So in the previous post I told you I would tell you more about KIA, Kabul International Airport, hmmm international is a questionable title, I’m not sure if that is just because so many people from other nations coming through there are what. It is a very small one building one or two runway airport. As far as I can tell it is mostly military ran as well. We landed in the helicopter and made our way into the terminal, with a lot of assistance from the other passengers. Then there we were again, thinking, “ok, what next.” Once inside my card was scanned to show that I had been there, and then we were left to fend for ourselves, to try and figure out how to get from KIA to Camp Phoenix. The Soldier inside point us to a phone we could use to call for a ride, which I’m sure to someone who had a unit would have been helpful. Who were my partner and I suppose to call, we didn’t know anyone at Camp Phoenix, heck we didn’t know anyone in Kabul. This is not just a simple jaunt down the road. While we were at the phone calling some numbers that were hanging by the phone, a PFC (private first class) came to use the phone as well, he too needed to make it to a different location. He called his SGT, who gave him some additional numbers to call, none of which were working. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I talked to a couple of other Soldiers who were working there and then I went outside to see where other newly arriving passengers were going. My co-worker and the PFC continued to try and reach someone at the other end of the phone.
I lugged our baggage to a holding area, and began asking those around were they were going. Here is were sometimes there is a benefit to being an outgoing female, people were willing to talk to me. I found two civilian contractors who were preparing to go to Camp Phoenix, representatives from their companies were on their way to pick them up. They did not know if there would be space but they were willing to check when their ride arrived. I then watched two approaching vehicles drop off a group of soldiers with all their baggage. I thought to myself “hmm…those vehicles have to be returning someplace,” So I asked them where they were going, just my luck, they were headed back to Camp Phoenix, and they were willing to give us a ride. Finally, we would get to where we were supposed to be. Myself and one of the drivers loaded the baggage into the vehicles, I went and got my co-worker and the PFC that we now had “adopted” and we were off to our next location, this time by small convoy.
Now this too was an experience and one that I couldn’t take pictures of, I was in the back of a bulletproof truck with only a very small window for me to see out of, but I could see enough and the village was exactly what I had been told it would look like. The houses, if you can call them that were quickly thrown together structures and tents people were gathered at the side of the roads talking and watching those who passed. There were a lot more vehicles then I had expected, although I shouldn’t be surprised Kabul is a big city. This was the first time I kind of had some apparitions. We are trained over and over again about things that are suspect, things to look out for, with regard to hostile people and questionable situations. Driving down the road I saw them all, and trust me there are moments you wonder if the way that man is staring at us and hiding his arms does he have a weapon? Or the guy on the side of the road seemingly randomly digging a whole is that to later hide an IED? These thoughts continued to go through my head as we drove through the city, with the spotter and the driver vigilantly watching for any threats. There were talking myself and the PFC through what would to do if we take fire, and what to do if the truck stops. Me with my measly 9mm and the PFC unarmed, I did wonder what would happen. Funny thing was my thoughts were not about the danger I might be in or what might happen to me, but on those people who go out in this almost every day, who are really a target or have a real threat. What it must be like to have to constantly think like that and to always worry. I am every more grateful for them and their act of bravery and courage they have to do that. They are the ones out there trying to keep the city safe, try to find those who are terrorizing the US and Afghanistan and I again am reminded how lucky I am to get to help serve them.
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