Afghanistan Through My Eyes: around the FOB Fenty and Joyce

There are plenty of people to meet and photo opportunities to be had on FOB's. Especially walking around with a camera, I just sort of instigate conversation...most of the time in a direct manner like, who are you and what are you taking pictures of?

Everyone has a job. SPL Tyler Ogden, from Salem Oregon is a medic. He's sitting on a gurney in the Trauma Center that up until this moment of reprieve was full of casualties for 24 hours.

Here is an MP with their dog waiting for the CSM of the Army to arrive.

Of course the Army has lots of photographers. Here is Trey Harvey (I didn't get his rank) who is considered a combat camera.

The 4 4 has their own PAO photographer SPL Rainey

On my way over to FOB Joyce I got to fly with Maj Hank...the dog

On FOB Joyce I ran into PV2 Charles Hittle from Yukon, Oklahoma. This is his 1st deployment.

 And I ran into these two soldiers sitting outside taking a break on FOB Fenty.

There are lots of interesting people in the small town community of a Forward Operating Base. Eventually you meet everyone...some soldiers you get to know, others keep to themselves, just serving their time as quietly as possible.

Afghanistan through My Eyes - Ceremony

One of my favorite things about the military is the pomp and circumstance...the ceremony. I believe a great attraction for young people to sign up for service is that if they perform and perform well, they will be rewarded with a promotion or a medal or both. For these GI's it is validation of a year of their lives spent elsewhere trying to make a difference even against all odds.

But other people on the FOB make a difference and are honored too with coins and medals. I can't show pictures of everyone, but there is a group called Human Terrain that strives to understand the culture and give insight to the military. Then there are the interpreters who risk their lives sneaking onto the FOB trying to make a difference in their country by doing what they believe makes a difference.

And there is also the State Department.

Here is a photo of Anna who has done some amazing work.

On her right is CSM Spano and to her left is Col Kim of the 25th Division, Bronco's.

One of Anna's projects, Teen Teach, shows how eager the Afghan children are to learn English. It was originally slated for 800 students, but almost 2000 showed up. This is really inspiring and gives you some insight into Jalalabad and the children there. Please watch this.
click here

Here is a picture of John, who actually received a medal for his fine work. He will be joining his family back in the states soon and looks forward to all living on one continent for a change.

I know the State Department gets a bad rap especially with the release of the book: We Meant Well, but the people I met, really do mean well and want to help from the inside out. It's relentless work and dangerous, but the rewards they receive after a year or two or five, is only they hope they have made a difference.

Perhaps one of the most profound things I realized on this trip is that, we are there to help a society to achieve their dreams and hopes and these achievements most likely will not be our vision of this success. 

Afghanistan through My Eyes - Green Bean Anyone?

On some of the bases in Afghanistan there are PizzaHuts but for the most part FOB's and COP's don't get a lot of fast food. We rely on the DEFAC for everything. It's pretty good, there is always fresh lettuce for salads, a choice of meats, chicken made over in several ways and pudding. Usually, a huge tub of vanilla pudding that I play a game with. I would always wonder at each meal, what would the tub of vanilla pudding be put next too...it never made any sense and would show up next to the salad, bin of hard boiled eggs, next to the bacon, who knew where it would appear. It was one of my only sources of entertainment. Pretty bad huh!

We also always had ice cream, curtesy of Baskin Robbins. We could make sundaes and top cake or pie with it. Some got creative and put the ice cream between two cookies...one person who shall remain nameless, but is infamous for this, tried to toast his chocolate chip cookies first...which made more than a big mess.

You know when your FOB really has made it when it gets a Green Bean coffee shop.

They serve a mean espresso chai latte.











Here are the two servers on FOB Fenty

Tonny and Lloyd

Barristas on Joyce

The best place to be to learn what is going on is at the Green Bean. Most times I would get the scoop on information and arrive at the PAO in the morning asking questions.  Everyone hangs out at the Green Bean smoking, playing pingpong or pool or watching a movie or the news on the TV inside from it's opening hours to it's closing moment's. 

I'd like to say you could close your eyes, sip your latte and imagine you were someplace else with the sun kissing your face and a cool breeze, but then a helo would land or you'd hear the unmistakeable sound of a drone taking off or the gunfire would bring you right back to the war.

Afghanistan through My Eyes - Afghans on Fenty

Fenty has lots of Afghan's on base. They are all very considerate of the military and embrace the American way of life. They run the Haji shops that sell everything from pirated DVD's for a few dollars to handcrafted fine jewelry.

Mahmoud at Mohammad's designs and crafts the best jewelry here on FOB Fenty. He wanted me to say how he wishes everyone gets peace and to thank the US Military.

Rasul works the other side of the shop selling everything else.

Here is an amazing selection of carpets. The silk carpet the proprietor is standing on is one I liked, but at $900.00 it was too much for this poor writer. Unfortunately I've misplaced his business card while unpacking.

Mujahid, Mohammad, Nadar and Sangar run the laundry. There are tricks to making your laundry come out better, like add your own detergent in your bag. But they do the best job they can with the water quality they have and if you're nice they'll do a pretty good job folding.  The turn around time is 24 hours and it's free.  Of course there's always the pen that gets left in and ruins everything...like my last load.

It's an interesting community on a FOB. 

Afghanistan through My Eyes - SMA Raymond Chandler

At Fenty we were honored to have Sergeant Major Raymond Chandler the 14th Sergeant Major of the Army come and give a town hall meeting for the soldiers. He presented his coin to soldiers of merit and also gave all the soldiers an opportunity to ask questions.

He talked about all kinds of issues from sexual harassment, to PT (physical training) standards and even brought a prototype of the new uniforms.

A soldier gets the opportunity to inspect the uniform up close and personal.

Soldiers at ease with their coins. 

The SM spoke about the imminent changes in the Army because of the downsizing. Soldiers who don't pass the standards will be out. He encouraged all the soldiers to work as if they wanted to earn a promotion if they wanted to stay in.

Lean and mean is what I'm saying. I like it.