More contractors than troops killed during past year in Iraq and Afghanistan

More contractors than troops killed during past year in Iraq and Afghanistan

By Katherine McIntire Peters kpeters@govexec.com September 22, 2010

 

Recent data show that more contractors were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan than U.S. troops during the first six months of 2010, according to a George Washington University law professor.
"Contractors supporting the war effort today are losing more lives than the U.S. military waging these wars," wrote Steven L. Schooner, co-director of the Government Procurement Law Program at The George Washington Law School, and Collin D. Swan, a student there. Their article appeared in the September issue of Service Contractor magazine, a quarterly publication of the Professional Services Council, an industry group.
The data show that in the first half of 2010, contractor fatalities in Afghanistan for the first time exceeded troop fatalities -- 232 and 195, respectively. Contractor deaths in Iraq surpassed military deaths there beginning in 2009. Between January 2009 and June 2010, there were 204 contractor deaths and 188 troop deaths in Iraq.

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Since the wars began in 2001, 5,531 U.S. troops and 2,008 contractors have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to 44 killed in Kuwait, many of whom were supporting missions in the war zones, the authors reported.
"The actual number of contractor fatalities is probably higher than is currently known," Schooner and Swan wrote.
Until 2008, the government's efforts to track contractors operating in the war zones were negligible. Congress, in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, ordered the Defense and State departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development to begin doing so, and Defense established a database to collect information on deployed contractors, including casualties.
But in November 2009, the Government Accountability Office reported that the effort fell short of statutory requirements and failed to give agencies accurate contractor figures, or sufficient information to oversee contractor operations.
According to Schooner and Swan, a Labor Department database that tracks contractor injuries and deaths based on insurance claims submitted under the 1941 Defense Base Act provides the most reliable information on contractor fatalities and injuries. But that data includes a contractor's death only if the family or employer seeks insurance compensation.
Contractor deaths are trending upward, as military reliance on them continues to grow. A July report by the Congressional Research Service found that Defense employs almost as many contractors as it has troops in Iraq, and over 30,000 more contractors than military personnel in Afghanistan.
The number of contractors employed in Iraq and Afghanistan and the duration of their service make the current situation unique, the authors wrote.
"Transparency in this regard is critical to any discussion of the costs and benefits, or our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. An accurate accounting is also important for the public -- and Congress -- to grasp both the level of the military's reliance on contractors and the extent of these contractors' sacrifices," they said.

Welcome Fireworks

In the evenings, I often enjoyed standing outside the accommodation, on the 1^st floor metal stairs running down the side of the building.  The night air was refreshingly cool, with a brisk wind blowing down from the snow-capped mountains surrounding Kabul.  The air was usually clear and, when the clouds were absent, the moon would rise majestically from behind the darkened mountain peaks, so unfeasibly large that I felt a well thrown pebble could reach it.

 Later in my first week at the compound, I was standing on my vantage point enjoying the cool, clear evening air, when a crackle of gunfire burst from the darkness in the middle distance.  I watched cautiously as a stream of fluorescent red beads arched gracefully across the sky, relieved that they were moving in the opposite direction to me.  ‘Tat-Tat-Tat-Tat-Tat’ echoed across the night air, as the gunfire built with intensity,  shortly followed by the deeper  ‘Tum-Tum-Tum-Tum’ retort of a 50’ caliber  support weapon as it added some zipping dots of color to night sky.

 Having been confined within the compound since my arrival, I was still very fuzzy about the geography  outside in the suburbs of Kabul. From what I could remember, there was little habitation in the direction of the gunfire.  Some mud walled buildings, dusty fields and an isolated hillock with an observation post on its crest.  Everything behind that was obscured from view, except for the rising walls of the surrounding mountains that began several dozen kilometers distant.

 Suddenly, my awareness peaked. There wasn’t any gunfire heading in my direction, but I became acutely aware that I was stood only a stone’s throw from an extremely large volume of highly aviation fuel, in the nearby bulk fuel installation. I mentally debated how combustible that fuel would be, if hit by a stray tracer round.  I felt vulnerable.

I stood and watched.  Was it an ambushed American patrol?   A roadblock engaging a vehicle?  A small outpost  responding to movement on the mountainside? 

My thoughts were disturbed when the accommodation door opened and I was joined by one of the South African guys that worked for our aviation business.  He stood silently and watched the tracers for a few moments before remarking ‘quite a display’.  I agreed, it was compulsive viewing.    ‘Night firing’, he continued.  It was a firing range.  I am glad that I hadn’t gotten too excited about it and made a fool of myself.  Even if I had of panicked, I had no body armor to wear, no siren to sound and no drills to follow. 

This was my real introduction to life in Kabul.  I wasn’t in the military any more. I wasn’t armed.  I wasn’t expected to be concerned with these things.

 I was soon to learn that there was also a quarry located near to the firing ranges.  They blasted the rock most afternoons.  I soon got so used to the noise of explosions and gunshots that, like most other people here, after a few weeks I completely failed to notice the impact when a car-bomb detonated at the gates of another of our companies’ compounds 200m up the street.

