Mazar-e-Sharif: First Impressions

The base I’m on is on the smaller side of bases as they go, but still large enough to allow me to get lost my first few days here. There are about 3000 people from 14 (?) different countries all sharing the same area. This leads to a very multi-lingual adventure and makes standing in line for the chow hall interesting if you’re into eavesdropping.

The base itself is like a mini-dirt-covered-multi-ethnic-lemming-military city, with people moving to and fro all the time; weird traffic rules that the Europeans get, the Americans don’t; and the Mongolians purposely break; some creature comforts from home: brought to you by the local PXs, which are mini stores selling everything from underwear to knives to Pop Tarts (all in limited varieties that change as supplies come and go); a Burger King and a Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, a Pizza hut (who else remembers that song?), and a recreation tent with a small movie theater; a hodge-podge of tent cities spread between actually brick and mortar buildings (every group here has their own area and each is designed differently); and all of this has the backdrop of hazy, snow-capped mountains that make me regret not having a snowboard or getting to go anywhere closer than this to a mountain this winter.

I got lucky because my work location and my living quarters are located in the same area. In addition, I have my own make-shift room (we have artic tents that have been sectioned off with plywood to make 7’ X 6’ rooms). The rooms are big enough for a twin bed, a cabinet, and a floor space of 3’ X 4’. Not a lot of space, but all mine. Most people have to live about half a mile to a mile from where they work and share converted ConEx containers with 1 to 3 other people. The only disadvantage to my situation is that we’re located off by ourselves so that to get to anything else (gym, chow hall, post office, etc.), we have to walk or drive the mile or so. This isn’t bad now, but when it starts to snow and be cold and wet outside, it might start to suck.

I started work essentially the first day that I arrived, although, I don’t think I was coherent enough to actually be productive.  I’ve been here almost a week now and am finally starting to get how things work. The training that I went through in Atlanta right before I got here, didn’t quite prepare me for how it is “in the field,” so I’ve been doing a lot of re-learning quickly. My job consists of long hours, lots of repetition, and a mentality that is flexible, goes with the flow, and learns to make do with what you have. I’m hoping I’ll have that all figured out in short order.