| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| Journal Of A Canadian Embed In Afghanistan |
| 2007-06-23 |
| The day dawned clear around 5.30 and going with my daily routine, I took a little time for my own sketching. I headed up the mountain to the outpost LAVIII hoping to sketch it standing vigil in the early morning sun. One of three soldiers manning the mountain outpost came and chatted while I worked and I ended up interviewing the Captain on duty at the post. One of the other soldiers ferried us all breakfast in a gator ATV, then we all sat and shot the breeze. Absolute luxury, breakfast and a view. I am finding it easier and easier to approach the soldiers now. In part I think because I am gaining in confidence in the project and the art, but also because I am becoming a regular part of the scenery for most of the people here, and therefore slowly accepted. A series of staccato thumps on the very edge of hearing sent us all to the edge of the cliff looking for a source. "Mortars" one of them thought out loud. We wandered back to the shade of the post. I had just started the sketch of the Captain, when their radio buzzed, and the guys immediately began to suit up. They are part of the FOB Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and had been told to stand to. Likely they were going to find out first hand what the source of the thumps had been. I begged a lift and was given the all clear to tag along with them. To help me get back to the base proper and pick up my kit, I had crash course in how to drive the gator. I drove down the mountain road way too fast to the media tent, dodged the Public Affairs Officer with the other media guys heading back to Kandahar and grabbed my camelback, camera and sketchpad, then scooted out the back door. I was out the tent just as the lads arrived at the doors in the LAVIII. The QRF of three LAVIII's hooked up with another three at FOB Wilson after a quick drive along the road built this year specially for this purpose. Our destination was a nearby police station which had come under fire from the Taliban. We traveled along roadway for most of the trip and then cut into the desert to approach from open ground. The station when we arrived was little more than a two story shell with sand bags piled in every window. It looked out over a checkpoint on the road and the field and village around. The policemen looked very pleased to see us. The Canadian soldiers made their way to the roof, also ringed with sandbags. No shortage of sand to put in bags out here. Everything else seems to be in short supply though. The soldiers spread themselves around the rooftop in the blistering heat and waited. I worked the camera hard. Gaining lots of material from which I will be able to create numerous sketches later. The soldiers started to rotate time on the roof, so some were always in the shade. I did a run to the LAV for more water and Gatorade mix. I mixed a few bottles and handed them out. More silence. The roof was covered in detritus of all kinds. Mortar shells, Rocket Propelled Grenades, hundreds of shell casings, unfinished food, a VHS video recorder. And a huge Russian machine gun. And a bed for its gunner to sleep in. The soldiers had contact with the Taliban here just yesterday and the police station had been mortared earlier that day so everyone was very much on edge. Eventually the order was given to clear out, and having made their support of the local police clear, we did just that. Back to base. I arrived just as five of our contingent of seven journalists were heading for their convoy back to Kandahar. They plan to be back in a week and promise to bring me more paper. The Global TV lads also did me proud by leaving me a towel, soap, a tooth brush, socks, and some new skivvies. I will have to find a way to return the favour later. In the evening I finished the portraits of Bombardier Adam Holmes, and Captain Ryan Sheppard up at their lookout hooch on the mountain. I felt I owed this to them after they so willingly brought me along on the QRF mission and kept an eye on me the whole time. During my first real day of soldiering with Canadian troops I am left thoroughly impressed by their professionalism and poise. They show incredible will in simply accomplishing their daily tasks under heat conditions that would wilt cactus. Their training is obvious too, everything is done by the book and the feeling of teamwork is difficult to remain emotionally detached from. So i don't. I can't be observer alone on this trip. There is no room for baggage. And although I probably create a lot of work for them, I try and help out where I can. In the late evening, just as I am heading to bed I got a call from CBC radio. I am supposed to be interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi but I had forgotten all about it. Anyway my Afghan cell phone kept cutting out and they had some concern about the quality of the sound bytes — caused by my thick accent — but hopefully they will find something they can use. Off to bed now. Pencil sketches at link. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #2 I like his clean, honest writing style too. If this is a representative sample, he's more interested in describing the events around him than he is in shaping events to a ready made mold. Good stuff. |
| Posted by: Angaiger Tojo1904 2007-06-23 10:14 |
| #1 You really must read this at the link. This guy's sketches are better than the ones Jim Pollock and the 'army artists' of Vietnam era did. He is rather in the same league as Bill Maudlin. I'd like to see this guy team up with Michael Yon. That would be a great team - a modern era Ernie Pyle and Maudlin. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-06-23 08:54 |