It's time for another update to the Seth Chronicles...................
We've been able to talk to Seth on a fairly routine basis - he called last
night at 1:30 AM (9:00 AM his time). Saturday was a busy and important day
in the life of Afghanistan and Seth was in the middle of this historic event
Seth's company patrolled for 14 hours north of Kabul. Seth is being used
as an assistant gunner meaning he is in an armored humvee. He had the
company sergeant and an interpreter with him in the humvee so he had a
front seat to discussions when they stopped in villages and met with village
leaders. Seth has been on patrol almost daily for the last week but things
will now slow down, post-election, and it's back to the guard tower for him.
He says that he will be in Bagram until December then he will head to
Ghazni which according to Seth is a good thing. Ghazni is another 3,000
feet higher in elevation than Bagram. Winter months in cold and snow will
mean fewer patrols. The company in Ghazni is providing a presence in the
areas South of Kabul.
A couple of things Seth has said:
His first patrol was a nervous ordeal for him. He said that when they enter
villages, you drive or walk between huge mud and stones walls. He said it
feels pretty claustrophobic and a little scary. As he has patrolled more,
he has gotten used to it and says that it often feels like you are in a
parade. Whenever they approach a village children and grown men crowd the
road to watch them go by and they will yell some of their American phrases
at them - "how you", "what you doing" and others. It has been cold (lows in
the 20's and daytime in the 50's) but Seth said that the children run around
with long robes and sandals on their feet. He said men often wear shoes,
but usually their toes are sticking out. The poverty is overwhelming - he
said they have absolutely nothing.
He has seen nothing but pro-American feelings. There may be people in
Afghanistan who don't want American help, but that is not evident to Seth.
Bagram airfield has provided a huge economic lift to people living around
the base. Many Afghans work on the base and many earn money selling to
soldiers. Seth hasn't experienced the open air market yet, but he's been
told that once a week Afghans set up a market on the base selling rugs,
jewelry, CD's and DVD's (all bootlegged of course.) Seth said the market
has been shut down for the weeks prior to the election but will start again.
Seth's living quarters are less than glamorous. He is a member of Bravo
Company which has 7 platoons. Each platoon has four squads. One of the
four squads is the headquarters squad which has a medic, communications
person and two gun teams. He's an assistant gunner. Squads usually live
together, but for some reason at Bagram the headquarters squad bunks with
other squads, so he's with people that are not part of his squad. He lives
in a hooch with wooden walls. He has little room for personal items and
basically has a cot with a foam mattress and keeps all his duffels under the
bed. He basically lives out of his duffel bags and there are cots with
other soldiers within 6 inches of his cot (maybe he's exaggerating a little
on that one.) He said that the living spaces in Ghazni are better and he'll
reside with his squad so another reason to look forward to December. He
has to walk to everything - chow, showers, bathroom, mail......and he said
the chow is decent. Definitely not home cooking, but okay.
Not to offend anyone, but Seth has been nicknamed "cherry" because he's the
virgin of the bunch (and we're not talking sex......Seth is by far the youngest in his platoon and a newby at everything they've been doing since last March.)
Mail has started to arrive for Seth and he had a couple of requests.....
consumables.....things like crackers, nuts, jolly ranchers. We're sending
him a hot pot to heat things in because he wants soups, hot chocolate and
stuff like that. He wants things he can stuff in his pocket for patrols and
tower standing. He also just wants letters with pictures.
Here's some interesting information about Ghazni........the next stop on the
Seth Chronicles:
Ghazni, as it now exists, is a place in decay, and probably does not
contain more than 4000 inhabitants. It stands at the base of the terminal
spur of a ridge of hills, an offshoot from the Gul-Koh, which forms the
watershed between the Arghandflb, and Tarnak rivers. The castle stands at
the northern angle of the town next the hills, and is about 150 ft. above
the plain. The town walls stand on an elevation, partly artificial, and form
an irregular square, close on a mile in circuit (including the castle), the
walls being partly of stone or brick laid in mud, and partly of clay built
in courses. They are flanked by numerous towers. There are three gates. The
town consists of dirty and very irregular streets of houses several stories
high, but with two straighter streets of more pretension, crossing near the
middle of the town. Of the strategical importance of Ghazni there can hardly
be a question. The view to the south is extensive, and the plain in the
direction of Kandahar stretches to the horizon. It is bare except in the
vicinity of the river, where villages and gardens are tolerably numerous.
Abundant crops of wheat and barley are grown, as well as of madder, besides
minor products. The climate is notoriously cold, snow lying 2 or 3 ft. deep
for about three months, and tradition speaks of the city as having been more
than once overwhelmed by snowdrift. Fuel is scarce, consisting chiefly of
prickly shrubs. In summer the heat is not like that of Kandahar or Kabul,
but the radiation from the bare heights renders the nights oppressive, and
constant dust-storms occur.
I particularly like the information about winter weather.....Seth did ask us
to send an electric blanket after talking to somebody who has been at Ghazni
Seth is in the process of trying to work out his email. He's sent two
emails to me, but I have yet to receive one. As soon as I know he's up and
running I'll get his email address out. As always....thanks for listening.
Ed
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