Life thru the lens

Photos from the 'incident'

2009-10-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

'First' Firefight!

2009-10-21T02:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 20th October - Korengal Valley

I must confess that this wasn’t the first but it was definitely the most intense and the longest – all 20 minutes of it! Both firefights happened in the tiny village of Lanyal, which is across the valley from the outpost and as the crow flies, only about 2.5 km away.

The mission to the nearby village of Lanyal is nothing new as it is part of the patrol routine for the 2nd Platoon of Baker Company and since my arrival here in the Korengal, things has been awfully quiet. The soldiers here would often recount to me tales of frequent firefights and enemy shelling.

The platoon left the base in the morning and it was an arduous walk (more like a up and down climb really)! This was my third time here and the last time when we came here the platoon took some light fire. By the time we walked into the observation point my lungs were about to burst! We sat waiting while the ANA (Afghan National Army), with their US Marines mentors, swept up from a different position in hope of catching any enemy hiding. After about an hour with no contacts the platoon decided to pull out of the village. The LT (Lieutenant, and in this case, the platoon leader) and his element were in front of me and we had to walk past this short, open stretch of trail when the enemy opened fire! I took cover behind a tall wall along with two terps (Afghan interpreter) but my only thought was to reach the LT and get into position to take photos. Can’t do anything behind a tall wall, can I? Besides the terps said to me, “You run down to them and we will follow you.”

And so down the trail I ran! It was the longest 20 metres ever and I could hear the crack, crack, of bullets hitting all around me. I never realized I could run that FAST down a rocky trail. I finally made it to the main element and discovered that there isn’t really all that much cover there at all. I looked back and none of the terps had followed me! The only things racing through my head were 1) to avoid getting hit, 2) not get in the way of the soldiers or in front of their guns and 3) take photos! Bullets, spent cartridges and rifle grenades were flying all over and the machine guns were so damn loud that I had to stop a couple of times to cover my ears! By the way, I did have my earplugs on. Support fire came from 120mm mortars from the outpost and an air strike was called in. I pressed myself as close to the wall as possible while holding my camera up and pressing the shutter as fast as I could! Crack-boom! An air force jet just dropped a 500 lbs bomb on top of the enemy positions. The ensuing silence was punctured by radio calls, men checking the status of equipment, ammo and the excited chatters of soldiers pumped up on adrenaline. I was breathing so, so hard!

Finally we were able to pull out of Lanyal without any incident. It was later that the terps told me they saw bullets hitting some 5 feet (about 1.5m) from me as I was running down the trail. They decided it would be a bad decision to follow me and it was safer behind the wall after all! Thanks, guys!

The Korengal Valley

2009-10-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 13, Korengal Outpost, Kunar Province

After more than a week at FOB Blessing and several cancelled flights later I find myself in the most vicious valley in Afghanistan: the Korengal Valley. It’s a remote valley about 10 km long and surrounded by wooden mountains on all sides. The people that lives are known as the Korengalis and they have their own unique dialect that is different from the Pashtun that is commonly spoken in this part of the country. The mountain slopes are dotted with trees, little villages and terraces of corns and a big stream flows down the valley feeding the inhabitants with water for their crops, livestock and themselves. It’s almost a picture pretty setting and many of the trails resembles hiking trails in a national park. This is easily the greenest and prettiest place I’ve seen in Afghanistan but under that benign façade is the strong presence of insurgents, both religious and criminal, that controls much of the Korengal. The main activity here is the illegal felling of timber and smuggling it from here to Pakistan, often using mules and donkeys to transverse mountain trails in order to avoid detection. Most of the timber is used for making ornate furniture.

Korengal Outpost, aka the KOP, is the biggest American combat outpost here in the Korengal. All the supply, ammunition and men have to come here by helicopters, as the roads are too vulnerable and dangerous. The soldiers here tell me that no one has gone up the last 4 km of the valley. The KOP sits on top of an old sawmill that used to be owned by a local merchant to process his timber. When the Americans took over the mill he lost all the revenue from the illegal timber trade and has since taken up arms to harass the troops there.

Due to the mountainous terrain, all the patrols carried out here are on foot and these are very intense, energy sapping and not to mention that getting shot at is usually part of the routine. However, the military might of the US is always at hand to help out with fighter jets, attack helicopters, heavy artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles. So the question I ask is: how safe is it going on a combat patrol here?

Photos from Pech Valley

2009-10-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

FOB Blessing

2009-10-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Monday, 5th October. FOB Blessing, Kunar Province

It has been almost a week since my arrival here in Blessing, Kunar Province, and I've already seen and experience more than my entire embed (with the exception of that one incident in May with the Talibans). Kunar Province is pretty green and lush and the Pech Valley where I am is no exception. The Pech River runs through it with green terraces of corn dot both sides of the rugged valley and trees hug the villages providing ample shades as well as concealment. It certainly reminds me of Michael Yamashita’s photos of some the places he travelled through when he went on an assignment for National Geographic on the Silk Road.

