The Cool Blue Blog

Afghanistan: Year in Review

Afghanistan: year in review

By Staff Sgt. Jess  Harvey

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Jan. 3, 2006) – One year can change the face of a nation. Afghanistan made significant advancements in 2005 toward autonomy and security. The changes started in the first few days of the new year.

January

The Ghazni Province held a women’s shura, or council, with the help of the Ghazni Provincial Reconstruction Team. The shura proposed to give the women of Ghazni more of a voice in government and was supported by the governor of Ghazni, Asadullah Khalid.

February

Afghanistan’s 120 cadets took their place in history when they reported for duty at the new National Military Academy of Afghanistan in Kabul. The academy, modeled after the U.S. Military Academy, is a four-year, degree-granting institution for commissioning second lieutenants for the Afghan National Army.

During opening ceremonies, Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghanistan’s minister of defense, described the academy’s role as vital to the future of the country, saying it will produce “loyal, professional and true leaders for Afghanistan’s future without any ethnic, language and tribal distinction.”

March

In March, the National Army Volunteer Center, a recruiting station for the Afghan National Army, opened in the Panjshir Valley. This area is immersed in the history for the struggle for Afghan independence.

April

Afghan democracy also took a step forward with the opening of the Guzara and Obe district courthouses in the Herat Province under the Afghanistan Rule of Law Project.

“After 25 years of warfare and the destruction or decay of so many courthouses, this event celebrates a new beginning,” said Inge Frylund, a rule of law adviser with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Later, coalition members helped dedicate a new school in Ahmad Aba, in Paktya Province.

“After so many years of warfare, I realize that there are a lot of projects that need to be done in Afghanistan. We need roads, and we need hospitals, and we need businesses, but of all these things, I believe that education is perhaps the most important,” said Lt. Col. Brendan O’Shea, the reconstruction team commander.

May

Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry assumed command of Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan in early May from Lt. Gen. David Barno. In his remarks, Eikenberry thanked U.S. and Coalition troops for their devotion to duty and pledged to continue Barno’s efforts.

“We will continue to work together, build security forces and support the rebuilding of Afghanistan,” he said. “Our mission will continue in the same direction … working with the United Nations, Coalition forces, and most importantly, the Afghan government.”

The Afghan government also introduced its Tahkim-e Solh (Strengthening Peace) program to reintegrate noncriminal combatants and insurgents, including low-level members of the Taliban. Professor Sibghatullah Al-Mojaddedi, who announced the program, encouraged Afghans to live together as brothers as their grandparents lived in the past and to not allow enemies to break them apart.

June

The 36th class graduated from the Afghan National Army’s basic training at the Kabul Military Training Center, bringing their troop levels to approximately 25,000.

The Afghan National Police also made gains, with the graduation of 11 officers from a crime scene investigation course.

“The CSI course is only one of many ways in which the ANP is improving their skills,” said Dave Barrington, an ANP mentor employed by DynCorp International. “Together with cooperation from the Afghan government, the Office of Military Cooperation – Afghanistan and Germany, the lead nation for Afghan National Police reform, we are making significant progress in rebuilding the capabilities of the local police.”

July

Another milestone was met in early July, when the first class of Afghan National Army soldiers graduated from an advanced mine countermeasures course taught by a French army captain. Taking part in the five weeks of training were soldiers from the ANA’s Engineer Company, 3rd Brigade, 201st Corps, Combat Support Kandak Battalion.

The opening of a renovated bank, the first in Kabul since 2001, signaled economic opportunity for Afghans and reliable payroll for government officials and ANA and ANP soldier and officers.

“There have been a lot of issues in getting government workers paid due to the financial infrastructure in this country,” said Lt. Col. Christopher M. Nolta, a Coalition engineer and liaison officer with the Afghan government. “This bank’s opening will make getting officials paid a lot easier, and that will increase the stability and security of this country in a big way.”

August

Canada assumed command of the reconstruction team in Kandahar, one of the provinces in Regional Command South, which is scheduled to be transferred to NATO control in 2006.

