by Cpl. Aaron Rooks
LASHKAR GAH, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commanding general of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, shakes hands with Helmand Province Governor Gulab Mangal before a meeting here June 23. Leaders from MEB-Afghanistan, Task Force Helmand and Afghan National Security Forces met with the governor to discuss future operations in the province. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks).

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – Being at a construction site before anyone else arrives is a nightly routine for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Landon Church, an electrician from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion-5.
For several nights he has walked down an empty, wooden hallway partially lit by a mixture of moonlight and a spotlight off in the distance, stopping sporadically to observe different sections of the structure. After he moves on, he leaves the building as calm as it was when he found it.

Church, a native of Byron, Mich., is the project lead electrician in building the combat operation centers here. Since March, his knowledge and experience have been essential in the progress made here by Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan and its subordinate elements.
“This has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Church said. “I knew in the beginning that the MEB project was crucial to the beginning of operations here and it has been an honor to head up and manage the electrical portions of the project.”

Church, 24, has less than four years in the Navy and is in charge of planning and estimating the electrical requirements of the three buildings.
He and his team of four electricians completed the electrical portions of the brigade’s command center less than two weeks ago and installed more than 10,000 feet of wiring throughout the building that will run power to hundreds of computers, telephones and more.

“I spent many hours reviewing building codes for electrical components and making sure I had an overall knowledge of every aspect of the project, down to the very last detail,” Church said. “With that knowledge, I had the best idea of how to go about tasking, coordinating and managing my troops.”

Church was trained as an electrician in Wichita Falls, Texas, from May to July 2006. It was then where he learned about electrical distribution and interior wiring, motors and controls, and how to climb utility poles and troubleshoot electrical problems.
From Texas he was then sent to his current duty station at Port Hueneme, Calif,, and deployed to Kuwait from September to November 2006, and later to eastern Afghanistan’s Camp Salerno from December 2006 to February 2007.

Nine months before coming here he was assigned to his battalion’s convoy security element. There he focused on weapons training, improvised explosive device awareness and urban combat.

Shortly after arriving here, he was handed the blue-prints for three of the largest projects he’d ever fathomed, even though he hadn’t worked as an electrician for almost a year.

“I kind of stared at the blue-prints for a while, wondering how I would ever plan this out,” Church reminisced. “I chose to push through it one item at a time, and pretty soon the plan came together and eventually evolved into one of the biggest projects the Seabees have seen in quite some time.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Garrison Hardisty, project supervisor, said he had no doubt in Church’s ability to adjust to the challenge, and proof of that is the recent completion of the MEB-Afghanistan COC.

“That’s what Seabees do, we make do with what little we have,” Hardisty said.
Church attributes his success to the hard work and commitment of the electricians in his team. He said he’s happy with the results he’s produced so far, but said that wouldn’t be the case if not for his men.

“I’ve tasked them, and they haven’t let me down yet,” Church said. “They put in the extra effort to get the mission done.”
Seaman Apprentice Aaron Bluitt, 36, an electrician from Santa Barbara, Calif., said he found inspiration in following Church, a leader 12 years his junior. He said Church is always well organized and puts forth a lot of extra time in planning and executing every task he’s given.
“I’m glad I’m able to be a part of his crew,” Bluitt said. “His positive leadership has helped us get the job done. He’s very good at what he does and I’m happy that I’ve been able to learn as much as I have from him.”

Bluitt said Church gave him the opportunity to install the circuit panels inside the MEB-Afghanistan COC, a task not normally give to a junior electrician. Because of this, Bluitt said, Church developed a lasting impression as a leader in the eyes of his troops.
“The best thing to do as a leader is to give the troops a sense of accomplishment,” Church said. “Once they see that it all works and comes together, they develop a trust in you.”

Church sees the success achieved by his team every evening before he leaves the job site. He said he’s blessed to have the opportunity to lead such a meaningful project and to lead sailors who help him succeed.

“At the end of the day I go home, get in my rack and think about what I did that day,” Church said. “I’ve always felt satisfied.”

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks
COMBAT OUTPOST COSTALL, Kandahar Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - More than 100 members of the Garmsir Afghan Uniformed Police are anxious to return home with their Marine mentors after completing the Focused District Development Course here June 18.

