Ajmal Omar writes of his experiences:

Ajmal recieves Dept. of Defense Certicate of Appreciation

My  name is Ajmal Omar.  I am from Afghanistan – I have a bachelor  degree in English literature from University of Education in Kabul, Afghanistan. I learned English Language in private courses for two  years. And it’s mentionable that Jon Singleton helped me in Afghanistan to complete my education.

[Singleton] was very famous for speaking Dari, being kind to soldiers. He used his talent to build Afghan National Army by his personnel skills. Every body was appreciating his efforts – I as his Interpreter and his Afghan National Army counterpart [Lt. Col. Shamsuddin] knew that he was always working late till – 1 a.m  or 1: 30 a.m.  on  personnel and finance [projects] for KMTC. He was far from his family and kids, from his country, he never complained, he always tried to do his best.  That’s why every NCO at KMTC still love Cmdr. Singleton.

I worked for the US Armed forces for over five years. It was as dangerous as I could say.  Sometimes nobody could say if we were able to make it back to the base – who could say if there was a suicide bomber waiting for us on our way back home?  But we have faith in God – we were  safe.

Ajmal and boys of a refugee village

Due to the life risk of those who serve their country (Afghanistan) and United States of America through working with U.S .Armed Forces as Interpreter, I came to United States as Lawful Immigrant under a specific immigration program for U.S. Armed Forces linguist.

I was eligible for this meritorious visa [because] I worked over 2 years as Interpreter with U.S. Armed Forces. You had to be selected in a board created by the unit officers, then you need a letter from one of the Active Generals in Afghanistan, and now I have my Green Card  Permanent Resident status.

I came to the U.S.A. on 15^th September 2008. My flight was  from Kabul to Dubai, from Dubai to New York JFK airport and then to Reagan National Airport. My cousin Mashal Abdul Rahim zai came to the airport to welcome me.

I came  to State of Virginia and started working as linguist for U.S. Armed forces as a part-time job. I have found U. S. a very beautiful place and I think I have many chances to change my life to better here.

Jon Singleton cared for me when I was in Virginia by calling and e-mails. I couldn’t expect such  a kindness from a person who I was working  for one year and  become brothers in next three years. I said with myself there are still people who care about you!

I was in Washington D.C. when my phone start ringing – his name appeared on the screen of my cell phone – Jon Singleton – in a stranger circumstance, he invited me to come visit him, his family and  Sunshine state and great city of Jacksonville.

He said I can take a flight to get there, I said sir, I want to drive. He was amazed how I said that can I drive all the way from northern Virginia to Florida.  It was my first car in the states with no background of driving in the states, especially  from one state to another state.  I really enjoyed my driving. I was good because I didn’t take any tickets in the highway.

When first I came here my intent was to stay here for few days. When I met the kind people of Jacksonville,  such as Jon Singleton’s family, his wife Candace,  who is very kind and hospitable.  She cares for me like her brother -  I found the family love again. When Jon   told me  “Ajmal you are like my brother, I am serious” and when every day I receive calls from  him he ask me about my situation, what am I doing? What is my plan for tomorrow? He always encourages me for better things .

Ajmal in Washington D.C.

I came here the on 3^rd of May. Jon and Candace  prepared a delicious dinner and invited  their  best friends. I met Mark Rinaman and Lisa, his wife.

Mark is co-hosting me  here in Jacksonville . Mark is the project manager for the renovation of the old library – we had introduction to new people that become friends later. I love the city of Jacksonville and Florida.

I also met Mark’s family, then his father  Gen. Rinaman [Ret.] and Mrs. Rinaman  invited me to their  house. We had fantastic dinner. I took some pictures of  Mark  riding the Jeskey [Jet Ski] on the river.  After dinner we talked with the General and Miss Gloria – the kind and nice women who reminds me of my grandmother. We always have a talk about jobs and my staying  here .

My work since arriving in the States has mostly been with the US Army, at training centers in Louisiana and Virginia. I am now pursuing translation service jobs here in Florida.  I speak and write Farsi, Urdu, Dari, Pashto and English.

I have  been in the 11 E. [Forsyth] building for the past few weeks where Mark give me  accommodation, but I [will move] into an apartment in Avondale shortly.

Since my  arrival, I  enjoyed TPC [The Players Championship] for the first time. I liked the golf and watching George H.W. Bush speaking.  I met [Rear] Adm. [Joseph] Kernan (Commander, US FOURTH FLEET) who’s a Navy SEAL and was in Kabul in late 2001.

I have to say that going to TPC, watching George Bush in speaking and talking to Adm. Kernan  is one of the good memories in my life since he talked with me for few minutes and GREATLY APPRECIATED THE IMPORTANCE of native translators in hostile territories.

The next day Cmdr. Jon Singleton took me to the ocean for the first time  time EVER, body surfing off Mickler’s Beach.

Note:  Ajmal is temporarily in Virginia working as a linguist and plans to return to Jacksonville in the near future.

The year is 2006. Ajmal Omar has been  an U.S. Armed Forces interpreter since 2003. He speaks and writes Farsi, Urdu, Dari, Pashto and English. At Kabul Military Training Center, he is assigned to Personnel.  Rinaman didn’t work with Omar directly, but knew him as a member in a pool of interpreters.

“As an interpreter,  he has to understand the processes on which we  train Afghan recruits and cadre,”  Rinaman said. “Because of the continuity Omar provides  and his specialized knowledge set, he essentially serves the role that our Non-Commission and Warrant officers do in the U.S. Army.”

