[PRB]

From a Marine (another web ring I belong to- worked with some J Heads in Astan)
interesting


Stray Round – Last one from Kandahar


First I want to apologize for not sending more missives from the “front”. I intended these to come monthly or at most quarterly. Somehow the time slipped away which also explains why my diary is so spotty.


A year in Kandahar is a long time. We [Marines] used to deploy during peacetime for 6 months at time. We thought this was long and we took pride in it. This will be my third one year tour since September 11th. Those 6 month deployments that included beer look pretty good from here. Before I start my own pity party, I would like to tell you about a young Corporal (Army) that I met here standing in one of the many lines that define life around here… he told me he was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. He was still on his first enlistment. His son drew a picture of his family for school that included the mom, the son, the dog and a sign that said ‘My Dad lives in Afghanistan’. We have not yet begun to grapple with the sacrifices we have asked and received from a generation of young Americans.


Allies. I want to take a moment and mention a few things about our brothers and sisters to the north. Canadians, they really have made quite an impression on me over the last year. The whole French speaking thing is a bit overdone at times, and it can impact on tactical efficiency because when I ride around with them, the Quebec ones, they conduct business in French, their version of French. My one college class is woefully inadequate; I am not sure how it would play out in a tight situation with French commands being yelled. However, the Canadian soldiers seem good. They carry themselves and behave just as soldiers do. They are game to fight and have given a good measure of themselves on the battlefield by all accounts. They certainly have paid a price in their own national treasure. I think we should remember that Canada only has about 30 million souls. They are fighting on an international stage with military and civilian diplomats far exceeding their per capita fair share. They are concentrated in Kandahar and I have worked alongside them for the entire time. Their young people, soldier and diplomat alike, have impressed me with their professionalism and pride. When I went to school at Michigan, I thought Canada was just for beer and skiing. I have a completely new respect for the great white north, eh?


My Mission. I have written about “Reintegration” before and its place in this campaign. However, since I took so long to write, I will recap! All around the world nations try to help end warfare using “DDR”, Demobilization, Disarmament, and Reintegration. This process has been perfected by a number of nations, not the US, and is mostly a UN effort in places we don’t think much about. In Afghanistan, as far as I can tell from history and a year of interaction and observation, reintegration has been an aspect of ending hostilities in Central Asia since the time of Alexander the Great. The Pashtoons understand it and use it themselves frequently because they are always starting and ending blood feuds or wars. In the 10+ years we have been campaigning in Afghanistan there have been two major efforts to reintegrate insurgents and try to “take fighters off the field of battle”. These two programs (PTS & DIAG) were and still are utter failures judged not by me or the military but independent organizations, non-governmental sources and the media. Reintegration today in Afghanistan is what I spent a year of my life trying to help along. There was a law created by Karzai called the Afghan Peace and Reconciliation Program (APRP). I want to tell you that it is a good piece of paper and in it are ideals and aspirations worthy of praise. It is a high goal to shoot for in this place.