1 April

I love being in Afghanistan, I thoroughly enjoy working for/with the Army, I couldn't be any happier right now.
Did I mention today is 1 April?

friday's lunch

In honor of the LTC's momentous departure, our interpreter offered to bring lunch on his day off, friday being prayer day, and yes we work every other day, Mr Taliban doesn't take any days off I am afraid.
On the menu was goat, lamb and some camel. It took our interpreter a few hours to stalk a camel and hunt it down over a distance of a few miles, and then he had to drag it back and bring it over! Actually he got everything at a restaurant, and his mom even cooked some potato-lamb patties that were quite tasty. All in all a very tasty meal, and the nan (local bread) is outstanding! I will most definitely have to try out the few Afghan restaurants in Virginia after I get back.

driving through kabul

I thought I'd get a little bit of footage from our drive through this most unique city. The first half was on the way over with lots of honking, the louder honk coming from the truck that was part of our convoy and immediately behind my humvee, and the clanking is only the windows; the second half was on the way back to the airport and was shot from inside the "Mad Max" bus, an up-armored bus that looks as if it belongs in the Mad Max movie.
Anyway, there isn't anything particularly amazing about this footage other than the fact it is from Kabul and was shot with my digital camera!

return to Herat

They decided to have us ride back to Kabul airport in the "Mad Max" bus, it almost felt like being on one of those tour buses! And I had a better vantage point to take pictures, and somewhat cleaner windows but they did have a blue hue. Hopefully I got some good street shots, and I tried to find as many burkhas as possible. I think they'd make for a great Halloween costume, they look like real life ghosts! I am definitely getting me one before I leave.
The flight back was on a C-130, my back is still traumatized from having to sit against the wall with a bolt protruding into the right side.

more pictures

more pictures from camp morehead

I thought I'd walk around the bombed out ruins, climb into vintage soviet tanks, drink beer and wine with the french special forces, and catch the sun rising on our last morning there, among other things. I might have taken a few too many shots but then again there isn't much else to do around here, besides how often will I be in Kabul, or Afghanistan for that matter!

more pictures

Camp Morehead

About half the pictures I took while at Camp Morehead, on the outskirts of Kabul. A rather interesting place with some old Soviet equipment and buildings that suffered a few years of bombing. The check marks on the walls are to inform that there is no unexploded ordinance left in the vicinity! It truly felt somewhat like a ghost town, and Kabul almost feels like a ghost city, and I thought black & white worked better for some of the shots. Then again there is not much color in this country to begin with!

more pictures

2 hour drive

Pictures from the 2 hour drive we endured through Kabul...

http://flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/sets/72157604222430640/

slight ringing sound

No Easter egg hunting this Sunday morning but we did do a little
shooting, and it had been a while. This was more for the benefit of
our interpreters who wanted to shoot an M-4, and the reaction of my
interpreter when I showed him how to load the M-4 was priceless, he
jumped about 10 ft when I slid the bolt forward. He's pretty tough!
The two guys are my body guards! Actually, they're some Afghan
General's body guards.

what i want for my birthday?

my own plane or a vintage soviet t-55 tank?
getting either to work might prove challenging
then again, i have 8 months left!

32

As I sit back contemplating 32, let me look back at the previous 31.
0-4 were spent in France (could have been 0-3 but I don't quite
remember), probably all in or near Lyon.
4 (3?)-14 were spent in Belgium, either in Genval or Brussels with a
possible few exceptions. I had yet to discover beer!
15-17 must have been spent in Quito, Ecuador. Not sure if we had
power or not.
18 was celebrated in Caracas, Venezuela. This was well before Hugo!
19-31 were all over the United States, with possibly one or two of
those spent underwater in the vast Pacific Ocean aboard the mighty P!
And now 32, in Herat, Afghanistan!
Isn't life beautiful?

Year 1387

Today is 1 Hamal, the beginning of year 1387!

the flight to Kabul

We drove to Herat Airport with the Italians, and flew to Kabul with
the Germans. This is indeed if you hadn't noticed yet quite the
international venture! The flight took about 1.5 hours and should
have been the longest portion of the trip, but as you know now it
wasn't, and little did we know at the time what ordeal was waiting
for us after we landed. But here are some pictures from this portion
of the trip, I was fortunate to have access to a window to record the
memorable landscape that is Afghanistan. You might notice some roads
and villages that must be pretty much in the middle of nowhere hidden
somewhere in the mountains.

