Check for Low Flying Aircraft!

Saturday afternoon we got a call asking if we had any HESCO barriers (earth filled wire baskets). The pilot of this airplane was not quick enough with his decision to abort the take off and you can't stop a plane very quickly on a gravel runway. The sign was appropriate on this day, this one was flying really low.This is what the plane looked like after it was recovered from the HESCOs, it won't be flying again any time soon. Needs new engines, new landing gear, new props and probably some other things. Luckily, no one was hurt, the two pilots and 6 passengers all walked away. The pilot decided at the last second he did not have enough speed to get off the ground, so he decided to lock up the wheels. We have a fencing project going on right off the end of the runway to install a new fence over the top of the HESCOs. You can see the new fence posts that were just installed in this picture. The pilot only hit three posts.

I think we have successfully tested a new aircraft arresting system. The HESCOs did a good job of stopping the airplane before it dropped over the edge. I think it will be a better arresting system when we get the fence installed.

The fence post are bent over by design, so that we don't snag any other low flying aircraft. You can see the concertina wire on the top of the HESCO barriers. We're told that about a year ago a C-130 was taking off and did not gain altitude fast enough and hooked the concertina wire with the landing gear and ended up taking it with them to Bagram. So with that history and this incident, I don't expect a very long life for this fence.
This is where the airplane was headed if our new arresting system had failed. This is pretty much a straight drop of about 40-50 feet. And, I put my life at risk to take this picture, I stepped out on the outside of the HESCOs and while taking the picture, one of the little rascals across the way decided to throw a rock at me. I was so wrapped up in getting my pictures, I didn't see the first rock that sailed over my head and hit the earthmoving equipment behind me. As my attention was drawn to the guys around me stepping back, I saw the second incoming rock as it landed at my feet. I need to get this kid's name, he'd make a heck of a baseball player with that arm.

Had quite the crowd gathered in the neighboring village to watch us pull the airplane back on to the base. This was only about half of the spectators. We also had several KPF (Khost Provincial Forces - Afghan Army) on site below, in case any of the locals decided to get rowdy.
Once we got the airplane removed, the equipment guys, Mohammadullah and crew, cleared out the old destroyed HESCOs and set the new ones in place and filled them with dirt. While they were working on the HESCOs, they set their bolt cutters down on top of the barrier. They turned away for a second and when they looked back the bolt cutters had sprouted legs and were running off towards the village. One of the kids, a future track star, snuck up and stole the bolt cutters. They hollered at him that they would send the KPF into the village and the bolt cutters decided to come back.

Jamay Party

We had some time last night, so we put on the man jamay's and took some pictures.After getting all dressed up, we realized we didn't have any one to take the pictures. So, some of us stepped outside and grabbed some one off the "street" to fill in as the photographer.

Took this one outside, got some funny looks, but not many as we went out the back door for the picture to avoid the majority of the outdoor foot traffic and comments.

The complete outfit, the man jamay, the vest, and the pink flip flops. The jamay's are pretty comfortable, no one seemed to be in a big hurry to change out of them last night.

While I'm sitting here at 6 am typing this blog, I'm listening to my son's baseball game, on the internet, broadcast by Paul and Roger on the Norsemennetwork.com. Thank you to Paul, Roger and all of their sponsors for putting together the broadcasts. I've been able to catch at least a few of the games this year, even from half way across the world.

Miniature Corn

The sweet corn is not doing so well and the cucumbers did not make it. The corn is about 12-15" tall and has started to tassel, no ears of corn yet. Maybe we'll get some miniature corn, like the small ears you put in salads. Not sure what happened to the garden, but I'll blame the soil.
The rest of the Russian airplane photos from Chapman.

Not much else is new here, more of the same. The weather has cooled off considerably. The highs have only been in the 80's, the days start out nice and sunny, but by afternoon the thunderstorms roll in over the mountains. The storms are keeping it much cooler in the afternoon and evenings. I'm sure it will go back to the heat before too long.

Relay for Life

Saturday morning, bright and early, at 0530, we ran in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. We did the 5k run, talking another team member into running with us this time. We probably won't ever get the last two members to run with us. We were all on our own this time, it was not a relay like the last one. We finished in reverse order of our age, with one exception. The oldest finished first, followed closely by the next oldest (me), then the youngest and the last two finished according to age. Here we are after the run, still smiling.This another one of the working dogs on base. They shave the front legs so it will be easier to insert the IV needle if the dog gets dehydrated or injured.

This is a Russian airplane left behind from the Afghansitan war with the Russians. This plane and several others are still at Chapman. They are used for target practice, there are many bullet holes in them, as well as a painting canvas. I tried to load several other pictures of the planes, but the internet and the blogspot were not cooperating tonight. I'll include them in a future posting.
The paving contractor needed to return a backhoe they rented, but did not want to pay for a trailer to haul it. So, they loaded it in the back of this dump truck. Too bad I didn't get a picture of them loading it, though I think it would have been more entertaining watching them unload it. There couldn't have been more than three inches on each side of the backhoe to the sides of the dump body.

We started a new project on Saturday, construction of a new B-hut. This is the contractor shortly after he arrived on the job site with the material. I was taking a picture of the workers starting to unload the lumber, when he wanted me to take another picture with him in it. His name is Lucky, though not spelled this way, but pronounced as "lucky". We thought he was joking with us, but he convinced us it was his real name, not just a nickname.

Less than 40 days

Just under 40 days until we fly out of here, we're ready, no one will be late for that flight. Not like I'm counting, I don't need to, I have five different calendars to keep track of it for me. My daughter's softball schedule, my son's baseball schedule, my class schedule (yes the next math class has started), a wall calendar in my room and a calendar at my desk at the office. I have a feeling these last days here will be slow going.

