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Fontainebleau
Swim & Tennis Club
Swim & Tennis Club
March
Joseph Clements. Joseph will be heading to Afghanistan at the end of March to start a full year of supporting the United States in their
mission to improve situations in the Middle East. Even though Joseph will not be able to take advantage of the club for the 2007
membership year , he still paid his dues and assessment in full. Joseph...we all wish you well! Please send notes and pictures. We will
post them on the website.
Joseph Clements. Joseph will be heading to Afghanistan at the end of March to start a full year of supporting the United States in their
mission to improve situations in the Middle East. Even though Joseph will not be able to take advantage of the club for the 2007
membership year , he still paid his dues and assessment in full. Joseph...we all wish you well! Please send notes and pictures. We will
post them on the website.
March 30, 2007
From Joseph Clements:
This is a short article on the fun we are having in South Carolina. Luckily it was cooler today so being on weapons ranges and moving
around with 50+ pounds of body armor was more comfortable. -Joseph Clements
Sailors begin Two week Training
From Joseph Clements:
This is a short article on the fun we are having in South Carolina. Luckily it was cooler today so being on weapons ranges and moving
around with 50+ pounds of body armor was more comfortable. -Joseph Clements
Sailors begin Two week Training
May 5, 2007
From Joseph Clements
All OK here in Afghanistan. I arrived 16 April after a week of training in Kuwait and was able to move onto Camp Eggers where my office
is 27 April. It makes life easier as I do not have to mess with shuttle vans to the nearby secure housing area and I can go to my room to
change to go to the gym. I run on a treadmill several days a week and lift a little.
The hours are long, typically from around 6AM to 9 PM with breaks for a run/lunch and dinner. Friday morning is our weekend and I have
gotten a couple of hours off on Friday mornings to relax and take care of personal stuff. Sometimes they have Sunday Mass on Friday
mornings on Camp. My staff is very good which helps as we try to build $1.5 billion of facilities over the next 12 to 18 months.
The weather here has not been too bad with highs in the low 80's. The dust and air pollution are bad. They say Kabul has some of the
worst air quality in the world. There is still snow on the mountains surrounding Kabul, but it is melting. I flew down to Kandahar Friday for
a meeting and it was about 95 deg. It was 115 deg there last week.
I think that trying to get Afghanistan back on its feet is a worthy cause and the Afghans seem intent on getting working national police and
army forces. They already do almost all of the dying. The US and several, mostly NATO(especially the UK and Canada for the Army),
countries are helping to train the police and army. There are also many organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, that are trying help rebuild schools, health care, roads, water and power systems, etc. so that Afghanistan has a
chance to make a go of it. The Afghans have their share of problems, but they do not have the widespread sectarian fighting that Iraq has.
I attached a few photos. The one of me is standing above a training facility we are building for the Afghan Army. I am squinting in the sun
a little. I usually am not wearing the body armor (battle rattle) when I am on a base. I just had it on because I was changing vehicles I
was travelling in and it was easier than toting it around.
From Joseph Clements
All OK here in Afghanistan. I arrived 16 April after a week of training in Kuwait and was able to move onto Camp Eggers where my office
is 27 April. It makes life easier as I do not have to mess with shuttle vans to the nearby secure housing area and I can go to my room to
change to go to the gym. I run on a treadmill several days a week and lift a little.
The hours are long, typically from around 6AM to 9 PM with breaks for a run/lunch and dinner. Friday morning is our weekend and I have
gotten a couple of hours off on Friday mornings to relax and take care of personal stuff. Sometimes they have Sunday Mass on Friday
mornings on Camp. My staff is very good which helps as we try to build $1.5 billion of facilities over the next 12 to 18 months.
The weather here has not been too bad with highs in the low 80's. The dust and air pollution are bad. They say Kabul has some of the
worst air quality in the world. There is still snow on the mountains surrounding Kabul, but it is melting. I flew down to Kandahar Friday for
a meeting and it was about 95 deg. It was 115 deg there last week.
I think that trying to get Afghanistan back on its feet is a worthy cause and the Afghans seem intent on getting working national police and
army forces. They already do almost all of the dying. The US and several, mostly NATO(especially the UK and Canada for the Army),
countries are helping to train the police and army. There are also many organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, that are trying help rebuild schools, health care, roads, water and power systems, etc. so that Afghanistan has a
chance to make a go of it. The Afghans have their share of problems, but they do not have the widespread sectarian fighting that Iraq has.
