Today on "The Scoop", tune in for a chat with Sault Ste. Marie resident, Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Groulx, who returned this summer from a tour to Afghanistan, with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Letters Lt-Col Eric Groulx Wrote During His Tour:(Reprinted with Permission from Lt-Col Eric Groulx)January 2008Dear friends at home,
As some of you know, I am writing from Kandahar. I thought it would be a good idea to write and tell you about my experiences. In this way, we can stay connected, and it won't feel so far away. I will tell you up front that due to operational security, there are a lot of details that I cannot tell you. Email and internet are all monitored, and anything that I send is filtered through by people that would do us harm.
I left home on December 29, 2007. At 2 a.m., Bombadier J.P. Gravelines arrived at my home to start the trip. A decent snow storm was underway, and we loaded all of my gear, and started a long journey. When we went through Toronto, I stopped in briefly to have a coffee with my brother-in-law Major Dan Eustace, and his wife Kathy. I checked into my flight from Trenton, and was surprised that they still inspect luggage and conduct metal detector checks for a military flight.
Wheels were up at approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). After a stop in Cologne to change flight crew, and get some fuel, we landed at Camp Mirage at approximately 9 a.m. EST which is a location in the Middle East where Canada has a support base. In this location, there is a nine hour time difference, and it was 6 p.m. and just getting dark.
I was fortunate to have had a window seat, and I was able to enjoy the scenery. Although I had no idea where I was flying over, I enjoyed views of coastlines, snow-peaked mountains, and terrain unlike any I had ever seen before. We flew over Dubai, and the sun was setting over the water. It reminded me of the sunsets at my property on Lake Superior – the only difference was all of the ships in the water. I also I had a magnificent view of the Palms Hotel, and the man-made Palms ´islands' that were created a few years back.
As I descended the stairs from the plane, my eyes were immediately drawn to the soldiers carrying flags and marching away from a C130 Hercules. Under lights, and with a bagpiper, they were obviously practicing for a ramp ceremony. Flags in front of the buildings were all at half-mast. We were escorted into a building, and briefed that on that day there was an improvised explosive devise (IED) strike in Kandahar, one soldier was killed, and they were preparing for the body to arrive the next day. This brought home the reality of where I was, and what we are doing.
We had a quick briefing, we were issued the ballistic plates for our fragmentation vests, and provided quarters for the night. The temperature was approximately 20 degrees Celsius, and it is very comfortable here. I had hoped to meet with my friend Paul Ness when here, however, for operational security reasons, people are not permitted to depart the camp. Phones, internet, and all communications from the camp are restricted. Reveille at Camp Mirage was at 4 a.m. Manifest lists were verified, baggage was loaded onto pallets, and we had a decent breakfast.
The weather was cool – approximately 10 degrees Celsius in the morning, and certainly not a cloud to be found anywhere. It is an interesting environment where you can store things outside overnight and know with certainty that it will not rain, and it really will not snow. I do look forward to going back there. I understand that at the end of the tour, I will spend a few days in the area.
We were issued our weapons, ammunition, and a box lunch, and we loaded onto the C130 Hercules. We were very cramped on board the plane. With the frag vests, tactical load bearing vests and helmets, we were stuck into seats where we literally were pressed in on both sides with other passengers. It was a three-hour flight, and I managed to finish reading the novel Kite Runner. I recommend reading this book to provide a decent background of Afghanistan's recent history, and a glimpse into the culture.
Our flight landed at Kandahar Airfield shortly after 11:30 a.m. It was brilliantly sunny, and cool, but very nice. I was greeted by Major Christian Beaudin – a “Van Doos” from the reserve unit in Laval, Quebec. We spent the day clearing into the base, and moving into my room. The room is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet, and has four beds. This is home for the next six months.
After some clearing in processes, as it was New Year's Eve, I went to the recreation hall known as “Canada House” and enjoyed a non alcoholic beer, but could not stay up until midnight. I spent the first week on the ground here getting comfortable with my surroundings. It is a completely foreign environment. We are right beside the runway, and all kinds of aircraft are always moving in and out.
It is a bit surreal being in a real operation. After training for 23 years, and always having everything be training scenarios that are fictitious, it takes a bit to sink in that this is real. Reality hit home again when two more Canadian soldiers were killed. In my next letter, I hope to describe the camp and what it is like here in the winter.
Keep well,
Eric
January 2008Dear friends at home,
I am becoming quite well adjusted to life here at the Kandahar Airfield. You should know that Canadians serving in Afghanistan can be in a number of different locations throughout the country. The majority of Canadians are located throughout the Kandahar province. Kandahar Airfield, or KAF as we refer to it, is one of the largest military installations in the country. Most countries have all of their supplies flown into KAF, and then move on from here.