It's been a while since the last posting, I've been struggling with what to write about. I think we've been here long enough that we are numb to the environment, nothing seems new, nothing seems to warrant bringing out the camera for pictures. It's been a couple weeks since I've taken a picture of anything. I searched through the picture archives and came up with some I thought you might enjoy.

Another chance to see me in those great AF PT shorts. I think they make my legs look longer. Please no comments on the legs. This is our TV room, where we gather for training sessions.

I just realized we weren't getting together to watch a movie, instead it was a tape of the boss from Bagram's commanders call. So, it was a fun filled 40 minutes of motivational talk.

Yes, I did stay to see and hear it all, I just moved to the camp chair in the right of the picture. Don't you recognize that leg?

If anyone gets out of hand it's only a short walk across the parking lot from our office to the detention center. They usually have rooms available. We have been learning a few things from the Afghanis as well.

Like, how to jump start a vehicle if you don't have jumper cables. Any piece of wire will do, you just have to have someone brave enough to hold the wire to the battery terminals.

Make that two brave souls, this is the guy on the other end of the wires. They also showed us how to accomplish this feat when wires are not available. We've seen them do the same thing with a U-channel fence post, didn't get a picture of that one.

This is Kitty, she is one of the working dogs on camp. She came to visit us and play with our nerf football. She had a good time. It was time to go so I was trying to hide the football behind my back, she was not fooled by that trick.
She wasn't going to leave without that football.

Oh, and whoever the anonymous commentor is, that left the "go C---" comment on my last posting, at least have enough courage to own up to the comment, so I can block you from making any further comments. :) To help those of you who are not baseball fans fill in the blanks, it's that "so-so" baseball team from Chicago that ryhmes with scrubs.

Afghan Countryside

A few weeks back we were asked what we thought about doing some road repairs on one of the supply routes to an outlying base. The supply route and convoys were a frequent target for IEDs, Improvised Explosive Devices. The enemy likes to plant explosives in the road or in culverts along the way and they detonate them as the convoys go by. No one repairs the craters, and they continue to plant more IEDs. The plan was to go out and fill the craters with rock and concrete so the convoys would not have to go around them. It took two, day trips and someone from our team went along on the trip, not me. He took these pictures.
Watching the parade go by, kids in the field with the cattle. There always seem to be a number of kids along the roads.

Fresh fruit at the road side market. These markets are like farmers markets at home and are all along the route.

There are some nicer looking homes, this one is quite big. What's missing - the wall around the compound, they all have walls. There are plenty of rocks, you can build walls as high and far as you want. These kids are probably supposed to be building more walls.

Some of the roads are already paved and in pretty good shape, like this winding mountain road.

Not sure what all is on the plaque, but I think it's the name of the bridge and who built it. Would not want to run into this monument, from the looks of the rail on the other side of the road, many of the drivers shy away from the monument. Doesn't look like the railing would stop much more than the Toyota Corolla's that are on the road, everywhere, and they are 90% white in color.

You better be awake when you step out the door in the morning, that first step could be your last.

Transportation by any means, just put the cow in the trailer and go.

Wheat fields, they just finished the wheat harvest. They usually try to get two crops out per year.

Another swimming hole.

Moving day - on the back roads, look out for the cows. There are four men in this white Toyota Corolla station wagon, two beds on the roof.

Neighbor Kids

I had the opportunity to meet some of the neighbor kids the other day. We started a perimeter fence repair job and I was out with the contractor talking about how to complete the project. While we were there the neighbor kids noticed us and I started taking some pictures of them. The last time I was out in this area the kids were hollering at us to throw them a dollar or a biscuit (cookie). This time was a little different, I found out they have learned some of the not so nice English words from the soldiers. They started to swear at us when we were taking there pictures, throwing rocks at us (very few made it over the fence) and pointing their longest finger to the sky.

The kids were kind of gathered in the bottom area here, a dried up river/stream. Which also serves as the watering hole or neighborhood swimming pool/bath.

They eventually ended up right next to the fence talking with the contractors and us. I started talking with the little guy that was the most vocal. He was probably 9 or 10. He seemed very angry, I think he was just trying to put on a tough front. I asked him why he was so angry, talking so mean and he calmed down and said he was not mad. He also told me I had cat eyes, which confused me for a little bit, but then I realized I have blue eyes which is not very common among the Afghani's which are mostly brown eyed. Eventually we had about 15 kids at the fence, all under 10 years old, then some older kids started to show up and a couple adults. At that point, I decided it was getting a little too much and we headed back to the office.
Later that afternoon the contractor came into the office and told us all their tools (picks and shovels) were gone when they came back from lunch. Apparently, the kids came back, climbed through the concertina wire and over the barriers and the little thieves stole the tools. The contractor said he was going to go the village and see about getting his tools back, he showed up the next day with new shovels and picks.

A couple days later, the contractor told us his employees did it again. They left the shovels and picks out while they went to lunch. They were gone again, but this time the supervisor saw one of the kids just down the hill when they got back and he jumped the barrier and the concertina wire and chased him down. He found their shovels and picks at the bottom of the hill, the kids did not have time to carry them back to the village.

On another note, I'm amazed at how fast we can get new release movies at the "Block Buster Video" shop in the bazaar. Last week someone picked up the new Star Trek movie, so we were able to watch it just two weeks after it was released in the theaters at home. Today, we picked up the recently released Night at the Museum movie. Haven't watched it yet, but it's only been out a couple weeks too. They are not the highest quality, but pretty good, better than someone sitting in the theater videotaping the movie.