I attached a few photos. The one of me is standing above a training facility we are building for the Afghan Army. I am squinting in the sun
a little. I usually am not wearing the body armor (battle rattle) when I am on a base. I just had it on because I was changing vehicles I
was travelling in and it was easier than toting it around.
http://www.stripes.com/07/may07/trainingafghans/
A good spread on what I am supporting. The pictures link to sub-stories. Any place they talk about training or fielding units my
department is managing the construction program that is spending $1.5B of your 2007 tax dollars.
A good spread on what I am supporting. The pictures link to sub-stories. Any place they talk about training or fielding units my
department is managing the construction program that is spending $1.5B of your 2007 tax dollars.
May 14, 2007
Hello All: I flew to western Afghanistan Sunday to meet with the provincial governor of Farah (about the size of Maryland) to try to agree on
some land for a project to build a base for around 3,500 soldiers. It is interesting how accommodating people can be when you
represent bring around $70 million in construction and the likelihood of a sizable army group that equates to an increase in security.
The province is mostly desert. The meetings were definitely slow with lots of hot tea. You may note a large group of security in one photo.
We had all of the provincial heavies there, Governor, provincial police chief, local army battalion commander, provincial CIA/FBI equivalent
rep, and a cast of lessor officials.
Work continues to go well here and keep me busy. More soon after a brief trip for a meeting.
Hello All: I flew to western Afghanistan Sunday to meet with the provincial governor of Farah (about the size of Maryland) to try to agree on
some land for a project to build a base for around 3,500 soldiers. It is interesting how accommodating people can be when you
represent bring around $70 million in construction and the likelihood of a sizable army group that equates to an increase in security.
The province is mostly desert. The meetings were definitely slow with lots of hot tea. You may note a large group of security in one photo.
We had all of the provincial heavies there, Governor, provincial police chief, local army battalion commander, provincial CIA/FBI equivalent
rep, and a cast of lessor officials.
Work continues to go well here and keep me busy. More soon after a brief trip for a meeting.
A short update from May I was delayed getting photos from a doctor who was with our group.
May 21, 2007
Spent the day in the sun just east of Kabul looking at water well needs for Afghans recently returned from Pakistan refugee camps. The
numbers of Afghans still in Iran and Pakistan are reported to be around 4 million and both countries are “encouraging” Afghans to return
home, some who have been resettled since the early 80’s when they fled the Russians. We were coordinating our efforts with the Afghan
Army and later with other Afghan government agencies.
May 21, 2007
Spent the day in the sun just east of Kabul looking at water well needs for Afghans recently returned from Pakistan refugee camps. The
numbers of Afghans still in Iran and Pakistan are reported to be around 4 million and both countries are “encouraging” Afghans to return
home, some who have been resettled since the early 80’s when they fled the Russians. We were coordinating our efforts with the Afghan
Army and later with other Afghan government agencies.
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June 16, 2007
I traveled north to Mazari Sharif, about 40 miles below the Uzbekistan border this week for a couple of days of meeting engineers and
customers and looking at facilities. As the pictures indicate there are many nations working here. I think the count is more than 40. I flew
up on an Italian C-130 transport with troops from several nations. I then traveled from the airport, which is
increase my chances of getting flights in and out. I ended up swinging by a luncheon that the local governor had invited everyone to. Now
increase my chances of getting flights in and out. I ended up swinging by a luncheon that the local governor had invited everyone to. Now
that is two governors down, and 32 more to go if I am going to see all 34 of them. It was 107 degrees one day, but it was a dry heat. I ran
one morning outside at 5 AM to beat the heat. It gets light around 4:30 AM here.
one morning outside at 5 AM to beat the heat. It gets light around 4:30 AM here.
Work is busy here. The FY-07 Supplemental Funding Bill that was recently passed will keep us busy for some time building facilities for the
Afghan Army and Police.