Yet, under this benign beauty lives the very soul of aggressive tribalism and the ever-violent Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. Kunar Province has earned the title of the most violent province in Afghanistan and with good reasons. The craggy mountains and rugged terrains provide cover and concealment to both local Taliban and foreign fighters moving men and supplies from Pakistan into Afghanistan. Pakistan is a mere 40 km from where I sit. Many of the Pashtun villages are inherently hostile or neutral towards the presence of foreign forces with the exception of a few friendly villages. Many of these hostile villages provide shelter and food to the fighters while the neutral ones will do so out of fear or the tradition of hospitality to strangers.

All these become a daily game of cat-and-mouse between the American forces and the Taliban/al-Qaeda fighters. Firefights happen almost on a daily basis and the resident big artillery pieces play a tune of deadly bombardment with the ever-elusive enemies. The very first time a 155mm gun went off in Blessing it sent a shiver of panic through me and left me wondering what is going on and if I should run to a bunker or something. A week later it has began to resemble occasional but necessary loud background noise.

On one occasion I went on a mission with the MP (military police), which was more like a courtesy visit, to one of the bigger police station. En route we passed a burning truck that was probably attacked by the insurgents in that morning and then we ran into a firefight. Bullets were plinking off the hull of the armored truck while the Americans responded in kind and the craziest thing happened: local boys were running in between our trucks, in the midst of the firefight, picking up spent brass cartridges! Apparently brass cartridges are worth their weight in gold in this area and with no concern for their safety these boys would try to collect as many as they can from the American trucks firing at the insurgents!

The stark contrast between the natural beauty of the valley and the man made conflict being inflicted is mind numbing. I guess if one is only concerned with survival then the appreciation of your environment pales in comparison to your basic needs of feeding mouths, clothing bodies and keeping warm.

Life and Death in Afghanistan

2009-10-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 1st, FOB Blessing.

This morning, I received an email from a friend who runs a photo agency and whom I send photos every so often. In it he said that a soldier that I had taken photo of was killed a few days ago. I checked online and this is what I found:

“Army Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek, 20, DeKalb, Ill., died Friday at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of wounds suffered in Paktika province, Afghanistan, Sept. 4 when enemy attacked his vehicle with an improvised-explosive device followed by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire; he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.”

I didn’t know PFC Matthew Martinek that well. I went on a mission with him one day, rode in the same vehicle and got along pretty decently. Now, he’s just a number in the statistic of American casualties in this drawn out and increasingly unpopular war. Martinek is the second soldier whom I’ve photographed to die in action. Gideon was the first when he was killed in 6th July after a particularly brutal ambush. Both died in similar ways: their vehicle struck a powerful IED followed by RPG attack. Am I jinxed in some weird way or is this just war where people die whether their photos get taken or not…

I give my deepest respect to both young men, my sympathy to their families and hope that their death will not be in vain.

To Blessing...

2009-09-28T06:09:00.000-07:00

Monday, 28th September. Kunar Province

My time in Paktia Province has come to an end and it was with a little sadness that I said goodbye to COP Herrera and the boys of Charlie platoon. The change in demeanour of these soldiers who has gone through intense combat in July is apparent and the ‘go-out-and-get-them’ attitude is now less evident. Self-preservation has become the motto and in the words of a platoon leader the combat loss of one of his man probably won’t hit home until they return stateside.

Being embedded also means that I get to meet a myriad of journalist, photographers and private contractors whenever I am in transit and they invariably always surprise me with their colourful characters. Take Richard, a seasoned 64 years old (yep, 64!) journalist who started off as a photographer and is now a writer. He covered the Iraqi invasion for over a year and was in Afghanistan in 2002. He was a joy to talk to, an inspirational character and living proof that at 64 one can still be a conflict journalist wearing heavy armor and go on missions with soldiers the same age as his sons. However, the price he paid is a bagful of medication for various symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Then there is Tony, a private contractor, working in Afghanistan for a security company akin to the infamous Blackwater. A man, who was in the British SAS for many years and dished out great doses of Brit humor which felt like a fresh breeze in the company of mainly Americans. The people you get to meet are certainly never your average Joe!

After countless flight delay I find myself being offered a place on a convoy going from Jalalabad to FOB Blessing in the Kunar Province. From what I heard it is the most violent province in Afghanistan but is probably now in the same league as Helmand Province (southern Afghanistan). It is also pretty green and wooded. As Lady Luck was smiling on me, I arrived without any incident although we had to stop off at an outpost because there was a firefight on the road ahead of us. Now I find myself in a pretty neat FOB surrounded by mountains on all sides and given one of the best room I’ve ever slept in since I arrived as an embed!

Being a 'war' photographer

2009-09-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

I think the very word ‘war photographer’ seems to conjure up romantic images of a profession that is actually far from being romantic. The image of a grungy, unshaven and cameras slinging photographer maybe immortalized by real personage like Robert Capa and Ernest Hemmingway and portrayed in film by Dennis Hopkins (Apocalypse Now) and James Wood (Salvador). The truth, however, is much more and much less than that.