The 13-week course took the existent Garmsir police force out of its district in late March and paired the Afghans with a five-man Police Mentoring Team from Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan to provide updated training in the tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to provide security for the people of Garmsir.
“The goal of the course was to develop a police force that can actively police their community and enforce all laws and regulations for their district,” said Capt. Chuck Hayter, Afghan National Security Forces future operations officer, MEB-Afghanistan. “Our Marines were enablers. They were able to provide an example for the policemen to follow.”
According to Staff Sgt. Brandon Amlong, brigade ANSF chief, much of the police force lacked professional training in their jobs when they arrived here, a combat outpost located near the Pakistani border.
Despite prior language and cultural barriers, Marines noticed progress after only four weeks of training.
“The motivation and enthusiasm with which the Marines trained the Afghans, but more importantly the way the Marines were embraced by the Afghan police, was amazing,” said Col. Barry Neulen, ANSF director, MEB-Afghanistan. “There’s a mutual respect between the Marines and the Afghan students. The Afghans very much respected the Marines because the Marines respected them.”

Cpl. Frank McKinley, a military policeman from MEB-Afghanistan, said he and his fellow mentors are optimistic as they prepare to travel to the Garmsir district with their former students, where they will continue to serve as mentors.

He said the students were already policemen when they first arrived, but they lacked the basic knowledge to be successful. Now, after receiving mentoring from the Marines, they’re proud to be policemen.

“Things in Garmsir will get better,” said Officer Mohammed Agha, from the Afghan Uniformed Police. “The people will be happy and will benefit from the training we’ve received. We will protect them and keep the people away from the enemy.”
Lt. Col. Guhlai, Garmsir police chief, said the police officers are ready to return to Garmsir.
“Everything they’ve learned … on ranges, during patrols … they should not forget anything, but instead, practice them and use them in their district,” said Guhlai.
The police chief said his primary focus remains the people of Garmsir and said his men know the importance of gaining their trust and confidence.
“They will win their hearts,” he said. “If the civilians support us, it means we will beat the enemy. We will win if the civilians support us. Because of this, my men have to support and serve the people.”
Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, MEB-Afghanistan commanding general, attended the graduation and said he was extremely impressed with what he saw.
“Today I can see the future of this great country,” said Nicholson.

hey my wife told me she saw me on a show on june 16th 2009 i believe it was around the world it was an interview of me when i was in jrtc getting some training with the talon robot. im with 1st bstb 82nd abn if that helps to because i think they said that in the interview too. im just tryin to figure out how i can see that episode or that part of it at least.

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - “It’s not about how long your life is, 80 years, 100 years,” said Lt. Col. Christian Cabaniss on June 5 to the men of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan. “Your measure is what you do with the time that you have. The things you do now, people will remember, and they will remember forever!” Cabaniss, the battalion commander, gathered his Marines for possibly the last time as a unit before departing Camp Leatherneck to take part in what he labeled, “a summer of decisions in Afghanistan.” (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks).

Hey i dont know what this is all about but i do know that im new to this and just wanted to say lets go USA i love this country i am leaving for basic training for the air force on july 7… i want to get my wings and kick some ass ready and willing to die for my country

I’m watching right now a Special Forces show about British troops going behind enemy lines to take out the scud missile launchers that were used to target Israel. What get’s beyone me, if President Bush Sr. would have given the Israeli Air Force the code to be able to fly into Iraqi air space and be recognized as friendly air craft, Israel would have taken care of the problem itself. It would not have put the British troops at risk at all. A mission that was totally unnecassary, but no we can’t let Israel have a hand in it All due respect to our men and women fighting overseas, but even today we as a country (administration) seem to be to dumb or unwilling to allow Israel to fight their wars alongside of us. Even though they have a history of fighting Islamic Jihad ever since they became a country in 1948. We would do a greater service to our military forces if we would use the knowledge and aid of Israel who, as no other democratic country in the world, knows the enemy that they are dealing with aside from Thomas Jefferson who had razed Tripolis to the ground to stop attacks on American merchant fleets and the payment of protection money to Tunisia.

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – The sun had come up only a few hours before. The temperature was cool, not typical of the average morning heat in the Helmand desert.

Lance Cpl. Ricky Southers had just arrived back at his tent, his home away from home, after working for more than 12 hours the night before as a personnel clerk at the Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan administration section.

Anyone could tell his spirits were still high as he sat on his cot in the dark tent, surrounded by other cots and gear that occupied the dusty floor, with one light above illuminating the Moore, Okla., native’s face.

He had a content, carefree expression on his face as he reached into the black, plastic footlocker by his cot. His expression became even more optimistic as he pulled out a stack of small letters, which he said were sent by his wife, who is staying with her family in Massachusetts while he is here.

He quietly read one of the letters.

“I miss you so much, please come home,” he said. “We need to go on a huge, sweet vacation when you come back.”

Some of the letters in Southers’ hand were new, some were old. He had received the letters, known as Motomail, from his wife and other family members almost every day since he arrived here 21 days ago. They’re all pieces of home he still holds close.

