“I’m at a payphone trying to call home…”

The lyrics in Maroon 5’s latest “Payphone,” featuring Wiz Khalifa.  One of the songs of summer in the US?  I hope to find out soon, but it was mentioned in Stars & Stripes and so I downloaded it.  And then I came across my droid as I was rifling through my “room” last night to make the first cut of items to be thrown out or given to others before I leave.  Steve makes fun of my addiction to my cell phone back home (jealousy since he is clinging to his circa 2003 cell).  But guess who is more addicted?  Afghans!  And it makes all the sense in the world.  As with many developing countries, Afghanistan has completely skipped the necessity of land lines (why bother?), but you would be hard pressed to find a government official without at least two cell phones and multiple SIM (subscriber identity module) cards.  “Cell phone etiquette” hasn’t quite made its way to Afghanistan (or my brother!) so Afghans will answer phones during meals, during meetings, and other times us Westerners might consider inopportune.  In fact, I’m not sure there is necessarily ever a bad time to call Afghans.  I do not make calls on Juma or early morning/late night, but I think Afghans call at all times.  My CA buddy reported back on his restless night sleeping next to the NDS Chief in one of our districts and the number of phone calls that were received throughout the night – and I don’t think it’s just because he was NDS.  The disposability of SIM cards can be a problem.  When judges and prosecutors report threats, it’s usually followed with something to the effect of “but the government doesn’t track SIM cards, and they are just thrown out…so it is impossible to investigate these threats.”  In terms of communicating – most Afghans don’t have TVs and radio is pretty effective in the areas they can reach – but text messages via cell phones – sky is the limit!  One of the things I thankfully have zero experience in during my time here other than monitoring BN and BDE CUOPS is battlefield comms – but I can tell you what the Afghans do in a TIC – pick up their cell phone.  Need any further proof of the ubiquity of and usefulness of cell phones to Afghan security and development?  Cell towers are a TB target. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/world/asia/taliban-using-modern-means-to-add-to-sway.html?pagewanted=all

So here’s to the cell phone!  To its future in Afghanistan!  To turning in my 070 number in another week!  And to my droid’s future resurrection when we touch down in the USA.