I am keeping up with running and my knees are holding out OK. I usually run on a treadmill, but Friday mornings I run outside doing a ¾-
mile circuit on our little camp. I ran 14 miles yesterday so I had to complete 19 laps to get it done. Fortunately I had a Marine Major run more
than an hour with me and then one of my officers was doing his 9 miles so he kept me company for my last three or four miles. It normally
drops down into the 60’s at night, but next Friday is forecast to have lows in the seventies and a high of 100 so I may have to start my run
before 7AM to beat the heat.
Today is my two-month anniversary in Afghanistan. This place reminds me how great we have it in the USA.
I traveled north to Mazari Sharif, about 40 miles below the Uzbekistan border this week for a couple of days of meeting engineers and
customers and looking at facilities. As the pictures indicate there are many nations working here. I think the count is more than 40. I flew
up on an Italian C-130 transport with troops from several nations. I then traveled from the airport, which is
increase my chances of getting flights in and out. I ended up swinging by a luncheon that the local governor had invited everyone to. Now
increase my chances of getting flights in and out. I ended up swinging by a luncheon that the local governor had invited everyone to. Now
that is two governors down, and 32 more to go if I am going to see all 34 of them. It was 107 degrees one day, but it was a dry heat. I ran
one morning outside at 5 AM to beat the heat. It gets light around 4:30 AM here.
one morning outside at 5 AM to beat the heat. It gets light around 4:30 AM here.
Work is busy here. The FY-07 Supplemental Funding Bill that was recently passed will keep us busy for some time building facilities for the
Afghan Army and Police.
I am keeping up with running and my knees are holding out OK. I usually run on a treadmill, but Friday mornings I run outside doing a ¾-
mile circuit on our little camp. I ran 14 miles yesterday so I had to complete 19 laps to get it done. Fortunately I had a Marine Major run more
than an hour with me and then one of my officers was doing his 9 miles so he kept me company for my last three or four miles. It normally
drops down into the 60’s at night, but next Friday is forecast to have lows in the seventies and a high of 100 so I may have to start my run
before 7AM to beat the heat.
Today is my two-month anniversary in Afghanistan. This place reminds me how great we have it in the USA.
I hope all in the neighborhood are doing well. I enjoyed looking through the July 4th FSTC photos on the web site.
July 24, 2007
to Bagram Air Field. All of the flights to Sharona ended up being canceled so the 82nd got their special forces buddies to fly us down to
Airborne’s Task Force Fury operating area. The travel was an adventure. We caught an early flight on a small plane from Kabul International
s keychain flashlight and hearing the props of the C-130 fade into the Thwop of an idling helicopter. The forces in the field do this kind of for
a few minutes ride to Sharona. It was a little different walking across an airfield in the dark following an occasional flicker from someone’s
keychain flashlight and hearing the props of the C-130 fade into the Thwop of an idling helicopter. The forces in the field do this kind of get
directly onto another plane headed for Kabul.
stuff all of the time. While it took us 23 hours to get there, we made it back in less than 4 hours stopping at Bagram to get off one plan and
get directly onto another plane headed for Kabul.
Last Thursday, 19 July, three of us went for dinner at the old Russian Embassy that now houses the Afghan Stabilization Program, an
Afghan organization that is building some District Centers(Town Halls). We were paying a social/business call on the director. We
coordinate our District Police headquarter construction with the District Centers to enhance security in the districts.
Sunday I went to Bala Hissar that is a very historic site that was the capital of Afghanistan for several periods. The word Kabul means grass
bridge and gets its name because it was across the moat from Bala Hissar. The Afghan National Army has a small facility there that we
beginning to expand when we were alerted to the historical significance of the site. We are now going to build elsewhere.
I was with a group in Chagcharan, Ghor (7,000 feet high and 60 degrees at 5 AM) and Kala-I-Naw, Badghis for a 24 hour trip this week to
take the Lithuanian Ambassador and a couple of US Generals to look at a construction project and to check out the condition of the airfields.
I was happy to have one of my guys with me who is a civil engineer since I am a mechanical engineer. We were hosted by the Lithuanians
in Ghor, along with an embedded American Police Mentor
Team and by the Spanish for our brief stop in Badghis. These are pretty barren areas and Chahcharan is isolated from ground movement
for about 5 months of the year when snow closes the mountain passes. It gets down to below -30F in the winter in Chagcharan.