“This transfer of authority marks the beginning of a significant transition to what will ultimately be a NATO-led effort,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jack Sterling, deputy commander for Combined Joint Task Force 76. “The U.S. remains committed to doing our part in the strengthening of democracy here in Kandahar province and throughout Afghanistan.”

Also in August, the ANP grew in ranks and capability as the Kabul Police Academy graduated the first class of officers from its comprehensive, three-year training course. The 210 cadets spent 3,400 hours studying 23 subjects ranging from criminal investigations and social sciences to police tactics and operations.

September

September brought more change with the opening of the first paved road, aptly named “The Road of the Future,” in Paktika Province, The province’s governor, Gulab Mangal, described the road as a visible symbol of the improving quality of life and infrastructure that come with peace in the province. Afghan masons and laborers finished the 2.6-kilometer road in three months using large stones, assuring it will last many years.

On a momentous day, ANA troops and ANP officers, with a little help from Coalition forces, ensured the safety of 6.4 million voters in the national assembly elections on Sept. 18.

October

In an apparent response to the elections, more than a dozen former enemy combatants in Kunar Province approached Afghan government officials to express their intent to join the the Takhim-E Solh program.

“These developments illustrate that the government of Afghanistan’s successful parliamentary elections are signaling a beginning of the end for the enemies of Afghanistan,” said Brig. Gen. James G. Champion, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force 76.

Later in October, a veterinary clinic opened in Parwan Province. Sgt. Pedro Meza, a project officer with the Bagram PRT, described the project as critical to reconstruction.

“If the people have the resources to take care of their animals, then livestock can bring life to the economy,” he said.

November

The Afghan Ministry of Interior improved its ability to provide safety and security for the people of Afghanistan by dramatically rearranging its leadership and pay structures. In part by reducing the number of general officers, the ministry created a more efficient force, with clearer chains of command and communication.

“We want to increase the capabilities of our force to create a secure environment for Afghan families, businesses and communities,” said Yousuf Stanizai,spokesman for the Ministry of Interior. “Having too many general officers undervalues the meaning of rank and can damage the discipline within an organization. This is something we want to avoid.”

December

The ANA and ANP secured Kabul as Afghanistan’s first parliament in more than 35 years. More than 6,500 members of the Afghan security forces worked together to provide security for the dignitaries and nearly 2 million residents.

“It was a great team effort - to secure an important moment in history for the Afghan people – the ANA and ANP working together for the good of the national security,” said the Afghanistan chief of staff for the Office of Security Cooperation, Col. Thomas Pope.

Also in December, Khatol Mohammadzai, an officer in the Afghan National Army, became the first Afghan woman inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame in Washington D.C.

“Being invited to America is something I never thought would happen. I broke all the chains women have faced in my country to be here today,” she said. “I am honored to be here with other strong women from all over the world.”

(Editor's note: Air Force Staff Sgt. Jess Harvey serves with the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan Public Affairs. Information in this article was compiled from stories and news releases published throughout 2005 by the public affairs office of Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan.)

Task Force Bayonet

CTF Bayonet Conducts Village Medical Outreach in Embattled Zabul Province

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Jacob Caldwell Combined Task Force Bayonet Public Affairs

ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Coalition and Afghan doctors conducted a Village Medical Outreach mission Oct. 20-25 in embattled Zabul Province, offering some much needed aid to three different villages and the surrounding areas.

“Our number one purpose is to help the people,” said Cpt. Joshua Gaspard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company Executive Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), “We provide medical support and hence the title, Village Medical Outreach, but we bring other assets.”

“We did bring a mechanic and we were able to help the ANA and the ANP on some of their vehicles but the number one thing is to get out there and try to help the populace,” said Gaspard.

Gaspard has experience running the VMOs in Zabul Province, this being the fourth.

Over the span of the four VMOs, the missions have covered the majority of Zabul Province; Atghar, Zanjhir, and Argandahb Valley being the last three areas needing coverage.

