At FOB weird name

So 101st decided no more journalists at Bagram. Three days and two flights later…I am at FOB weird name in Laghman Province. I can’t remember the name of the FOB. I just know it is weird. Something like Meh Tar Lah…it’s named after the district it’s in.

I am trying to stay awake before a meeting I have at 1800. The peoples here seem pretty nice. They haven’t had media here, so I have full journalistic territorial rights. Which is super awesome. I didn’t like having to fight for my stories.

Downside to my new nomad lifestyle is that I have to live out of a rucksack. I could barley carry the thing onto the helicopter today. I thought my hamstring muscle was going to tear when I was trying to left myself onto the chinhook platform. A little bitty step and I almost tore a muscle. I need to work out. Also, I don’t have a place to call home. How sad. Well, I guess my room at Bagram is my Afghanistan home. I dunno.

Well, that’s all I got. Hopefully, will have some cool stories pretty soon.

It’s Been A While

Everyone has probably gotten fed up with me and has stopped checking to see if I even update this thing by now. All I had to say is you guys don’t have my internet connection. It makes me want to hurl my laptop across my 5X5 square of a room.

So I think it has been a little over a month since I last updated. I’ve done a couple of things. I went to a completely different province, shocking I know. There was some big combat mission going on that was a combined effort between Afghanistan National Police and Afghanistan Army. I sat on top of a hill the whole time. I’ll just leave that at not my choice. Um…I can’t really remember anything else I did. Wasn’t too exciting. On Tuesday, I went out with my faithful convoy pals the Police Mentoring Team. They did a humanitarian drop at an orphanage in Charikar. Story should be out soon. I procrasinated on it, and finally wrote it today. Shameful me.

For not writing in a month I can’t really think of anything to say. It is pretty much the same thing over and over again. Kind of like Groundhog’s Day with Bill Murray. To pass time I buy lots of useless stuff like magazines, books and DVDs. Also, day dream about coming back home and immersing myself in water.

I do have some cool pictures I’ll try to put up tomorrow. I have Sundays off, so I’ll try the internet when every Joe isn’t hogging my broadband.

Grandma and Grandpa sent me a package that contained a picture of the whole Pagliaro side of the family. It’s funny because all the Dahlberg kids are making a weird face in it. We’re so silly. Michelle and Wee always make some kind of weird face though.

I’m trying to think of something to tell that is more pertinent to life here in Afghanistan…but I live on Bagram, so I’m not the one to be talking to. Rumor has it I will soon be going somewhere where there isn’t a Pizza Hut delivery guy. Yes, there is. No, I haven’t ordered anything and made him delivered. I feel that would just lower any selfrespect I possess for myself about being here.

Sorry all. Wish I had something fun and exciting to tell, but even if I did I probably couldn’t talk about it anyway. I’ll post pictures, like I said, of what I’ve been doing for the past month. They explain it better than I do.

This week Gabbard and I have been visiting a family whose two little girls are in the military hospital. From what I gathered the story goes that they were herding their animal of choice, and then the animals walked into a mine field. The little girls, seven and twelve, followed the animals and then walked into a mine field. The little seven year old girl has shrapnel wounds in her arms, and the twelve year old lost her left leg from the knee down. It’s a really sad story, but the little girls are so beautiful. They have a lot of spirit, and the seven year old already went home.

It is just really sad that this happens to these people. Gabbard and I went and bought the family some school supplies and clothes. Then yesterday I had to take a group photo for these Operation Care people. They collect clothes, toys, school supplies, that kind of stuff for the people here. I asked if I could fill up a box for the family and they let me, so we brought that today. Gabbard is writing the story, so everyone can be on the lookout for that one.

That’s all I’ve really done this week. I have another mission coming up soon where I’ll be gone for a bit. I have to go to the Kapisa Province. Writing a story about the Afghanistan Army and Police cooperation. Should be a cool story. Finally getting out of Bagram for a while. 

Hope everyone is good back home. Love you all! I’ll put some pictures up of the mom and the little girl. I didn’t really get any of the twelve year old. She wasn’t feeling too well.

Picture Post

One Month Down

One month down…until Armageddon to go.