Covering a conflict is never glamorous and very often dangerous. The number of local and foreign journalists/photographers that has died since men took pens, notebooks and cameras into places that has experienced armed conflicts and civil war is a testament to the danger involved. The Iraq war saw the highest number of journalists killed in a single conflict and that doesn’t even take into consideration those who were wounded during combat action, kidnapped by insurgents and arrested by the military. The worst outcome would be a beheading by your kidnappers. The case of Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and later executed by his captors in Pakistan is one unfortunate example. There are journalists and photographers who would go to great length to get their stories and pictures but the price one pay can be very high. And we have yet to touch on the mental aspects of the job.

Why do journalists and photographers deliberately put themselves in harm’s way for stories is anyone’s guess but for each and everyone you ask, you will hear a different answer a different truth. For those covering conflicts that bear a connection to their homeland, things will and must take on a different meaning than for others. As a Singaporean in Afghanistan embedded with the US forces, I tend to have a less emotional link to it: none of my fellow countrymen are dying everyday from combat action in a foreign country that isn’t really welcoming us with open arms. However, forging a bond with the troops you are embed with is somehow unavoidable and that becomes painful when you hear about or even actually experience the loss yourself. The fear of being wounded or killed while doing your job becomes plausible and real. The look I’ve seen of some men who has survived combat while their brother-in-arms didn’t is something that words cannot describe adequately. One can’t help but think of how the families of fallen men cope with their loss and the time they will need to heal from the emotional wounds.

Being a photographer or journalist covering conflicts can be exciting, dangerous, strenuous, and perhaps, rewarding but it can never a ‘dream’ job. Because there is nothing dreamy about the death and destruction of the land, the people, and most of all, the body, mind and soul of those involved.

A night mission and a near miss...

2009-09-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday 17th September. Paktia Province

Not much has been happening the past few days as the weather have turned significantly cooler and it has been raining almost every afternoon till evening. This means ‘Red Air’ gets called (no flights) and missions has to be postponed. This is also the time for soldiers to relax, carry out maintenance and minor work on the base.

However, we did go on a night patrol on midnight Sunday. It was to be a short recon mission into a nearby village that has known to harbor insurgents and IEDs has been found on this stretch of trail. Everyone was carrying the minimum kit and ammo and we were to use night vision devices also known as NODs (Night Optical Device).

Now the NOD looks good when you see it on TV or the movies where everything seems to be casted in an eerie greenish glow. It actually is pretty cool, for the first 10 minutes anyway! Then you need to constantly try to stop your helmet from slipping down your face due to the weight in front, and your vision screwed because you don’t get any depth perception and you see everything through only one eye. Trying to walk a narrow trail without any depth perception and a fall means into a small river or a deep ditch makes the entire walk a royal pain in the butt! Whenever we walked past a house or two the dogs would raise hell and that was unnerving. I could only pray that we won’t get contact this night. As we walked past a house, the dogs started again and a light suddenly came on. I could only see the silhouette of the man who came out with a light and then he fired a few shots into the air! That’s when you hear the safeties go off the rifles and everyone braced for a possible incident. Tense minutes later the guy went back into his house and we decided to turn back. Whew!

It was soon getting light and I realized that we have walked for nearly 5 hours. The return trip was much more sedated and we walked past several fields of marijuana. The pungent smell of these plants tickled my nostrils and it was a shame I couldn’t take any photos of it!

Nearly 6 am… The entire platoon was dead tired and we trudged along the trail and finally made it back to the COP. And we were hurting!

Later in the afternoon, an IED went off just outside the COP on one of the roads that lead up to it. No one got hurt but we realized that had the platoon taken the other road this morning to come back to the COP it would have hurt much more than the 5 hours walk…

A couple more pics...

2009-09-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just another day in Afghanistan

2009-09-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 10. COP Herrera, Paktia Province

So I’m finally back in COP Herrera after a 3 months absence. Much has changed here since I left: new buildings, new personnel, new regulations banning the use of Humvees vehicles and the mood in the boys of Charlie Troop.

Charlie Troop has since lost one man killed in action, and two with serious injuries. The countless ambushes and close calls has seen the men unwilling to take more risks than necessary and many were happy if missions were scrubbed. It’s hard to imagine what’s going on inside the heads of these men who are so young and yet seen brutal combat.

I’ve seen old friends and made new ones and I’m happy to be with them even though my time is limited here. I will eventually say goodbye in a week or so and move to another outpost.

Anyway, I went on a foot patrol a couple of days ago with the new MP unit here. It was a patrol combined with practical exercises for the local ANP (Afghan National Police) whom the MPs has been training. Walk, set up checkpoint, search vehicles, people, hand out leaflets and ‘tag’ military age males. You know, military stuff. Once again, my physical condition is being called into question and even though it wasn’t walking down a steep mountain and carrying lots of shit, it was rough going walking at over 2000 metres. The patrol included two females MP and the only thought going through my little head was that I can’t ‘lose’ to them! Ok, the fact that they were half my age, each with a pack, one carrying a SAW and the other an AT-4 rocket means that I cannot be a ‘malu’. Such is the pressure I face! :D

Last night, they had a fire mission with the 120mm mortars and no, I didn’t get to shoot it but got a couple of cool photos through the night vision device.

