October 27 0700

At Kandahar with my friends Allen Harrison and Ben Brady both from Local 613 Atlanta. Behind us is the UAE camp and their mosque. Dusty and hot, 102 on this day.

October 27 0600

                                                          VOTE FOR PEDRO!

October 25 1930

"Modern Tanker- Super Deluxe- Road Star- Best Man" ! That an individual takes enough pride in his vehicle to do this, gives hope for this country. Perhaps it is something worth fighting for.  

October 6 2130

Egyptian hospital motorpool, which maintains the last 3 Yugos in captivity. A tired looking but fairly well represented fleet.  80 today and mostly clear. Last nights lightning storm also brought the first snow to the mountains surrounding Bagram Airfield. The accumulation was clear in the 12-17,000' peaks.

Images from Base Kandahar Bazar. Spread out across 5 acres, this draws everyone interested in knockoffs, rugs, cigarettes,  hooka pipes, stones, jems, brassware, linens and bongos. I love coming here and will miss it when I return to the north. The vendors are a combination of quirky, persistent, pushy, fun and funny. Haggling is expected and a delight to watch and practice. 102 today.

Rug shop at Kandahar Bazar.

Front and backside of terminal. Notice hesco walls, concertina wire and gunner placements on roof.

Soviet graveyard next to US base. These are scattered around the country, remnants of the last war.

Kunduz street market scene. This daily market stretches for one half mile and across 20 side streets.

 Locals on highway, waiting for our convoy to pass. Military convoys are given a wide berth.

Ballistic mesh which wraps the outside of US armored personnel carriers. It is designed to protect against RPG. Heavy, composite knobs are intended to detonate incoming rounds prior to vehicle impact.

Rolling kitchen at remote COP. Uses JP8 fuel for ovens, burners, and heaters. Food is stored in the type of containers you see rolling down the road with freezer units attached. Roadhouse menu below, pancake on a stick =corn dogs. Nothing goes to waste here if you know what I mean.

 

Preparing for a convoy with SSGT Manjarrez. After a little joking around he tires of it and tells me "drop down and give me twenty, slacker you are not ready for todays army". Clearly I am not. Preparation for convoy and lineup prior to departure. 2 hours to Kunduz. I am seeing some of the most desolate and bizarre scenery to date. We drive through villages where you could easily imagine Moses walking down the street. Except for the armed ANA soldiers.