After many tears and stress filled days, it seems things have finally calmed down in the unit. The unit pretty much imploded on itself for about two weeks. Everytime an incident occured, it seemed in retaliation, the lower enlisted would get some other pointless busy work task assigned to us. I got more counseling statements in that two week period than I ever have in four years. As I’ve said though everything has calmed down. They are talking about embedding us in other units, so we wouldn’t even have to be on Bagram. Which is good. Bagram is annoying. It is full of crabby people who never go outside the perimeter walls. The other day, at breakfast, Gabbard asked some dude if he wanted some silverware. Actually, plasticware. Anyways, he looks at her says “No, thanks!” all bitchy like, and grabs some out of the tray. Makes no sense. Don’t get it.

Another thing that is annoying is the command sergreant majors walking around yelling at people for stupid things. I got yelled at by one the other day because I didn’t have my PT belt on. It was two in the afternoon. I’m sure that having a reflector belt at that time of day isn’t that important. I want to yell “WE ARE AT WAR! STOP WORRYING ABOUT STUPID PT BELTS AND SOCKS!”. Although, Bagram is only almost at war. The other day a controlled detonation went off pretty close to our B-hut. People came running outside acting like we were under attack. It was pretty funny.

I went out with the Police Mentoring Team two times this week. I’m pretty much their personal reporter, I think. They just do a lot of cool stuff with the Afghanistan National Police. Got some really good pictures. There was this one teenage boy who had an IV in his arm. He spoke really good english. Said he had malaria. I wanted to talk with him more, but Sgt. 1st Class Junier was pushing for me to leave. I can’t go any where by myself. Boo that. It sucks sometimes.

Then today I went out with Headquarters Support Company to an all girl’s school opening. The HSC always goes out to the villages around Bagram. The little girls were really cute. They weren’t as shy as the other girls at the Operation Care drop I did in May. However, the teacher didn’t want me taking pictures of them, so I would go up to them and click my camera without bringing it to my eye. Had to be all stealth like. Apparently, the Afghans were impressed with me. The captain I was with said they kept pointing to the back of my head, where my hair sticks out, asking about me being female. My hair is the only part of me that looks female when I wear all my gear.

A couple of people have e-mailed me asking me what they can send me. Snacks are good. Anything entertainment wise…books, movies. Could always use shampoo, conditioner, that kind of stuff. They don’t have much here. No one has to send anything though. It’s only if you all want to.

Love you all. 

 

Memorial Day

In Afghanistan, Memorial Day is like any other day; except when you walk in the chow hall it is a red, white and blue wonderland.

I have been here about a month, and I haven’t really accomplished much.  I have written two stories, and I have taken some photographs. I don’t know what I was expecting. All I know is that when I was back stateside I longed to be here doing my part. I feel that now that I am here, I haven’t accomplished anything for the greater good of America. They say it is an information war, but I think that it is all way over my head. I doubt the story about the baseball players coming to Bagram will accomplish much.

Everyday I feel slightly more guilty when I see the humvees roll out with Soldiers in the gunner’s turret, and seeing them come back tired and dusty.  I felt guilty when I watched a fallen comrade ceremony, and saw the streets lined with servicemembers who never leave the base, including myself.

That was my Memorial Day. Wishing I could do more to help, but not knowing where to start. Writing news stories doesn’t seem to be much of a help to anyone here.

I FINALLY DID SOMETHING!

I did a mission that required me to go out of Bagram! I was very excited. I went with a Police Mentoring Team (PMT) that consited of six men. They all have various backgrounds, but their main purpose in Afghanistan is to help train the Afghanistan National Police (ANP). They go all around Parwan Province to do this, which is the province that Bagram is in.

The village we were going to is called Dandar, and it is in the Kohe Safi district. I got a little nauseous on the way to the village because the route we took, while scenic, was a windy moutain road. On the way up there were little nomad camps.

When we got to Dandar, we went to the ANP police station. The PMT was immediately greeted. They seemed to have had a great connection with the police officers there. The PMT had two interpreters with them. I called one of them the Brad Pitt of Afghanistan because…well, he thought he was. It was just so amazing to see what I have seen in pictures for the past four years up close. The ANP officers were very nice and accomodating. There was one ANP sergeant who could do everything. He was a cook and a sergeant.