Follow up from July 4th run at Bagram. This link is to a video that includes the start and some finishers. They did a short interview with me
around the 7-minute mark. http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=25987
July 24, 2007
to Bagram Air Field. All of the flights to Sharona ended up being canceled so the 82nd got their special forces buddies to fly us down to
Airborne’s Task Force Fury operating area. The travel was an adventure. We caught an early flight on a small plane from Kabul International
s keychain flashlight and hearing the props of the C-130 fade into the Thwop of an idling helicopter. The forces in the field do this kind of for
a few minutes ride to Sharona. It was a little different walking across an airfield in the dark following an occasional flicker from someone’s
keychain flashlight and hearing the props of the C-130 fade into the Thwop of an idling helicopter. The forces in the field do this kind of get
directly onto another plane headed for Kabul.
stuff all of the time. While it took us 23 hours to get there, we made it back in less than 4 hours stopping at Bagram to get off one plan and
get directly onto another plane headed for Kabul.
Last Thursday, 19 July, three of us went for dinner at the old Russian Embassy that now houses the Afghan Stabilization Program, an
Afghan organization that is building some District Centers(Town Halls). We were paying a social/business call on the director. We
coordinate our District Police headquarter construction with the District Centers to enhance security in the districts.
Sunday I went to Bala Hissar that is a very historic site that was the capital of Afghanistan for several periods. The word Kabul means grass
bridge and gets its name because it was across the moat from Bala Hissar. The Afghan National Army has a small facility there that we
beginning to expand when we were alerted to the historical significance of the site. We are now going to build elsewhere.
I was with a group in Chagcharan, Ghor (7,000 feet high and 60 degrees at 5 AM) and Kala-I-Naw, Badghis for a 24 hour trip this week to
take the Lithuanian Ambassador and a couple of US Generals to look at a construction project and to check out the condition of the airfields.
I was happy to have one of my guys with me who is a civil engineer since I am a mechanical engineer. We were hosted by the Lithuanians
in Ghor, along with an embedded American Police Mentor
Team and by the Spanish for our brief stop in Badghis. These are pretty barren areas and Chahcharan is isolated from ground movement
for about 5 months of the year when snow closes the mountain passes. It gets down to below -30F in the winter in Chagcharan.
Follow up from July 4th run at Bagram. This link is to a video that includes the start and some finishers. They did a short interview with me
around the 7-minute mark. http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=25987
July 11, 2007
I have been putting off an E-mail to report on my running of the Peachtree here.
I flew up to Bagram Air Field 3 July and ran the Atlanta Journal Constitution-Peachtree Road Race Time Group 11-Afghanistan at 6 AM 4 July. I
was only able to muster a 48:10 finish. Between the elevation and just getting over a week long bout with a bacterial infection that probably
came from bad food from a local hotel I was a minute slower than my goal of 47 minutes. The course was interesting with 6-inch deep water
in places, pot holes filled with water, and scenery that included mine field markers warning of remaining Soviet mine fields from the 1980's. A
band with singers from the 82nd Airborne was playing at the start and finish of the out and back course which gave the out and back course a
little of an Atlanta feel. There were close to 1,000 runners. After the race I took an 8 minute flight back to Kabul and went back to work like any
normal work day.
We had a very subdued July 4th celebration on Friday July 6th. It definitely did not do anything for most military members' morale to not be able
to celebrate at all on July 4th and then be told that we should attend a 9AM speech by the General that interrupted the one day of the week when
they did not normally have to go to work until 1 PM. It did not make much difference to me as we are supporting combat operations. My July 4th
was made by being able to run the Peachtree keeping my streak going since 1995. If I get some race photos from the public affairs people I
will forward them.
Yesterday marked 25% of my tour and it has passed fairly quickly.
I have been putting off an E-mail to report on my running of the Peachtree here.
I flew up to Bagram Air Field 3 July and ran the Atlanta Journal Constitution-Peachtree Road Race Time Group 11-Afghanistan at 6 AM 4 July. I
was only able to muster a 48:10 finish. Between the elevation and just getting over a week long bout with a bacterial infection that probably
came from bad food from a local hotel I was a minute slower than my goal of 47 minutes. The course was interesting with 6-inch deep water
in places, pot holes filled with water, and scenery that included mine field markers warning of remaining Soviet mine fields from the 1980's. A
band with singers from the 82nd Airborne was playing at the start and finish of the out and back course which gave the out and back course a
little of an Atlanta feel. There were close to 1,000 runners. After the race I took an 8 minute flight back to Kabul and went back to work like any
normal work day.