Kabul suffers multiple security incidents on a daily basis.  Only a tiny percentage ever get reported by the media.  Those are the incidents where foreigners are killed.  The company I work for has its supply convoys shot at on a daily basis as they trundle through the mountainous roads to or from Kabul.  It provokes little reaction when management learn of a burnt out truck or two.  Fatalities of the drivers aren’t really discussed.  The trucks are sub-contracted from local businesses, so the impact of those losses is not our concern; financially or, it seems, morally.

There are few countries in the world where nearby gunfire or explosions fail to interrupt conversations.  Afghanistan is definitely one of those places.

History of Afghanistan (Times Online Article)

Lessons of history: Spirit of defiance lives on in a land no outsider has tamed.

Ben Macintyre
From The Times, September 26, 2009

In 1992, in the presidential palace in Kabul, I interviewed Mohammed Najibullah, the brutal former secret police chief who with Soviet backing had been installed as President of Afghanistan six years earlier. A huge man, nicknamed “the Ox of Kabul”, Najibullah was politely menacing and supremely confident. Resistance by the US-backed Mujahidin was petering out, he insisted. Afghanistan would soon be a land at peace.

Two months later he was ousted from power and took sanctuary in the UN compound. He would later be dragged out of hiding by the troops of the Taleban, tortured, castrated and hanged from a lamppost in the Kabul bazaar.
Afghan history has a way of humbling the men who would be king, those who try to rule and subdue it, and Afghanistan has provided a graveyard for successive foreign armies. Cue the Kipling:
When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains And the women come out, to cut up what remains Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains And go to your Gawd like a soldier.

The country has never been permanently conquered or colonised and no external power has held long-term sway here; then again, no internal power has ever controlled Afghanistan for long, either. Home to 50 ethnic or sub-tribal groups, 34 languages and 27 million people, the country’s internecine feuds and counterfeuds — ethnic, clannish and impenetrable to outsiders — run through Afghan society like veins through marble.
“The Pathan tribes are always engaged in private or public war,” wrote Winston Churchill, who had direct experience of Afghan hospitality and ferocity as part of Sir Bindon Blood’s expedition against the Pathans in 1897. “Every family cultivates its vendetta; every clan, its feud.”

The accident of geography and the scars of history have preserved an almost medieval attitude to honour, violence, tribe and family. For far too many, fighting is a way of life, and one of the only thriving Afghan industries, other than opium. Only when an invader appears do the Afghans combine, briefly, to throw him out. In 330BC Alexander the Great subdued Persia and entered Afghanistan, reaching as far as Samarkand, now in Uzbekistan, fighting the ferocious tribes all the way. Struck by an Afghan arrow, he barely got out alive, leaving behind his name, Kandahar, in Afghanistan’s second city, but little in the way of political control. After Alexander came the White Huns, the Persians, and the Mongols in 1219, under Genghis Khan, who laid waste to once-great cities, slaughtered fantastically and wrecked the country’s irrigation system, leaving permanent deserts.

By 1700, the Mughals had imposed their power on most of what is now Afghanistan, and in the 1740s Ahmad Shah Durrani extended his rule from Kabul to Peshawar and then on to Delhi, Kashmir and Sind. On his death the empire bloodily fragmented.
The first Briton of note to arrive, in 1808, was a Scot named Mountstuart Elphinstone. Clever, courageous and slightly bonkers, he was sent to coax the “King of Caubul” into an alliance against Napoleon. No one really expected him to return. His conclusions have an eerie modern resonance: “The societies into which the nation is divided possess within themselves a principle of repulsion and disunion too strong to be overcome.”   The empire of Queen Victoria, however, was not to be held back. Fearing Russian encroachment on India from the north, in 1839 it was decided to oust the incumbent Emir of Kabul and replace him with a puppet potentate. The Army of the Indus rolled in for what was expected to be a simple exercise in regime change: 9,500 soldiers of the Bengal Army, 9,000 Bombay or native troops under the once and future Afghan king Shah Shujah, and 38,000 followers. One brigadier needed 60 camels just to carry his personal belongings. Another took a pack of foxhounds. It was, said one observer, a “grand military promenade”. It was also a major gambit in what Kipling dubbed the Great Game, and it was an unmitigated disaster.

Installed in Kabul, the British formally declared “an end to the distractions by which, for so many years, the welfare and happiness of the Afghans have been impaired”. The tribes swiftly rebelled, resentment at foreign incursion compounded by the licentious British soldiery. According to the official military historian of the time, “the attractions of the women of Caubul they did not know how to resist”. The truth is, they didn’t try. In January 1842, the British were forced into pell-mell retreat with 16,000 soldiers, camp followers, women and children struggling through the icy passes in an attempt to reach the safety of Jalalabad. Those who survived the Afghan snipers starved or froze to death. Just one man staggered into Jalalabad, Dr William Brydon, with part of his skull removed by an Afghan sword. The Victorian press made Brydon a hero. The Afghans later claimed that he had been allowed to survive as a warning to the foreign invader: leave, and never return.