Hope the link below works but you might have to copy and paste it in
your favorite browser:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/sets/72157604162208125/

hungry? why wait!?

Stuffing myself before my flight to Kabul last Saturday (in case you
couldn't tell!)

12 years later

I ran into my plebe year first semester platoon commander at the
Naval Academy, first in Kabul and more recently in Herat. I didn't
have my camera handy in Kabul but made sure to have it in Herat. To
help clarify he was a senior while I was a freshman. Goes to show
what a small Navy this is, and we both ended up getting screwed. But
he did for 3 more months!

back in Herat

I made it back to Herat after a "comfortable" 1.5 hour flight on a
C-130. I don't think my back will ever be the same again!
The drive back to Kabul Airport was nothing like the drive from the
airport last Saturday, and we even rode in the "Mad Max" bus. They
somehow thought that 9 of us were going to the airport when we were
only four, and the whole drive felt sort of like a tour bus ride
through the city, with the exception of the body armor, the helmet
(and not the special bus kind) and the two weapons we were carrying.
Kabul is truly a city that must be seen to be believed, it is rather
unique to say the least. I haven't seen anything like it yet and
don't think I ever will.
Pictures should be coming shortly once I sift through them, and I
even took some video with my camera but haven't figured out how to
share it. I might have to ask my younger brother for some help in the
matter, but he did prove quite incompetent with an earlier request.
This'll be his chance to redeem himself I hope or I shall cut him out
of my will. Not that I am expecting to die anytime soon, just a
figure of speech!

words i don't really need to hear

I left Herat Saturday for Kabul to attend a two day conference, and what a "business trip" this is turning out to be. We departed Camp Stone in Herat with the Italians, the flight took about 1.5 hours, the drive across Kabul took longer! If you think you've experienced bad driving you haven't, unless perhaps you have had the pleasure of driving in Kabul. There is no order, no discipline, it is pretty much total mayhem. We were driving in three humvees but also had a big truck with us, and we pretty much were leaning on the horn the whole time to get people out of the way which most of them did in fairly rapid fashion. A few drivers were of course visibly upset but we didn't want to loiter in downtown Kabul any more than we had to. Driving through that city felt somewhat surreal, almost as in a movie with the exception that I was right in the middle of it. And hearing my driver utter the words halfway into the drive "I think we are lost" isn't something I particularly want to hear while in downtown Kabul. But lost we ended up not being, we obediently followed the track on the computer and arrived at our assigned destination, Camp Morehead on the outskirts of Kabul. A very nice setting this is, surrounded by mountains, but then again mountains are readily available in this country. I'll have a "few" pictures to load up when I get back to Herat (I didn't want to bring my laptop along) including pictures of the King's Palace and the Queen's Palace (two separate buildings), or actually what is left of them!

blossoming cherry blossoms

And I thought I was going to miss out on the cherry blossoms
blossoming this year, not being in the DC area!

More here: more cherry blossoms

sunset from camp stone

more photos

mailing times

It seems that mail from the US usually takes 1-2 weeks to get to Herat, it all depends on the availability of flights between Kabul and Herat (it appears mail is not the top priority!). Not asking for anything, just thought you'd like to know. Oh, and the address once again is:

LT Eric Betanoff
ARSIC West
Herat
APO, AE 09354

Six Feet Under

Now that I have a chair to sit on in my luxurious suite I thought I'd start watching the shows I brought with me on DVD, and I watched the first episode of Six Feet Under. I had only watched a couple episodes before and thought I might like it, and since the whole 5 seasons was on sale I thought it would be a good way to spend some of my time over the next 9 months (actually it's more like 8.5 months now!).
Well after watching the pilot I think I will enjoy the series very much. For those who haven't seen it it is a rather unique show about a family that owns a funeral parlor, and it has just about everything for everyone: sex, drugs, dysfunctional families, gays, interracial couples. The first episode starts with the father going to pick up a brand new hearse, and he dies in a car accident with a bus. How is that for a beginning? No wonder the show was picked up by HBO and they made 5 seasons worth of it, all of which I will enjoy over the next several weeks.
So if you get sent to Afghanistan you might consider bringing Six Feet Under with you, it'll keep you busy for a little while.