The airstrip is very busy. Cargo planes - including the Canadian C130 Hercules - form a big part of the air traffic. Helicopters of all makes and sizes are constantly coming and going. The helicopter is the most used form of local travel. You have all heard in the news about the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that make road travel so dangerous. In addition to the IED's, the road infrastructure here is weak, and in some cases dangerous. As Canadians in Afghanistan, we must rely upon other countries' helicopters for travel. Of course, the air strip is also busy with fighter aircraft that are frequently dispatched to help ground forces when they need it. On top of all that, there are also civilian commercial flights.
I am told that the area surrounding the Kandahar Airfield once had a forest. However, today a tree is a very rare item. The clay-type soil that covers the earth here is very dusty when dry, and holds water on the surface when wet. For whatever reason, I had heard a lot about the dry dusty heat of this part of the country. I have experienced a bit of the dust since arriving here, but mostly it is mud. Temperatures drop below zero Celsius at night, and are usually around five to 10 during the day. Rain is very common. This is known as the rainy season, and it will apparently get worse, and flooding is common throughout the country.
Afghanistan is broken into five regions: North, South, East, West, and Capital. Kandahar is in the middle of Southern Region. Southern Region is by far the most dangerous within the country. Kandahar was the traditional home of the Taliban, and it is the region that they continue to fight most for to control. Many find refuge in Pakistan, and then cross the border to fight in Afghanistan.
It is a large country with far too few forces to keep eyes everywhere all the time, and the difficulty is that the enemy does not wear a name tag to identify themselves. In one minute, they can be standing with a shovel as farmers, the next minute they have a rifle and are combatants.
I work in Regional Command South Headquarters. My position is to act as the liaison officer from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters to the region headquarters. Effective February, this region will be commanded by a Canadian – Major-General Lessard. Some folks from the military will remember General Lessard when he commanded Land Force Central Area.
The Region South Headquarters is a divisional headquarters that commands all of the forces in Southern Region. The staff in the headquarters primarily come from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. There are also staff from many other countries – United States of America, Denmark, Norway, Australia and many more. At my headquarters, there are usually two flags flying – the Afghanistan flag, and the NATO flag. When a soldier from one of the nations is killed, that country will fly their flag at half mast in place of the NATO flag.
Since arriving, I have seen the Canadian flag [pictured], USA flag, UK flag, and Netherlands flag flown at half mast. I have also attended the ramp ceremonies here – a very sombre event that I don't look forward to. I have had the good fortune to travel to different parts of the country. As they say, the getting there is half of the fun. I have flown on Hercules aircraft from Canada, UK, and USA. I have flown on U.S. Blackhawk helicopters, and Dutch Chinook helicopters – that were escorted by U.S. Apache attack helicopters - and I have also driven in British armoured land-rovers that were operated by the Royal Ghurka Rifle Regiment from Nepal.
When I was in Kabul, I drove in an armoured suburban to and from the airport. It was my first real first-hand look at people living in Afghanistan. It is one thing to see pictures – I have been doing that for years - it is a very different thing to see it in person. Two images stick with me. The first was a small boy of about eight years old who was filling water containers at a pump. The pump was a manual pump, and who knows the water quality, and the containers were assorted – but mostly had an initial use for industrial purposes. This small boy was obviously filling two large containers that would weigh more than himself to carry back home for his family to drink from.
The other image was a small boy – maybe 10 years old who was crossing the highway between vehicles, and he was carrying a very large bag with something heavy. Discussion with the drivers guessed that it could be fruit to bring to market, or stones to bring home to build with. The bag was far to heavy for this young boy, and when he got to the meridian in the middle of traffic, he was struggling to lift it again, but could not. We drove close enough, that I could see the pain in his face as he began to realize he was not strong enough, and was considering the consequences. I will remember his face.
I have been into the city of Kandahar. I was surprised to see that a few of the people walking or riding bicycles had no footwear – the temperature outside was minus-five celcius. I am proud that we are working so hard to create a security so that reconstruction and development can happen here – the people here really want and need our help.
Take care,
Eric
February 2008Hello again from Kandahar. I am almost ashamed to tell you about the beautiful weather I have been enjoying here. Temperatures the past few days has been over 20 degrees Celsius – not a cloud to be seen anywhere. You may be jealous now, but when the heat becomes unbearable, I will be the jealous one. Things have become very routine here. The work day starts at 8 a.m., and goes until 10 p.m. most days. There is not much to do in one's off-time, so fortunately there is not much time off.