“My wife is now seeing firsthand what it’s like to be a Marine wife with a husband gone,” he said. “That’s what makes being gone hard for me, because I know it’s hard for her. With Motomail, I at least know she’s alright.”

Motomail, which was introduced only a few years ago, is a letter that can be delivered to deployed Marines 24 to 48 hours after it’s submitted on the Internet, at www.motomail.us, said Sgt. Daniel Balarezo, the assistant operations chief at the Camp Leatherneck Post Office.

Balarezo said this new medium of mail delivery allows Marines to hear from loved ones almost daily if they desire, while regular mail can take up to two weeks to reach Camp Leatherneck.

“I’m grateful they came up with the idea,” Southers said. “Whenever they do mail call, and you see your name come by, you get excited. We now have something to look forward to all the time because of it.”

Motomail, which comes in print and photo versions, has been flowing into Leatherneck as often as the thick dust that settles daily on the camp. Lance Cpl. Margaret Podgwaite, a postal clerk from Cheshire, Conn., said an average of 1,000 Motomail and 600 Photomail pieces come in each day. In a week’s time, she said, those number average 10,000 and 6,000, respectively.

“It’s making the deployment go by a lot easier,” said Lance Cpl. Dustin Pokorny, administrative clerk, MEB-A. “Everyone is more at ease because they constantly know what’s going on back home. It’s definitely a lot better than what I experienced when I was in Afghanistan back in 2005. We wouldn’t get mail for at least a month, sometimes more.”

Balarezo, a Miami native, said Motomail is a good way to keep the morale high until real letters from home arrive, which he said he feels is the biggest morale booster available. And due to advances in mail services to deployed environments, he said, Marines don’t have to wait that long anymore.

“We have received mail in as little as three to five days,” Balarezo said. “Everyone in the MEB understands the value of getting mail from home, so everyone is willing to make the extra effort to help out in the delivery process. Marines volunteer all the time to sort mail and other units help in coordinating immediate transportation of mail to forward operating bases and combat outposts throughout the country. Because of this, the mail service is much better for everyone.”

Balarezo said another helpful advancement in mail service is military flat-rate packaging offered by the United States Postal Service. Participants receive boxes, customs forms and pre-addressed shipping labels, which family members then use to send mail to their deployed loved ones for a flat rate of $10.35.

Southers discovered the packaging service when he learned that his wife tried to send two packages to him. The shipping fees were $126.

“She was upset,” Southers explained. “That’s a lot of money to send two packages to someone serving overseas. Luckily a lady behind her paid for the packages entirely. I was at ease to learn that someone helped my wife when she needed it.”

He found out about the event the day after it occurred … through Motomail.

