So You’re Not a FOBbit?

I am safely back in the U.S. now so I have just a few more posts before I’ll put this blog to bed.

For most members of the Air Force, a deployment to Afghanistan usually consists of heading to KAF, BAF, KAIA, or one of the numerous Kabul fortresses for 6-12 months.  However, according to an email I received 2,300 are currently serving under JET (joint expeditionary taskings), which in theory means they are “forward” deployed to the FOBs and COPs.  Most of these are as IA (individual augmentees) to the Army serving in support roles.  A good number are probably JTACs (joint terminal attack controller) and TACPs (tactical air control party) who call in air support for the Army and are highly trained.  And then there are the handful of us that end up in pretty unique billets with varying levels of training and experience for what we are being thrown into.  So here is my generic advice for what to do if you are NOT going to be a FOBbit (meaning you are forward deployed and will frequently go on OTW missions).

Gear

1.       Uniforms- To be honest, your tasking letter may be jacked up.  It may say you are deploying to Kabul or Bagram because your command’s HQ may be there.  If someone has contacted you telling you where you will ACTUALLY be, you are a step ahead.  Work with your UDM to get the gear and uniforms that people at that location receive standard issue.  If you will be working with the Army, you’ll want OCPs (multicam).  I don’t care if the AF has fire retardant tiger stripes authorized for the AOR (ABS-Gs).  Do you want to be the only one out on a patrol in a different uniform?  I didn’t.

2.       M4 over M16- This was the best advice I took from my husband.  I was initially issued a M16 and it’s what I went to training with.  Guess who has M16s down range?  Generally, people that don’t leave the FOBs.  Especially if you barely break 5’ the M4 is just easier to handle.

3.       Holster- Find one that works for you.  I had a drop holster which worked well for me.  If I had to do it all over again I'd probably go with a hip holster as more comfortable and easier to conceal when desired.

4.       Sleeping bag- If you are going to do any amount of traveling your sleeping bag will become your best friend.  If you aren’t going to be issued a decent one (warm, but very compact and waterproof), might be worth investing in one.

5.       Red light headlamp and flashlight- Chances are you’ll be at a blackout FOB.

Army

1.       Being deployed with the Army was by far the best part of my deployment.  I learned a TON from both battalions I was with operationally, about leadership, how to take care of your enlisted, the list goes on and on.  I think in some respects I fit in with the Army culture better.  There appeared to be greater mutual respect between officers and enlisted.  There is no doubt that as a generality Army officers (and I’m sure Marines) have a much greater responsibility at an earlier point in their careers than Air Force officers.  Soak it up and learn as much as you can.  Learn about operations, intel, logistics, personnel matters – it doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do with your AFSC, learn about it.  Talk to everyone you can.  Many of the soldiers are on their 4^th and 5^th deployments.  They have unmatched experience, not to mention the perspective of having seen it all before.

2.       Don’t be fooled by the PowerPoint!  Don’t try to become a PowerPoint expert – it will steal your brain!  Just because it “briefs well” or will look pretty on the screen, doesn’t mean you should waste precious time creating it.  I could go on and on about this….

3.       Read your email.  This may seem obvious, but get added to as many distro lists as you can.  Read the intel, the HTT reports, and anything you can get your hands on that’s going to help you understand your AO better and have greater SA – you will do a better job of taking care of yourself and those you are deployed with and executing your mission.

4.       Work out!  Admittedly my fitness level probably decreased somewhat on deployment.  I mostly ran and biked.  But find a workout partner.  It will keep you in shape and relieve some stress.

Afghan Food

"What I will miss most is using carbs as a vehicle for eating other carbs, much like pumpkin pie is the perfect vehicle for whipped cream." Me during my last Afghan meal with friends.  I would try to pretend LT Wolf and I drove a hard bargain with the interpreters but at $90 (that's U.S. dollars mind you) for a dozen people, I think the interpreters might have pocketed a little.  But we did procure the delicious potatoes and okra to accompany the usual assortment of bread, rice, and meats (chicken, beef, and goat -- thankfully no fish).  Also quite appropriate that this took place in the RIAB conex.