The warning was not heeded. The First Anglo-Afghan War was followed by a second, in 1878, when the emir refused to receive a British diplomatic mission. About 40,000 troops marched in and eventually installed Abdur Rahman Khan, who delegated conduct of foreign relations to Britain.

After yet another Anglo-Afghan war, in 1917, independence arrived in 1919. A period of relative tranquillity came with the accession of King Zahir Shah in 1933. He was deposed in 1973, leading to another period of political meltdown, culminating in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979: the New Great Game, the violent manipulation of Afghanistan for geopolitical gain, had returned with a vengeance.

The US responded by arming the insurgents. By 1985 a limited Soviet expeditionary force had swelled to an occupation army of 120,000 troops. A year later the CIA began supplying the Mujahidin with Stinger missiles, which they learnt to use with devastating effect. In February 1989 the Soviet forces pulled out; officially they left 15,000 dead, but the real figure was far higher. At least a million Afghans had perished, with about six million driven into exile. The warlords tore one another to pieces and a period of roiling anarchy came to an end only with the arrival of the black-robed Taleban. The world’s most repressive religious regime created peace, of a sort, but also a haven for terrorism. With the September 11 attacks, the wheel turned again: British and American military muscle propelled the Northern Alliance into Kabul and placed Hamid Karzai in the presidency.

In 2002, I interviewed Zahir Shah, the former King, in the same presidential palace where I had met the doomed Najibullah ten years earlier. After four decades of comfortable exile in Italy, the elderly Mr Shah had returned as “Father of the Nation”, a powerless figurehead of unity. It was a year after the invasion. Jumpy American bodyguards armed with machineguns patrolled the palace corridors. Mr Karzai’s power extended barely beyond the outskirts of Kabul.

Sitting in a room warmed by a single-bar electric heater, the former King talked of Afghanistan’s turbulent past and fragile present. At the age of 18 he saw his father assassinated. At 59 he was toppled from his throne by his cousin. At 88 he was back. The Taleban, he insisted, were a spent force; Osama bin Laden would soon be captured.

For alongside the other, grim aspects of Afghanistan’s past — the history of bloodletting, instability and fierce independence — is another national characteristic, imbued by centuries of hardship: a gritty, unshakeable optimism.

“When I came back to this palace, I passed a garden and there was little boy,” said the man who had been King. “He was charming. That gave me much hope.”

Understanding the conflict in Afghanistan...

For those without a masters degree in "Strategic Studies", I thought I would provide a clear illustration that concisely sums up the path towards Afghan stability and counter-insurgency operations....

Clear?

The Defence Base Act

What is the Defense Base Act?

Established in 1941, the primary goal of the Defense Base Act was to cover workers on military bases outside the United States. The act was amended to include public works contracts with the government for the building of non-military projects such as dams, schools, harbors, and roads abroad. A further amendment added a vast array of enterprises revolving around the national security of the United States and its allies. Today, almost any contract with an agency of the U.S. government, for work outside the U.S., whether military in nature or not, will likely require Defense Base Act coverage.

Defence Base Act History

The Defense Base Act, P.L.77-208, was enacted in 1941 and extended workers’compensation coverage under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) to persons working on American military bases that were either acquired by the United States from foreign countries or that were located outside of the continental United States. Coverage was extended to public works contractors working outside of the United States in 1942 with the enactment of the War Hazards Compensation Act, P.L. 77-784, which also established the War Hazards Compensation Act (WHCA) program. Themost significant amendments to the DBA were enacted in 1958 and extended coverage to non-citizens, to persons working on projects funded under the Mutual Security Act of 1954, and to persons working to provide morale and welfare services, such as through the United Service.

What are the consequences of not carrying DBA Coverage?

Failure to obtain DBA insurance carries stiff penalties. All government contracts contain a provision that requires bidding contractors to obtain necessary insurance. Failure to do so will result in fines and possible loss of contract. The additional and most severe penalty is that employers without DBA coverage are subject to suits under common law, wherein common law defenses are waived. In other words, the claimants or their heirs need only file suit and do not have to prove negligence. Lastly, all claims may be brought in Federal Court and are against the insured directly. According to Ashcraft & Gerel, LLP, the leading national law firm handling Defense Base Act cases for injured workers, these cases can be very costly, and should be a source of great concern for contractors operating overseas.

Who Requires DBA Coverage?


1. Any employee working on a military base or reservation outside the U.S.
2. Any employee engaged in U.S. government funded public works business outside the U.S.
3. Any employee engaged in a public works or military contract with a foreign government which has been deemed necessary to U.S. National Security.
4. Those employees that provide services funded by the U.S. government outside the realm of regular military issue or channels.
5. Any employees of any sub-contractors of the prime or letting contractor involved in a contract like numbers 1-4 above.

Defence Base Act Blog
Defence Base Act Compensation Blog

AFGHANISTAN BECOMES MORE DANGEROUS FOR CONTRACTORS

AFGHANISTAN BECOMES MORE DANGEROUS FOR CONTRACTORS
By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON, U.S. government contractor deaths in Afghanistan more than doubled last year as violence and American troop levels increased, federal government records show. The Labor Department received at least 141 insurance claims for contractor deaths in Afghanistan last year, up from 55 in 2008, department records show. U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan doubled to 311 last year.