how do i use this thing!?

on the road

I finally got to leave the camp on Saturday to go to the Italian/
Spanish compound next to the airport for a meeting, and we also had
lunch. The drive takes about 15 mins and I did my best Japanese
tourist impersonation as I snapped quite a few pictures, I made the
most of my opportunity to take pictures of something other than the
camps. The humvee wasn't quite as clean as I would have hoped but a
few pictures still turned out nicely I think.

http://flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/sets/72157604079267237/

Sigur Ros

I'll take advantage of this blog to promote this band from Iceland that you should have heard from by now, and if you haven't you can learn more from them. I personally can't listen enough to their music, it is awesome. And it seems that the documentary they did last year, footage from concerts they gave all around Iceland in the summer of 2006, is available on youtube.
The band is Sigur Ros. Check out their website where you can download some free footage from their concert in Reikjavik. I'd download it but at a speed of 5kB/sec it takes about 4 hrs to download 70MB. I am hoping that my brother can help me out with this and send it to me on DVD.
Here's the link to their site, and check out youtube as well:
http://www.sigurros.com

my roommate

So my roommate moved out of my room yesterday and now I am all alone in this huge luxurious room but with a bunch of Army guys from South Carolina (and they sound like it, NASCAR is a big topic of discussion) in my barracks. My roommate was, still is, and might be forever a huge nuisance. He is quite possibly the worst person I have been around in the military, quite the selfish person as well. I had to put up with him during training in Kansas so when I found out he was my roommate I was none too pleased. He has that annoying habit of not blowing his nose and sniffles constantly, not 5 seconds go by without hearing him sniffle. I sat next to him for some training class back in Kansas and after hearing him sniffle for a few minutes I offered him one of my tissues. Most of us would take that as a sign to blow our nose, he just dabbed the tissue to his nose and kept on sniffling.
So the first day he was my roommate I told him he better blow his nose, not too unpleasantly, or it would be a long 9 months for him and I, other than that I ignored him and he ignored me which I could live with. But when on the second morning as I was still in my bed I heard him sniffle I threw him a bag of tissues, this apparently upset him and he challenged me to take "it" outside to settle our differences, like I was going to fight over this! He then said he'd go talk to the Colonel, the same person who is in charge of the whole region. Like he has nothing better to do but settle differences between us!
When I asked him what fighting would do he had no answer. Then I told him that not only is sniffling annoying to others, it's also bad for the health. Last I heard all that stuff that collects in the nose, in some noses more stuff than in others, is germs. But he decided to ignore me by that point. At breakfast I saw him sitting down with some senior enlisted people (officers won't eat with him so he imposes himself on the enlisted who can't really refuse), I stopped by his table and told the people he was with that he was the best roommate anyone could ask for, and I then asked him politely how he was doing and if he had slept well. The look on his face was priceless, and the senior enlisted knew I was being sarcastic.
So now I am all alone in my room, I'll probably be getting a roommate eventually but anyone will be better than my former roommate. Good riddance! And anyone he hangs around with gets quickly annoyed by his presence.

more camps stone and zafar

Yet more pictures from Camps Stone and Zafar. I should have some
opportunities during my 8+ months here to get pictures other than
from Camps Stone or Zafar, but in the meantime they will have to do
although I don't think I can take any more pictures of these places.
But tomorrow is Women's Day in Afghanistan, yes the same Afghanistan
where women were considered inferior to mules not so long ago, and
there should be some official festivities in Camp Zafar in the
morning. I might just be around to take some pictures in my official
duties as PAO.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/collections/72157604001710375/

camp stone

The day was cooler but clearer so I took a few pictures and had them
stitched together by some program on my computer. Not the best job
but you get an idea of the surrounding area and mountains. Herat is
in the right part of the first picture, about 20 kms away.

a joint team

This is the team I have been assigned to, and we are truly joint
(Army, Navy, Air Force). Also in the picture is our assigned
interpreter.

added Camp Zafar pictures

I added a few more pictures from today's trip to Camp Zafar.

