Wayward: Convoys and Flour

Today we were supposed to support the transport of an ANA (Afghan National Army) Kandak (batallion) through our AOR (area of responsibility). Our job was to observe the passing convoy in Aybak and to report what we saw to headquarters. The first vehicles of the convoy were ahead of schedule, so we missed those. The last ones were an hour late, because there had been a traffic accident, so we had to wait for those. And the driver of the ANA car that had been involved in the accident had ran away into the desert because he had been afraid of being punished, so one platoon had have to go after him. We didn't wait for that platoon. Instead we recorded the position of an emergency helicopter landing site and delivered a letter to the chief of NDS.

In the afternoon we went to meet the chief of police. He was very talkative as usual, and tried to impress us by telling things that we already knew since weeks ago. When we were leaving, he gave me his rosary, or tasbih, for some reason. I tried to refuse, but he insisted, and finally I took the trinket with glass beads. From the ANP HQ we drove to the department of women's affairs. When the previous Swedish rotation, FS18, went home, their mess association donated 4.000 USD to the people of Samangan. We were tasked with the job of finding a suitable project for that sum. With the help of the deputy chairman of the provincial council and the chief of the department of women's affairs, we today chose the project to be a delivery of foodstuffs to 100 disadvantaged families in Aybak. For 40 dollars, each family gets 50 kg of wheat flour and 3 litres of food oil. I'm well aware that it's yet another short-term, feel-good project, because sooner than we think the families will be hungry again, but that was their suggestion and what they wanted.