The department collects the claims figures as part of a workers' compensation program that provides benefits for injuries or deaths at companies doing U.S. government work overseas. The program paid out about $200 million in 2008, up from $9.4 million in 2001, when the war in Afghanistan began after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The increase in deaths in Afghanistan comes as tens of thousands more contractors are surging into the country while insurgent violence there spikes, said Doug Brooks, president of the International Peace Operations Association, a trade group of companies that provide security and other services in war zones. The number of contractors for the U.S. military in Afghanistan rose by 50% last year to 107,000, according to the Pentagon's Central Command. A State Department report released this month said "all Westerners and Afghans associated with Westerners are targets" in Afghanistan.

"Things are getting more dangerous in Afghanistan because insurgents are getting more bold," Brooks said. "For contractors, Afghanistan used to be the place where you went on vacation, because it was safer than Iraq. Now it's turned around, and Iraq is relatively safe." Still, Iraq remains a dangerous place for contractors almost as risky as it is for U.S. troops. The number of contractors killed in Iraq declined only slightly. There were at least 146 death claims for contractors in Iraq last year, down from 174 the year before. Meanwhile, U.S. military deaths in Iraq were cut in half from 313 in 2008 to 148 last year. President Obama last year ordered more U.S. troops to Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban insurgency and provide better security for Afghan civilians. Gen. David Petraeus, the head of Central Command, said last week that nearly half of the 30,000 new troops have arrived. There are currently about 99,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon plans to withdraw all but about 50,000 non-combat troops by the end of August. There is no way of knowing the exact number of overseas contractors working for the U.S., or precisely how many have been killed or injured.

DATABASE: A look at U.S. lives lost in Afghanistan

A 2008 law requires agencies to track information about overseas contractors, including statistics on casualties, but that database is not complete, John Hutton of the Government Accountability Office told Congress in March. Also, the Labor Department figures may underestimate the number of contractors killed because some firms, particularly subcontractors, may not report those casualties. The contractors provide a wide range of services, including building U.S.-funded reconstruction projects, guarding civilian officials and cooking meals for American troops. Deaths and injuries reported to the Labor Department include both war-related casualties such as from roadside bombs and other work-related incidents such as vehicle crashes. Contractors' survivors receive weekly payments equal to as much as two-thirds of the deceased's pay up to $64,740 per year. Disabled workers can get up to two-thirds of their previous wages, subject to the same cap.

Arrival in Kabul

There was some last minute dramas with my flight booking, that were swiftly resolved with some super-efficient actions from our department's travel coordinator.  It did result in a very rushed taxi ride to Dubai airport and, sadly, far too little time there to fully enjoy window shopping in the departure duty-free.

The SAFI Airways flight was not too bad...although the Boing 737 was cunningly retro-styled to give a true 1970's flight experience.  Stepping onto the aircraft was definately the translation point from the modern glitz of Dubai into the thread-bare necessity of Kabul.  Luckily, the flight was only 2 hours and 30 minutes and amazing views of the snow-capped Hindu Kush mountains were enough to keep my mind from being pre-occupied with the fact my arse was going totally numb on the too-hard seats. I thought the 'extra padding' I had acquired during my four 'fish-and-chip' months in the UK might have alleviated this, but alas no....

 The aircraft was mostly full of expatriate workers in a standard 'uniform' of khaki clothing and desert boots.  A few 'embassy' types wore chinos and starched blue shirts.  Guessing the occupation and backgrounds of my fellow passengers provided some interesting in-flight entertainment.  Some of the American's were the easiest, as they wore polo shirts that proudly advertised which government sponsored agency or programme they were involved with.  It also seems that goatee beards are the de-facto 'signifier' of counter-narcotics agents, in the same way that black suits, sunglasses and tiepins are synonmous with their homeland federal agencies.

The flight would have been a Walter Mitty wetdream, as it was easy to imagine that any of my fellow 'numb-bumed' travellers was a CIA operative or SAS 'Black Ops' super-trooper,....but judging from the resigned expressions on most people's faces, it seemed that most were simple expatriate workers who were looking forwards to an unspecified amount of time surrounded by dust, drudgery and lack of social stimulus...

The decent into Kabul Airport provided a great over-view of Kabul city, nestled around a solitary large rocky ridge on a vast and dusty plain.  The city had expanded greatly since I last studied it properly in 2001/2.

"Ah my boy...I remember when I was a lad.... all these buildings weren't here.... it was just green grass and MINEFIELDS..."

As I was later to discover, the bulk of the new infrastructure surrounding the airport districts seems to be the logistical and fuel compounds supporting the various military, NGO (Non-Governmental Agency) and UN operations at the airport.  Several of those large compounds belong to my company!

As the plane rolled up the runway, it was a very strange experience to view rows upon rows of military planes and helicopters.  Simular to the Farnborough Airshow, but with a 3rd world airport back-drop and a sense of 'purpose'.  The noise of C-130 Hercules, Blackhawk, Chinook and Russian Mi helicopters passing overhead is very much a part of the current Kabul 'experience'.  It was certainly a stark reminder that I wasn't in 'Kansas' any more!