On February 2, we had a change of command ceremony from Great Britain's Major General Page to Canada's Major General Lessard. The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries – including Afghan governors and officials, higher commanders, and some senior Canadian generals. Security was tight, and I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with senior Afghan officials – mostly with a translator. There was a small guard composed of soldiers and police from three units: the Royal Ghurka Regiment who form our regional battle group; the Afghan National Army; and the Afghan National Police. They may all be great at their jobs, but when it comes to ceremonial drill, when you put three different units together and from different countries – well you can imagine.
On the fighting front, I did not have a real appreciation for how much activity is going on here in Afghanistan prior to arrival. Canadian media tend only to report on activity that occurs in the area of the Canadian Battle Group. However, from my position, I see the reports in detail from across the Southern Region, and I see the general reports from the rest of the country. Not many days go by without reports of soldiers being killed. The majority of the fatalities are suffered by the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army.
Across Afghanistan in 2007, there were approximately one-thousand police killed during that one year. Unfortunately, that is an average rate over the past few years. I had the opportunity to meet a Lieutenant Colonel Heather Coombs a few days ago. Lieutenant Colonel Coombs is a doctor with the role three hospital here at Kandahar Airfield. She invited me and a few other officers for a tour of the hospital facility, which we did on Saturday evening. I was thoroughly impressed with the facilities. This is a Canadian facility that is equipped with Canadian equipment, and commanded by a Canadian.
A lot of the staffing comes from Canada, and there are other NATO countries involved as well. Dr. Coombs, who is a reserve officer from Montreal, and normally works in an emergency room in Montreal, tells us that the experiences here are very valuable. She has dealt with many situations that she would never have seen back home. Little did we know it on Saturday night when we were enjoying our tour that the good doctor would wind up with one of those experiences the next day.
On Sunday, the Taliban sent a suicide bomber into a crowded area. The numbers are still changing at this point, but there were approximately 80 people killed, and approximately 60 people injured who went to medical care. This is what we refer to as a mass casualty event, and all of the medical facilities and staff become involved. When we were at the hospital on Saturday evening, there were only two patients in the ward. By Sunday afternoon - after the Kandahar City hospital was overwhelmed, the Afghan National Army Hospital facility was overwhelmed, and all 16 regular beds and the four intensive care beds were filled in the role three facility here - we transported patients to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province. These types of events stretch the limits of all facilities.
Even in the next province, they accepted patients although they were dealing with soldiers who were involved in an improvised explosive device explosion killing one, and injuring others. The medical staff here have certainly earned my respect, and the fact that Canada provides the highest level medical facility in the battle here makes me proud.
As I am writing this letter, I am learning of yet another suicide bomber who has attacked, causing another mass casualty event in Kandahar Province. This one has targeted Canadian vehicles – causing some Canadian soldiers to be injured, and killing more than 30 Afghans, and injuring that many more again. It is very apparent that we are in a war zone. I will wait until this information is public before I hit the send key.
All is not doom and gloom here, and I will try and follow with a message shortly to describe some of the more humorous aspects of being here in Kandahar.
Take care
Eric
March 2008Since I last wrote to you, I have completed a training course at the Counter-Insurgency Academy near Kabul - at Camp Julien. This camp is the location where Canada was once deployed prior to our move to the Kandahar province. The camp is now very primitive with very little in the way of creature comforts. The course training however was a very rich experience.
The students included coalition forces, RCMP officers, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, civilian employees of non-governmental organizations and political advisors. The training focused on how to fight an insurgency – on all fronts – governance, security, and development. The course material was good, but the best part was interacting with our Afghan partners who have a lot more at stake in this fight than we do. They are a interesting people with a very different culture, and have known nothing but conflict since they were born.
One student on the course was a 20-year-old from Uruzgan province. He recently joined the Afghan Police, and is already being employed as a detective. I was curious why this young man decided to join an organization with such a high casualty rate. He told me that his grandfather and father were also police officers. It was always what he thought he would do. Last year, he enrolled into police service when his father was kidnapped from their home, and then tortured and killed by Taliban.
The murder of his father left his family with no income, and they abandoned the family farm, property and home. They moved to Kandahar City, and he started to work for the police and is now the only breadwinner for his family – including his mother, and younger siblings. This young man is very motivated to defeat this insurgency and make his community safe to live in. Another student on the course was an Afghan National Army colonel.