More pictures from the arty

2009-09-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

Fire in the hole!

2009-09-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

After 5 days of boredom I finally had something to do! I'm gonna keep this short as I'm tired and badly in need of a shower. First off, I went up to the shooting with a couple of guys from the artillery unit - just to shoot off some rounds. They let me have a go at the biggest, baddest sniper rifle ever: the .50 cal Barrett Sniper Rifle. It was big, long and had a surprisingly mild kick! I mean that in relation to the size of the weapon. Pretty impressive!

Then the artillery unit had a fire mission on their 105mm field gun late in the afternoon in support of a patrol base. The guys were pretty professional yet relaxed about the whole thing. And the bonus: they let me actually fire the last round! (BIG GRIN!) Now that's the biggest gun I've ever fired!

Of BBQ, flash flood and boredom

2009-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 1st September... Still in COP Wilderness

I've been here 3 days now and has yet to go on any mission and most of it is because of 'Red Air' - a term for bad weather that may prevent medevac helicopters from evacuating causalities. So the entire COP pretty much sits around and wait. Yesterday, the intrepid boys in green decided to have a BBQ/cookout and invited everyone to come over. Hamburgers, steaks, hotdogs and baked beans. Then the base got hit - with a giant thunderstorm! So intense that it caused a flash flood and took away the road and nearby bridges. From the safety of the camp the flood looked like a raging river. Now no one goes anywhere because there isn't a proper road anymore... This is the mountains and unpredictable weather, they tell you.

No rain today but the main road is still in a shambles and I'm still not getting anything done. Nothing except reading, watching videos, napping, and eating. A couple of pictures of men cleaning big guns and the local Pashtun guard by guardhouse. Maybe I'll go to the gym tomorrow.

Take a walk on the wild side

2009-08-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 29th August. COP Wilderness, Paktia Province.

What started as a normal day ended with total exhaustion, revelation and I daresay it was one of the most physically trying day in a long, long time.

So finally my orders came through and I was to get on a convoy which will take me to another outpost before being picked up for my final destination: COP Wilderness. As the name suggests it’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Our departure was delayed due to an ambush on the mountain pass but eventually we rolled out but at about halfway to the pickup point we had to dismount because an overturned truck had blocked the road. Now this was at the beginning of the KG Pass, the mountain pass that leads to Khost Province, and the terrain was rocky and steep. Well, the US Army, in its infinite wisdom, decided that instead of waiting we would climb down, over said rocky and steep terrain, to meet up with our pickup vehicles. This is where the fun part begins!

When your body hits the tender age of 40 and above it tells you every so often and this was one of those. I was fortunate that someone volunteered to carry my main pack and I was left with my small pack jammed with an extra camera, lens, hard drive, a laptop and a bunch of other shit. Now add on the body armor with protective plates, helmet and a main camera and you get the picture. It was downhill all the way, literally! My knees were trembling and weak, my breath came in short gasps, and I felt like puking. All the good living in Beijing with minimal exercises and outdoor activities has taken its toll on me. Plus being 44 didn’t help. It took forever to get down and all the while you worry about getting shot at. Granted I had Uncle Sam keeping an eye on me but that didn’t dispel my worries.

Finally I made it down without tripping, falling, puking or passing out. Walking to the waiting MRAP with wobbly legs, I told myself perhaps this should be my last embed ‘cos whether I care to admit or not, this is a young man’s game. Or maybe I’m just a whimp…

A bakery in Kabul

2009-08-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

One of the many that you will find in Kabul. They are friendly and very curious about outsiders.

FOBs, COPs and waiting..

2009-08-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Friday, 28th August, FOB Gardez

Glossary:
BAF = Bagram Air Field (main US base in Afghanistan)
COP = Combat Outpost
FB = Fire Base
FOB = Forward Operations Base
PB = Patrol Base
PX = Post Exchange. A store at a US military base selling food, clothings, etc.

Nothing to do but wait… Sometimes the military is a lot about waiting and for journalists going to different bases in eastern Afghanistan, it’s mostly waiting for clear weather in the mountain passes and sometimes the availability of Apache gunships escort into hot zone. One Italian journalist was apparently stuck at a FOB for 10 days before he got a ride out and he spent most of it watching movies (I heard about 4 movies a day). Now that’s legendary!

Most bases, with the exception of small COPs and FBs, are pretty well set up. There is usually a small PX, barbershop, café, a recreational room with Internet and phone facility (aka MWR), and a gym. Of course the further away one gets from the main hub the more ‘primitive’ it gets. As such, waiting is not such big deal but the boredom can be very trying.

Once you get to your assigned base things begin to get much better as you settle in and get to establish some sort of routine. Now you would think that it’s action time but the reality is that on most days, you go on patrols or attend a local tribal meeting and then return to base all tired, dusty and hungry and realized that you have nothing much to write home about. In other words, reporting from the frontline is never a guarantee for action. However, having said that there are bases that get shot at every other day and I guess you would spend half the time keeping your head down. So take yer pick!