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (May 14, 2009)
The Marines approached the firing line with ease, cooled by a calm breeze under blue skies all around, still quite familiar with the process to follow. The only difference this time, was that they were in an unfamiliar land, with an even more unfamiliar mission ahead.
Then the service members of Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan began, each firing round after round from their respective M-4 Carbine and M-16 A-4 rifles, improving their accuracy with each shot.
But the rifle sight adjustment exercise lost its simplicity when a powerful sand storm engulfed the Marines and sailors as they lay across the firing line. Sand filled their mouths and nostrils, covered their weapons and eliminated all visibility of their targets ahead.
Being outside the protective wire for the first time, the events symbolized the unpredictability of Afghanistan, as well as that of their future missions to follow. The storm cleared off and returned for hours to follow. The sun later set under blue skies.
“Afghanistan can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable,” said Maj. Tom Clinton, a senior watch officer with the brigade’s command element. “Some call this country the ‘graveyard of empires.’”
Clinton used this phrase in reference to other nations, such as Britain and Russia, which have tried, and failed, to gain a foothold in the country of Afghanistan by use of force. He said the U.S. cannot afford to make the same mistakes as their predecessors.
“We are not looking to stay here in Afghanistan,” the Swampscott, Mass., native said. “We’re looking to help the country and its people. The others were looking to build their empires. We have to allow the Afghan government and Afghan security forces to take things over. Yes, we want people to trust U.S. forces and their partners, but they need to trust their own government and security forces.”
Afghanistan features many complexities that Marine veterans of Iraq are not familiar with. The land and terrain of Helmand Province, MEB-Afghanistan’s area of operations, may seem somewhat the same, but the needs and interests of Afghans; their culture, infrastructure and economy; are worlds apart.
Helmand is a land of extremes, according to the Helmand Provincial Handbook, which is used as a field guide for deployed internationals. It’s the largest and arguably the most volatile province in Afghanistan today.
“At one time, we would engage no more than seven to 15 enemies in firefights,” Clinton said. “Once in Garmsir, that number was at least if not more than 300.”
Pashtuns constitute the overwhelming majority in Helmand, according to the manual, making up 94 percent of the population. The Pashtun ethnic group is unique in comparison to other groups around the world. Society is very conservative and strictly follows the Islamic religion.
The code of ethics within their tribe, Pashtunwali, meaning the way of the Pashtuns, stands out the most. The pre-Islamic code structures four of their core beliefs in society: nang (honor), melmastia (hospitality), nanawaty (sanctuary), and badal (revenge).
Pashtuns are known for their hospitality and will go to great lengths to treat their guests with honor and respect. At the same time, everything leads to honor. Any insults to themselves or their families can often lead to a desire for revenge. Their sanctuary beliefs will sometimes lead them to forgiveness of acts, if forgiveness is requested. But at the same time, Pashtuns are known for being quick to exact revenge for wrongdoings to restore their honor, even for a crime committed decades ago.
If Marines forces hope to stabilize the security situation in southern Afghanistan during their time here, it’s necessary that they truly understand the people and their culture.
“The big challenge we face is that we want to help and do things right away,” said Clinton, who spent much of his deployments around local Afghan leaders. “But in order to be successful, you have to get to know the people. It took me more than one month in one case just to get one of the village elders to speak to me. We must have patience.”
Security has become the dominant issue in Helmand. According to the manual, there has been ongoing fighting in the province since 2006, which has produced significant loss of life and displacement of the local populace. The deterioration of security is most prominent in areas being contested by the Afghan government and insurgents.
The manual states that today, a relatively small percentage of Helmand locals actively support insurgent forces; another minority actively supports the Afghan government and coalition forces. The majority are neutral, simply trying to survive day to day and support their families.
The outcome of the brigade’s counterinsurgency arguably sits in the hands of that majority.
The service members have been given Law of War and Rules of Engagement briefs in cohesion with weapons training to be better informed of the difficulties ahead and the issues to avoid.
The briefs touched on the basic issues of armed conflict, such as actions made in self defense, the prevention of unnecessary suffering, the use of force, humanity and the treatment of those wounded and captured.
1st Lt. Ian Mckinnon, operational law officer, MEB-Afghanistan, said the briefs would possibly be “the most important briefs the Marines will have while in Afghanistan.”
Marines were advised on certain issues that will help them achieve success during operations, such as always displaying respect for Afghan traffic and pedestrians on roadways, avoiding reckless driving and always refraining from making any obscene gestures or insults to the local populace.
“Does shouting obscenities from the top of a turret hurt your mission?” asked Capt. Korvin Kraics, brigade operational law chief. “It certainly doesn’t help you and there’s certainly something to lose. You are not going to gain anything from that.”
Recent studies identified different issues concerning U.S. and coalition forces that the Afghans have shown disapproval for. Afghans, according to the manual, have expressed dissatisfaction with international forces and have accused them of entering houses without permission of the home owner and lacking respect for Afghan culture and traditions. Mckinnon said, in Afghan culture, entering a house unannounced is a sign of disrespect, stating that making an uninvited entry is “a huge slap in the face,” to locals.
But one complaint stands out the most, the alleged lack of security and rule of law.
Kraics said many of the choices the brigade is making for future missions to achieve U.S. goals in Afghanistan stem from lessons learned in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, where Marines have had clear successes in counterinsurgency.
The Santa Clarita, Calif., native said Marines are also maintaining the escalation of force rules that were, and still are, present in Iraq. He said Marines must give others the opportunity to change their acts, such as driving at high speeds toward a vehicle check point. He added that they are required to implement challenge procedures, which can be both non-lethal and lethal. Mckinnon said these choices are “situationally dependent.”
“Just because someone has a weapon doesn’t mean you have to shoot them,” Kraics said. “What if he was turning in his weapon? Giving a person, who might be demonstrating hostile intent, the opportunity to cease that threat or hostile intent is important.”
Kraics said by applying principles of discrimination, their goal is to target only the bad guys to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties.
“We do not target or attack the innocent,” Kraics said. “Make no mistake about it, indiscriminately shooting people because we blindly think they have hostile intent will not win this counterinsurgency.”
Afghan Gen. Khodaidad, minister for Counter Narcotics, Afghanistan, painted a descriptive picture using his own words in the Helmand manual to define what forces must do to achieve victory in the south of Afghanistan.
“Past history has shown that to fight and win in the south of Afghanistan, it is essential to know all aspects of the localized terrain, including human and political factors,” Khodaidad said. “It is necessary to treat every village as a separate entity and know the personalities with influence there. Every village is a separate military campaign.”