Processing through Kabul immigration was a lot easier and painless than I had predicted it would be.  The luggage arrived swiftly (I only brought the bare essentials in my daysack) and it didn't take long to complete the necessary paperwork to recieve my  'Foreigner's Registration Card'.  I do hope that I can keep that document on departure... it would be a great addition to my scrapbook.

I left the airport with a little trepidation.  As I walked out of the gates, into the carpark area, I could see all the 'embassy types' being greeted by their heavily armed bodyguards and escorted into even heavier armored 4x4's.  Jealously,  I stood around like a proper tourist, randomly awaiting some clue about where my pick-up was meant to be.  To make things better, there was a brief but heavy rain shower...and I got to be the smug person, because I had my gore-tex rainjacket handy.

After a few minutes, I was approached by a local guy who wanted to be helpful.  I told him my companie's name and he said he knew where my driver was.  Apparently, I should have been in carpark C, but I had stopped in carpark B.  Disappointed that my psychic powers had failed me, I followed this random guy with a certain sense of fatality until he miraculously took me straight to the right person!  By this time I was feeling guilty for the deep suspicion I had felt for this helpful, welcoming man...and then I felt even more guilty that I had no dollars or afghanis with which to tip him.  With some shame I offered him the few Dubai Dirhams that I had in my pocket.  His obvious disappointment was tangible.  I do hope that I see the fella on my departure!

I met the company driver, who was conspicious by his complete lack of any company clothing, markings or identification, so I borrowed his mobile phone to ring the Kabul office and confirm that I wasn't about to willingly jump into the back of my own personal 'kidnap mobile'.

As we rattled our way out of the airport in a rather ordinary looking mini-van, I gazed with envy at the air-conditioned, well suspended and highly bulletproof SUVs accelerating past us.  However, I very soon settled into 'tourist mode', unwound the window and started snapping photos of unique commuter scenes of Kabul.  Of course, the old training is well ingrained...so I couldn't help but keep one eye open for the 'combat indicators' of modern middle-eastern terrorism.

 It didn't take long to realise that there was little point in observing for cars 'overladen' on the suspension, etc etc.... that was the norm for every vehicle.  It was also clear that Afghan drivers were just as lunatic as any motorist you might encounter in Manila, Delhi or Rome...so I was glad that after about 20 minutes fighting our way through the traffic, we got into the 'suburbs' of the district where our compounds are located.

There were still a lot of garishly decorated lorries hammering down the road (headed for Jalalabad, Bagram and the South), but there was less and less honking and more donkeys as the road became more potholed the further we moved from the city.  I was fascinated by the local sights... children playing football and the stereotypical mud-brick houses and clothing (often consisting of the distinctive kufi (hats) and a chapan (coats).

Of course, wherever we went there was a ubiquitous military presence... Afghan army and police armed with AK47's standing alongside Hummers at checkpoints and clustered around heavily sand-bagged gateways to various camps and compounds alongside the road.  Soon enough, we had arrived at our own heavily guarded gatehouse, that was reassuringly manned with Nepali (ex-gurka) private security personnel.  It took only a short time to be issued a temporary visitors pass and we drove forwards with the sound of the heavy steel gates clanging closed behind our mini-bus.

I was very much looking forward to meeting the team here and seeing what the accommodation standards were like!

Stop-over in Dubai

After a hasty departure from the UK, I spent a frantic 2 weeks at the corporate offices in Dubai.  There was a lot of information to absorb in a short time, but I managed to gain a decent appreciation of the company, the HR issues that would effect my job and I met a lot of new colleagues.  There were a lot of names and faces to remember.

On my first day, I was whisked away to a local medical center for my pre-deployment medical examination. I spent several hours in a jet-lagged haze, providing stool, urine and blood samples, chest x-ray and recieving all the inoculations I (didn't) need.  At least I now know that my previous 3 years in Asia didn't leave me with any nasty conditions...

One of the most interesting sights in Dubai is the new Burj Khalifa tower.  Officially the tallest building in the world, it sits on top of the world's biggest shopping mall and a massive aquarium. When I get a day off (and can be bothered to leave the hotel swimming pool), then I will do tourist thing and get some proper snaps..

The tower is visible from anywhere in Dubai and is one of the most impressive sights I have seen.  Appearing as a very harsh 'spike' jutting high above the other skyscrapers (which seem tiny clustered around its base), you would be forgiven for thinking that it was some supernatural construction from a fictional city in a fantasy or sci-fi novel.  Gandalf definitely lives there!

Dubai certainly is a luxurious place..... if anything, it could be described as the 'Vegas' of the Middle East.  Those folks certainly do love their architecture!

I did enjoy a couple of notable 'nights out on the town' during my fortnight.  I must say a big THANKS for the hospitality of the Desert Sports Diving Club (BSAC 1339) for the cold beer and enthusiastic conversations.  I promise I will get wet on the Musandam Pennisula next time I have a break in Dubai.  I was also invited to a 'corporate bash' evening of 'go-karting' at the Dubai Autodrome.  I thought I knew how to drive fast... but the presence of a former 3x Paris-Dakar Rally Champion soon dispelled any notions that I ever had about my skill behind the wheel. Truly humbled and impressed!  Following the driving, I had the chance to drown my sorrows at Mina Seyahi (Le Meridien), which is a classy place on Jumeriah Beach, near the Dubai Marina.  The free bar and delicious munchies saw me proud until the very early hours....

