We crossed back into Saskatchewan a couple of hours ago, and have another travel day ahead before blogging resumes, but I thought I’d pass along this update from a friend in the Canadian Armed Forces that arrived a couple of days ago;
I am in sunny dusty Kandahar just hanging out.
I am listening to the CNN news of the Pakistan earthquake that killed thousands. While sitting outside work in Kabul we felt the tremor and could visibly see the tents sway. The tremor came in a wave. At first I thought it was me. That somehow I was dizzy or starting to feel ill as I started to sway with the tremor. Then the guy I was talking to became quiet and we watched the walls of the tent move. I realized it was not me. The wave got stronger, then it was gone.
Today I am in Kandahar. The temperature is about 10 degrees higher then in Kabul. The sand is very fine. Like walking on beige talcom powder. It gets into everything. The accommadations are not as nice as Camp Julien as this is an Americian base. We have a square ‘boardwalk’ with a Green Bean coffee shop, Pizza Hut, BurgerKing, Subway, Gift stores, and of course the PX. All the comforts of home. One of the big differences is that you must carry a loaded weapon with you at all times. Even to the bathroom. In Camp Julien we were required to bring our PPE(personal protective equipment) with us to work or to our tent at night. We also wore it when leaving camp. Here we only need our weapon, be it rifle or handgun. We also require to carry 2x as much ammunition, a personal first aid kit consisting of a torique and surgical gloves whenever leaving camp.
I am living in a tent designed for 100 people. There are four rows of cots. No separation, no segregation between men and women. The convey has left so there are about 10 of us occupying it at the moment. The kitchen is run by Americians, so the food is not quite as good as our kitchens run by the Nepanese. There was a wide selection of food for breakfast. From fried chicken, fried rice, grits/biscuits, scrambled “eggs”, bacon, etc. Anything greasy you could think of. Actually though it is not Tim Hortons, the coffee was not bad. I think I will go get a Chococlate Chai once I am done with the emails. Life is rough. lol
The camp is quite spread out. To walk from my sleeping quarters to work is a few miles. You would be covered in sweat and dust from it. We use to complain in Saskatchewan about the neighbors field blowing into ours. It is far far worse here. There is a bus that runs continually, that you can catch to get around the camp.
I will be leaving here tomorrow for a few days for work, but I will be returning in time for the market. The guys know I love to shop so they make sure I have the oppurtunity. God bless them. lol
Watch the news today for the latest incident in the Kandahar area. 😉
All I can say about the comments from a member of the CDN Forces is, “welcome to a real war, not some fictitious peacekeeping feel good BS some liberal crony thought up.”
Being a member of the US military I am very circumspect (apples and oranges) about comparisons of a US military base to a CDN base. I suppose you could always live in one of the very lovely mud huts scattered around. The best part was the carring of weapons, I suppose since the liberal government took the “Armed” out of the CDN forces one might think there was no need for a weapon?
wish your friend godspeed and let her/him know their are Canadians who are grateful for what they are doing in A-Stan
For anyone else interested, there is another Cdn soldier reporting of from A-Stan.
He regularly reports on the Tanknet user forum
http://63.99.108.76/forums/index.php?showtopic=11572
Nomination for Best Wackiest Commenter’s Comment:>>>>
Robert McClelland Says:
October 8th, 2005 at 9:27 am
[Braaten] �I�ve been wondering for some time if the Conservative�s have in their possession, document�s that would implicate the Liberals or Paul Martin in a scandal that if given to the media in the last week of a campaign,�
[McClelland’s Best Wackiest Comment] I really hope this is true. It would finish Harper off for good and maybe even land him in jail if it had anything to do with the Gomery inquiry. >>>>
http://www.rapp.org/url/?JEP93FGM
mkbraaten.com
Hi there, like your site, I for one respect and apprecitate the work that they perform over there. I hope that it will work out in the long run, ie:democracy. To correct a mistake that was happening for 40 years is quite an undertaking and can be only done slowly. I’ve watched the reports coming in on CTV/CBC and CNN about this but they are and will have there own adgendas to fill, it is a very biased news. I hope you and all the forces over there the best and will be looking for the next post. Merle
Robert McClelland would be a natural on the university rubber-chicken circuit, lecturing university students on ‘ethics’- he might even bump into Greg Sobara. Bwhhhaaaaaaaa
kitchens run by the Nepanese – Avril Lavigne?
I think carrying a loaded weapon at all times makes a lot of sense in Afghanistan. During field training in my days as a conscript (in a nondescript army) we had to do it as well.
The Trip is off>>>
Librano$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
JOHN WARD 53 minutes ago
OTTAWA (CP) – A planned visit to
Afghanistan by the likes of hockey great Guy Lafleur and comedian Rick Mercer, scheduled for next week, has been delayed amid increasing violence in the region.
Defence Minister Bill Graham, in a conference call from Kabul, said the trip has been put off. A rocket exploded near the Canadian embassy on Wednesday and two locally hired guards suffered minor injuries. Last week, a suicide bomber made a failed attack against a Canadian military convoy, leaving three soldiers with superficial burns and bruises
Can’t afford to lose any hockey players, figure- skaters, or comedians, can we? (Hey- pretend they went and send us the bill)
Tell your friend in the armed forces who is in Kandahar that Duke here in Canadar, would like him to shoot one for me.
Willy “Jubilation T. Cornpone” Graham: leading from the rear. ‘tenshun!
http://www.rapp.org/url/?0DEL3Z40
Confusion arises over Afghanistan visit by Canadian celebrities
JOHN WARD Wed Oct 12, 5:20 PM ET
OTTAWA (CP) – A planned visit to
Afghanistan by a group of prominent Canadians, including hockey great Guy Lafleur and comedian Rick Mercer, is beginning amid confusion over who is where.
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Defence Minister Bill Graham, in a conference call Wednesday from the capital Kabul, said the trip had been put off.
“They are certainly not in the region at this time,” he said. “I understand their departure was delayed.
However, Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute and a participant in the tour, said in a phone interview from Kandahar that the troupe landed in Afghanistan on Wednesday. >>
rick mercer can go to hell and godspeed to our troops
While Willy Clinton was held hostage, bound and gagged, under his desk at the White House, the little lad/Islamist murderer from B.C. was …..>>>>
Stewart Bell : OBL’s B.C. helper
“They were the deadliest al-Qaeda bombings of the 1990s, and the attacks that ignited the war on terror. Today, in the first of three parts, the story of a quiet British Columbia man who was a key behind-the-scenes player in the 1998 bombings of American embassies in East Africa.” >>> more
http://www.rapp.org/url/?28EW7KVX
Link from newsbeat1.com
Dream on, Canadian Mr. Graham. The Islamist murderers will not touch a hair on your head. Deluded Canadian; superior Canadian; a dead-wood Canadian. >>>
Canada not direct target of Afghan blast: Graham
CTV.ca – 4 hours ago
Defence Minister Bill Graham said he does not believe the Canadian embassy was specifically targetted in a rocket attack Wednesday morning in Kabul, Afghanistan. The rocket exploded outside the residence of …>>>
Yeah- the rocket was not directly aimed at us. These things have very primitive guidance systems, and it just happened to come down in our area. Just makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy about it, huh?