Shorabak Garrison Swim and Water Polo Team’s First Practice

I was very excited today as this would be the day that organized swimming and water polo would be introduced to southern Afghanistan and Helmand Province. I had complete faith and confidence that Colonel Safi would come through with his end of our agreement by having the team ready and the pool filled with water. This was going to be an exciting day.

It was a very busy day and heavy workload for me at Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan and I did not have much time to think about the upcoming practice. I already had the workout plan written out and topics to discuss with the athletes before practice began and I even made sure that I called another section to borrow a vehicle as the vehicles in the G-3 were out all day.

All of a sudden, I realized what time it was. It was 3:15 in the afternoon and I was potentially late for the first day of practice! I called over to the Marines who were letting me borrow their vehicle but their vehicle was taken earlier in the day and was not returned yet. I called every section that I could recall having a vehicle but they were all gone due to a planning meeting aboard Bastion, an adjacent British Air Base to Camp Leatherneck. It was now 3:20 and I still did not have a vehicle. I had to find a quick solution to make it to practice and still get the gear for practice out of my tent. There was no way that I would make it in time.

Knowing that I had one last possibility before I was very late and had a long run to Shorabak. This would not have been a good way to start off our season…being late to the first practice. I went to see Sergeant Pugh in the Staff Secretary’s office. Sergeant Pugh looked at me with a smirk on his face after I shared my dilemma with him. After waiting for words to come out of his mouth, which seemed like minutes but in reality was probably seconds, I wanted to cry. The suspense was killing me.

Sergeant Pugh laughed and said “Anything for you Sir”. He handed me the keys with a smile and asked when I would have the vehicle back. I told him the vehicle would be back at 5:15. As I ran out the door, I asked what kind of vehicle I would be looking for. He told me that the keys were for the Commanding General’s vehicle. I quickly stopped in place and had a puzzled look on my face. Sergeant Pugh said that the vehicle was not needed until 6:00.

It was now 3:24 and I was still worried about arriving in time, how I was going to fit getting the equipment from my tent on the way to Shorabak, hoping that the vehicle was not going to be blocked in by other vehicles, and that I would have the vehicle back to Sergeant Pugh in time to drive the Commanding General. What would happen if the Commanding General’s schedule changed and they had to leave earlier? How would Sergeant Pugh explain that I borrowed a vehicle to drive to Shorabak to teach Afghan soldiers how to swim and play water polo while in a war zone to his boss or to the Commanding General? So many thoughts going through my mind with only six minutes before the first practice started. I should have been focused on the upcoming practice.

At 3:25 I arrived at the vehicle all sweaty and attempted to enter the vehicle on the passenger side. Not one of my smarter moments but would be par for the course for me. I quickly corrected myself and drove to an area near my tent.

At 3:26 I left the car on and door open, ran into the a very dark tent with no flashlight, probably waking all of the Marines sleeping who worked during the night hours after tripping over a chair, and grabbed the bags I had set aside.

After a semi-successful sprint to and from the tent, I was back in the vehicle and was onward to Shorabak. As I was passing through the “Friendship Gate” which was a gate ajoining Camp Leatherneck and Shorabak Garrison, manned only by Marines, they were about to wave me through thinking I was the Commanding General. I rolled down the window and showed the Marines my identification card. The Marines smirked and waved me through. So there I was, at 3:28 driving around in General Nicholson’s vehicle, now with witnesses.

I arrived at the Shorabak Garrison pool at 3:29. With lots of sweat dripping down and about 30 seconds of breathing room, I quickly grabbed the bags and walked up to the pool. As I was stepping through the barbed wire, I realized that I did not see anyone on the pool deck. As I arrived on the pool deck, I looked at the surrounding area and did not see anyone approaching the pool which was not filled. At 3:30, I was disappointed, sweating, and in dire need of a drink of water, I started walking towards Colonel Safi’s office to find out what happened.

When I arrived at his office at 3:35, Colonel Safi waved me in. His office busy, and the officers in his office looking at me in anticipation of why I was there, I neatly placed my bags and sat down. Colonel Safi wanted to me to stay and drink chai. As impatient and confused as I was, I wanted to ask him where all of the athletes were. In my limited Farsi skills I told asked Colonel Safi to wait a moment to see if I could find a linguist. At 3:39, Colonel Safi said not to worry about it and he would speak in English with me.