Last KLE

My last day at my FOB was a good summation of my deployment.  I had a KLE with the most reputable Afghan official that I worked with, a CID officer in the district my FOB was in.  He has successfully investigated a slew of high-profile cases in the province.  Our conversation was wide-ranging.  I asked about reports that solar panels had been stolen from one of the schools that PRT has constructed -- unfortunately the stealing of solar panels and other resources people don't have in their own homes is relatively common, either for personal use or for re-sale.  Then we talked at length about persistent chatter of corruption surrounding the DGOV.  Even a casual observer of AFG will not be shocked to hear corruption and GIRoA official in the same sentence.  We discussed timber smuggling and his belief that all AUP from the PCoP all the way down were involved.  Towards the end, he noted what many in AFG -- Coalition Forces, diplomats, and Afghans alike believe -- "the Talibs are not the problem, this (the corruption) is the problem."  And I think long term he is right.  The infantry guys I work with get (rightfully) excited when the numbers of INS EKIA are shown during a PPT and especially when we kill/capture a JPEL OBJ -- this is their primary job after all and what they train for.  But the leadership, even down to the PL level in many cases knows that CF and ANSF will not kill their way out of this conflict.  As with any war, a peaceful resolution is required.  And for any government to stand up with any success, it must prove itself to its people -- that it by and large trustworthy and responsive to the needs of its people.  That is something that by and large GIRoA has not proven on a wide scale yet.

Another interesting capstone has been reading the reports put out by our HTT that just arrived a few weeks ago.  A lot of the reports are pretty predictable for anyone who has spent any time talking with Afghans.  My personal favorite was in response to a question about whether CF should leave -- the respondent said "yes, we can take care of ourselves.  But you should give us helicopters and factories before leaving."  Afghans love helicopters and air support!  But it was also telling of what I'll call the "entitlement" syndrome that we probably helped enable with earlier strategies.  Afghans are used to aid and projects from CF at this point and the fact that we have gradually turned off the spigot of direct aid in favor of on-budget funding and mentoring GIRoA on the budget process has been challenging.  On the individual level it can be frustrating at times constantly being asked for things and thinking of all the lives and billions of dollars that our country has given and will continue to give.  But if I didn't have heat during the winter or a reliable water source, I'd probably try to get it wherever I could too.

Acronyms Part Deux

I posted a list of acronyms at the beginning of my deployment as I was just starting to learn about my job.  I kept it all throughout and it became a valuable resource for some soldiers besides myself.  I thought I would post it on my last day in my province.  A very small fraction of these ever came up in my blog posts -- but a glance over them is an interesting memory of all that a typical day could entail.

AACP- Afghan Anti-Crime Police

ABP- Afghan Border Police

ACAS- Afghanistan Court Administration System

ADT- Agricultural Development Team

AFSC- Air Force Specialty Code

AGO- Attorney General's Office

AIBA- Afghanistan Independent Bar Association

ALD- available to load date (this is when I will get to come home!)

