Hello Everyone,
Well, I can happily tell you that we got an extension of a couple of weeks for training. This is a very good thing, because the ANA were just not ready to go downrange as they say. In any case, training has gotten better, and things are really coming along. Today, we took them to the range, and they did much better than we thought they would--they all shot in the right direction and nobody got hurt. Sometimes training these guys is like trying to heard cats, but other times it is quite rewarding. The other day, we were filling out requests for supplies with two ANA officers, and they told me they wanted a speedy car. I couldn't help laughing, but they were dead serious. So now, I call them Crocket and Tubbs, but they don't get the joke. It is tough enough just trying to get them radios, much less a speedy car, but they insisted it was very important. I suppose they want to run moonshine or something.
We are writing to Motorola to see if they will send us some radios real cheap. I can't believe the bastards from KBR who serve us food get paid $80,000, but we can't get radios for ourselves or the ANA. We are going to go to downtown Kabul and buy our own walkie talkies this week. It makes me sick. We get just $150.00 per month for supplies, that is not enough to buy our bullets. Oh well, I guess we go to war with the things we have not the things we want. Enough bitching, on to the pictures:


Sand Storm
This is a sandstorm blowing into town, my first. They are nasty and even blot out the sun.
Lumber Yard
This is an afghan lumber yard, notice the houses on the hill in the background. There are no streets that go up there, just steps carved into the hillside.
Downtown Kabul
Downtown Kabul
River
The beautiful Kabul river that flows through the center of downtown.Believe it or not, many people actually drink this water.
Water Buffaloes
I love this picture!!!These are two water buffalos--look at the license plate KABUL 124955.
Julien Patrol
Following a Canadian patrol back to Camp Julien, the front of the old palace is in the background.
Green Fields
I was amazed to see green fields.These are located right next to the soccer stadium famous for all the public beheadings that the Taliban committed. I am trying to get a picture of the stadium itself, but have not been able to.
Mural
This is a mural painted on a wall just outside of Camp Julien. Afghanistan has been all war all the time for some thirty years now. The mural is painted on the wall of a building that was demolished during the civil war. It is a painting of cannons.
Kings Wall
Last, but not least. Along the top of the hill are the remains of a wall the divided all of Kabul into two parts. It was even run over all of the hills. At the time, Afghanistan had two kings, and they divided the city evenly between them. Now, no such peaceful solutions exist, everyone wants to fight it out. What a shame, such a beautiful country.
Well, that is it for now. When I have some more, I will be sure to send it.Take care,
SONNY

After Thought: After being down range for nearly six months using walkie talkies that my Uncle sent us, the New National Guard HQ came in and distributed the radios that were already there to everyone--they also made sure we got some uparmored HUMMERs and machine guns. The new Sergeant Major was a good man, unlike the one before him, and he actually came to visit us down range to see what we needed. He asked questions about our operations and he made a sincere effort to get us the supplies we needed.
The original brigade Sergeant Major was a kiss ass and a suck up who didn't give a damn about the troops downrange--only about making his general happy. When I got angry about our supplies and treatment downrange, he tried to accuse me of suffering from PTSD--he actually told people that I had lost it!!. He had been a friend of mine from earlier, but he betrayed me in Afghanistan and I will never forget it!