My only other excursion was for some evening window shopping at the Deira City Center mall. It felt quite homely, due to the large number of Filipino's there... I could almost have imagined that I was back in Makati. Sadly, I really couldn't fit anything else into my luggage...so the shopping frenzy will have to wait for my first holiday from Afghanistan, later in July.

My company accomodates its 'expats in-transit' in a decent hotel on the outskirts of Dubai, close to the new development area where our corporate offices are.  I must admit that the 'all-you-can-eat' breakfasts and generous meal allowances for lunch and dinner had a serious negative impact on my waistline!  By the end of the second week, I was shunning chips and mash...and sticking firmly to the side-salad options.  I did enjoy more than my fair share of t-bone steaks though. :)

Surprisingly, the hotel didn't offer any middle-eastern or Lebanese cuisine on its menu... which was a disappointment for me, as I am a complete Humus junkie.  I did manage to track some of the gunky beige stuff down in the staff canteen at the office though... big relief!

During my time at the corporate office, I did enjoy getting involved in some recruiting efforts.  Many of the jobs open at the company are simular to mine and involve lengthy deployments into countries such as Afghanistan.  Naturally, they are tailor-made for ex-military people with experience working in those environments, so it was a pleasure to spend time contacting the various military resettlement advisors and agencies to promote vacancies we have.

I am a firm supporter of the 'Hire a Hero' campaign being run in the UK.  I dread to think of fellow service veterans facing unemployment in the UK and other western countries, so if I can contribute to their career prospects then I am a happy HR person. The campaign seems to be going really well.

I am now looking forward to my first real work in Afghanistan...as I will soon be flying over to Kabul to conduct a recruiting 'drive' for Afghan citizens into our team.  My company has a commitment to the employment of local workers, as this provides a very tangible benefit to the local community and the overall strategic efforts of ISAF in Afghanistan.  Having identified numerous roles that would be suitable for local employees, I drafted a recruiting process that has had to include serious security concerns, the requirement for English comprehension assessments, along with all the 'usual' hurdles of running recruiting operations in a foreign and relatively unfamiliar country.  I really don't know what to expect in terms of candidate quality, but I am positive that it will be an interesting and educational experience for me.

Getting a business visa for Afghanistan required several (lengthy) visits to their embassy in Dubai.  Embassy visits can sometimes be interesting.  These ones weren't. The reception/waiting/service area of the Afghan embassy seemed very much like a road-side kebab (shwarma) house.  Spending several hours on a tacky plastic garden seat, under a corrogated roof with bare concrete walls,  I wasn't expecting to be offered any 'Ferrero Rocher' - and  I wasn't disappointed in that respect!  The man at the 'hatch' had an amazing ability to say "No" in a thousand ways, whilst still keeping a broad smile on his face.  Anyway... our legal/liaison team in Kabul eventually managed to get the right authorization letters sent from the correct Afghan Ministry beaurocrat to the right (anonomous) paper-pusher in the Embassy...so I now have a rather splendid (and relatively rare) Afghanistan entry visa in my passport.  It's only a 'single-entry, 30 day' affair, but I won't need a visa for later trips to Southern Afghanistan, as I will be stuck within the military bases (and definately not taking any touring holidays around Helmand Province).

For my time in the southern provinces, I will be 'disappeared'.... stamped out of the United Arab Emirates.. but not stamped into anywhere else.  I can predict raised eyebrows from a multitude of customs officials at airports in the future!

So, now I am waiting for a luxury 2.5 hour flight courtesy of 'SAFI Airlines' from Dubai to Kabul.  I am predicting a major cultural shift at either end of that short flight!

Packing Bags, Part 2

Last of my packing list....


DAYSACK

My first choice for a rucksack would have always been a Karrimor, having used a 'Hot Ice 30' for many years when I was in the military and when travelling Asia.  However, the quality and construction of Karrimor rucksacks seems to have changed a great deal in recent years (the company was bought out), and when looking at their products I don't get that 'industructable' vibe any more.  The other main options were Berghaus (£££), Osprey (£££££) and Lowe Alpine (£££), who all make very good bags in to the 35-45 litre range.  I spent a lot of time 'lurking' on Ebay and hoped to get one of these bags for cheap, but sadly time was against me.  In the end,  I opted for a brand that I knew nothing about, except for it having a good reputation amongst the Alpine Endurance racing community.  To be honest, my main reason for choosing this bag was because it was being sold, new, at about 1/3rd the RRP, and it had good online reviews.



OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) - The Villain 45+10 RL MSC

Described as an 'advanced mountaineering pack, I was shocked by how lightweight this rucksack was.  At less than 1kg, there really seemed to be nothing to the bag, and I am currently a little doubtful of how rugged it will prove to be.  However, it is highly regarded, so I hope to be surprised.  After all, the RL in its name does stand for 'Rugged Light'.