ALP- Afghan Local Police

ANA- Afghan National Army

ANP- Afghan National Police

ANSF- Afghan National Security Forces

APPF- Afghan Public Protection Force

APRP- Afghanistan Peace & Reintegration Program

AWT- air weapons team

BAF- Bagram Air Field

BC- Battalion Commander

BDA- battle damage assessment

BDE- Brigade

BDOC- base defense operations center

BFC- battlefield circulation

BFT- blue force tracker

BN- Battalion

BPT- be prepared to

BSI- battlespace integrator

BSO- battlespace owner

CA- civil affairs

CAR- combined arms rehearsal

CAS- close air support

CAT- civil affairs team

CAT- combat advisor team

CCA- close combat attack

CDR- commander

CDROLLE- Coordinating Director for Rule of Law and Law Enforcement

CERP- commander’s emergency response program

CIDNE- combined information data network exchange

CIVCAS- civilian casualty

CJTF- Combined Joint Task Force

CJIATF-435- Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435

CMS- case management system

COP- combat outpost

CP- checkpoint

CUAT- commander’s unit assessment tool

CUB- Commander’s update brief

CUOPS- current operations

CWIED- command wire IED

DAT- district augmentation team

DCoP- District Chief of Police

DFIP- Detention Facility In Parwan

DOD- Department of Defense

DONSA- day of no scheduled activity

DOS- Department of State

DOW- died of wounds

DST- District Support Team

ECP- entry control point

EKIA- enemy killed in action

EOT- end of tour

EvBO- Evidence Based Operations

FET- Female Engagement Team

FET- Female Enragement Team - related to Female Engagement Team J

FDS- field detention site

FPO- field program officer

FOB- Forward Operating Base

FOM- freedom of movement

FOO- field ordering officer

FRIC- force reintegration cell

FUOPS- future operations

GIRoA- Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

HCT- human collection team

HHC- Headquarters and Headquarters Company

HLZ- helicopter landing zone

HTT- human terrain team

IAW- in accordance with

IDF- indirect fire

IDLG- Independent Directorate of Local Governance

IED- improvised explosive device

IJC- ISAF Joint Command

INS- insurgent

IO- Information Operations

IOT- in order to

IPR- installation personnel readiness

IPW- in partnership with

ISO- in support of

IVO- in vicinity of

IPIT- Interagency Planning and Implementation Team

IROL- Interagency Rule of Law

ISAF- International Security Assistance Force

JAG- that’s me!

JANIB- Joint Afghan NATO Inteqal Board

JCIP- Justice Center In Parwan

JPEL- Joint Prioritized Effects List

JRTC- Joint Readiness Training Center

JSSP- Justice Sector Support Program

KAF- Kandahar Air Field

KIA- killed in action

KLE- key leader engagement

LEP- law enforcement professional

LN- local national

LOJC- Law on the Organization and Jurisdiction of the Courts

MAM- military age male

MATV- MRAP All Terrain Vehicle

MOD- Ministry of Defense

MOI- Afghan Ministry of Interior

MOJ- Ministry of Justice

MOS- Military Occupation Specialties

MWE- men, weapons, equipment

MRAP- Mine Resistant Ambush Protected

NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization

NBI- non battle injury

NCOIC- non-commissioned officer in charge

NDS- National Directorate of Security

NROLFSM-A- NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission- Afghanistan

NSTR- nothing significant to report

OBJ- objective

ODA- other department of the Army

OGA- other government agency

OIC- officer in charge

OTW- outside the wire

PCoP- Provincial Chief of Police

PHQ- Police Headquarters

PID- positive identification

PJC- Provincial Justice Center

PJST- Provincial Joint Secretariat Team

POD- period of darkness

POI- point of impact

POO- point of origin

POTG- person other than grunt

ROE- rules of engagement

ROLFF-A- Rule of Law Field Force Afghanistan

PJC- provincial justice centers

PPC- Provincial Peace Council

RPG- rocket propelled grenade

PPRC- Provincial Peace & Reintegration Council

PRC- Provincial Response Company

PRT- Provincial Reconstruction Team

RFI- request for information

ROLFF-A- Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan

ROLFSO- Rule of Law Field Support Officer

RSOI- reception, staging, onward-movement & integration

SAF- small arms fire

SCR- senior civilian representative

SF- special forces

SFAAT- security forces advisor and assistance team

SIP- Subject Information Packet

SOF- special operations forces

SOP- standard operating procedures

SOTF- special operations task force

SWT- scout weapons team

TB- Taliban

TBI- traumatic brain injury

TCP- temporary checkpoint

TIC- troops in contact

TOC- tactical operations center

TPOR- transition provincial outlook report

TTP- Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan

USAID- U.S. Agency for International Development

UNAMA- United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

USDA- U.S. Department of Agriculture

USG- United States government

VSO- village stability operations

WIA- wounded in action

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has sent me packages and cards while I have been here.  My packages have been the envy of everyone and of course I shared.  Now everyone is hooked on all things Trader Joe's, organic dried fruits, and coffee from a french press -- the chaplain even bought a new one when he broke mine.  The cards and notes are of course the best and have been hanging on the wall of my "room" so I had to share before I take them all down.  They are coming to the states with me.  The Stan doesn't deserve Addie's artwork and cards from Erie Canal Beaver productions! 

“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.