Today was yet another adventurous day. The mission: to go meet with elders in a village off Highway 1. The obstacles: steep hills, a stream, canal, more hills, sizzling sunshine (that is how AccuWeather.com described today, a mere 109F). The distance we travelled was probably about three miles, but it felt much farther than that. The cool thing about this little hike was the scenery.
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Patrick Neilson III, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul squad leader, waits to move out during a dismounted patrol to meet with villagers in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. PRT Zabul supports and facilitates the legitimacy of the Afghan national and local governments through regional reconstruction, security and stability of the province. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
I'll show a little bit of the terrain we covered.
The canal (nobody fell in. I was surprised!)
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Crosier, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul team leader, crosses a canal as Spc. Timothy Davis, PRT Zabul rifleman, helps him across during a dismounted patrol to meet with villagers in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. PRT Zabul supports and facilitates the legitimacy of the Afghan national and local governments through regional reconstruction, security and stability of the province. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
Walking.
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- Members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul walk along a road during a dismounted patrol to meet with villagers and deliver pesticides to help their crops in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. PRT Zabul supports and facilitates the legitimacy of the Afghan national and local governments through regional reconstruction, security and stability of the province. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
More walking and hills (our village is still nowhere to be found)
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- Members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul walk along a road during a dismounted patrol to meet with villagers and deliver pesticides to help their crops in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. PRT Zabul supports and facilitates the legitimacy of the Afghan national and local governments through regional reconstruction, security and stability of the province. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
Finally, we made it. After a little bit of confusion (there is always a fair amount of it, I'm beginning to notice), we were able to get some of the elders together for a meeting.
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- Members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul meet with villagers during a shura in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. Shuras allow the government to hear the concerns of their people and decide a course of action to resolve those issues. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
Now this is where it starts to get interesting. The trek to get to the village pretty much wiped half of our team's water supply out. I packed my CamelBak, a Gatorade and another half liter water bottle, and I had already emptied my CamelBak and the Gatorade! And the shura hadn't even started.
Master Sgt. Frank, the leader of the shura today, spoke with the elders about various things. Mainly the need for a well near the village and proper usage of pesticides that we had backpacked in for their crops.
The meeting went on. And on. And on.
Calls came over the radio about troops whose water supplies were "black", or empty. It was ridiculously hot out. Even if we left right now, it was still a long walk out the same way we came.
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jesse Frank, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul military police specialist, speaks with two village elders during a shura in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. Shuras allow the government to hear the concerns of their people and decide a course of action to resolve those issues. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
The meeting kept going.
We did our best to keep cool by sitting on the backside of walls and buildings to keep out of the sun. I was starting to feel the effects of it. I gave some of my water to a guy who had run out about an hour before. We needed to get out of there.
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- U.S. Army Cpl. Daniel Lehman, Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul rifleman, provides security during a shura in a village in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. PRT Zabul supports and facilitates the legitimacy of the Afghan national and local governments through regional reconstruction, security and stability of the province. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
We finally made our way back to where we were parked. Here's to more walking:
QALAT CITY, Afghanistan -- Members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul walk through a farm during a dismounted patrol in Zabul Province, July 19, 2010. The team met with village elders during a shura and were returning to their vehicles. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nathanael Callon/Released)
It was definitely the most exhausting day I have had here. I spent the rest of the day alternating bottles of water and Gatorade to rehydrate myself and get some salt back in me. A couple of the guys actually went to the medics and got IVs. It was that bad. Hopefully we never get stuck out in the middle of the day like that again.
Oh yeah, and my face is a pretty pinkish-red color thanks to the sun!
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