We had a very subdued July 4th celebration on Friday July 6th. It definitely did not do anything for most military members' morale to not be able
to celebrate at all on July 4th and then be told that we should attend a 9AM speech by the General that interrupted the one day of the week when
they did not normally have to go to work until 1 PM. It did not make much difference to me as we are supporting combat operations. My July 4th
was made by being able to run the Peachtree keeping my streak going since 1995. If I get some race photos from the public affairs people I
will forward them.
Yesterday marked 25% of my tour and it has passed fairly quickly.
Update 2007-08-31
I have been busy working budget issues related to our FY-08 submission and traveling some. 7 August part of my office toured the 201st
Corps Headquarters Garrison at Pol-e-Charki. It is a small city serving more than 5,000 soldiers. We watched a group of cooks butchering a
sheep. We also talked to a couple of Afghan soldiers who were on duty at a security outpost on a hill above the base. One soldier told us he
had been on duty there for two years, rarely leaving and having his food brought up by truck. They lived in a mud hut and conex box/shipping
container and had a slit trench a little ways down the hill for a bathroom. Tough living.
15 August part of my office went down to Kandahar Air Field to check on a construction project we are doing to base Afghan Army helicopters
and airplanes. Part of the project was relocating a helicopter refueling point from one corner of the airfield to another. The site is less than ten
acres and they had to clear more than 8,000 mines from the area to allow construction. We saw a couple of the largest helicopters in the
world. The Russian –made MI-26 is about the size of a C-130. The photo is a file photo of the MI-26 lifting a 23,000 pound CH-47 Chinook at
Kandahar. I met with the base commander there, a British Air Commodore, and my only comment is that the British military was more
cooperative when I was directly with them on preparations for Operation Iraqi Freedom on Cypress than they are working under the
International Security Assistance Forces/NATO hat at Kandahar.
19 August was Afghan Independence Day when they obtained their independence from the British in 1919. Several of my command’s staff
attended about 90 minutes of festivities in the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. This is a place where the Taliban held executions and is featured in
The Kite Runner. The festivities featured military, police, Olympic sports teams and a parade of different ethnic groups in their traditional
costumes.
25 August I went to the Afghan-Tajik Bridge Completion Ceremony with the Army Corps of Engineers who is managing the $36 million project.
In addition to being partially a sightseeing trip that included spending the night across the border in Tajikistan, I was able to conduct some
business with the Afghan Corps Office since I represent their largest customer. The presidents of Afghanistan and Tajikistan were there as
well as the US Secretary of Commerce since the US funded most of the project. I got a good photo of the two presidents as they headed back
off the bridge after cutting a ribbon at the center of the 672 meter long bridge.
28 August part of my office traveled to Mazar-e-Sharif to meet with regional army and police officials. I was able to enjoy a 7-mile run the
morning we were at the 209th Corps Headquarters garrison. Later that day we visited Qala-i-Jangi, a 19th century prison fortress where the
Corps Commander lives. This is where the first American casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom, CIA Agent Mike Spann, was killed in
November 2001. The US Embedded Training Team camp, adjacent to the Afghan Army Garrison is named for him.
The next day we went to meet with the Germans who have the Regional Commander-North and Afghan Police officials to discuss police
issues. The Germans and other coalition partners appear to live pretty well on Camp Marmel, but we were only able to achieve cots in tents for
our overnight stay. The Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif is an interesting landmark on the road between the bases. The closest I will probably
get to it is a view from an armored vehicle driving around the block it sits on.
I ran 14 miles this morning for my weekend highlight and have managed to get in at least 30 miles running for the past seven weeks.
I have been busy working budget issues related to our FY-08 submission and traveling some. 7 August part of my office toured the 201st
Corps Headquarters Garrison at Pol-e-Charki. It is a small city serving more than 5,000 soldiers. We watched a group of cooks butchering a
sheep. We also talked to a couple of Afghan soldiers who were on duty at a security outpost on a hill above the base. One soldier told us he
had been on duty there for two years, rarely leaving and having his food brought up by truck. They lived in a mud hut and conex box/shipping
container and had a slit trench a little ways down the hill for a bathroom. Tough living.