During the course, we took advantage of the opportunity to tour the Queen's palace which is beside our training camp. The palace is a beautiful building, however it is in ruins due to the fighting that has occurred over the years. When we approached the palace, the colonel explained that years ago, he was in a tank – and pointed out what parts of the palace he hit with tank fire when he was attacking the Taliban.
In my last letter home, I had promised to lighten things up a bit, and send some examples of the things that provide some comic relief here in Kandahar. To be honest, we do share laughs here, and share some lighter moments. However, most examples of what we find funny here would not be humorous anywhere else, and would probably be used as evidence for a psychological investigation.
I will provide you with one joke that I overheard at a briefing, and I have collected a couple of quotes that I have written down. Here is the joke that illustrates the difficulties of working in a joint headquarters:
If orders were issued to 'secure a building' there would be different action based on what branch of the service the person comes from:
- The naval officer would put away papers locked away into filing cabinets, close the windows, and lock the doors, and make sure the lights were off.
- The air force officer would purchase a new building, put in new office equipment, probably a nice officer's mess, all with an emphasis on comfort.
- The army officer would shell the building with artillery, throw grenades into the windows, kick in the doors, and kill anyone left inside.
The moral: don't mess with the army.
And now for a couple of quotes:
"It takes a lot of courage to arrest a suicide bomber."
"Every time we go there, there is an exchange of ordinance."
"They gave the ultimate sacrifice, and we won't forget them."
Take care.
- Eric.
March 2008Happy Easter everyone.
On May 14, 2006, Constable Don Doucet of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service was killed in the line of duty. Although I did not know Don very well, I had the good fortune to work with him a few times when I was a liquor inspector. Don's funeral service was held at the Sault Armoury, and I along with many members of the regiment assisted. During the funeral service, Premier Dalton McGuinty spoke about the special relationship that a father has with his daughter. Many people in the room that day were personally affected by the premier's words - as a father with a young daughter, I know that I was.
On March 16, 2008, Sgt, Jason Boyes was leading his patrol in Panjwai District in Kandahar Province when he became a victim of an improvised explosive device (IED). I did not know Sgt. Boyes personally. He was moved to the Role 3 Hospital here at Kandahar Airfield where he had the best medical care available in the world, but he did not survive. Early in the morning on March 18, 2008, I stood on parade with thousands of other service personnel as Sgt. Boyes was carried onto the C130 to take him home.
I happened to be in the front row of the assembled parade to pay our respects to this brave leader of men. I was standing across from the flag bearers, near the group of assembled clergy who provided a eulogy for this very remarkable man who was on his third tour in Afghanistan. The padre spoke about the special relationship that this sergeant had with his daughter – Mackenzie. Tears welled up in many who stood there that morning and I would guess that none of the fathers of daughters had dry eyes.
I stood in salute as the coffin went by, and I could plainly see the pain on the faces of the soldiers who carried him. My thoughts at that time were selfishly on my own daughter. As a man, and as a soldier, I think that we all have a strong sense of duty to protect. I believe that this is in part due to our nature, and in part due to our training. This duty to protect is especially strong when it concerns our families.
I have a strong sense of pride as I watch my sons grow into strong young men, but perhaps it is almost primitive that I have a strong feeling that I must protect my daughter. I believe that McGuinty was correct when he described the special relationship that fathers have with their daughters. To be serving one's country – whether it be on the streets of Sault Ste. Marie, or here in Kandahar, one does know that we are doing our part to protect.
Our efforts to bring peace to this part of the world will go a long way to keep our country safe at home, and in a way protect our families. To see someone be killed here is to know that someone will not be there to protect their family any more – and in this case, a little girl who will not have a dad to watch out for her any more. This is what brings the tears to our eyes.
I will be home soon on leave. I am looking forward to being with my wife, standing with my sons, and hugging my daughter. As I hug her, my heart will go out to the daughters who no longer have a dad to hug. When I return to Afghanistan following my leave, I will do so with renewed enthusiasm knowing that we all have to work a little bit harder because of the losses we have suffered here.
Thanks to everyone for their support – I am nearly half completed my tour of duty. The support that you as my friends have given me and my family is greatly appreciated.
May 2008It has been some time since I have written - but that is mostly due to the fact that I was home for leave. The Canadian Forces generously allows us three days per month on tour for leave. Some folks travel to different parts of the world, and some go home. I chose to be at home.