It is a single compartment bag, with a drawcord/snowlock at the top for access.  This will work perfectly for keeping sand and dust out of the bag.  There is an access zip on one side, that would be useful for drinking bladders/tubes etc.  The bag can be compresed with a 'Naase Cord' that  wraps around the torso.  It also has two mesh pouches on the side for holding drinks bottles and a further two (useful) zipped pockets on the hip belt.

Only time will tell how 'rugged' this bag will prove to be.  I am sure it will be thrown off a few helicopters over the coming year, be dragged or kicked in the sand...and be an occasional pillow. We shall see if the 'RL'  designation is deserved.


TORCH

I've always used Maglight torches in the past, and they do a decent job at a reasonable cost.  However, I really wanted to get a good LED torch this time, and the Maglight AA LED torch was difficult to source.  My first choice of new torch would have been  the excellent 'Surefire' brand, but the cost of these was excessive in the UK.  My local outdoors shop was having a sale and I managed to get a half-price LED Lenser P5 torch which has really impressed me.


LED Lenser P5

As soon as I tried this torch, I was extremely impressed.  At less than £20 (on sale), it delivers a powerful focused beam (95.5 lumens) that seems bright even during daylight.

It is lightweight, small size and the LED techology allows it to be powered by a single AA battery (3 hours life).

Perfect for anything I may require of it.  The 'Surefire' will have to wait for another day.

One bag - 12 months: what to pack?

Preparation for departure starts this week.  I am planning on having a 20kg luggage allowance (flights to Kandahar via Dubai), and there will be very little opportunity to get replacement kit in that location, if I choose badly now.  Over the following 12 months, I will be living in a sandy/dusty/rocky environment with a temperature range between 50c (summer max hi) and -10c (winter max low), so whatever I pack needs to cover the widest range of temperature possibilities and be extremely rugged. Most importantly, clothing and boots need to be very comfortable, as I will be wearing it day after day.


Boots
My biggest decision was on boots. These really did need to be exceptionally comfortable, but hardwearing enough to cope with months in the grinding dust, sand and stones of Helmand province.  I tried a lot of boots from companies like Berghaus, Karrimor, Salomon and Meindl.  I loved the Meindl Ottowah boots, but eventually opted for the most comfortable option. The Meindl felt more sturdy, but the Merrell cannot be beaten for comfort.

Merrell Moab Mid

These boots really offered a very fine balance between comfort and (stated) performance and durability.  The are Goretex XCR lined and have a hard-wearing Vibram® Multi-Sport Plus™ sole.

The boots are designed for hot climates, wicking sweat away from the skin for comfort in extreme temperatures. Breathable mesh and nubuck leather uppers and mesh bellows tongue enhance ventilation. Keeping my feet cool is very important, as they do tend to 'rot' easily.

I opted for a mid-length boot, just to help keep sand and small stones out of  boot when moving around.

These boots will either become my  best friends, or worst enemies, over the next 12 months.  Having owned 3 pairs of Merrell shoes before, I have high hopes for them...but will definitely report later on their performance. I hope that I never regret not getting the Meindl's.

Jacket / Outer Layer
I also did a lot of research to purchase a decent waterproof outer-layer.  I expect my equipment to get battered and bashed over the coming months, so I didn't want to spend a fortune on a 'rolls royce' jacket. I knew that I wanted Goretex fabric, as the breathability is essential for that climate. I do own a nice goretex jacket, but it is a US military issued one, and I don't want to wear that in an operational area.  I definitely want to look like a civilian at all times!

Having inspected expensive offerings from Arctyrx, Berghaus and North Face, I evaluated the 'pros and cons' of heavyweight XCR fabric versus the super-light 'paclite'. I won't be facing much torrential rain and the jacket itself shouldn't need to cope with much direct abrasion, so I decided to get a  'paclite' goretex jacket.  After doing some more research, I found what seemed like a great economical choice.

 Craghoppers 'Bear Grylls' Paclite Jacket

 I chose this as a very cost effective Goretex Paclite jacket.  At only 500g weight, it is the perfect choice for my limited baggage allowance.  I am not expecting very intense rain, but it should work excellently to keep the cold desert wind away at night times.

I am also a big 'pockets' person and this jacket offered a better stowage selection than many of the more 'minimalist' hardshell jackets.  As I will be wearing this day-to-day, rather than hanging from a cliff face, the extra chest pockets will give me somewhere to stick a wallet, sunglasses, IPod and (several) mobile phones etc.



Fleece / Mid-Layer
I had a clear idea what I wanted to fulfil the 'warmth' requirement.  I have owned 'Gore Windstopper' fleeces before and I am always amazed at how they can be so warm, yet so light.  I much prefer them to the big 'snuggly' thick style of polartech fleece.

Having already decided what I wanted, it was just a case to find a well-fitted and economical option.  What I chose was...


Mountain Equipment Windstopper Alpine Jacket

 I found this fleece was a nice snug fit, which is essential to get the thermal benefits of the lightweight windstopper fabric.

