July 4, 2009 by .
July 4th, 2009 USA
Back in the US for a few weeks already, rocking the free world and not missing a single thing about Afghanistan. I will not be going back there anytime soon, so the entertaining accounts of American subcultures resume next month. Sorry, no more first-hand accounts of that charming Afghan culture, but I took advantage of having a high-speed internet connection again, and uploaded three short videos that I put together over the last year there. My video camera skills are primitive, but I was able to edit them and attach some pretty good photos at the end of each video. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, burkha, goat, Islamic fundamentalism, paramedic work, Taliban
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June 2, 2009 by .
June 2009 Kabul, Afghanistan
Today marks exactly a year in Not-worth-it-stan, and that is plenty. I will be wheels up and out of here in less than 36 hours, probably never to return. As bad as this place is, working for a floundering startup is what has finally worn me down, but I will skip the boring business details. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism, landmines, paramedic work, Taliban
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May 23, 2009 by .
May 2009 Qalat, Afghanistan
Last week we sized up a new contract with a security company by accompanying them for a little night work. The mission involved a convoy of 40 tractor-trailers, carrying shipping containers, new armored vehicles, and loaded fuel tankers on an overnight run to Kandahar and back. Convoys on this route get hit every night with rockets, roadside bombs and machine guns, sometimes in well-organized ambushes. Few of their vehicles are armored, and most have a few holes in them. The military is still stretched too thin to offer air or medical support, so the security companies are on their own to fight through and deliver these high-value targets every time. It is a hugely lucrative contact, but it comes at a steady cost. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism, military, paramedic work, Taliban
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May 2, 2009 by .
May 2009 Afghanistan
The path to the truth is not a straight line in Afghanistan, whether asking directions, learning tribal customs, or just trying to gather patient history. Today I asked one question, got five different answers, and came to an ugly conclusion. (Names changed, as usual.) Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, injuries, Islamic fundamentalism, military, paramedic work, Taliban
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April 10, 2009 by .
April 2009 Northern Afghanistan
Spring Break college-style is somewhere in the blurry past, but I am pretty sure it did not include abstinence from alcohol and other pursuits, or 8 days and 800 miles in an unmarked microvan with two bearded Muslim men. But parts of this country are amazing once out of the bigger cities, and what an epic trip it has been. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, burkha, Islamic fundamentalism, military, paramedic work, Taliban
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March 17, 2009 by .
March 2009 Kabul, Afghanistan
Most times a backyard BBQ does not include skull fractures, amputations and calling the boss a “fucking wombat,” but this is Kabul. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism, military, paramedic work, Taliban
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March 5, 2009 by .
March 2009 Afghanistan
I have been out on leave for awhile, so no new photos this month. I don’t have a story yet either, but I have one from a friend who flies C-130s, the same type plane that I snapped awhile ago at a US base, seen above. It is worth a re-print here.
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Tags: Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism, military, Taliban
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January 18, 2009 by .
January 2009 Kabul, Afghanistan
Fair warning: Vegetarians and PETA-types should probably scurry along and not loiter here.
I had an Afghan moment tonight. I am teaching a class tomorrow to security contractors about emergency medical procedures for chest trauma. My employer is a start-up, and we do not have one of the $1500 airway dummies needed for hands-on training, so I asked Shafiq the guard to get me a goat torso from the butcher, with lungs, heart, and hide intact. I was very specific. He returned to the house that night and called out to me, “Sir, your goat is here. You come and see if it is right.” Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Afghanistan, butcher, goat, paramedic work
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