I did have the benefit of a visit with my good friend Paul Ness who now lives in Dubai. I spent the day with his family, went out on his boat in the gulf, and had a marvelous day to start my leave. At the end of the day, began the very long series of plane rides to get home. After flying from Dubai to Frankfurt and then to Toronto, I was very disappointed to learn that my flight from Toronto to the Sault was cancelled due to the weather in Sault Ste. Marie.
After dealing with the initial shock of the Air Canada agent telling me that they could not book me on another flight for two days, I asked them to get me on a flight to Sudbury. We took off in a couple of hours, and then in air over Sudbury, the captain announced that they could not land due to weather conditions. He said that he could circle for 20 minutes, and then would have to turn back to Toronto.
I was overjoyed that an opening in the weather allowed us to put down in Sudbury. After landing, my intent was to rent a car, and drive the rest of the way, but I happened to see a Bearskin flight in front of the terminal getting ready to leave. It turned out that the plane was heading to the Sault! Bearskin Airlines was generous to let me onto the plane for a very reasonable fee, and within minutes, I was airborne, and heading home.
My time with my family was great, and it was a real treat to be at home when all of the snow melted. I find it difficult to describe how it felt to be home - because the world is so incredibly different, and knowing that I would be returning to Afghanistan after only 18 days, it was somewhat surreal. Everything in the Sault seemed somewhat new. When I met people, they were always quick to ask when I was heading back. It kept me on a constant countdown, and always very aware of my limited time at home. This countdown was most apparent when I was at my son's soccer game and my reply to the return question was “in one hour.”
My return to Kandahar was uneventful - 48 hours door to door - with airport layovers, and a stop at our support base to pick up my uniform, weapons and ballistic vest. It was nice to finally arrive Kandahar Airfield and rejoin my friends in Regional Command South.
One of my closest friends in Kandahar is Lieutenant Colonel Mike Voith. I shared an office with Mike. Even when not in combat, it is interesting to see that strong friendships develop between deployed soldiers. Mike is an engineer officer, and has commanded the DART (Disaster Assistance Recovery Team). He deployed with the DART in Sri Lanka and in Pakistan. His experience is a great benefit to Regional Command South Headquarters where he is the senior staff officer responsible for governance across southern Afghanistan.
My other office partner was Lieutenant Colonel Colin Magee. Colin is an infantry officer who comes to Afghanistan from staff at the Senior Officer Staff School in Toronto. Here in Afghanistan, he is responsible for advising on political matters in southern Afghanistan to the headquarters in Kabul. While I was away on leave, a decision was made to move me from my position in Kandahar to a newly created position in Kabul.
Initially, the plan was for me to work at the National Police Coordination Centre. At the same time, a German officer was selected to work at the National Military Coordination Centre (NMCC). The German began his duties while I was on leave. Unfortunately, the German resigned his position due to the unpleasant working conditions. With the resignation of the German, I was rushed up to Kabul to take up position at the NMCC in order to be there in case anything happened at the Mujahadeen victory celebration held on April 27 .
I was able to visit the NMCC on April 26 to see where I would work, and introduce myself to the Afghan army officers in the centre. I arrived on the morning of April 27 with my translator, and we were watching the beginning of the parade on the television when we began to hear shots fired before the live broadcast was cut. It was an interesting experience to see the Afghan officers who were just seen on the parade hurry into our command centre and begin taking action.
My responsibility was to keep ISAF headquarters informed of all of the activities and decisions of our Afghan army partners. I was able to send continuous updates, and answer inquiries from my headquarters throughout the day. At the end of the day, it was very rewarding to be praised for my efforts. A decision was made to keep me in the NMCC, and another officer will be found to fill the post at the National Police Coordination Centre.
I spent a day to get myself sorted out here at my new home for the next three months. I find my new quarters very crowded. My room which I share with an officer from France is seven feet wide, and 18 feet long. They are really built for one person, but with the removal of desks, and any furnishing other than a locker and a bed, we do fit, but I would not call it comfort. I am not complaining - when front line soldiers rarely see a bed at night at all.
I look forward to the next few months where I will be working very closely with the Afghans. The officers that I work with are all older, and more senior. In a short discussion with one of the colonels, he described his career and life a bit. He has been in the military for 29 years, and it has always been in battle. He is now tired, and does not see much hope for the future. I will do what I can for people like him - but more importantly, for his children.
Take care,
Eric
May 2008Hello from Kabul.
Things have been going very well lately. Other than a really small room that I have to share, I have found living in Kabul to be fairly comfortable. I have escaped the extreme heat of Kandahar. Here in Kabul, the temperatures are much like July in Sault Ste. Marie. The environment – except for the air pollution - is quite pleasant. The Afghans are really good at growing roses, and you see them everywhere.