15 August part of my office went down to Kandahar Air Field to check on a construction project we are doing to base Afghan Army helicopters
and airplanes. Part of the project was relocating a helicopter refueling point from one corner of the airfield to another. The site is less than ten
acres and they had to clear more than 8,000 mines from the area to allow construction. We saw a couple of the largest helicopters in the
world. The Russian –made MI-26 is about the size of a C-130. The photo is a file photo of the MI-26 lifting a 23,000 pound CH-47 Chinook at
Kandahar. I met with the base commander there, a British Air Commodore, and my only comment is that the British military was more
cooperative when I was directly with them on preparations for Operation Iraqi Freedom on Cypress than they are working under the
International Security Assistance Forces/NATO hat at Kandahar.
19 August was Afghan Independence Day when they obtained their independence from the British in 1919. Several of my command’s staff
attended about 90 minutes of festivities in the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul. This is a place where the Taliban held executions and is featured in
The Kite Runner. The festivities featured military, police, Olympic sports teams and a parade of different ethnic groups in their traditional
costumes.
25 August I went to the Afghan-Tajik Bridge Completion Ceremony with the Army Corps of Engineers who is managing the $36 million project.
In addition to being partially a sightseeing trip that included spending the night across the border in Tajikistan, I was able to conduct some
business with the Afghan Corps Office since I represent their largest customer. The presidents of Afghanistan and Tajikistan were there as
well as the US Secretary of Commerce since the US funded most of the project. I got a good photo of the two presidents as they headed back
off the bridge after cutting a ribbon at the center of the 672 meter long bridge.
28 August part of my office traveled to Mazar-e-Sharif to meet with regional army and police officials. I was able to enjoy a 7-mile run the
morning we were at the 209th Corps Headquarters garrison. Later that day we visited Qala-i-Jangi, a 19th century prison fortress where the
Corps Commander lives. This is where the first American casualty of Operation Enduring Freedom, CIA Agent Mike Spann, was killed in
November 2001. The US Embedded Training Team camp, adjacent to the Afghan Army Garrison is named for him.
The next day we went to meet with the Germans who have the Regional Commander-North and Afghan Police officials to discuss police
issues. The Germans and other coalition partners appear to live pretty well on Camp Marmel, but we were only able to achieve cots in tents for
our overnight stay. The Blue Mosque of Mazar-e-Sharif is an interesting landmark on the road between the bases. The closest I will probably
get to it is a view from an armored vehicle driving around the block it sits on.
I ran 14 miles this morning for my weekend highlight and have managed to get in at least 30 miles running for the past seven weeks.
Update- 2007-09-30
imagine, but in the 1988 there was an Afghan cosmonaut that flew on a Soviet spacecraft to the Mir space station. The next week I went to
imagine, but in the 1988 there was an Afghan cosmonaut that flew on a Soviet spacecraft to the Mir space station. The next week I went to
Bagram Air Field for a two day meeting to work on construction issues in Eastern Afghanistan. A highlight of the stay was getting to run 9 miles
on the road that goes around the airfield. Next was a trip to the US Central Command Engineers Conference that was held in Kuwait.
Highlights of that trip were an 11-mile run at Bagram the morning we flew out to Kuwait and a 5k race for the Air Force’s 60th birthday at 6 AM
on the second day of the conference. I placed second in the 40-49 age group with a 20:37 finish with race temperatures in the upper 70’s on
their way up to 113 degrees. I guess training at Kabul’s 6,000 feet altitude paid off. The trip back included gambling on taking a flight to Qatar
and getting on a flight that went through Kandahar on the way back to Bagram, spending the night at Bagram and catching an eight minute
flight back to Kabul the next morning. The heat in Kuwait and Qatar made me appreciate Kabul’s summer weather that only neared 100
degrees and cooled off into the upper 60’s at night. We had a couple of hours wait in Kandahar while they loaded an $800,000 Cougar Mine
Protected Armored Patrol Vehicle that added around 20,000 pounds to our flight. I had originally planned to take a few days of R&R in Qatar on
the way back to Kabul, but I needed to get back for my next trip.
the way back to Kabul, but I needed to get back for my next trip.