Colonel Safi asked me how the practice was coming along and if I needed any help from him. He then told me that this was such a great thing for the Afghan soldiers, Shorabak Garrison, and the Afghan National Army. He also told me that the pipe was fixed and then broken again when the pool was partially filled. I proceeded to tell him that there were no athletes there. Shocked and irritated, Colonel Safi got on the phone at 3:49 and called another colonel, some of his other officers, and his sergeants major. Colonel Safi told me that the team would be at the building shortly and then we could begin practice.

At 4:01 a captain came into the office and reported to Colonel Safi that the team was all present. Colonel Safi waved him away and asked me if I needed anything help with anything else. I told him that I would appreciate if he would come to the meeting for a few minutes and tell the team his expectations and give them encouragement. He agreed and we walked out of his office, still filled with officers waiting to speak with him about important things.

Once we walked out, a linguist that worked with Hakim was there waiting. Hakim was busy with his work and asked this nice older gentleman to assist with today’s practice. It was very important to have a linguist at today’s practice because a lot of the spent would be speaking with the team. Most other practices I could get away with using hand gestures and my limited Farsi skills. I spoke with the older gentleman briefly while Colonel Safi spoke with his soldiers in his conference room. I briefly explained to the linguist what we would be discussing with the athletes and emphasized to ask me any questions if needed. Colonel Safi explained what a great opportunity this would be for the soldiers, Shorabak Garrison, Helmand Province, and Afghanistan.

Colonel Safi finished speaking with the team and promptly left. At 4:21, I spoke with the team about what was in store for the program, what to expect at practice, and what my expectation of the athletes ere. Some of my expectations included being at practice on time, hydrated, mentally and physically prepared, giving 100 percent at all times, listening, and completing homework when I give it. At 4:32 I wrapped up my short speech and asked the athletes if they had any questions. There questions were:

1. What is swimming football?

2. How is it played?

3. Why were they selected for the team?

4. What if they were stuck at work and could not make it to practice on time or not at all.

5. Will they get uniforms?

6. Who do they speak with to be on the national team?

7. What if they cannot read or write? How do we complete the homework?

Very valid questions. I quickly answered the first two questions by showing a few photos, taking out a cap and ball for everyone to touch, and explained the basic rules. All of the athletes were satisfied with my response. I then explained that I do not know the exact criteria used to select the team but they should take that up with Colonel Safi. They should always strive to make it to practice, even if they are late. My emphasis to the athletes is that this is a team sport and the team is only as strong as its weakest player. If teammates are missing, it will adversely affect practices and the team’s progress. I further explained that I would provide all of the required gear and at the next national team tryouts they can compete for a place on the team. And my for my final response, I told the athletes that the homework was a requirement and if they needed help, the athletes should get help from one of their teammates who could read and write.

Because we were almost out of time for the practice, I closed the meeting at 4:43 by reiterating to them how challenging the practices would be and how I would push them to their limits. All of the athletes shook their heads up and down like they all had it and it would be easy. After the meeting concluded at 4:45, many of the athletes came up to me and told me what great swimmers they were and how they think the practices would be fun and basically easy. I showed them my appreciation for speaking with me and said I would see them tomorrow. We will see how easy they will think the practices are after the first day…

During the drive back to Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan at Camp Leatherneck, I could not help think that even though I was disappointed that we did not practice in the pool today, it was a successful practice. We will see where this new adventure leads us.

Marjeh and Now Zad

Major Chris Curran set me up for a trip to Marjeh and Now Zad with a group of VIPs. I was excited for this opportunity as it would be first time to see any of Helmand Province since I arrived in November and I am able to leave the daily grind at work, even though it is only for a few hours. I made sure all of my gear was set and went to the airfield at Bastion to catch my first ride in an Osprey. While waiting for the Osprey, I met Tony Perry from the Los Angeles Times. He was taking his final trip with the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan before he returned to the United States. He was a very nice gentleman who took the time to write about what the Marines were accomplishing here. It was quite enjoyable hearing about his yearly trips to the war and his fondness for the Marines. Ironically, he lives in the San Diego area, heard about the Afghanistan National Water Polo Team, and actually wanted to write a story about the team. It just shows how small of a world we live in. We had to meet all of the way in Helmand Province, Afghanistan for us to share our stories when we live so close to each other in the United States.

