Hello Everyone, Well, our second mission was given to us by the dreaded MOD (Ministry of Defense), which is filled with idiots, because it is the dumbest mission I have ever been on. Basically, we were to provide security for the big Mujahideen parade that celebrates the Russian withdrawal. To MOD, this meant scattering our battalion to the four winds without any communications or coordinations. The plan was just to put platoons on hilltops, which to you military people is obviously very useless if those platoons do not have any radios. They even stuck a mortar platoon on a hill in the middle of Kabul without any radios. The cynical side of me was hoping that they would just start mortaring MOD's facilities. In addition to this, MOD had no plan to feed them or get them water. Basically, we ETTs had to run around all day taking care of these guys at different locations.
A bunch of fat MOD jerks were at one of my platoon's positions when I came up, they were all beaming with delight at their plan. I began to ask them questions like What happens if this platoon gets attacked?What is the medical evacuation plan? Who do they call if they see something suspicious, and with what?" "Has anyone coordinated with the ISAF international forces, who could mistake us for the enemy? Of course they became very sour because they did not know. Then they began yelling at the Company Commander as if it was his fault. I told them that they were incompetent. Imagine that, a sergeant screaming at a bunch of high level generals.
The second part of MOD wonderful plan was to have squads scattered about running TCPs (Traffic Control Points), which anyone who has been to a third world country is familiar with. Essentially, guys with guns searching cars for contraband. The TCPs at least had radio contact with their Company HQ, although they did not have enough batteries to last more than one day of a six day mission. Our guys do this pretty well, but they had no water or food, so we ran from point to point bringing water. The plus side is that we got to drive all over southern Kabul, and it is quite beautiful, as you will see from the pictures.
Since no planning took place, we ETTs had to run around all day taking care of these guys at different locations. We did not get a chance to supervise the ANA, and it quickly disintegrated into Boy Scout style camping. They pitched tents and made fires on their hilltops. I can not believe how unprofessional this army is, and they fight us every step of the way to make them better.
The final straw that almost made me kill someone at MOD was the Lavender Valley, which should be called the Lavender Canyon. We got intel that there were Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in the canyon. Thus, MOD told us to take a squad size patrol there and set up a TCP. Well, the only communications we had were small radios that we had to buy with our own money, and my personal cell phone. Neither of these worked in the canyon, and we were on a little one way road with a river to our left and steep mountains to our right. I have never been so nervous in all of my life. Forget about enemy activity, if we just got caught up in the mud we would have been stuck there with no way out and no way to contact anyone. We drove about 20 cliques through this canyon, which was absolutely beautiful by the way, through small towns. I am sorry I did not get any pictures. The ANA guys were all very nervous and edgy. Finally, we got to a point where we could turn around and drive back down the same road. We had ten ANA guys and the two of us, very lucky no one attacked us. We did get very mean looks from everyone, but thank god no action, because we would have been toast. If we had been a platoon size element, or had better communications, I would not have been worried. But I felt like a big target. The PL and us agreed not take anything smaller than a platoon down there again.
The other platoons worked in areas where the people were very friendly, and CPT Oles and I were very happy to drive through the back roads giving candy to little children. Everyone waved and one man even came to us shouting he loves us. Sorry for all the babble, on to the pictures.

The southern view from one of our Platoon's patrol bases (camping sites). This valley is filled with irrigation channels and the highway running through it goes all the way to Kandahar.

This is the same spot looking west into the mountains.

Here is one of our squads running a TCP on the southern route to Kabul.

Pulling security with an ANA Joe at a TCP

The entrance to the Lavender Valley from our Platoon position.
Well, I will send more pictures soon. Take care
SONNY

Afterthought: As time went on, I learned that my very own HQ was no better prepared or competent than the MOD. Later on, our very own idiot staff and field grade officers would sent members of our team to the Nuristan province without an operations order. In fact, the MOD at least gave their troops orders, our HQ gave nothing. No medevac instructions, no resupply plans, no radio frequencies, no maps of the area, no mission statement, NOTHING!! Just a hearty Get your ass in the truck and go!Total Scum!