Afghanistan — April and May

Yet another photogenic and stoic Afghan.

Just checking on the vehicles to make sure they’re still there. I hate to get stuck without them!

This is a provincial sub-governor I met with. We discussed development in his district and how that we can best meet the needs of the people.

Discussion over a map.

The always beautiful lakehouse. Every time I see it, I think of Europe. Apparently, that’s what the King wanted. He built it modeled on the lakehouses of Europe.

These ANA soldiers joined us on a mission and were well armed (as you can see). The ANA is a very well respected organization in Afghanistan (as it should be). So we try to enlist their help and support as much as possible.

This is on a different patrol, in Parwan Province. As you can see, it’s a little more developed.

Another view of Parwan. It’s a very beautiful province, and relatively safe.

Typical houses of the region.

Some ANA and ANP who we joined for the evening.

This little boy was so adorable. He was very proud of his suit. His father looked quite proud as well.

Afghanistan has so much amazing natural beauty that contrasts sharply with the rugged living conditions. It really motivates me to help give the people a chance for success in the future with our infrastructure projects.

So, I know I haven’t included many construction images. Normally, that’s because the subject matter isn’t that interesting. I kinda like the texture here, so I’m adding it. This is standard Afghan brick and mortar work. Let’s just say, it leaves much to be desired. Fortunately, the brick walls are not normally load bearing, so they don’t have to be super strong. Nonetheless, I always try to have the contractors do quality work.

This is a partially completed District Center. This building will house the provincial sub-governor and a number of other district staff members.

The spring is a beautiful time in Afghanistan.

One of the nice things about the Army, is that they can fly parts in anywhere you need them.

The guys.

More natural beauty, and the traffic jam we caused in the village. But, when the vehicle can’t move, and the road isn’t wide enough to pass, there is no other option.

As a small token for their help, I gave these kids a few school supplies. To make it interesting though, I decided to play a trivia game (with the help of an interpreter, of course). So, I asked the kids questions on a variety of subjects. They really impressed me with their knowledge. Then, they asked me some questions to quiz me and got me on one! Who was the first person in space and what date was the flight? I got Yuri Gagarin, but missed the date (12 April 1961). Once my supplies ran out, I went out to the village and continued the game there. Eventually, I had quite a crowd gathered. It was interesting to see the sentiment of the people change from irritated that they had to wait for us to fix the vehicle to friendly because of the interaction.

Here we are back near southern Kapisa. The mountains are quite dramatic here as well.

One of our MRAP silhouetted in the tunnel.

Here are the guys (and girl) who were with me on the mission. The team is a great group of people.

Here is one of the roads we’re building. Although it’s not quite as straight as I would like, the road is already significantly improved. I can’t wait to see what it’s like once the asphalt is finished.

These next two images are of the Kuchi people in Kapisa. Although not a separate ethnicity, they are most often Pashtun and pastoral nomads who spend the winter in the south of Afghanistan and migrate with the season to the north.

Their camps dotted the valleys in Kapisa for several weeks.

These girls are a great image to represent the mixed emotion many people feel toward us. Overall, we are seen as helpful, but without a delicate touch, we will most certainly wear out our welcome in the country. If that happens, it would be a great loss for everyone, and things would devolve rapidly. I hope that doesn’t happen, so we work very hard to build positive relations with the people and ensure the government is legitimate and connected with the people. To that end, I believe we have been successful, but there is always more we can do. I will spend the remainder of my time here working toward that goal.
So, until the next post.
–Jim