Dear Mom: War is Hell!!

2009-08-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

War, indeed, is hell on earth... Today, I learned that a young soldier I met in May on my last week of the embed was killed in action in July. He was young, easy going, and always with a ready smile. He was one of the first soldier I photographed when I was attached to Charlie Platoon in COP Herrera. Today, I pay my respect and tribute to Nicolas Gideon, a young lad sent to a foreign land to fight a war that shouldn't have been and didn't make it home. Today is the first time someone I know died a combat death... May Gideon's soul rest in peace.

Election Day Photos! Finally!

2009-08-23T04:57:00.001-07:00

--
It's not always easy to stand aside and be unable to do anything except record the sufferings around one. - Robert Capa

Back in Afghanistan!!

2009-08-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

21st August 2009, Kabul

Finally, I'm back in Afghanistan and enjoying my first few days in Kabul. I honestly didn't know that I would be back so soon...ok, I lied because I think maybe I did plan to do so sometime before 2009 makes an exit! :D

Anyway, after visa hassles, bummed flights, expensive overseas calls, stressful days and nights later, I finally found myself on a flight from Beijing to Urumqi (Xinjiang) and a connection to Kabul. That is currently the best connection for those living in China without having to go through a third country. Don't ask me why Urumqi, of all the places, but it is an odd choice and the Afghan national airline flies there once a week. Another airline, Kam Air, just started its Kabul-Urumqi route only to have its inauguration flight turned back by the Chinese authority en-route with no explanation except for a ‘possible bomb alert’! Isn’t life full of zeal and fun?!

20 August - Election Day

Well, I arrived to the eerily quiet streets of Kabul and no incidents were reported except for one shoot-out in the morning. The low turnout by voters was a disappointment for almost everyone concerned and but not surprising considering the fact that the Talibs threatened voters with violence… Anyway, here are some photos and I did get my 15 mins of 'fame' and rub shoulders with presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah. He's running against current president Kazai and they both just declared victory... Oh, I neglected to mention that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan just started so that means no water and food for most of the day. *sigh*

Action!

2009-05-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

12th May, COP Herrera.

Last night was a complete buzz as we apparently had good intel that the Talibans were going to hit the District Compound (DC) again. There was a pandemonium of men prepping their personal weapons and loading the humvees with ammo and heavy weapons. Then we waited and waited and were told to stand down but be ready. So the intel wasn’t too solid after all! Darn!

You see, last Friday night there was contact with a fairly large force of Taliban fighters that attacked the DC. They were actually trying to overrun the compound, which also houses the Afghan National Police and firefight ensued.

Now, Charlie Platoon had earlier set off in the direction of the next village and was hoping to pick up a guy who was suspected to have ties with the enemy. Just as they had set up an OP when they heard RPG and rifle fires. The firefight had just begun!

The Talibans were expecting to overrun the compound without too much resistance. Heck! They even got inside at one point! They had about 30 fighters surrounding the compound when mortars started to rain down on them from the Americans’ position. For the next three hours, all hell broke loose! An airstrike was called in and a couple of A-10 showed up dropping two 500lbs bombs and strafing the attackers.

First light came and the surviving Afghan Police and the Americans started looking for the enemies in the surrounding hillsides. They recovered nine bodies and captured a heavily wounded. There were three police officers wounded and no US casualty.

So that was Friday night/Saturday morning. Today we heard that more bodies were found and the now the tally stands at 21 Taliban insurgents killed. By now, we had truly pissed off the local Taliban cadre and hence the single rocket attack on our base two nights ago and the rumors on an impending attack last night. Now I heard through the grapevine that this rather large force of insurgents are really mad at us and intend to hit us sometime within this week. Welcome to COP Herrera!

BTW, a Taliban spokeman (whoever the heck he is) claimed responsibility for the attack and stated officially that there were only 2 - TWO - insurgents killed in that attack! :D

Heating up!

2009-05-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

Just as I was about to settle in for the evening with a movie on my laptop when I heard a loud thump. Hmmm... rocket attack or someone just dropped something heavy? No sirens but lots of noise outside. So I peered outside and men were running around and someone shouted, "Incoming"! Yikes!

Grab my body armor, helmet on, and my trusty camera. Well, if a round were to destroy my laptop no biggy but I have to ensure the survival of my rice-bowl. We were supposed to go to the nearest bunker but I went to the TOC (Tactical Ops Centre) instead. Nothing so far - only one round. We figured it was probably in retailation for the failed attack they (the Talibans) carried out two nights ago when they try to overrun the sub-governor's compound only to run unexpectedly into an American unit on patrol.

Many mortar rounds, an airstrike and nearly three hours of firefight later the TBs withdrew leaving behind nine dead and one captured.

Makes for great reading!

Last photos...

2009-05-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Finally these are a couple of photos taken from the village we went into and two photos taken in FOB Gardez.

A little of everything...

2009-05-08T08:33:00.001-07:00

And here's a little of everything...

Out in the sticks

2009-05-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

My first patrol with the 40th Cavalry Reg, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Inf Div.

