Warm Spell

We’ve all been so used to the cold that warm weather took us by surprise. It was a pleasant surprise for certain. The warm up was accompanied by spectacularly clear days that allowed remarkable panoramic views of the mountains that surround the base. Practically every detail of these snow-covered formations stood out in vivid clarity. I was kicking myself at continually forgetting to grab my camera. The mountains are very beautiful right now and would be a skier’s dream if we didn’t have to worry about landmines and Taliban. I’ve compared them to the mountains I saw in New Zealand last summer and for good reason.  The mountains around Bagram are part of the Hindu Kush that stretches across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Their formations are very similar to the Southern Alps of New Zealand and remain snow-capped year round. But as beautiful as the Hindu Kush mountains appear, they are also foreboding and with the melting of the snow-bound passes they will allow a return of the fighting season in Afghanistan. It’s around the corner.

For now it’s been very quiet. My OPTEMPO has been steady but not the fever pitch it’s been running at in the past. The past couple of days have been marked by a contractor symposium held here at Bagram. I attended parts of both days in order to hear the major contracting companies lay down their respective plans for either getting out of Afghanistan or shrink their footprints. It would be impossible for us to be successful here without them so it’s critical that we balance the services they provide with our retrograde. I saw it in Iraq too. Now the time has come in Afghanistan. We’ll all be “expeditionary” in no time.

Unfortunately, the warm spell only lasted a couple of days. Just when I thought to remember my camera it cooled back off and clouded over. Now it looks like some cold rain or snow is on the horizon. Oh well, that will hold off the fighting season for a few more days. Quiet is a good thing here.