It has thumb loops on the cuff and two convenient hip pockets that can be accessed when wearing a rucksack waistbelt.

I also liked the concealed chest pocket, built into the inner mesh lining.

The fleece is also very light weight (for packing) and takes up very little space - so it should be perfect for sticking in the bottom of a daysack, ready for those cold evening winds.

I had considered taking my North Face 'Nuptse' 700 Down Jacket,  but at this point I don't think I will need that much thermal protection.  If I find myself spending more time in the Northern part of the country (Kabul and surrounds) during the winter, then I may get that jacket posted over.


Shirts

I had a few 'travel' style shirts already, from Mountain Hardwear, and these will perform fine in the climate I am expecting.   One new purchase I have made is on a shirt from '5.11 Tactical'.  I was surprised at how heavyweight this shirt was.  It certainly won't have a problem with being rugged enough, but I am not sure how well it will perform in the heat (even with the mesh lining and vented back).

5.11 Tactical Shirt

 One of the reasons, I decided to try these shirts was the novel use of 'concealed' document pockets (velcro behind the main chest pockets), which makes them really useful for travelling in remote areas, where you want your important docs (passport, IDs etc) on your person at all times.

5.11 Tactical do a wide range of clothing specifically aimed at middle east/desert wear and it is usually populatr with journalists and security personnel.





BASELAYER
I've got a selection of baselayer garments/tshirts, that I have used for previous travelling and sporting activities.  I actually use a lot of Marks and Spencer 'Active' wear, as this tends to perform really well and is very economical.  The best performer, that really suits hard-wearing and hot conditions is the famous 'Lifa'.

Helly Hansen Lifa Dry

These have been around for years, and a designed to work as part of a layered clothing approach.  I find mine perfect for sports and hot weather.  I've run, rock climbed and mountain walked in these. They do really keep you dry and 'wick' away perspiration very effectively.  For use in remote areas, they don't get 'smelly'' quickly and are easy to wash and dry.

I wore one of these all around Vietnam and Cambodia whilst trekking, so I know it will suit me perfectly for Afghanistan.

The long sleeve style also helps prevent sunburn on the arms.


Main Bag

I opted against using a large capacity rucksack for my primary bag, as I intend to take a mid-size (45L) rucksack as hand luggage. I've owned a North Face duffle bag for several years now and decided that the 90 litre capacity of this, coupled with the completely weatherproof and hardwearing construction offered great security for my belongings en-route.  Also, the bag is much more lightweight than a simularly rugged rucksack, so I would not be wasting valuable airline luggage allowance on the bag itself.

The North Face 'Base Camp' Duffle Bag

With 70 litres capacity, this bag will swallow my 20kg of equipment and clothing, keeping it safe and secure from start to finish.  Made from thick PVC and well-stitched, it can be left outside for days, strapped to the outside of vehicles, and will keep the rain or dust outside.

I like that there is very little to break, or fail, and the twin zips can easily be secured with a padlock for security.  Unlike most rucksacks, I can pack this so that fragile items are protected in the middle and it should be a lot easier to 'live out of' than a rucksack.

I will still need a smaller rucksack for travelling around the various Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), so I am looking for a 45 litre climbing rucksack for that purpose.  Climbing bags have less pockets, but do tend to be built to a more rugged standard.  Normally I would opt for 1 35 litre 'daysack', but I am also expecting to have to carry a laptop and sleeping bag on these trips around the country. Sadly, for the commercial air travel, I will only be able to half-fill the rucksack, otherwise it would exceed carry-on size/weight allowances. 

I will report soon about my rucksack choice, along with the other 'essentials' that I have chosen. 

Kandahar Airfield Satellite Image

Location of Kandahar - South Afghanistan Map

Kandahar Airfield

A bit rusty, after leaving the military 3 years ago

 Starting to think about my preparations for mobilizing.... Step One, a re-cap of essential situational knowledge.

Elite Surival Techniques

"Survival Tip #6 

Find some means of alerting rescuers to your whereabouts. If you are lost in a desert, writing a large SOS in the sand with your water is an effective means of drawing attention"

New Pastures...

Welcome to my new blog!

I'm away to new (ish) pastures, and I intend to record my thoughts as the coming months will bring me new experiences living and working in a very rarely travelled country...Afghanistan.

After several weeks of extreme long-distance telephone interviews, form filling, scanning documents, emailing attachments and security vetting questionnaires, I recieved the congratulatory email today... I am offered the contract as HR Operations Manager for a major international  company, that specializes in supporting military opperations world-wide.  It's a great job, great salary (tax free) and a great opportunity to save money - because I will be living and working on a NATO base in Afghanistan for the next 12 months. 

Luckily, I have previous experience of these conditions, from my time in the Royal Air Force, so  I am getting myself mentally prepared again for the heat, dust and complete lack of recreational stimulus over a prolonged period.  I am drawing up a shopping list (no more military issue freebies) and putting on lots of weight as the natural tendancy to squeeze in as much 'good living' asserts itself in my remaining few weeks in the 'real world'.

Curry night in Derby.....day-dreaming of the coming year eating military canteen food.