Day 2, Combat Outpost Herrera

2009-05-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Getting to COP Herrera was a real pain in the arse! Literally, I swear!

So I finally left Sharana after a 5 days wait for a helicopter ride to FOB Gardez. Many of the non-military helicopters were flown by civilians and managed by private companies. It was a 20 mins flight through some amazing country, and I keep telling myself that if one day Afghanistan were to become safe and peaceful again, I would come back as a tourist!

Gardez is a much smaller base built around two traditional Afghan courtyard houses with a local cemetery within its compound. "The Talibans don't hit the base because of the cemetery", I was told by my liaison officer. Now that's reassuring but means that I don't going wandering around too much at night! I had hardly settled into my little earthen room when I was told that I would be put on a convoy the next day to COP Herrera since I've requested to be assigned to a more 'action-packed' base.

So after a grueling 7 hours ride in the most uncomfortable model of the MRAP ever produced, I finally arrived in COP Herrera right close to the Pakistani border. Heck, I can even see the mountains of Pakistan from the base! Herrera is TINY although I've been told that there are smaller bases that this. A little over 100 US troops manned this outpost and we are nearly 3000m up in the mountain. There are no PX, no barber, no coffee shop, and no post office here. Just the troops, a chow hall, gym and internet facility. Yes, my friends, I'm truly out in the sticks. At least we still have hot showers so that's a consolation.

Day 2 - I'm assigned to one of the recon patrol and we will be visiting a village in the hope of talking to or picking up some suspected insurgents. Since this is the unit first visit everyone was told to be as non-aggressive as possible. "We don't want to make unnecessary enemies", said the LT to me.

The village council rep was there but seems reluctant to take us to see the people on our list so we have to come back another day. Remember 'non-aggressive'! Then off we went to the Afghan-Pakistan border and what a sight! The landscape is really beautiful but remote. How strange that three years ago, I looked into Afghanistan from the Pakistani border and now I looked into Pakistan from the Afghan side. Someday, I really have to come back and backpack through this country!

After a couple of hours talking, drinking chai and inspecting the border crossing and another border outpost we left feeling tired but in good spirits.

Another day stuck in Sharana

2009-05-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

So here I am trying to get a helo flight out to another FOB north of Sharana but the flight has been cancelled 3 times so far! Reasons? Bad weather! Kinda makes you think when the most powerful military in the world cancel their flights for bad weather... However, from their standpoint, safety takes priority over everything else.

Certainly a frustrating thing but part of the whole embed experience. Be prepared to wait out on missions, flights and other stuff. I am sorry to say this but being an embed media is not all action and glory! :D

More pics...

2009-04-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

From the day we intercepted the IED outside Sharan.

Pics from the patrol.

2009-04-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

Going on patrol with the 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment outside Sharan.

On Patrol!

2009-04-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Finally I get to go on a patrol with Blackfoot Company. It was an annual Victory Day for Afghanistan in celebration of the departure of the Russians so we expected to have contacts.

When we left the FOB it was on the radio that an Afghan Army outpost had a firefight with about 40 TBs! As our MRAPs raced towards the contact point we were told that we were not needed as the Afghan Special Forces already dealt with it. Disappointment! The boys of the 501st really wanted to get into a firefight!

Off to FOB Rushmore to rest up when we got another call to investigate an IED. We turned around and had just about left town when we were told that it was a false alarm. Another wave of disappointment swept through the ranks. We returned to Rushmore for lunch and sat around for a bit when we got called on again to investigate an IED. However, this time it was the real deal!

We were able to hook up with the Afghan Army that actually found the IED and found that it was across a small river with a high bank. The MRAPs couldn't make it through so we had to wade across the cold river. Ha! River crossing! The area was finally secured and the EOD guys were called in to deal with it. I'd leave out the details and can only say that by the time we were done it was nightfall. The Afghan army guys with us were getting really antsy at this time and the commander was screaming for us to leave as he was afraid of running into more IEDs and possible ambush. Yea... their anxiety got to me a little but I figured that we were rather well protected in the monster vehicles so what the heck. However, my wet boots and pants didn't keep me happy and I was pretty bushed by then from wearing that body armor and carrying cameras all day.

Finally, we packed up and drove back to Sharana. This was the most exciting day so far in my embed and for the boys of Blackfoot too! I must say that the province which I am in has been really quiet so far and that in itself can be a blessing!

Range day on Friday!

Some pics from today

2009-04-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Being an embed

2009-04-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

So this is my 5th day as a media embed in FOB Sharana (Forward Operation Base). It was what I imagined and it wasn't but nevertheless, it has been interesting for the most part. So what is it like?

Since I was the first media attached to the PRT Paktika (Provincial Reconstruction Team)they have been pretty nice to me, assigned a room to myself (it was kinda their storage space), fixed me up with replacement parts for some of my kit and had managed to get me out on mission, albeit humanitarian ones, almost every other day.

