The Camouflage Bible
3 Nov 2006
Hurry up and wait is the motto of every army, and it is a concept I have become familiar with during previous embeds, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Boredom is difficult to relieve on a military base, even one as large as KAF. Yesterday I spent all day waiting, waiting for confirmation of my planned trip outside the wire with the Canadian forces (of which I can say no more, as I am not allowed talk about any future plans due to “Operational Security” – Loose lips sink ships and all that), waiting to see if any of the other coalition forces would reply to my requests to them, waiting to see if there would be a striking sunset to shoot, and all to no avail. And so I had to try and fill my day as best I could, as thousands of soldiers billeted here also have to do.
The PX is the first and most obvious activity. The PX is a general store, stocking all the usual supplies like soft drinks, cigarettes, magazines, CDs and DVDs, X-Boxes and games, digital cameras, while at the same time providing for more localized needs such as desert boots, pistol holsters, Camel-Backs (water holders that are worn as a back-pack), and the ubiquitous American flag. Of course the souvenir hunter can choose from “Operation Enduring Freedom” mugs, “Fighting for Freedom” shot-glasses (although there is no alcohol on base), and T-shirts with messages ranging from patriotic through to downright homicidal. But most bizarrely of all, on one shelf I found a Holy Bible, International Edition, with a camouflage cover. The Good Book, packaged for war.
If you haven’t sated your retail-therapy urges, then you can head for the Boardwalk, a huge wood-work undertaking that certainly staved off boredom for some guys. Along the Boardwalk you will find clothing repair and alteration shops, an outlet for “Black-Ops” supplies, although I seriously doubt that special forces stock up on their kit from there, as well as quirkier vendors. One shop sells those wooden Russian dolls that go inside each other, another specialises in embroidery, for all those name tags and unit badges that are displayed all over the uniforms of the multi-national task force.
You can also choose to eat from Burger King, Pizza Hut, Sub-Way, or the newest addition, Tim Horton’s, Canada’s ever-present coffee chain and unofficial Canadian emblem, much like Guinness is Ireland’s, I am reliably informed. When I was out here in April/May I heard endless description from Recce Platoon, 1PPCLI, of the magical, mystical and possible miraculous powers of a Tim Horton’s, and this was when there was no franchise on base.
Going back to the Boardwalk, construction and woodwork in particular seem to be a favourite way to pass the downtime here. The troops are housed in basic tents, with a central walkway down the middle and 5 cubicles on each side. Outside the door of many tents there are various types of decking, porches, and relaxing areas. Some of there are impressive structures, with side-rails and even sunshades overhead, a testament to the determination and commitment of bored soldiers. One even has a sign outside, “Luxury apartments available for rent.”
The day passed slowly, and still no word on any of my requests. I had also asked for permission to get out on the runway and shoot some helicopters landing, silhouetted against the sunset, but the day conspired against me, and there was so much dust in the air that there was no sunset to speak of.
Once the sun was down, about 5:30 to 6pm, there was only dinner to look forward to, and that’s a pretty depressing thought. The food seems to have deteriorated here since my last visit, with less variety on offer. This puzzles me considering the huge numbers of KBR catering staff present. And speaking of KBR staff, I heard one of the journalist say that there are more KBR staff on site at KAF than there are Afghan National Police in Kandahar city. Now THAT is a depressing thought!
I eventually climbed in to my sleeping bag hoping the next day would contain a little more “hurry up” and a lot less “wait.”
John D