A real flashgun
I’m happy to report that yesterday I finally managed to get outside the wire. Although embedded with Canadian Forces, as you know I have been waiting for a convoy to get me out into the Forward Operating Area, and so have been sitting on my ass at KAF. One of the first questions I asked when I arrived was how many rocket attacks a night KAF was getting, as there were a few when I was here last, and I heard it got to a point that they were being attacked almost nightly during the summer. I was told that there hadn’t been an attack in the last month, not since those crazy fucking Brits took over security outside the wire. Now I know the Brits who specialise in this stuff, ‘cause I met them last year in Iraq. The whole camp think these guys are heroes. The RAF Regiment in an infantry regiment within the Royal Air Force, and I spent a few days with 1 Squadron at Basra last October. In fact it is those guys that are on my home page. So, I tracked down the British Press Officer, and begged and pleaded to go on a patrol with the guys here, 2 Sqn, as I had nothing else to do. He had a word, and next thing I knew I was meeting the Commanding Officer of 2 Sqn. The first thing he said to me was “You know we travel in soft skins” referring to the Land Rover that the British use. There has been a lot of controversy over their lack of armour lately, although I know they use advanced tactics to protect themselves. “Yes” I said, and then he replied “And you still want to go out. That usually puts off journalists.” So I said yes and off we went. It was great to sit in on the briefing, with the excitement in me building. The frustration of the last few days sitting around was terrible. To get this far and then not get outside the wire was driving me crazy. Anyway, we loaded up the wagons and as they are open topped I was able to stand and shoot for the whole trip. (I’ve been meaning to say, for anyone who is interested, you can see my photographs on www.gettyimages.com then go into news and search mchugh) It was a CIMIC mission (Civil and Military Cooperation) which means that as well as patrolling the extended area to interrupt any planned attacks and anti-coalition militia activity it also has an outreach goal. The coalition is going to dig 5 new wells for the local villages and they wanted to talk to the village elders to decide on the sites most suitable to their needs. Of course any interaction is used to gather HUM-INT (Human intelligence, or information and gossip to civilians) and also to build relationships with the locals. In one village they found the remains of used rockets, although the village elders said they collected them for scrap metal. They looked so small and insignificant, and I had to remind myself that although the kids were playing with them they can still kill people. As the sun started to set the sky was clear so I could also get some “Golden Hour” (that beautiful light you get when the sun rises and sets) photographs. Then is was a bumpy ride in the dark for a while, and back to base. But it doesn’t finish there. As part of their operations, the RAF Regiment also use mortars to send up flares at night, illuminating vulnerable or suspicious areas. I had asked to see this, and sure enough they guys got me straight down there, just before the firing started. Now, some of you may remember me describing how loud and terrifying a mortar is when it goes bang, and how I almost had a heart attack when Recce fired one in front of me back in April. Well, I had thought about this, and before I left this time I bought a mini tripod to attach to the bottom of my camera. This way I can set the camera down, and it doesn’t matter how much I jump because the camera will be steady. It was totally dark long before I got there, and obviously I can’t use flash in a war zone, but I knew that when a mortar fires it blasts out a huge flame. I used this to illuminate the picture, and it worked perfectly. Still bloody terrifying though!!! The noise is so loud it is heard across the entire camp, giving the RAF Regiment their new nickname, The Thumpers. Hours of editing followed, and then packing, because I had to be up early today. I finally got my transport out to the boonies, and am sitting in a tent at a Forward Operating Base in Panjwayi district in Kandahar province. Panjwayi is where there was very heavy fighting a few weeks ago, and it is still a high priority area for the Coalition. They have announced a new mission, Operation Eagle, which will run for the winter. The idea is that their troops will clear particular areas, then garrison them, and ISAF will then use the winter to conduct lots of reconstruction projects during the traditional seasonal lull in fighting. However, Taliban spokesmen have stated that this year the will conduct a winter campaign, so it looks like this war is not going away soon. I can’t really say much about the base, but it’s nice to be back with troops in the frontline. There is a much different attitude out here than behind the wire in KAF. The guys here have been shot at, mortared, rocketed, etc, and they know it is for real, but that also builds this camaraderie and lightness of humour. People are busy, and serious about their job, but at the same time laugh and joke a lot. And as always, the Canadians are endlessly welcoming, helpful, and hospitable. It’s sad though, to hear what can only be called (and I apologise for the cliché) “a grim determination” in their conversation. One of the guys who was with us on the convoy told me straight, when he came here he was not at all happy about the idea of having to fire on someone, let alone try to kill them, but now he feels different. He talked about coming to Afghanistan to help people, to do something good in his life. He was a nice, decent, warm guy, who I could have happily hung out with or had a beer with. He told me he has sent home 4 friends in body bags, and kinda knew 3 others who died, and he has been repeatedly shot at and has witnessed multiple road side bomb attacks. Now he just wants to survive, and if that means shooting someone he says he will do it without hesitation, not because he wants to take a life away, but simply because he wants to live.