My room is pretty simple but the toilet is outside and the nearest one is 30m away. The shower is even further but manageable. The only consolation is that whenever we go out on missions, the rally point is just next to my barrack. The chow hall is on a smaller scale than that on Bagram AB and the food is 99.9% American - maybe a chow mien and Chinese style veggies once in a while. AND We can eat as much as we want. SO food wise, I'm well taken care of but I must confess that I am missing non-American food terribly!

Going out on missions is pretty straightforward as this is a PRT so most of what they do is humanitarian stuff like helping with constructions, hospitals, schools and sometimes mediate between feuding parties. There has been a couple of attacks in the nearby town of Sharan but nothing on the FOB. When we go outside the wire (outside the base) it's usually in a convoy of MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles. Go read about them in Wikipedia and I've experienced nearly all the problems listed! :D Nearly tipping over and getting stuck in mud is pretty common!

The boys providing security are pretty good guys. Most are very young and even a couple of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are no more than 26 years old which makes me a dinosaur. Even though there were a lot of cynicism among the more experienced troopers most believed in what they were doing. I think there is a huge disparity between what we read in the media, how things are being done here within the political context and what the average ground troops are facing each day they operate in this hostile environment.

So what am I like when I go out on a shoot? Well, usually all decked out in body armor, helmet, photo gear and water. Pretty simple but boy, wearing body armor and a helmet for 4 - 5 hours can wreck your body. Most of the soldiers eventually have to deal with knee, back and neck problems.

So much for a personal insight... I've requested to join a combat patrol should one come up and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Apparently the south of Paktika is experiencing lots of problems with IEDs.

Until the next time!
psst... the rifle I was holding is only for show! I'm NOT armed when I go on shoots. Just to look good here! Honestly!

2009-04-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Out in the country...

2009-04-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 21 April, FOB Sharana

Hallelujah! At 3.30 am as promised, all six of us journalists got picked up by the media van for a short ride to the flight line. Two newsmen from Fox News, a young freelance photog from Action Press, a seasoned print veteran from Le Monde, a Polish writer for the Polish Army magazine and me formed the motley crew. The check-in terminal was full of very sleepy soldiers and civvies waiting for their flight out.

So, 3 hours later we were still waiting at the departure ‘gate’ wondering if the flight was ever going to take off, as the weather is anything but great. Finally our flight was called and we shuffled towards a waiting C-130 transport aircraft. A single file in and we took our seat. The flight was uneventful except when the pilot decided to pull a very sharp turn and today, I truly understood the meaning of ‘g-force’! Oh, it was a minor g-force turn but we still sank into our seats and our hearts leapt into our throats!

Soon we landed and were chaperoned into the terminal by the media rep. So it turned out that we will all be going to different places and that means another flight out… but this time in a helicopter! Hurray! I’ve always wanted to ride in a helo and now it’s a dream come true. The first sign of things to come was when the powerful downward wash from the approaching CH-47 Chinook threatened to blow me away except that I was too weighted down by my body armor and helmet.

The first 10 minutes was fun, exciting, and OMG-I’m-riding-in-helicopter thrilling! Then the cold became very noticeable. My butt started to hurt from all that weight. Then the ‘joyous’ helicopter ride became unbearable! We flew and flew and flew. Picked some soldiers up, dropped some soldiers off, out of the aircraft for refueling, back in, more pickups and finally, after two grueling hours, the crew chief told me to get off. My stop: FOB Sharana!

Sharana probably looks like most of the bigger American bases in Afghanistan filled with helipads, runways, armored vehicles, mess hall, a PX, KBR, and coffee shop, etc. I got squared away pretty quickly and then was told to get ready for a mission first thing tomorrow morning! Ok, I must confess that the ‘mission’, as far as I can gather, would be a humanitarian one so no action would be expected. Tomorrow will be a brand new day…

Wednesday, 22nd April, FOB Sharana

It was a beautiful day to go out on a mission with a clear blue and nearly cloudless sky overhead. Mission briefing was held outside PRT Paktika (Provincial Reconstruction Team) barracks which also happens to be where my room was located. The convoy was divided into 4 MRAPs, a squad of soldiers, a couple of Afghan interpreters, and two civvies including myself. MRAPs are Mine Resistance Ambush Protected Vehicles and they are designed to survive an IED attack. We would be going out to Matakhan district to inspect a school and to check out a culvert under construction. I was assigned the last vehicle with ‘Bob’, a young, polite Afghan interpreter originally hailed from Kabul, and PFC Malcolm. Climbing into the tiny cabin space of the MRAP was a real pain when you are wearing body armor, helmet, and carrying two cameras! Thank God journalists are not expected to be carrying arms and ammo too! Finally with instructions to strap in real tight and to help the turret gunner with ammo should the need arise we were off! Hmmm… that would be real interesting.

The convoy set off and we bumped and grinded our way slowly to Matakhan. The MRAP is so heavily armored that it could only crawl along on what must be the worse road in this part of Afghanistan. I must rate it as one of the most unpleasant ride I’ve ever had! We finally arrived in Matakhan and got off right outside the school. There were only boys there and some had proper classrooms while others can only sit outside in the sun while the teacher taught with a portable blackboard and chalk. They were very curious about the presence of the foreigners and although some were friendly most of them were standoffish. Some did throw rocks at PFC Malcolm (who was assigned as my escort) and me.

