Team leader, AF Major, leads by example
After our morning meeting, my ETT team went to ANA land as usual, except today instead of mentoring, we would demonstrate teamwork to my ANA SGM. Almost my whole team volunteered to assist with the library-tea shop project. Our task was to remove all of the broken concrete flooring so a new concrete floor could be poured. We removed our shirt tops and with 2 shovels and a wheelbarrow started removing the concrete.
AF MSgt flexing his "guns"
With only one wheelbarrow, this limited our production and it was taking a long time because it had to be wheeled outside and dumped. Some of my teammates used their ingenuity and found some metal roofing to serve as loading platforms. This allowed us to effectively utilize our manpower and remove the flooring expeditiously.
AF MSgt shoveling broken concrete
The ANA SGM was rather impressed how quickly we worked and removed the concrete. Even my interpreter Omid didn’t want left out and helped in the process. Our team leader also showed he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and inhale a little bit of dust too. It was really windy outside causing swirling dust storms.
AF team members removing broken concrete
At times our visibility was limited and the micro fine dust stuck to our uniforms and any body part that was perspiring. In a matter of a couple of hours, all of the flooring was removed. The library-tea shop project is progressing as planned.
Afterward, I went back to the Supply warehouse to see MSG Abdullah. Omid used his cell phone and brought up my blog site on it.
AF SSgt carries out debris
He showed MSG Abdullah the pictures I posted of him on the blog. I could tell by his nonverbal gestures something bothered him. Omid explained that the pictures of him in the garden don’t really portray him as a true soldier. For the next hour using Omid to translate, MSG Abdullah told me about his military life and the time he spent with the Mujahadeen fighting the Taliban.
MSG Abdullah in front of unfinished guard shack
MSG Abdullah had no rank and was a 17-18 year old teenager at the time when he joined the Mujahadeen in 1998. What I found interesting is that his home province was in the North, but he traveled to the southern province near Kandahar to fight the Taliban. Even his fellow Mujahadeen noted this. But MSG Abdullah reason is very patriotic and to this day I have found him to be one of the most patriotic soldiers in the ANA. He joined the fight for the love of his country.
For the next year he lived in the mountains and plotted attacks on the Taliban. He would conceal his weapons and ammunition in a folded blanket and every few months his team would travel down to the town for food and supplies. He said the rice was bad quality and imported from Bangladesh. Sometimes they would have potatoes and cook them in an ammo can. Very seldom did they eat meat.
I was cautious when asking him about engaging in battle, because most soldiers are not proud of taking another life. He was reluctant to tell me, but he generalized some of the battles. In one of the fiercest battles, the Taliban blocked the roadway and attacked his group with Rocket Propelled Grenades and AK-47s. This battle lasted for 24 hours straight. He wasn’t certain whether he took a life because he didn’t go check, but in around about way he explained that in combat it’s your life or theirs. I respected his explanation and didn’t pry any further. Even now, he said his neighbors still fear him and they used to be former Taliban.
Farewell to Navy medic, HM2 John Opara
To close out the night, we bid farewell to our Navy medic, HM2 John Opara. The team leader presented him his Army Commendation medal along with some other certificates. HM2 Opara mentored the ANA medical personnel and was an integral member of our team. He is also the 2nd person to beat me at ping-pong. We all wish John the best as he returns to his family.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Afghanistan, ANA, Deployment, ETT, Mujahadeen, Taliban, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, war
