Although I have personally sent of 165 applications for employment in Afghanistan,( to do my bit ). I have as yet been unsuccessful,so as the Military Blogger for the Guardian I do glean information from many sources, Serving Soldiers, Friend and family who have served in Afghanistan as well as speaking with many people who have been there personally. So in that vein I would like to share with you this article written by A veteran Canadian Journalist from the CBC.
Analysis Kandahar Dispatch A war's progress: The 30-day view Last Updated: Friday, July 11, 2008 | 6:07 PM ET By Paul Hunter CBCFarewell to the fallen: A ramp ceremony at dusk at the Kandahar Airfield in July. (Paul Hunter/CBC)
So, the big fat question: Is progress being made in Afghanistan? Having been here a little over 30 days, I am without a doubt now an expert on this.
Right. Actually I'm not an expert at anything. So be sure to take the following with some CF-issue sodium.
Ask any soldier who's been here awhile and you'll likely hear that, compared with, say, even a year ago, Afghanistan seems a better place in at least some ways. Infrastructure is growing and Afghan security forces are strengthening.
Instead of following Canadian troops into battle, Afghan soldiers often now devise the plan of attack and lead the way (with Canadians in support). I've watched some of the Afghan forces in training and have seen they are eager to learn.
As for rebuilding Afghanistan's bombed-out or aging infrastructure, there are now many so-called signature projects in the offing. 'Aim the gun'
On the other hand, in the battle at Arghandab last month, we saw Afghan troops turn and run like children when fired on by the Taliban. Another time, while under insurgent attack, Canadian soldiers mentoring Afghan troops can be heard shouting at Afghan soldiers 'No AIM the gun! AIM it!'
Anyone here in the south who's lately been outside the wire will tell you the fighting can be intense. Some in the military shrug it off as the summer season, when insurgent fighting typically picks up.
Though others might wonder why, in this seventh summer season of the insurgency, NATO and American forces haven't seen a weakening of the summer season.
It's now well known that more Americans were killed here this past June than in any other month since the insurgency began.
And in the short time I've been here, I've seen Afghan forces fail to protect the Kandahar prison (where last month a suicide bomber freed hundreds of enthusiastic insurgents), I've seen a roadside bomb explode directly in my path on a stretch of road supposedly cleared of such devices daily by Afghan forces, and I've sat through countless rocket attacks both inside and outside the Kandahar Airfield.
I've also driven down some of the fabled newly paved roads (Evidence! Of An Improving Afghanistan!). On one of them we stopped and sat for 15 minutes waiting for a mine sweep before creeping out onto the dirt shoulder so we could get around the rubble of another recent roadside bomb.
My Afghan fixer drove from Kandahar to Kabul not long ago. Are you nuts? I said to him. Not at all, he said, As long as I leave before dawn, take the 'PRESS' sign off my dashboard, wear a hat, go quickly the whole way and drive through certain places only when Afghan soldiers are at the checkpoints, then it's usually OK. FOBs
On his drive he saw 17 big black oily patches (he counted them) where supply vehicles coming toward Kandahar had been attacked and destroyed by militants.
He recently balked at doing a video shoot for us in Kandahar City because, in his words, it was too dangerous. It's like the Wild West out there.
That was shortly after a top Afghan parliamentarian and noted supporter of NATO forces here had been assassinated in Kandahar.
You may've heard of Forward Operating Bases (FOBs); mini compounds for Canadian soldiers outside Kandahar (picture a giant fortified fence around a camp on a hill in the middle of the countryside, like a big old fort from cowboy days.) The guaranteed secure area outside some FOBs and other outposts can sometimes be measured in metres.
The Taliban know all of this. There are stories of insurgents warning villagers to consider that at some point NATO forces will pull out and the Taliban will remain. So villagers are to behave accordingly.
Even in Kabul, journalists are advised against stopping in any place for more than 15 minutes, lest word spread of a potential fresh target available for attack. And that was before this month's big blast at the Indian Embassy.
I've met many times with Denis Thompson, the commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. He's a smart guy who's not afraid to get his hands dirty; he is often out in the field with his troops.
He was in a convoy recently in which a roadside bomb exploded just ahead of him. Thompson was unhurt. But for me it underlined how much work remains for both him and his new boss Chief of Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk in tackling that big fat question.
The question still is are we gaining solid ground for the rebuilding of Democracy for the Afghani people?? Are we making a Long Lasting difference?? When will the mission be complete. Questions beget Questions??
A Flash Back that is still part of military tradition The Nijmegen March..
DND: Boots on the Ground in Nijmegen, Netherlands
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jul 11, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- A contingent of about 205 Canadian Forces (CF) personnel leaves Canada today for Nijmegen, Netherlands, to take part in the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen, a prestigious Dutch marching event Canadian military contingents have participated in every year since 1952. During the four days of the Nijmegen Marches, which take place this year from July 15 to July 18, all military participants must walk 160 km while carrying a standard military rucksack weighing at least 10 kg.
The Nijmegen Marches is an excellent fitness activity and endurance test that builds morale and develops core military values, including leadership and teamwork, in all participants, said Brigadier-General Raymond Romses, the commanding officer of the Canadian Defence Liaison Staff in London, U.K., and the senior member of the CF contingent. Our participation to the Nijmegen marches highlights Canada's close connection to the Netherlands. Even now soldiers from both nations are working to stabilize Afghanistan, he added.
The CF contingent includes Regular Force members and Reservists of all ranks and occupations from across the country. Canadian soldiers, sailors and air personnel consider it an honour and privilege to be selected for the gruelling four-day event. During the months of training required for selection, candidates build physical and mental stamina by marching, on average, 700 km with their rucksacks.
CF participation in the Nijmegen Marches includes tributes to Canadians who lost their lives in battle during the First and Second World Wars. On the way to Nijmegen, the CF contingent will visit the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France to hold a memorial ceremony in cooperation with the Royal Canadian Legion. During their stay in the Nijmegen area, the CF marchers will visit Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, where more than 2,300 Canadian soldiers and airmen who died to liberate the Netherlands in 1944 and 1945 are buried.
Please try to show your support our troops and their families.
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