The ride on the Osprey was quite exciting as my time in Marine Corps aircraft is little compared to other Marines or my daughter Isabella (Who has more flight time in Marine Corps aircraft than I do). Other than cargo transport, I have flown in US Army Blackhawks. And since the Osprey is the future of Marine Corps aviation, it was nice to actually know what it was like. It was a great experience.

Our arrival in Marjeh was very interesting. We landed in the middle of a villager's farm and walked to the forward operating base nearby. Upon entering the base, I felt for the Marines and their living conditions. These Marines did not have heating or air conditioning; laptop computers; a laundry service; easy access to hot showers; refrigerators; or anything that would be a comfort of home. Even though our living conditions here may seem austere, it does not compare to what the Marines on the ground deal with every day. Knowing that the Marines would not have much, I picked up an any Marine/Soldier box from the post office and dropped it off with a Marine upon our arrival. Even though the Marines there were tired of visitors showing up, I think they appreciated the boxes that I and others brought.

After speaking with a few Marines, the party we came with wanted to walk into the town. As we left the base, I saw a teacher conducting classroom instruction in an outdoor setting. He had about 20 children being very attentive, even though a bunch of Marines, other military personnel, and two civilians (One of which was Tony Perry) were walking right behind their "classroom". It was nice to see that regardless of any situation, to include that just a few days before there was heavy fighting in this area to include the street we were on, that someone takes the time to hold classes.

While continuing to walk down this street, I saw many locals sitting, talking, and watching. Of interest, I saw a little boy, about the same age as my son, Westy, sitting next to a motorcycle. I do not know if at the ripe old age of 4-5 he knew how to fix a motorcycle or if he was just pretending to. Either way, I could imagine Westy doing the same exact thing if he were sitting next to a motorcycle back home.

Marjeh was quite beautiful compared to many other areas I have been in Afghanistan. It was very green and had some beautiful flowers in the fields. It also seemed like a friendly community to those who lived there and to outsiders.

As I was walking with a few of the young Marines way ahead of the group, a young girl hesitatingly came up to one of the Marines who was clearing the area. Knowing that the Marine was focused on making sure that the area was safe for the upcoming entourage, I motioned for the girl and her family to come to me. The first thing I did was say hello in Farsi. I then asked how she was and what her name was in Farsi. Before I even finished what I was saying (Regardless of the fact that I am positive my accent was horrible), I realized that I was speaking in Farsi to a native Pashto speaker. Just goes to show how not mentally there I was. But as a high quality "Staff Officer" that I am, I quickly pulled a lollipop out of my cargo pocket and handed it to her. Her look of horror that an American was speaking Farsi to a Pashto speaker quickly went away and a smile quickly emerged. As she went to grab the lollipop, I saw a very bad burn to one of her arms. I quickly asked one of the Marines what their unit's procedure was for treating local national children in this area. He responded by saying the unit corpsman could provide limited treatment there or we could send the girl to the base. The Marine quickly called for a corpsman and he arrived very promptly. After the corpsman assessed the wound, he took out a bandage and carefully wrapped her burns. With the help of a linguist, he explained to the family that they should bring her to the base the next day for more extensive treatment. As the child smiled, ate her lollipop, and had a handful of candy that she was sharing with others, the crowd of over 30 locals to include family and other villagers swarmed the corpsman to touch and thank him. It was quite an amazing site to see that they were so appreciative of what one corpsman could do. The long lasting effects that one person can have…

A short while later, we returned to the forward operating base and boarded the Osprey. This time, we were heading to Now Zad. Once we arrived in Now Zad, we visited a bazaar. The bazaar was very similar to many others I have visited in Afghanistan. However, some of the shops were closed due to a big shura (Meeting) that was being held. We then entered a local school. What was so impressive about this school, other than the amount of kids that were in the classrooms, was that there was a classroom full of girls. It looked like the girls were receiving the same curriculum as the boys, which in my mind was a great thing. From afar, I watched the teachers try to finish their classroom instruction amongst all of the visitors walking through the classrooms. I just sat and marveled at the simple school and how much these teachers were achieving. I then thought about how progressive this community is by having such a large class of girls. On our way out, I asked one of the Marines at the local unit about the girls' classroom. The Marine said that sometimes there are so many girls in that classroom that there is barely even enough room to even move around. I am glad that the families are sending all of their children to school, not just the boys.

