Catching Up

Nothing about Afghanistan is easy. Least of all is the ability to communicate what is happening in such a way so that no one thinks you are bragging or releasing too much information regarding the operations we are involved in. Things like troop strengths, organization, locations and such are not to be discussed in other than general terms. My blog, like many others, is designed to let anyone that cares to know something about the experiences of a Soldier in this country. As a Command Sergeant Major most of my observations are of a strategic nature, meaning that I see what my people do and seldom am in a position where I am the "doer" or the first person. The troops that I look after are the fighters; the ones that should be telling the stories about where they have been and how they have dealt with the conflict in their positions with the Afghan National Army (or the ANA).
We are working out of a brigade headquarters in Jalalabad in support of the 10th Mountain Division. Our troops are National Guard Soldiers, one active duty Soldier from the 4th ID and active duty Marines that are working as embedded trainers with the ANA in forward positions along the eastern border in the Hindu Kush mountains. The ANA are the actual fighters that are working in concert with the 10th Mountain. We provide the mentorship and advice to the leaders of the ANA units to whom we are assigned. On most occasions that means that we fight right next to our ANA counterparts.
Our outposts range from sparcely wooded mountain tops to desert outposts that could well be the movie set for "Beau Geste" or "March or Die". Our brigade is supported by an excellent staff of Air Force and Navy personnel that are either administrative or logistics specialists. This mix of services makes for an interesting concoction of military customs and slang that has the most experienced of us a bit bewildered.
One of my most important jobs is to check on the welfare of all personnel and report to my commander any comments or concerns from which I feel he could benefit. This involves quite a bit of travel along roads that are rugged at best and miserable most of the time. My vehicle is an up-armored HMMWV (UAV) and requires a crew, crew served weapon and some companion vehicles with me before I go out. This is no small task with a small brigade headquarters so I frequently tag along with others who may need to make visits also.
In contrast to my men, I am rarely shot at. However, those rare occasions do occur and it helps me to better understand what the men go through during TICs (new name for firefights - it stands for Troops In Contact) that can sometimes last a long time and involve quite a bit of gunfire, artillery and air support.
I deployed as a member of the Training Advisory Group, a command that works at the training center in Kabul where all ANA soldiers start their military experience. Due to an over-abundance of Sergeants Major at that location I was able to obtain a transfer to the 201st Regional Corps Advisory Group (RCAG) at Camp Black Horse. From there I was assigned to the 1st BDE, one of three brigades in the Corps. I've been in Afghanistan since June and ultimately a part of the 41st Brigade Combat Team of the Oregon Army National Guard. They are the command element for Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix V. The mission of Phoenix V is to mentor and train the ANA. My current group picks up ANA units that are already trained and keeps them involved with the coalition forces and military techniques that they should be using.
I have tried keeping a journal but find that I have a hard time doing that. I've tried taking pictures but I also have a hard time remembering to put my camera in a convenient location to grab it quickly. I have been semi-successful in e-mailing a large group of friends and relatives on what I am doing here. It is therefore my hope that this blog can become an extension of that e-mail process that seems to be working. Stay tuned and see what happens.