Brothers in arms: notes from the West coast
Posted on 24 June 2009 by k. a. gardner
From the high deserts of New Mexico:
Lt. Col. Arnold Strong
Thanks for including me in this. I will read the content shortly.
I am currently in the field in the high deserts of New Mexico, training a National Guard battalion from Connecticut, before they deploy to Iraq.
Thus, internet connection is rare. I appreciate the link.
Jon and I were primary staff officers together and he is indeed, my Brother in Arms. Ajmal is also a dear friend. One of my two Afghan little brothers that I remain in contact with.
Some of my tales from the same time are linked at www.majorstrong.com (although I have since been promoted to Lt. Col. There were a few stories published on the New York Times website that are linked in the blog.
Again, thanks for sharing this with me.
Arnold
VIA Tim King, Salem-News.com
[Dec. 18, 2006] Tim King is embedded in Kabul, Afghanistan with the 41st Combat Brigade of the Oregon National Guard. See his stories several times a week here, on Salem-News.com, and on Portland’s KPTV Fox12.
DISPATCHES FROM AFGHANISTAN
Because of this mission, people here now stand a much better chance of surviving the frigid Afghan winter.
 KatehKhil was the chosen village to receive
much needed supplies for winter. Photo by: Tim King
|
(KATEHKHIL, Afghanistan) – Oregon National Guard soldiers aided by members of other U.S. services banded together and traveled to a snow-covered mountain village to provide clothing, shoes, toys and other essentials to people that have very little. As Tim King reports, this is a place where items sent from the United States find their way directly into the hands of the people who need them more than words can describe.
This mission to deliver clothing, shoes and other essential goods to a remote village called KatehKhil in Afghanistan was a big boost for some very poor people.
The items were private donations from the United States, and delivered by the U.S. military. Because of this mission, people here now stand a much better chance of surviving the frigid Afghan winter. …
I appreciate getting to know these folks. Thanks, Flip.
The problem in KatekhKhil was the minefield just North of where we were passing out the clothing. Minefields are marked in Afghanistan by rocks, painted white on the “safe” side, and red on the mined area. The kids kept running through the mined area, and since we didn’t know where to step, we couldn’t stop them. Then the interpreters started getting really anxious, saying the village was “Hot” or Taliban. Fortunately they didn’t hit us that day… not sure why.
I remember you telling me about that, Jon. You were being interviewed for the Volunteer Jacksonville’s 2008 Service in Uniform award.
Although I no longer wrote the article, I still remember that it ran top-fold Metro.
It is good to have a more concrete idea of what our soldiers are actually doing over there. A lot of news coverage is vague and/or pessimistic.