The small group of Canadians here at International Stabilization Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters are a fairly tight knit group. Everyone watches out for one another, and everyone pitches in to make this place feel like a home away from home. I have been very busy with work, and developing good friendships with my Afghan partners. Every day, I travel to the Afghan Army Headquarters.
I work out of the National Military Coordination Center. In this center, the Afghan military coordinates their forces across the country. All of the information from their ground and air forces comes into the center, and my job is to collect it all and get the information back to ISAF headquarters. It is a challenging and rewarding job. Every day, I am dealing with information and situations that are matters of life and death.
It is easy to become casual about what you are doing, but I do everything that I can to keep myself and those who I work with motivated. Every day I tell my interpreter that we have to get busy because we have a country to save. I do say this in fun, but I do take it seriously as well. I have explained to people with whom I work that if they approach every day with the attitude that they will do something to save the people of this country, then their collective efforts will accomplish exactly that.
I am very encouraged by the Afghan officers who I work with. They have every reason to be tired, and ready to just give up, but they do not. General Fazlullah, who is the director of the center that I work in, has shown the motivation and enthusiasm of a 25-year-old soldier. He is now 60 years old, and has been in the army for 40 years. He has seen the Soviets come and go, he has seen the civil wars, he has witnessed the rise to power of the Taliban, and he is now fighting for a free and safe country.
This week, I travelled to Jalalabad with General Fazlulah and my translator. When the general saw a couple of soldiers asleep near a gatehouse, he was upset. He understands the need for constant vigilance – even in 40-degree-Celsius heat. He met with the senior staff at the brigade headquarters we were visiting, pointed out the things that they were doing well, and motivated them to do more to achieve our goals. I was proud to be associated with this very experienced and strong senior officer.
On the Jalalabad trip, I flew in an Afghan MI-17 helicopter that was conducting medical evacuations. Just as we were about to take off, we had a call to pick up another patient on our way to Jalalabad. The pick-up location was at a very remote combat outpost, but I was impressed with the artillery support right inside the compound. I was surprised to see the patient that we picked up – he was an eight-year-old boy who had suffered a fall, and a compound fracture of his upper arm. He did not complain, or show any signs of discomfort, although part of his bone was protruding through his skin. He was fortunately heading to an ISAF hospital where he would receive proper care. Otherwise, he would lose his arm.
On the way back to Kabul, we brought two soldiers on stretchers who were shot, and heading to a better hospital in Kabul. The one thought that struck me was that these seriously wounded soldiers would get decent treatment, but once better, they would not carry on in safety, but would continue to live in a war-torn country.
I have noticed since working closely with the Afghans that some of the troops posted into Afghanistan from other countries carry some strong prejudices, and believe that Afghan soldiers are less than competent. There are those that will treat Afghan officers senior to themselves with arrogance, and in some cases are downright disrespectful. I have quickly learned that when you take the time to listen to these very experienced soldiers, they have a lot that we can learn from.
True enough, some of the soldiers are tired, and have lost their motivation, but they have every reason. They are not here for a short six-month or 12-month tour. They are here for a lifetime, and although, we have left our families behind, they have to go to work every day leaving their families living in poverty, and unsafe conditions.
When we drive in an armoured car, wearing protective equipment and carrying weapons, their children are walking to school in the open, wearing sandals and playing in the streets. They live every day knowing that their family is not safe, and hope that every bombing and shooting does not hit them at home. An eight-year-old child was killed at school yesterday morning when someone set off an improvised explosive device (IED) at a school.
By taking the time and having a genuine interest in getting to know the Afghan people who we are fighting for, we can find out how good they really are. They want the same things that we want – to be free, to be safe, to not be hungry, and to have some happiness in their family. When you recognize all of these factors, and treat these people with the respect that they have earned, we are able to really help them, and they will appreciate it.
Somebody once asked me what I thought I could really do in Afghanistan – it is such a big problem, that has gone on for so long, how can any one person make a change for the good. I had to think on the question for some time, and now, I see the answer is confirmed in my mind. Everyone has the ability to add one drop of positive change into the ocean of this problem. As more people add their positive effort, the tide will change, and good things will follow.
We also have the ability to make a very significant difference in a small area. That area may be with an interaction with an Afghan partner, it may be in the administrative duties that you are responsible for, or it may be as one member of the fighting force. In other words, we all have the ability to make a significant difference in a small area, and a small difference in the big picture. It is up to us to choose to make the difference.
Take Care.
Eric
June 2008Hello from Kabul.
