Finished Project

My day started at 0405 with a minor earthquake, which lasted about 15 seconds. It was not a pleasant way of being woken. Some of the soldiers woke up, but most continued sleeping, unaware of the shaking of their surroundings. A few hours later, the OCCP mentoring team, MOT D and MOT E went to their respective playing fields. I stayed at the safe house and started to introduce the new second in command to his duties. It rained the whole day and it was surprisingly cold. The new guard, who we interviewed in november, and who had his security screening last week, was employed today. We took his picture for the ID-card, and ordered a summer uniform for him. The mullah next door invited us to an opening ceremony for the new footpaths to the mosque. We sat a few minutes in the rain, and then it was time to cut the ribbon. In the evening, the EOD contractor who had gone out to dispose of a 82mm mortar granade that MOT D had spotted, got stuck in the mud, and MOT D volunteered to go and pull him loose. Just one day of rain can turn the rock-hard desert into a mudpile, but the soil dries and hardens just as quickly when the sun comes out.


Tea and sugar-coated almonds in the rain with the village elders. What fun.


Standing on the brand new footpaths, cutting the ceremonial ribbon.