As we were waiting for our transportation back to the landing zone where the Ospreys were waiting, I noticed that there was a football (Soccer) field. It was a very simple construction. Someone cleared away all of the rocks from the dirt and erected two goals out of wood. There were a few children around and I wished that I would have been prepared with a ball. Why was I not prepared? I just did not think that I would run into a football field, with children on it, in the outskirts of Now Zad. Just to reassure everyone, if there was a pool in Now Zad, I would not have been prepared either.

I am very appreciative that Major Curran set me up on this trip and that Major Benson and Major Lesniewicz covered my work for me while I was gone. It was great to see the villages in these areas and it reminded me of why it is so important for the western world to be helping in Afghanistan. These villages are the future of Afghanistan. This is why education, dreams, hopes, and heroes are so important.

A Pool at Shorabak?

About two weeks ago, I was informed by Lieutenant Joshua Pogue, a co-worker of mine at 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan who works at Shorabak, that there is a pool there. Shorabak is an Afghan National Army (ANA) base a few minutes away from Camp Leatherneck. Josh called me because he knew about the Afghanistan National Water Polo Team, 201st Corps Swim and Water Polo Team, and my work at the 201st Commando Kandak. He knew I would be immediately interested in hearing this news. Since then, I have asked Josh many times about the pool: Where it was, how to get there, how the pool was built, what it was used for in the past, future plans for the pool, and which ANA soldiers had more information about the pool.

I was finally able to escape from work and go to Shorabak. I received a quick tour of Shorabak from Josh. He took me to go eat at a linguist dining facility at FOB Tombstone, an adjacent base operated by the UK. The food was very reminiscent of my dining experiences in Pol-e-Charki at the linguist dining facility, Commando dining facility, and the ANA dining facility; and at the Commando field mess in Jalalabad. A lot of rice, a little meat, and many vegetables and fruit. We took our meals to one of the linguists’ tents and ate there. We sat on the floor and ate our feast, spoke about a myriad of topics to include American politics, Afghan politics, the Marine Corps, and the soap opera that was playing on the television that was in Farsi. It was a very enjoyable time and our hosts were just happy for us to be there.

After lunch, Josh showed me the pool. It was right across the street from the building he works in. The pool stands above ground and on a man-made hill. There is a staircase leading up to it with nice tiling and barbed wire surrounding the entire structure. The pool is about the size of a large backyard pool or your standard hotel pool. It is about 15 yards long and 10 yards wide. There was some trash inside the pool: plastic bottles, soda cans, wrappers, and some miscellaneous scraps. There was also some dirt and gravel inside. I also found a rubber tube that looked like it was possibly used for putting water into the pool.

Josh then told me that Colonel Sarwa, the S-3 officer for 3rd Brigade, 205th Corps, Afghan National Army built the pool by hand last year. By the looks of the pool and the limited resources in the area, he did a magnificent job building the pool. I was hoping to meet the colonel but he was away with his brigade fighting the war. From what Josh was told, the pool is the best place to be during the hot months for all of the ANA soldiers in Helmand Province. As he was telling me this, I was watching the 30 or so ANA soldiers sitting on the edge of the pool…with no water in it.

Josh then took me to meet Captain Zebullah. Since Colonel Sarwa was gone, Captain Zebullah who is the assistant S-3 officer for the brigade would be the most suitable person to help with my goal of starting a swimming and water polo team at this pool. Captain Zebullah was gone at the moment and one of his soldiers told us that he would be back soon. Since I was gone from work for a while already and Josh also had to go back to work, we decided that I would come back and the beginning of the week to speak with Captain Zebullah.

I eagerly await to meet and discuss the idea of a swim and water polo team at Shorabak. I think it will be a great opportunity for the ANA soldiers, for the people in the area, build the important bridges between US and Afghan military, and spread these sports into more areas and people in Afghanistan. Another crazy idea, I know. We will see where this takes us.