I guess that it has been a little while since I have written. It is difficult to describe how busy I have been here, and how intense some of my work has been. Given the requirements for operational security, I cannot tell you everything, but I am anxious to tell you about some of my recent experiences. The best way to describe what I have been doing is to say: Wow!
The position that I have been working in is newly created. I act as the linkage between International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan army at the national level. I work for the ISAF Operations Centre, and spend my days in the Afghan Army Operations Centre. In the past, there was not any current operations connection at the national level between the Afghan army and ISAF.
I am kept busy day and night, and we are trying to get three people in my position so that we can man the post 24 hours per day. I have been very closely involved in the coordination of support for a number of battles across the country. Most of the time, support to the Afghan army or police occurs at a much lower level – as it should. However, in some situations, I have been brought in to coordinate support from ISAF.
Often these calls for support come in late at night, and are always urgent. As there is not any ISAF forces with them, and we want to provide support, we need to communicate with someone on the friendly side that is in the location. I quickly dig down the chain of command to find cell phone or satellite phone numbers for the Afghan commander in that location. I talk to them through an interpreter, and I usually have the phone on speaker so that I can hear the tone of their voice.
I have had a few situations where I am talking to someone who is currently under fire. I can hear the bullets, and explosions of indirect fire. In one case, I could hear the glass smashing as the windows of their building were destroyed due to percussion of incoming mortar rounds. Once I can confirm their location and the location of all friendly forces, I can coordinate the fire support that is needed to save them.
I have had one experience where I could hear the voices and explosions while I was watching the situation on a video feed from the aircraft over the site. Through my interpreter on the telephone, I was able to identify the friendly and enemy on the ground, and help direct the fire support onto the enemy who were in the midst of attacking this district centre. I could hear our own bombs and missiles come in, and see the results on the video feed. It is a bit like a video game, but with very real results.
It is so important to maintain a proper perspective on what you are doing. It would be easy to become casual and cavalier about your actions. You are sitting in a comfortable environment – not in any danger, and yet you are dealing with matters of life and death. Errors are not tolerated, and the consequences of your actions are lethal. This is not a daily occurrence, but it does happen regularly enough that we joke that my cell phone is becoming the 911 number for the Afghan Security Forces. We do realize that this is not the correct way to provide support, but until we can get the system working better, if it is something that we must do to save lives, then we will.
I had an interesting experience with one of these situations where we provided support to save the lives of people under attack, and when it was over the police in this centre advised that they had four people with injuries. Three were not too bad off, but the fourth police officer had a piece of shrapnel lodged in his face, and he was bleeding badly.
I spent a lot of time trying to arrange medical evacuation for this unfortunate officer. However, for a number of reasons, this officer could not be evacuated. It was a very remote location, and the roads in or out were owned by the enemy. The only way to get him out quickly was by air. Of the countries in range, none were willing to provide the helicopter support to get him out. To be clear, it would not be easy – a medevac helicopter would have to be accompanied by one or two attack helicopters to ensure their safety, and it would be high risk.
A week later, some of the local people in the village managed to pull the shrapnel out of the man's face, and the bleeding was controlled. I called them daily to monitor his situation, and tried everything I could do to try to have him evacuated, but failed.
This week has also been extremely busy.
It is fairly well documented in the media that the Kandahar prison was targeted, and most of the prisoners - including a lot of enemy forces - escaped into the area. The Afghan army has stepped up to this security challenge in a big way, and in the past couple of days, they have moved over one thousand soldiers into the area. I became very involved in the move.
The Afghans have a number of aircraft, and they had them all working non-stop to move their troops. However, as the aircraft are not rated to fly at night, they had to rely upon ISAF for support in the move through the night. A move done this fast would not be contemplated by most armies, but the Afghan army pulled it off. I was heavily involved in a 'game' of counting the moving Afghan soldiers.
I worked closely with our air staff who told me how many seats they had on different flights, and I would communicate with the Afghan army to ensure that they had the soldiers there to fill the seats. It went fairly well until one of the flights – for national reasons - said that they needed military escorts and interpreters, or they could not take the Afghan soldiers on their plane. It was fairly late at night, but I scrambled myself and the required interpreters and got to the airport.
The Afghan soldiers were already lined up behind the aircraft waiting for me when I arrived. We loaded the plane, and I was surprised to see that they only had seats for about half. They couldn't take the Afghan soldiers without an escort, but no seats was okay. So, I sat on the floor with the others, and off to Kandahar we went.