The tank ~ Jon and Ajmal

Singleton arrives at Camp Alamo, the administrative headquarters for Kabul Military Training Center. Omar works at KMTC  for whomever is the Personnel mentor at the time.

The entire Afghanistan National  Army is trained at  KMTC.  U.S. Armed and U.N. Coalition Forces are mentors for new recruits  or senior military officers. Singleton and his Afghani counterpart, Lt. Col. Shamsuddin, oversee 1,200 Personnel staff members and a payroll of $10 million – using an old, manual Russian accounting system.  By the end of Singleton’s tour of duty,  the department is fully computerized with 3,000 staff members.

Christamas Day with Lt. Col Shamsuddin

Meanwhile, Singleton’s office co-workers at Watson Realty maintain his business in Jacksonville.  He keeps a blog, usually signing off with “raise a cup for me at Starbuck’s and I’ll hurry home.” Before long, family and friends send Starbucks, assorted coffee pots and an espresso machine . Then the  “security force guys” want cigars. Next is toothpaste, shaving cream and toiletries. The Army commissary at Camp Phoenix is a dangerous 5-miles away.

“If you could avoid going down that road because somebody sent you something, then that’s fantastic,”  Singleton said.

He signs up with Operation Love Box and Anysoldier.com. Just about everyone, including Col. Lyman, shares care packages with Afghani soldiers  at KMTC. They are paid (on average) about $100 per month and usually support  large families.

Refugee Village March 2007

Winter sets in. Villages are desperately poor – food is scarce, winter clothing almost non-existent.  Singleton posts to his blog a picture of a young boy, dressed in shorts and  galoshes carrying his diaper-clad brother.

The picture mobilizes a  Jacksonville Boy Scouts troop  – over 100 boxes of clothing arrive at the camp.

Donations pour in from anywhere and everywhere. A group of 95^th Infantry drill sergeants  receive donations from churches throughout Texas.  Lyman’s Oregon State University classmate sends over 1,000 children’s coats.

U.S Armed and U.N. Coalition Forces -  British, Canadians, French, Mongolians, Romanians, Ghurkas, and New Zealanders -  work with Afghanis and tribal elders identifying villages with desperate needs. Each humanitarian mission requires around 50 or so military personnel. The forces deliver almost two tons of food from the World Food Program.

Singleton’s tour  ends in May 2007 ~ his friendship with Omar does not.

To be continued …

- k. a. gardner

Mark (left) and Jon

The relationships which develop between those who serve together  in military conflicts foster amazing relationships. Shared experiences bring together cultures and friendships to last a lifetime. Brothers in arms is  short series of  stories about a triangulation of  two Jacksonville, Fla. military officers and an Afghani translator ~ ~

A suicide truck bomb explodes at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, outside  a metal container serving as a make-shift office.   U.S. Navy Cmdr.  Jon Singleton and U.S. Army Maj. Mark Rinaman are inside at that precise moment.

“Welcome  to the sh*t,”  said Rinaman.

The year is 2006. Camp Phoenix is home of  Coalition Joint Task Force Phoenix. Established by the U.S. Army National Guard, the task force’s mission is to train,  mentor and assist a growing Afghanistan National Army.

Rinaman is in the  Florida National Guard -  “I was doing engineering, planning and environmental services consulting, as well as acquiring and developing real estate projects when I got wind in November 2004 that I was likely going to get called up,” he said.  “I was alerted February 2005 and went on orders 28 March 2005 for 15 months.”

~~~~~~~~~~Road to Mes-a-Sharif~~~~~~~~~~

As task force Signal Officer for  Combat Communications, Rinaman’s assignment is managing  communication infrastructure [IT, radio, phone service] to connect several thousand soldiers in over 20 locations throughout Afghanistan.

“My whole mission in life is to make sure nobody gets whacked [because of poor communications connections],” said Rinaman.

To fill manpower shortages within  Task Force Phoenix,  Navy, Air Force and Marine Individual Augmentees are assigned  to the U.S. Army.  Singleton rotated in-country as a Naval Reservist officer, in May 2006. Upon arrival at Camp Phoenix, Singleton hooked-up with the brother of he and his wife’s close friend -  Mark Rinaman.

Somehow,  Singleton’s initial orders at Camp Phoenix put him at the Quartermaster Corps (in a warehouse). Maybe because during his active naval duty, he had coordinated  loading pre-positioning ships at Blount Island. Or because he had commanded fleet maintenance and fleet support units at NS Mayport. At any rate, someone in the Army related that to Supply Dept. The  position essentially didn’t match his skill sets, so he  swaps jobs with a Personnel mentor at Kabul Military Training Center.

Rinaman and Singleton serve together at KMTC headquarters, albeit in different command positions,  for about six weeks. After work, the  KMTC  ritual of  cigar-smoking knows no branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or  coalition country. Rinaman rotates back to Jacksonville, ready to spend the next three – six months getting his “business-pipeline”  up and running again.

Singleton’s rotation begins a new cycle of transitioning troops, who are at the same time, training and mentoring the fledgling Afghanistan National Army.

“For our first two months in-country, Jon’s primary job was personnel accountability. The metaphor that best explains this challenge is ‘herding rabbits on a flat bed truck,’” said Col. James R. Lyman, U.S. Army, commanding officer. “We had people jumping and hopping everywhere – Jon was the one responsible to get his ‘arms around the rabbits.’”

To be continued …

- k. a. gardner

CORRECTION: The photo caption  should read:  Road to Mazar-i-Sharif.