Bo Burks

DAY 90 (H -275)

Welcome to my diary as a soldier deployed in the Global War on Terror.

I have heard it said the Military’s purpose is to kill people and break things. I have to agree, it really is that simple. Housekeeping, on the other hand, is about straightening up, cleaning, and being orderly. Warfighting and housekeeping are polar opposites.Here at Kandahar, both exist.

Being a NATO or international base we have a lot of countries with compounds or fenced in areas. All these countries are here for differing reasons. Some participate to help the people of Afghanistan; some are here to justify their military, and some to update their global community card.

The National compounds show what's important to each. The cleaner and neater your facility, the less time you spend on defeating the enemy. The perimeter at each compound is directly related to the amount of risk they are willing to accecpt. The US areas are messy, dirty, unorganized and indicate hardship.  Some other countries appear more like a Disney World display. It appears they never go outside the wire, integrate with the locals, and in stead, spend hours improving and cleaning their piece of KAF.

If the Americans are the warfighters, which we unquestionably are, then the United Arab Emirates are just here for the T-shirt and post card. To the rest of the world, they’re in the fight to save freedom, to us on the ground; they’re literally painting rocks in Kandahar.

Thanks for following,

Bo

He which hath no stomach to this fight let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers!! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother”. Rest in peace my Brothers, you have not been forgotten. (W.Shakespeare)