Living and Working in Afghanistan

By MB

It takes a certain kind of person to live and work in Afghanistan. I’ve been doing it for four years. I

work as a property manager. I supervise staff who care for facilities, equipment, and vehicles for a private contractor who serves the U.S. government.

Kabul Street by Ilya Varlamov (Flickr)

We live in a secure camp, like a compound with walls and gates. We work there, eat there, and sleep there. While we are safe, we get out very little. Nights are spent mostly watching television, reading, writing, and communicating with family. It can be boring and gets tiresome quickly.

The hardest part is being away from family. Life is completely different here because we don’t have family. We can’t go out anytime. We can’t go out to movie theatres, bars, clubs, etc. Because you are away from the regular way of life, you truly miss it.

What we do is important because we provide an essential service. I work mostly with Americans and Brits, but we also have local Afghans who work with us. Some live here but most go home at night.

We have a MWR center on the camp which provides support and leisure services to camp residents, including contractors like myself. (MWR stands for morale, welfare, and recreation.) Included are a Post Exchange, coffee shops, and church services for all faiths.

Western style home in Kabul
http://www.about-afghanistan.com/living-in-afghanistan.html 

Some living and work places are Afghan-free, because they don’t allow Afghan people. Ours is not like that. Afghan people work and live in our camp. However, I’m not allowed to go to Afghan homes for security reasons. I’ve been invited to weddings and other events, but can’t go. It’s disappointing. Life would be much easier if we could mingle freely with the Afghan people. I have not been able to visit the mosques or tourist sites in the city.

While Afghans are typically friendly and hospitable, they also may be very private. Their homes may be surrounded by a wall, with only one entrance that leads to a greeting room and visiting room. When male guests visit, women are not present. Men are considered the breadwinners and take pride in providing for their families, including their aged parents. Women, however, play an important role in the household and may have control over domestic affairs and finances. Afghan women are treated with great respect. This may not be true with western women who Afghan men may regard as promiscuous. Even western women, who are dressed conservatively, may be jostled or touched in public.

See more about Afghan culture at http://uwf.edu/atcdev/afghanistan/society/Intro.html  

Compound - ABC Photo 

Navy Team Aims to Bring Two Puppies Home from Afghanistan, Seeks Financial Support

There are currently around 38,000 U.S. military members still serving in Afghanistan. The long tour that these soldiers make can take a serious toll on their psychological well-being, leaving many longing for home, or coming home with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some soldiers find comfort and happiness comes with a wagging tail, as they adopt local dogs who end up lifting their spirits and becoming part of their family away from home. Problem is, when it's time to go home, many of them have to walk away from that best friend.

Members of the New York National Guard are reunited with eight
mixed breed dogs that they found while on patrol in
 Afghanistan earlier this year. AP Photo

"One of our programs, the Mission No Buddy Left Behind program, aims to help bring these dogs home along with the soldiers," explains Dori Scofield, vice president of Guardians of Rescue, an animal welfare organization. "We realize the important role these dogs play in the lives and well-being of the soldiers who are fighting for our freedom."

Currently, Guardians of Rescue have joined with a Navy team in an effort to help them bring two dogs back to America with them. The dogs, adopted by the soldiers as puppies, have grown to become part of their family there. They have provided the soldiers with companionship, have learned commands and tricks, and have made them feel welcome each day when they come back from their operations.

As the soldiers return home to the San Diego area, they wish to bring the two dogs, Logar and Falcor, home with them. Yet that comes with a price tag of $6,000, which they are seeking public donations for. Once funds have been raised, the dogs will first be sent to Washington to live with the soldier's parents. Once the soldier, Sam Landoe, returns back home to San Diego he will take the dogs to live with him.

"We desperately want to do this for our soldiers, as it's really helping both the dogs and the soldiers," added Scofield. "But we can't do it without the help of the public. There are fees involved in bringing the dogs across the globe. If just 600 people donated $10 each we could make this a successful mission."

The first dog the soldiers acquired was a result of meeting a village elder who had a puppy that was skinny, dirty, hungry, and matted. The soldier traded scrap wood for the dog. Once they had the first one, the second one, in much the same condition, was brought to them. It didn't take long before the dogs were great friends and they helped create a bond with the soldiers who cared for them.

"I can't imagine what will become of these dogs that we love so much if we can't bring them home," explained Sam Landoe, a Navy special operator second class. "We are just hoping that we can get the support we need to bring them home with us. They have been an important part of our tour here and we want to keep them a part of our lives."

Guardians of Rescue provides assistance to animals out on the streets, helping to rescue them, provide medical care, food and shelter, and find foster home placement. Many families are still struggling to recover from the storm, making it difficult to care for their pet, either financially or while living in temporary housing. To learn more, or to make a donation to support the Guardians of Rescue, log onto www.guardiansofrescue.org.

About Guardians of Rescue
Based in New York, Guardians of Rescue is an organization whose mission is to protect the well being of all animals. They provide aid to animals in distress, including facilitating foster programs, rehabilitation, assisting other rescue groups, and providing support to families, both military and not, who need assistance due to economic factors. To learn more about Guardians of Rescue, visit the site at www.guardiansofrescue.org.



Sources:
CBS News. How many U.S. Troops are still in Afghanistan? January 2014. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-many-us-troops-are-still-in-afghanistan/>