http://www.flickr.com/gp/63144911@N00/174834

my room

Nice accommodations I have for the next 9 months don't you think? I
just might end up buying the first home I buy when I get back to the
States it'll seem so nice comparatively.

camp zafar

Camp Stone, the US/Italian/Spanish/Slovenian base, is located within
Camp Zafar, the Afghan National Army base. I went over to Camp Zafar
with the Lt Col I will be working for/replacing for a meeting with
the Afghans and it was somewhat entertaining. The funniest part might
be the Afghan colonels that don't wear their rank insignia because
they think they are generals.
We then walked around the base and got to see some new recruits
train, not bad overall. I also witnessed my first of probably
numerous instances of two soldiers holding hands walking down the
street, it is part of their culture. The wind was particularly fierce
though yet we are not yet in what is referred to as the 120 days of
wind. Oh, and I ate with the Afghan interpreters. They live just
outside Camp Stone within Camp Zafar, and the lamb with rice and
raisins and a tomato and eggplant concoction was quite tasty!

More pictures here http://flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/sets/

72157604044726405/

Camp Stone

My home for the next 9 months.

MASH

I like this picture, other than because I took it but because it
reminds me a little of the show MASH. I like how it's somewhat
crooked, maybe because I was trying to get away from all the dust
they kicked up while still getting a shot out, and the two
helicopters flying away with the bright sunlight in the right corner.
This was taken on my last day at Camp Phoenix.
Anyway, just wanted to share...

mailing address

For anyone of you who wants to send me fan mail (and haven't heard of
the internet), my mailing address for the next 9 months is:

LT Eric Betanoff
ARSIC West
Herat
APO, AE 09354

This is somewhere in the US from where all my love mail will be sent
to Kabul to eventually be put on a plane to Herat. The whole process
takes about 6 weeks so please, no perishables!

sunday

Sunday started at KIA (Kabul International Airport) from where we
took a 2 hour flight to Herat and a 15 min ride in a convoy to get to
Camp Stone, my residence for the next 9 months.

hello from Herat

I made it to Herat a week after departing from Fort Riley, and I now know what my purpose here will be. I will be the liaison with the Spaniards for some office (I did put on my resume that I was fluent in Spanish, we shall see how fluent I really am soon I guess), but it also appears I might have a secondary function as photographer for the PAO (public affairs office). This is a good thing as it would allow me to get out of the base I am at now, Camp Stone, every once in a while. There is extremely little to do on this base for fun, so leaving it and checking out the surrounding area will be quite welcome.
The flight from Kabul was courtesy of the Luftwaffe, not bad all things considered except that for some odd reason our luggage did not make it on the flight even though it appears the plane could have easily accomodated it. We did have a s^&$ton of stuff with us, so much cold weather gear issued to us by the army that it appears we won't need after all. It is already getting quite warm here during the day and I fear it will only be getting warmer until next winter. But I also have some toiletries and clean uniforms in some of the bags that didn't make it, and I could sure use them by now. The uniform I have on now hasn't been washed since I left the US but I do have extra underwear.
Anyway, I'll try to get some pictures out eventually, the internet is not the fastest here. The scenery is different from that in Kabul, it's a lot browner and there is no snow on the peaks, maybe because of the lower altitudes.

on my way to Herat... I think

I am cuurently at KIA (Kabul International Airport) awaiting my
flight to Herat. It appears we will be flying with the German air
force, not sure if it's any better or any worse. So it looks as if we
are leaving, I say this because some Navy guys from my class were
supposed to leave for Mez, in the north of the country, two days ago
and they are still at the airport awaiting a flight. Our flight to
Herat seems almost guaranteed, we shall see!

more pictures from camp phoenix

As I sit around with very little to do (and I do mean very little),
what better way to spend time than by taking pictures. While camp
phoenix is not particularly photo material, the surrounding mountains
are. Afghanistan makes Colorado look more like Kansas in comparison,
these mountains are huge.
Otherwise, it still appears as though we are leaving for Herat on
Sunday, and it seems we will be flying with the Spanish or Italian
air force. It should be entertaining.

http://flickr.com/photos/ericbeta/sets/72157604016836901/