Every mission has difficulties inherit in it, this VMO mission being no exception.

“If you were to look across the board, for the number of individuals involved, you would probably have the same number of MOSs,” said Gaspard. “As an infantry officer, it’s normally pretty easy. I’ve got a bunch of 11Bs and I say ‘Let’s go take the hill.’ For these guys you’ve got every MOS you could possibly imagine and we try to integrate them together to build a winning team.”

Stairway to Heaven

A shopping mall has opened in Kabul and Mall director Habib Safi is pretty sure that people will not only go there to escape some of the extremes in Afghan weather, but spend their money as well.

The ample lighting, meticulously clean aisles and Afghan pop music blaring from invisible loudspeakers baffle potential customers.

There are

...gold, textile, furniture and electrical appliance shops and the cafй on the ground floor that offers "coffee to go".

And

The dresses displayed in his shop windows are imported from Turkey

But the most baffling thing to shoppers is the escalator

"People are afraid of the escalator. They are amazed to see something moving by itself," says Anwar Hussein, manager of the hotel that shares a nine-storey building with the shopping centre.

They may need some time to get acclimated...

Women's issues are key

First Women's Center Opens in Paktika Province

The center will offer women the chance to attend classes and obtain information regarding women's issues, covering topics such as health and childbirth.

By U.S. Army Spc. Laura E. Griffin
Task Force Devil Public Affairs

HARAN, Afghanistan, Sept. 21, 2005 — Another step toward equal rights for women in Afghanistan was made in the town of Sharan, Afghanistan, Sept. 15 with the opening of the first Women's Center in the Paktika Province.

The center, run by Sharifa Faqirzada, will offer women the chance to attend classes and obtain information regarding women's issues, covering topics such as health and childbirth. Faqirzada is assisted by her daughter, Shaima, 21, who is a candidate running for the provincial Shura in the upcoming elections.

                                                                         

"This is yet another step towards improvement in Paktika and an important step toward freedom for women."                                      Gov. Gulab Mangal, governor of Paktika Province

"This is one of the best signs of progress for females in Paktika," said Shaima. "The women will be able to come here and learn about various crafts, like sewing and carpet making, so that they can make money too. We will also make trips out to villages to offer classes and seminars there."

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, the governor of Paktika, Gov. Gulab Mangal, expressed his approval of the center and applauded the progress the center represents.

"This is yet another step towards improvement in Paktika and an important step toward freedom for women," he said.

Construction of the center was started in mid-June and was finished Sept. 14. The Sharan Provincial Reconstruction Team contributed $25,000 to the project.

"It is an honor to participate in the building of this center," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gordon Obermueller, the provisional reconstruction team commander. "These sorts of projects really make it all worthwhile for us."

Special Forces fix a heart

Military doctor patches up 8-year-old Afghani girl’s heart

By COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Karishma tried to be like any other eight year old, running and playing with boundless energy, but for her, there was an end to the energy.

She could never have had a normal, long life because of heart problems – until a year ago. 

Two U.S. Special Forces medical personnel, a medical sergeant and doctor, crossed paths with Karishma in September 2004 ultimately leading up to a successful lifesaving closed-heart surgery performed Aug. 14 by Dr. (Maj.) Michael Myers, a cardiothoracic surgeon stationed at the Bagram Airfield hospital.

“The surgery went extremely well,” the surgeon said. “She is a strong little girl. She will live a long, happy, healthy life.”

Karishma was three months old when her family found out she had heart problems from a doctor in Peshawar , Pakistan . They diagnosed her with Ventricular Septal Defect -- a hole in the heart’s wall -- a type of heart malfunction present at birth.

Seven years later, village elders introduced her father, Abdula, to the Special Operations Forces medical sergeant and doctor. They had been conducting sick-call near Jalalabad in September 2004.