by Cpl. Aaron Rooks
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (May 14, 2009)
Amidst the hot, rocky, once barren desert of southern Afghanistan sits hundreds of duplex-sized tan tents, all evenly covered and aligned, as far as the eye can see.
Yet one object stands out majestically amongst Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan’s sprawling tent city at their base of operations at Camp Leatherneck, just outside of Camp Bastion.
The Marines affectionately call the structure “Noah’s Ark,” for its similarities to the ark built before flood waters covered the earth in biblical times.
Similar to Noah’s Ark, this 21st century ark, built for Marines in less than three months by sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, symbolizes a sign of hope for the future of southern Afghanistan.
“In my 19 years in the Navy, I have never built a building this big,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas Damnon, a supervisor for the construction of the 12,000 square-foot Brigade Combat Operations Center. “This is the largest wooden structure I’ve ever seen Seabees build.”
Damnon, a Port Hueneme, Calif., native, said the building will become the Marine Corps headquarters for command and control activities both inside and outside the protective wire surrounding Camp Leatherneck. He said it’s the largest building made by the Navy outside the U.S. since World War II, housing 17 large office spaces and one larger command briefing theater, which will house more than 200 people, along with the computers and equipment that will join them.
Construction of the massive building began two months before MEB-Afghanistan arrived in Helmand Province. It’s currently scheduled to be finished by May 22, asking the Seabees to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
Damnon said the Seabees are currently on schedule to meet their deadline to complete the brigade command center. The only reason why, he said, is because of the sweat and perseverance that has come from the naval construction workers involved.
“We’re all pushed to our limits,” Damnon said. “A construction job of this size takes an average of five months to complete. We’re doing it in less than three.”
The work hasn’t been easy and can be dangerous for those involved. The sailors each work an average of 12 hours every day at the least. By the time the sun rises, on average, the temperature is 85 degrees, said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Amber Chambliss, hospital corpsman, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5. She said the temperature, as of late, can reach at least 125 degrees by mid-day.
“This job they’re doing can be extremely dangerous,” Chambliss said, of working both inside and outside the building, which currently lacks air conditioning. “Dealing with the heat is a serious issue alone, not to add the possibility of falling off the roof and becoming paralyzed.”
The Miami, Fla., native said individuals who work on the job site drink anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 gallons of water daily. And it’s necessary, she said, noting the fact that if one of the workers falls out, the job will become even harder to complete on time.
The day-to-day job hasn’t been easy, Damnon said, stating that to be able to reach their completion deadline, they must work non-stop daily, with the exception of taking an hour-long break for lunch, as well as 10-minute breaks every hour to rest. Reaching their completion time has relied on every one of those minutes saved, he said.
“This is one of the toughest jobs some of us have ever done because of the elements and working conditions,” Damnon said. “It’s controlled chaos. We’ve been building this at more than two times the speed it would take on average to complete. Everyone is constantly doing different things, moving different directions, accomplishing one job, then moving toward the next.”
“Look at them, you can se the exhaustion in their faces,” said Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Garrison Hardisty, project supervisor. “And they’re only halfway through the day. They’re all pushed to the limit.”
Hardisty said everyone is tired and physically drained when they leave the job site in the evenings. The job has taken an obvious toll on Damnon alone. He said he’s lost more than 30 pounds since he arrived in Afghanistan. But, Hardisty said, they return each day and never give up.
And even though returning each day reminds them of the grueling tasks ahead, it also reminds them of how far they have come in such a short amount of time.
“Everyone’s excited to see the end result,” Damnon said, enthusiastically. “We’re all proud to have had a part in this building. It will be around for years to come and will operate 24 hours daily.”
Petty Officers 2nd Class Landon Church and John Nicholas, project lead electrician and utilities man respectively, said they were confident in the building becoming operational by May 22. Church, a Byron, Mich. native, said he and his team of electricians have installed more than 10,000 feet of wiring throughout the building to support at least 500 computers. Nicholas, a Boise, Idaho native, said the facility will also be a cooled environment ready to accept those who will be working there when it opens.
As the clock continues to count down, the Seabees remain resilient, motivated by purpose and commitment. But as one job nears and end, others wait in line, adding up by the week. After the brigade command center is complete, they will move on and continue to build the Regimental Combat Team 3 and Camp Leatherneck Garrison Combat Operations Center, also 12,000 square-feet each.
“As soon as this job is complete, we will carry on to the next,” Damnon explained. “There will be no rest for us.”