Irish here. Not many though. Out of the thousands of people here I've met less than 15 Irish people. All guys too.

So there's enough for a hurling team

Do you speak a cupla focail as Dari or Pashtu

Has your Irish accent been tempered by being in the base full of Americans

Anyone there have any difficulties with your accent or dialect

Finally what are you eating now

:pac:

blue5000

Fair play to you for coming on here, and being there.

How much more time will you spend there, years/months?

Do you work constantly for 9 months at a stretch or do you get breaks in between?

JCX BXC

Do you ever venture into the local towns or villages?

Any memories that'll leave you scarred for life?

InReality

Did you know anybody who had gone there before you went ? How did you research it ?

evosteo

How did you end up out there? Were you headhunted for your skills or did you actively go looking for a job in afghanastan?

FanadMan

How do you manage the heat? You said that it hits around 40 - for me, if it hits high 20s/low 30s I'm ready to drop. Would love to try out there for a job but think the heat would rule me out after a couple of days

Great answers so far btw

PS.....by the sound of it you'd be a bit too young to remember it but could you "fry an egg on the stones here, if you had an egg"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExTRZxDRYPg

cursai

Why do you do the job you do?

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Do you have any interaction with the locals? If so, what are they like?

When is fighting season? Summer?

I speak to the local guys that are allowed on base to operate their market stalls.
The majority of those guys are really nice and friendly. They joke around and are generally decent, regular people.
There are a few who seem a bit shady and I wouldn't trust too much but for the most part they're all ok.

Fighting season starts in April and continues right through summer.
The Taliban still attack us and fire rockets all year round but they really ramp it up during fighting season.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

tea and coffee wrote: »

I take it you got clearance to answer whatever? Is there confidentiality agreements contractors and also military personnel have to adhere to? Could someone write a tell all book /tabloid story?

Everyone here falls under Military Law.
There's no agreement contractors have to officially sign but as we're under Military Law, all the usual rules apply to us. Leaking any classified information is obviously a serious no no.
Similarly, they take OPSEC (Operations Security) very seriously. This includes revealing any unclassified information which could jeopardize operations and potentially put lives and the operation at risk.
Everything I've said here is ok because it doesn't breach any rules and I haven't revealed any sensitive information. I could write a book if I wanted but I couldn't reveal any information such as the layout of the bases, times and dates that flights take off, when and where troops are going, photographs of sensitive equipment etc. Basically any intelligence that could be useful to enemy sources is out of bounds.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

What the coolest piece of kit you've encountered on the base in your opinion?

There's so much cool stuff here it's pretty hard to pick my favourite.
I've been up close and personal with a lot of weaponry like grenade launchers and stuff like that. Seeing that sort of stuff is cool.
I've been in countless Black Hawk helicopters, gotten shown around Apache helicopters and F-16s. I've been shown around the big stores of JDAM missiles and seen the inner workings of C-RAM's.
It's all extremely interesting and there's something new to see every day.
If I had to pick my favourite I'd probably say the F-16.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

irish_goat wrote: »

Do people make their own booze there?

Yep.
I've known of a few people who brew their own stuff here. I've never tasted it but I heard it's pretty awful.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

maryishere wrote: »

In the part of Afghanistan you are in, are there much other "western" coalition forces eg British and if so do they ever visit your base? Have many of the US troops there passed through Shannon, and if so, have they ever mentioned anything to you...do they know Ireland / Shannon is not part of the UK or what is the general soldiers geographical / political knowledge of n.w. Europe like, if they ever comment on it?

There's a big mix of forces on the bases.
Obviously the US troops make up the biggest part of it but there are forces from all over.
There's a huge number of Georgian forces here. Then you have Polish, Czech, Italian, Romanian, Bosnian, British. And more that I can't think of right now!

A huge number of the American troops go through Shannon. Not all of them but I'd say the majority I've spoken to have came through Ireland.
They almost always comment on how nice Shannon airport is. A lot of them have been to Ireland on holidays multiple times and loved it. A lot have said they've never been but they plan to go in the near future. One or two have told me they hope to move to Ireland at some stage because they love it so much. And a lot of them have Irish family too.

They all know Ireland is not part of the UK. I haven't came across one yet who thinks differently. A few have heard my accent and asked am I from the UK. They find it hard to place the accent sometimes but the majority of them heard my accent and immediately asked where in Ireland am I from.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

stereomatic wrote: »

So there's enough for a hurling team

Do you speak a cupla focail as Dari or Pashtu

Has your Irish accent been tempered by being in the base full of Americans

Anyone there have any difficulties with your accent or dialect

Finally what are you eating now

:pac:

I don't speak any of the local language apart from saying hello!

I've had to slow my speech down a bit while I'm here. I speak pretty fast anyway but sometimes they have trouble understanding me. Most people here love the accent and if you were a single man here you'd do pretty well with the ladies purely because of the accent!

I'm not eating anything. Drinking a coffee though!

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

blue5000 wrote: »

Fair play to you for coming on here, and being there.

How much more time will you spend there, years/months?

Do you work constantly for 9 months at a stretch or do you get breaks in between?

I'll stay here for as long as I can handle it and then if it's too much on me or my family, I'll pack it in and come home for good.

I usually do about 3 months on and then go home for a month. It's a pretty good deal.
A lot of the American contractors do 9 or 10 month stretches and then just go home for a month.
Some of the pilots for the private helicopter companies have it handy enough. They get paid a fortune and usually do 60 days on and 60 days off.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

Carnacalla wrote: »

Do you ever venture into the local towns or villages?

Any memories that'll leave you scarred for life?

You can't leave the base at all.
I mentioned it in a previous post but if I managed to actually get off the base and wander off I'd be captured pretty quickly and probably tortured and killed. I'll stay where I am thanks!

The only thing that'll leave me scarred for life is the memories of some of the toilets around the bases.

I work on a US Military Airbase, AMA

InReality wrote: »

Did you know anybody who had gone there before you went ? How did you research it ?

evosteo wrote: »

How did you end up out there? Were you headhunted for your skills or did you actively go looking for a job in afghanastan?

A friend of mine had been working out here for a couple of years and told me I should put an application into the company he worked for. He told me what life out here was like and I thought it didn't sound too bad.
I was pretty sick of working in Ireland at the time and I was in a job I hated. I discussed it with my wife, Sent an application in and about 8 months later I was on a flight out here.