“I told Abdula that I could not treat Karishma, but I would do some research on the Internet about the problem and asked him to return a few days later,” said the SOF medical sergeant. “I researched the condition and found three non-profit organizations that could help. The same day I received a response from the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, N.J., offering to perform the surgery free for the family through a program called ‘Children of the World Program.’”

Blackhawk Rescue

Black Hawk Crew Rescues Three Afghan Children Near Salerno

American Forces Press Service

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, June 30, 2005

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A routine orientation flight turned out to be anything but routine, at least for three Afghan children stranded in the middle of a flooded river near Salerno, Afghanistan, June 29.

It all started as Chief Warrant Officer James Gisclair was giving an orientation flight to a pilot new to the area. He and the new pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Nathan Scott, spotted a flash flood occurring after heavy rains hit the area earlier that day. They noticed a group of people standing alongside the banks of a flooding river, pointing toward the middle as they followed its path.

"As we looked closer we saw three kids stuck on a concrete foundation with the river rushing past them," Gisclair said. "We went back to Salerno, where we asked to go back to rescue the kids. We were approved to go back and get them, and when we got back there, the water had risen to above their feet."

The pilots, flying a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter configured for medical evacuations, couldn't land close enough to pull the stranded kids to safety. They had to rely on a hoist system called a jungle penetrator. The hoist basically is a cable with a seat at the end, and it's lowered or raised with the help of the aircraft's crew chief. To rescue the children, someone had to sit on the end of the hoist while someone else lowered him to the children.

Blue Tile

Reconstruction Team Helps Restore Afghan Cultural Art Form

By Sgt. Jeremy A. Clawson, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

   

HERAT, Afghanistan, March 7, 2005

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In 1997, Taliban leaders drove a 600 year-old Afghan art form to near extinction when they fired 22 of the 30 craftsmen at the Blue Mosque Tile Factory.

The eight remaining blue-tile artisans held in their hands the fate of this ancient craft. 

After U.S. and coalition forces expelled the Taliban from power in 2001, the factory, now called the Blue Mosque Preservation Center, began to flourish. In the months ahead, the center will help former combatants lay down their weapons to become productive members of Afghan society.

The Herat Provincial Reconstruction Team recently funded a project to train 40 former combatants during a six-month period in cooperation with the Afghan New Beginnings Program. Representatives from the Blue Mosque Preservation Center, the Department of Social Affairs and Labor, and the Afghan New Beginnings Program will select the new workers based on their interests, aptitude and skills.

According to civil affairs team member Spc. Jennifer Raszynski, the tiles produced by the 40 new laborers will help restore cultural monuments in the Herat province, throughout the region and in other countries.

Hippocratic Gift

Coalition Doctors, Medics Work Together to Save Afghan Lives

By Sgt. Stephanie L. Carl, USA
Special to American Forces Press Service

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 25, 2005 –– Medical personnel here are passing their knowledge on to Afghan National Army medics, ensuring the Afghans can take care of their own soldiers instead of relying on coalition forces' assistance.

"Right now, we're here to help the ANA," said Army Dr. (Maj.) Lance Smith, assigned to the 325th Combat Support Hospital at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. "But we're working on the long term," including teaching follow-on care that is critical to recovery.

Fixing a broken heart

U.S. Soldiers Give 'Gift of Life' to Afghan Boy

Afghan toddler to receive treatment at an Indianapolis hospital to repair heart condition.

By U.S. Army Sgt. Joe McFarren

CAMP PHOENIX, KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 22, 2005 — In mid-September, U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) James Gruber had little Qudrat Ullah placed in his lap while on a routine refugee camp humanitarian visit by the 76th Infantry Brigade.

Gruber, an Army doctor with the 1-151st Infantry Battalion, 76th Infantry Brigade, discovered the 1-year-old boy had a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, but he thought there was nothing he could do for the boy and he would eventually die. Little did he know the miracle that was in store that would enable the child to receive treatment in the United States that was not available in Afghanistan.

“When we first diagnosed (Qudrat),” Gruber said, “He would have been dead in a year if he wasn’t treated.”