All I really saw was the ANP compound. Not much of the Dandar itself. There were two kids who came up to us, and one of the sergeants I was with played with them for a bit. The smaller one reminded me of William, my brother. Just because he looked to be about his age. I’ll probably see Wee in all of the little boys though.

Two ANP officers looked incredibly young, and they made me sad to see them. Especally when I went to go take their picture and the one grabbed his friends hand before I took the picture. Felt a little teary eyed. Might just be how they are, but it was such a child-like gesture. However, I’m sure some people see my picture and see the same thing, a little kid.

The PMT guys go to this village quite often. I would say more, but I wrote a story about it that would explain it a lot better. I can post it now because the Joint Operation Center gods have said it is releasable.

I’m just proud of the fact that I finally did something, and can’t wait to do more things like it.

http://cjtf-a.com/index.php/Press-Releases/Soldiers-Airmen-lend-helping-hand-hone-ANP-Skills.html

 

They edited the hell out of my story though.

I’m Published!

Type Sgt. Jessica R. Dahlberg into Google and my name comes up for the first story I did! It’s pretty cool.

I’m excited now.

I Get To Work The Cash Register!

Spongebob reference. If you don’t get it, don’t try to. However, I am officially a new sergeant. For those of you I haven’t blabbed the good news to. Thank goodness because I really didn’t want to be a 40 year old specialist.

Funny how I am doing another update on week two of my excursion to Afghanistan. Let’s recap! I…sat. Oh, and then I got up and sat some more. Then I pulled out my camera equipment and sat some more. Then I covered a story about an infectious disease seminar, and then I sat and watched Ghostbusters.

In all seriousness, the seminar was interesting. The whole seminar was given by prominent Afghanistan medical leaders, from thier Ministry of Public Health, talking about the infectious diseases that plague their country’s population. Disease such as tuberculosis, malaria and leishmaniasis. The seminar was so these Afghanistan medical leaders could tell the U.S. Coalition forces the Afghanistan way to treat Afghanis. Meaning, how to use the resources in Afghanistan to treat the people here.

Today, my sitting got interrupted, however. I had to go take pictures of the local nationals working on Bagram for a story. I wish I could speak their language because they are always laughing. I bet they would be great to have a conversation with.

I have been watching Heroes, but that isn’t really anything interesting. It is part of my sitting routine. I was suppose to go run with my lieutenant this morning. I woke up at 0530, said “ew” , and went back to sleep. Sitting is hard work! Trust me.

 

 

The Best Thing

The best thing about deployment is not the money or the five miles you have to walk to get to your work place. It isn’t even the infantry guy who asks you if you want to go on a movie date at the Morale Welfare and Recreation Center (lame). It is by far the free Baskin Robbins at any and all dining facilities (DFAC). Only downside is you have to walk another five miles in the blistering heat and sand storms to get it.

Today will mark my one week anniversary of being at Bagram. Woo-hoo! There will be a romantic dinner and candlelight along with some apple juice juice boxes stolen from the DFAC. The unit has so far been able to accomplish…well, we know what building we work in, and we know we could possibly, maybe go on a mission in a “few” days. Exciting, I know.

On that note, I have decided to give you a guided photographic tour of my living space for your viewing enjoyment.

Walking down the street first thing you see is the latrines. Males are on the left and females are on the right.  I think it is funny that the female latrine windows are blacked out, but the male latrine windows are not. Open the door and there are the toliets on the first floor, and the showers are on the second.

If you look in the picture above and see that person in front of the plywood singlewide, that is what I inhabit. Now we shall begin the tour of my luxrious accomodations. We will begin with a close up of the “B-Hut”, as they are called. I don’t know what it stands for. Maybe Bagram Hut. The wires coming out if add to the charming “ghetto” decor. My door is the one with the blue blanket over it on the left. There are eight rooms all together. All about the size of a 5X5 square. The next few pictures will be from my room. I’ll try to get them in the order it is set up.

 

 

The first three pictures are my bed, and then the one with all the duffel bags was taken while I was on top of my bed. The other two are of the space that is underneath my bed that I fit under. Being short sometimes has some benefits. I especially like my hooah Army chair.

 One last thing I thought I leave you all with…bet you can’t guess who Franz is!