The next trip was out west to Herat and then back down south to Kandahar. Herat gave some of my staff an opportunity to see some very good
construction that has been done and is being done for the Afghan Army and Police. Herat has many paved roads and benefits from electricity
supplied from Iran and trade with Iran which is only 80 miles away. Just off of our route was the Heart War Museum that is almost complete
and we were allowed a brief visit. It is being built by the Minister of Power who was a powerful Mujahedeen warrior during the Afghanistan-
Soviet War. It is mostly about the eviction of the Soviets. In Afghanistan I presented our Army and Police construction program at a Provincial
Reconstruction Team conference. The British Colonel running the conference referred to our program as a “Juggernaut, coming soon to a
district near you.” That comment will be one of the memorable ones along with another British comment about security concerns near a
construction site because he worried that “Any man and his bloody dog could come down that road.”
On 29 September I finished my travel for the month by flying back north to Mazar-e-Sharif for a half-day meeting with our two-star and other staff
members that reviewed our support to programs in Regional Command-North.
September included my birthday which I celebrated by running 16 miles during an 11-mail morning run and 5-mile evening run after having
some cake and ice cream with dinner. A 15-1/2-mile run Friday morning 28 September made it a 40-mile+ week and marked the eleventh
straight week of 30 or more miles of running.
imagine, but in the 1988 there was an Afghan cosmonaut that flew on a Soviet spacecraft to the Mir space station. The next week I went to
imagine, but in the 1988 there was an Afghan cosmonaut that flew on a Soviet spacecraft to the Mir space station. The next week I went to
Bagram Air Field for a two day meeting to work on construction issues in Eastern Afghanistan. A highlight of the stay was getting to run 9 miles
on the road that goes around the airfield. Next was a trip to the US Central Command Engineers Conference that was held in Kuwait.
Highlights of that trip were an 11-mile run at Bagram the morning we flew out to Kuwait and a 5k race for the Air Force’s 60th birthday at 6 AM
on the second day of the conference. I placed second in the 40-49 age group with a 20:37 finish with race temperatures in the upper 70’s on
their way up to 113 degrees. I guess training at Kabul’s 6,000 feet altitude paid off. The trip back included gambling on taking a flight to Qatar
and getting on a flight that went through Kandahar on the way back to Bagram, spending the night at Bagram and catching an eight minute
flight back to Kabul the next morning. The heat in Kuwait and Qatar made me appreciate Kabul’s summer weather that only neared 100
degrees and cooled off into the upper 60’s at night. We had a couple of hours wait in Kandahar while they loaded an $800,000 Cougar Mine
Protected Armored Patrol Vehicle that added around 20,000 pounds to our flight. I had originally planned to take a few days of R&R in Qatar on
the way back to Kabul, but I needed to get back for my next trip.
the way back to Kabul, but I needed to get back for my next trip.
The next trip was out west to Herat and then back down south to Kandahar. Herat gave some of my staff an opportunity to see some very good
construction that has been done and is being done for the Afghan Army and Police. Herat has many paved roads and benefits from electricity
supplied from Iran and trade with Iran which is only 80 miles away. Just off of our route was the Heart War Museum that is almost complete
and we were allowed a brief visit. It is being built by the Minister of Power who was a powerful Mujahedeen warrior during the Afghanistan-
Soviet War. It is mostly about the eviction of the Soviets. In Afghanistan I presented our Army and Police construction program at a Provincial
Reconstruction Team conference. The British Colonel running the conference referred to our program as a “Juggernaut, coming soon to a
district near you.” That comment will be one of the memorable ones along with another British comment about security concerns near a
construction site because he worried that “Any man and his bloody dog could come down that road.”
On 29 September I finished my travel for the month by flying back north to Mazar-e-Sharif for a half-day meeting with our two-star and other staff
members that reviewed our support to programs in Regional Command-North.
September included my birthday which I celebrated by running 16 miles during an 11-mail morning run and 5-mile evening run after having
some cake and ice cream with dinner. A 15-1/2-mile run Friday morning 28 September made it a 40-mile+ week and marked the eleventh
straight week of 30 or more miles of running.