Qudrat lives with his mother, Tajbara, and his father, Hakim, in a tent at the refugee camp. His family members are Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, following the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and subsequent control by the Taliban regime.

One night, not long after being examined by Gruber, Hakim carried Qudrat from the refugee camp to the Camp Phoenix front gate. The boy’s feet and hands were blue, so soldiers took him to the Troop Medical Clinic for treatment. The medics did the best they could, but they couldn’t offer a permanent solution. Qudrat needed surgery, a surgery he couldn’t get in Afghanistan.

“I’m proud to be a part of something so big. Saving one child is worth the time away from our families. It gives an added purpose to our mission," U.S. Army Capt. Michael Roscoe

 

After diagnosing Qudrat’s condition, Capt. Michael Roscoe, a physician assistant with the 113th Base Support Battalion, 76th Infantry Brigade contacted Lt. Col. Terry Snow, the Civil Military Operations officer for Coalition Joint Task Force Phoenix.

Snow, an avid member of the Rotary Club of Greenfield, Ind., took the next step by using his contacts within the Rotary organization to secure funds through the “Gift of Life” program.
The U.S. military is providing transportation from Kabul to Indianapolis while Rotary will defray the costs of food and any collateral spending Qudrat will need while in Indiana.

Within 72 hours of asking Rotary for help, Snow received word that the organization would fund the transportation and collateral costs of surgery and transportation.

Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis agreed to perform the procedure on Qudrat through its own donations. Three surgeons volunteered to operate on the boy, making a $50,000 surgery free for this family.

Operation School House

U.S., Coalition Troops Support Kabul School

Operation School House and Operation Educate work to improve Afghan schools.

By U.S. Army Reserve Master Sgt. D. Keith Johnson

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 18, 2005 ― Children at a local school will have it a little easier carrying books and supplies to and from school thanks to some U.S. and coalition military personnel.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen and two Romanian officers from the Kabul Compound, part of Operation School House, visited the Leisa BiBi Maro School recently and brought donated book bags and school supplies.

“We started Operation School House in mid-2004 to donate materials to local schools and orphanages,” said U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Cindy Southard. Southard, from Port St. Lucie, Fla., is the Directorate of Public Works noncommissioned officer in charge for the Kabul Compound.

According to Southard, the Operation School House program is a group effort started by the 265th Air Defense Forward 2 and includes other volunteers from the Kabul Compound. The 265th is a Florida National Guard battalion based in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“We started Operation School House in mid-2004 to donate materials to local schools and orphanages,” U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Cindy Southard

 

The volunteer group receives donations from sources in the United States and divides what is collected for the kids at the schools and orphanages.

“Today, we donated materials that were sent to us by many participants, but the biggest donors were the St. Frances DeSales High School in Columbus, Ohio, and the Longleaf Elementary School in Melbourne, Florida,” said Southard.

According to Southard, Operation School House obtained 1,000 military map bags from the Afghan National Army and donated them to the kids at the school. The bags were part of a third country donation to the Afghan National Army.

Leisa BiBi Maro School has approximately 5,500 students in grades 1 through 12. The younger classes are mixed boys and girls but the higher grades are all girls. Because the school has more students than can fit in the classrooms, several classes are held outside or in tents in the school yard. Water is hand pumped from a well. Bathroom facilities consist of four holes dug in the ground.

Operation Educate -- an employee program at Schneider National Carriers, based in Green Bay, Wis. --provided additional backpacks and supplies.

According to Lt. Col. Dale Brown, with the Defense Operations Sector of the Office of Military Cooperation - Afghanistan, Mike Wundrock, a Schneider associate in Kenton, Ohio, spearheaded the collection of backpacks from other Schneider associates. Wundrock collected 153 backpacks from Schneider offices in Akron, and Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, West Memphis, Ark. and St. Louis.

“Mike asked me to send him some Afghan coins for his daughters,” said Brown. “That got him interested in Afghanistan’s plight and when I sent him photos of a school visit, that inspired him to take action.”