All went well without any incident and we went on our way to the culvert. Suddenly, our vehicle seems to tilt violently to the right. We just got ourselves stuck in a ditch and the tall MRAP is in the danger of tipping over! We froze and hang on for our dear lives while another vehicle came around to winch us out of the ditch! That was a close call!

Finally we reached our objective and the engineer, together with a civilian consultant, talked to the village elders on the problem at hand. Nothing dramatic happened there and we wrapped things up pretty soon and started back for Sharana.

‘Bob’, the terp (interpreter) and the PFC told me it was the worse road they have ever been on! A rather memorable first mission!

Bagram Blog

2009-04-20T09:18:00.002-07:00

Sunday, 19th April

So I made it safely to Bagram Air Base (BAF), the biggest US/Coalition military facility in Afghanistan. The trip from Kabul was relatively uneventful punctuated only by the numbers of potholes in the road. Yet I was a little too tense to actually fall asleep during the ride, like I normally do when I ride in a vehicle.

We drove into Bagram under the watchful eyes of the Afghan Army. Helicopters and other jets were flying overhead while the odd armored vehicles patrolled the streets. Stepping into BAF was like going into another world. Military and other support vehicles ruled the roads while rifle toting men and women moved around. After being assigned a bunk my first act was to check out the PX. Ha! Shopping paradise! Ok, you can't really get EVERYTHING here but what was there served their purpose. It was like being in a small slice of America and 'Wal-Mart' was the biggest place to shop except that it's staff by Americans, Pakistanis, Afghans, Nepalese, Tajiks and it's tax-free. Oh! by the way, most of the shoppers are armed.

There's a barber, tailor, sports store, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen and a little American style diner. Well, you get the drift... One thing for sure, people are very well-fed on the base and if I had to stay here for my entire embed I would probably come back weighing more than when I left!

Monday, 20th April

It's 7.30 p.m. and we were finally told that the flight to our assigned base would be happening tomorrow morning and to be ready by 3.30 a.m. with our kit, body armor and helmet. That's going to be an interesting flight...

2009-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Kabul Impression

2009-04-18T13:42:00.000-07:00

Kabul… the name itself invokes a near mystical connotation of romances from the hippie’s trail of the 60s. How I envy those who were fortunate enough to have seen Afghanistan and Kabul in her heydays!

Kabul (and certainly all of Afghanistan) has been ravaged by more than 30 years of warfare. Although those whom I’ve spoken to seems to have different opinions of which era of the warring period is ‘better’ I feel an underlying current of resentment to the presence of the current crop of occupying foreign armies - most notably the Americans…

Take a walk in Kabul and you will see big SUVs full of bodyguards and their charges zipping by, enormous concrete barricades, concertina wires, open sewers, and INSANE traffic. Pedestrian crossings are either non-existent or for show and the lack of traffic lights make it so much worse. Trying not to get run over is definitely higher on the list than kidnapping or suicide bombing!

It is unfortunate that the reconstruction is going too slowly for most of the people in the country. Kabul, with all the international aids pouring in, seems to have seen very little of that: corruption is such a way of life here for the officials that it even puts China to shame.

However, the one thing that struck me most among all these was the resilience of the people. They make do! They survive! And yet they still find time to smile at a foreign (ok…I actually mean Asian as I’m referring to myself) face, offer tea and a chat.

Anyway, this is my last night here and I leave for Bagram Air Base tomorrow to report in for my embed. Stay cool, people!

Kabu'er (Kabul in Mandarinspeak)!

2009-04-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, yes! When you see many white UN 4x4s, dusty roads, lots of soldiers, security forces armed to the teeth, you know you are in Afghanistan.

Leaving Urumqi, I can't help but feel a little queasy about the trip. Sure, many journalists who has gone before me had survived and brought back many great photos and stories but somehow this being my first brought butterflies storming in my gut.

I don't know where the Afghans train their pilots but mine pulled flying stunts that would put any flying acrobatic teams to shame! I never knew a passenger jet can make such sharp turns!

Kabul is exactly as I envisioned: dusty, pockmarked, many talib-lookalike, and lots of men with guns. Embassies look more like fortresses than a diplomatic compounds with layered blockages, heavily fortified gates, concertinas and armed guards. The money here is the Afghanis or greenbacks. People are really friendly although one can never be too careful. However, I have faith in people and if someone's going to do you in it would be pretty obvious.

Tomorrow will be my first full day in Kabul and I will be off exploring the local markets...

2009-04-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

'Last' day in China

2009-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

My 'last' day in China before I get on an Ariana Afghan Airlines flight to Kabul on the morrow. The dodgy office where I got my tickets didn't inspire any confidence. The airline brochure that included an article on the aircraft they have and the fact that one of its kind 'operated by the American Airlines was stolen in Luanda Airport... and now believed to be operated by terrorists and/or smugglers.' didn't ease my mind. *sigh*

This adventure of mine to go to Afghanistan on an embed assignment is beginning to appear like a foolhardy idea! More later.