Publicity Status Changed

More than eight months have now passed since my return from Afghanistan. Today I changed the settings of this blog so that it is now visible to search engines and accessible to all readers (before today the blog was hidden from search engines and accessible to invited readers only). The blog does not contain, nor has it ever contained, any classified information or identifiable names of persons (with the exception of public figures).

Access to this blog was earlier restricted for reasons of personal privacy and security in the area of operations. The reason for me changing the blog to being public is that the validity above mentioned motives has partly or completely expired.

Should you have any comments or objections regarding the contents or the publicity of this blog, please leave a comment with your contact information, and I will get in touch with you. You are very welcome, of course, to leave comments for any other reason as well!

Wayward

Carry on my wayward son,
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Now don't you cry no more

Kansas: Carry On Wayward Son

Dispatches

"In war more than in other life you really don't know what you're doing most of the time, you're just behaving, and afterwards you can make up any kind of bullshit you want about it, say you felt good or bad, loved it or hated it, did this or did that, the right thing or the wrong thing; still, what happened happened."

Michael Herr: Dispatches

An A-Z of Afghanistan

A. Allah (supposedly). Almonds. Apricots.

B. Bribes. Bodyarmour. Bees.

C. Corruption. Coal mines. Chapans

D. Dust, everywhere. Diarrhoea. Donkeys.

E. Earthquakes. Emergencies.

F. Floods. Flash floods, especially.

G. Guns. Grenades. Grapes.

H. Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin. Hashish. Helmand.

I. Improvised exposive devices. ISAF=In Shorts And Flip-Flops.

J. Joy. Joints. Joint patrols.

K. Kites. Kabul. Kandahar.

L. Landmines and landslides. Locusts. Lies.

M. Mountains. Mosques and Mullahs, Madrassas and Mawlawis. Mud.

N. Naan. Nights.

O. Opium poppies.

P. Palau. Pashtuns. Poverty. Pistachios. Peaches.

Q. Qesel Quduq.

R. Rusty Russian armour. RPG's. Ramadan.

S. Snakes. Scorpions. Spiders.

T. Tchai. Talibans. Turtles. T.I.A.=This Is Afghanistan.

U. Uselessness.

V. Violence.

W. Wars. Weather conditions.

X. The X-factor. ("In Afghanistan you will be surprised. If you're not surprised - be surprised.")

Y. Youth. Yalla.

Z. Zarangs. Zig Zig. Zenith.

Paddy's Lament 2010

Hear ye boys now take my advice
To Afghanistan I'll have you not be coming.
There is nothing here but war where the murdering cannons roar
And I wish I was at home in dear old Finland.

Adapted from Paddy's Lament (Irish trad.)

Travel Day

I got up at 0440 local time. There was an assembly at 0510 and check-in was at 0530. We got to board at 0635 and the plane took off on scedule at 0700. The Germans have their regulations, and they certainly do follow their regulations. There must apparently be a regulation against passengers moving on foot at the airfield, so all movement is done by bus. All movement is done by bus, even if the distance is less than 300 metres. All passengers are to be transported to the aircraft by bus. By bus.


The distance from the terminal to the plane was this short (approximately 300 metres), but two buses were used to shuttle the passengers to the plane. Ordnung muss sein.

During the flight I tried to sleep a little, but didn't succeed too well. The two meals and the movie kept me posted of where and how the journey was progressing. At 1600 local time we finally touched down in Pirkkala.

Time will tell how soon and completely I will manage to let go of my duties in Afghanistan, or to adapt to my new duties in Finland. So far I've no plans or intentions of going back. Time will tell.

This post concludes my blog, or at least the diary part of it. Thanks for reading.

Final Day

My last day in Afghanistan was much like yesterday. I spent most of it in the horizontal position, either asleep or watching movies on my laptop. At 1300 we weighed our luggage. The limit per person was 20 kilograms. My bag weighed in at 21.35 kg, but it was accepted. At 1800 there was a briefing for the travellers and the security check of the luggage. A dog sniffed all bags for narcotic substances and another for explosives. Later I went for a beer in the German medics' mess "Sansi Bar". I withdrew to my quarters in transit tent 1 to finish watching a movie. At about midnight, when I went to have a shower in the Norwegian hygiene containers, the full moon was shining and the night was warm and quiet.


The narcotics dog, and old male Belgian Shepherd, was not that interested in working.


The explosives dog, who was a much younger male of the same breed, was much more enthusiastic about his duties.