As soon as you want to leave the camp with a vehicle you need a driving order with a detailed description of the route. The reason for that is simple. The command staff need to be informed at all times which forces are moving or where they are located in order to be able to coordinate them or others if needed. Therefore, it is also mandatory to report your status every hour.
Due to Armin´s vehicle already being packed with him, two other soldiers and the interpreter (a local Afghan person who is able to translate the Afghan languages and whose background is checked by our military counter intelligence service), I had to join the convoy with my own vehicle. Before starting we had a detailed brief about the route, how to act in various threatening situations and our individual roles in case of enemy contact.
The first planned destination would be the ALI-ABAD outpost where the German Bundeswehr was operating together with Afghan national police. That is the first place where they use the mentioned fuel operated generators I wanted to take a look at. After that we planned to go to a printing house in POL-E-KHOMRI that was printing flyers for the upcoming elections of the afghan parliament. From there we would head back to our camp.
Next morning at 0900 we get ready to deploy. I put on my bullet proof vest, my helmet, lock and load my rifle, do a radio check and move to the vehicles waiting already with running engines. We start. The afghan guards are opening the gates and we turn on the main exit road. The holes on the way are as big as truck tires and I have to drive carefully to avoid them. The streets are full. Not filled with cars but with donkey carts. Children playing in the street holes filled with yesterdays’ rain. "Wow, what a cool pool!" comes to my mind in the first place. But shortly after I realize how sad this picture actually is. How sad it is that these children don´t have proper playgrounds.
The tour is done without any negative inncidents and we arrive back at camp late evening. The following days will be packed with lots of work. Due to the mentioned elections our contingent gets stocked up both in personnel and material. To house the planned amount of people we had to rearrange certain structures of the camp. I knew that in nearby future such short notice requirements won’t be a problem anymore since the new depot at the airport was almost done and was about to become operational at the beginning of 2006.
Since the beginning of the ISAF mission in 2001 not only did the manpower increased over and over again, but also the combat equipment and all the support related material, which of course, had to be stocked up multiple times.
Regarding all my tasks already described, you can imagine how fast the time went by. Days, weeks and months were just flying by. Sometimes strange things happened along the not so thrilling everyday tasks, like containers which were actually addressed to KABUL suddenly turning up at our camp while others addressed to us somehow popped up in FEYZABAD.
But sometimes and all of a sudden good things also happen. One day I could not believe my eyes when Bridadier General A. shows up for inspecting the unit and I recognize him to be that Officer from back then tasting cake fudge in my field kitchen years ago. Now and then I also got the chance to join the transportation platoon at the airport and help them to load and unload the arriving and departing airlifters. There are airlifters coming in every day and night. This work takes a whole day although the airport is only less than 8 km away. Since the inspection of the transportation platoon is also part of my main duties I started to use this opportunity to get out of the camp as often as possible for a little variation.
A few days later I got the chance to join the supply transportation flight to FEYZABAAD with a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter that I was more than happy about in order to get some new impressions. FEYZABAD is about 1200 meters above zero.
waiting for material from Germany
Normally, supply transportation is made via local so-called jingle trucks on the land route. For the distance of 240 km these trucks need about eight to ten hours because of the poor road conditions, you just cannot compare them to the ones back home. But on these routes, it is not possible to transport sensitive or dangerous material. In these cases, airlift capacities are used. The flight proceeds without any incidents. I am placed next to the door gunner to secure the zone to the back and below the helicopter.
The CH-53 is flying as low as possible over fields and mountain tops and offers us an incredible view on the afghan nature. Once landed we stay only half an hour till everything is unloaded and loaded with stuff for us and head back immediately to KUNDUZ. It´s already noon when we arrive at the airport and it´s awfully hot, feeling like 45 degrees Celsius or more. Once our material and field mail is unloaded I receive a cold bottle of water which I gratefully empty within seconds. At home I have to force down every sip, but in Afghanistan I drank 4 to 5 liters for sure.
flight with CH-53 to Feyzabad
6. Support from Austria
In addition to all our tasks there was another huge challenge that had an effect on all of us. The Afghan elections on the 18th of September. They were the first free elections for this country’s people since 1988 in which they had to vote for the 249 seats in the parliament as well as for the provincial authorities. For the first time women were also given the right to vote and to run for the representing positions. Among the 2800 candidates were 330 women. Due to the threats by the Taliban, other terrorist militias and opposing forces against these elections the ISAF forces had the order to secure the preparation and execution of these elections. Therefore, we received support by the Austrian Response Forces Team (AUCON3 / ISAF). This Austrian contingent consisted of 85 men and was put under German command. For the duration of their mission they were hosted by us in the camp.
The teamwork with our Austrian comrades was characterized by professionalism and yes, you may call it harmony, which was clearly due to a similar cultural background and both our nations speaking the same language. My impression was confirmed by Armin who had to work with them outside the camp on a daily basis and like me had the chance to join my Austrian colleagues for patrolling KUNDUZ city one time.
This patrol was one of the most intense experiences I had outside the base. We began our way from the direction of the Atzbeigi Mosque, along the Spinzar company which was the biggest supplier for cotton in whole Afghanistan those days. The people, especially the youngsters and the children greeted us in heartwarming ways, giving us the feeling of being welcome. It’s a wonderful but also strange feeling that is spreading through my whole body thinking of what we were told during pre-mission training of being in the back sight every moment of our mission. I have to mention that in those days it was possible for us to perform patrols without heavily armored vehicles. This changed rapidly the following years.
Austrian soldiers on patrol
One of the most fascinating things was the alignment of the streets where the merchants were offering their goods. It was so different from how it is at home, where you have stores or the weekly markets, where there is one tent with fruits and vegetables and at another you would find cheese. In Afghanistan you have one street where you find fabric of all variations and colours. Another only for all types of meat. Another only with coal and wood. And so on and so on. Heads of cow and sheep hanging in front of doors or being presented on tables. As said, it is absolutely incomparable with Europe.
Being as different as it is, it’s working out well. Goods are cooled with ice cubes as it was done for hundreds of years. Being a qualified cook, my heart bet like hell when I saw and smelled all those exotic seasonings offered in one of the streets. The Pakistani / Indian influence is obvious in the afghan culinary culture. The most favored seasoning in afghan cuisine is Garam Masala, which is a mixture of Safron, Cinnamon, Mint, Caraway seed, Pepper and Chili. Other much appreciated seasonings in Afghanistan such as Dill, Coriander and Cloves are proof of the Persian and Arabic influence. This country could be a paradise to me, if it was not for the serious cause of my presence there.
A few days