Greetings again. The training continues and better yet I continue to have some time and the resources to keep you posted. Yesterday we had an Afghanistan awareness brief were a former national ( now a PFC in our Army) gave us a historical and cultural brief on Afghanistan. It was striking to be reminded of the sad history that the people have had to endure and just how destitute the people really are. He feels that the Afghan people see a difference with this "occupation" because we are trying to improve the country and not just use it for its geographic significance.
The second part of the day was IED (Improvised Explosive Device) training. This was an eye opener. We viewed videos captured by us and published by the enemy of roadside bombs - we discussed strategies, tactics, patterns and the soldiers response to the attack. The view here is to hit you between the eyes with this information as a way to have you process the information. In my job, the team in place has had no reason to leave the base - but this training certainly gives you an appreciation for the Army and Marines who do this everyday.
Today we had uparmored Humvee training. It has been a while since I was in a Humvee during my Army days - they sure have changed. We got familiarized with them and got to drive them through a short course. I have included a picture of me in the gunner's hatch for fun. We also learned about the new vehicles being used by our forces to better defeat the IED's. These vehicles are not very attractive, but heavy and effective against roadside attacks.
This has been great training so far. I have been impressed with the equipment and improvements being made to help soldiers on the battlefield. The instructors have all been motivated, knowledgeable and professional. I have been comforted that this mission is meaningful and important.
Until next time....