It was an interesting atmosphere. It was the middle of the night and these soldiers were being quickly moved into battle. Some of them appeared to be very young, yet others appeared to be too old to be heading into combat. They were definitely tired, and most had a look of apprehension.
Media was filming our departure from Kabul, and our arrival in Kandahar. I did my best to lighten the mood. I brought along snacks to hand out for the plane ride. I was able to get smiles and thumbs up from from most. I ended up working through the night heading to Kandahar and back to Kabul. Upon return to Kabul, I had to head straight into work so that I could monitor the deployment of the troops, and keep information over to the ISAF operations centre.
As the information started to come in regarding the battle in Kandahar, I could not help but wonder if I had met the soldiers that now show up as killed in action and wounded in action statistics. I am so fortunate to be on this mission – actually working with Afghans. So many people almost never meet the great people of this country that we are working for.
Eric
July 2008Hello from Frankfurt.
I left Kabul on July 6, then spent a couple of days in Kandahar for out-clearances and medical checks, then off to our support base. There I was able to turn in my weapons, ballistic plates for my fragmentation vest, and pack up my army things to send home. It was a huge weight off my shoulders when this was all turned in – both literally and figuratively.
The first day that I was not in Kabul – driving the streets, there was a horrific suicide bomb at a spot where I drove by every day. I was quite nervous until I heard from my friends and co-workers to hear that they were all okay. I am happy to be out of that environment now, but saddened that others are still there – with the dangers still so significant. I am not sure how long it will be before this area will be more secure, but it will take a long time yet.
I was pleased to get back to Kandahar before leaving the country, but after only a couple of days in that environment, I am happy that I moved to Kabul in April. The heat in Kandahar is crippling. The hot dry wind blowing into your face feels like opening an oven door with your face too close. The heat hits you, and it is hard to keep your eyes open. The dust blowing in this heat only compounds the problem.
I had to walk around the base turning in equipment and I could not imagine how difficult it would be to be out on patrols, having to run with full equipment. It is not something one can imagine. The other thing I found interesting while walking around is the following: due to the extreme heat, and dryness, I was never wet with sweat. The moisture from your body is blown dry immediately – except for the parts under a vest or equipment. However, once you stop somewhere and take shelter, you immediately find yourself soaked in sweat. The danger of heat stroke and dehydration is real.
So I was happy to leave Kandahar behind, and head out for a couple of days of 'decompression' at a nice resort, and a visit with my good friend Paul Ness who is from the Sault. Finally, last night, I got on the plane to head home. Now I sit in a lounge in Frankfurt waiting for my next flight, and I am reflecting on the past six months. The experience has been very enriching.
I have put a lot of my training to good use, and made the difference that I set out to do. I am coming home very proud to be Canadian. In this international mission, it became very obvious that the Canadian soldiers and officers are some of the strongest in the world, and will always rise to a challenge.
One night, I was sitting with an Afghan general who is the chief of operations for the Army. As we sat putting together a plan for the next days events, he told me that without exception, every Canadian that he has worked with has been of exceptional quality. He explained that there are a lot of good soldiers from other countries, but they also have soldiers who are not so strong. However, whenever he sees a Canadian soldier, from a private to a general, he knows that the soldier behind the uniform is hard working and reliable.
This general arranged for me to receive a certificate of appreciation from the chief of staff of the Afghan army. It was certainly an honour to work with these folks. The Afghan army is filled with strong soldiers and officers, who are committed to their future.
In my last letter, I included a picture where I received an appreciation coin from the International Security Assistance Force Operations General Champoux. Since I sent that letter, General Champoux has been replaced by General Tucker. On my last day in Kabul, General Tucker summoned me to his office, and presented me with his coin to thank me for what I had accomplished. It feels good to leave this mission with appreciation, having been told my efforts made a difference.
I would like to thank all of my friends and family; without their support, I never would have been able to work on this mission. By far, the person who has done the most and put up with the most is my wife Lynda. She has managed an active household with our three children, keep up her demanding career at OLG, and deal with the stress of my being in a war zone. I think that the families at home do not get nearly the credit that they deserve for what they go through when a soldier is off on a mission.
I will do what I can when I get home to make up for my being away.
(Letters were Reprinted with Permission from Lt-Col Eric Groulx)PHOTOS by ERIC GROULX:
(Photographs Taken By Lt-Col Eric Groulx During His Overseas Tour) *********************************************************************************
MUSIC IN TODAY'S SHOW FEATURING THE SONG "Kristine" by HONEYTHROAT:
Stay tuned for an interview here on "The Scoop" in October with Sault Ste. Marie singer/songwriter/musician Mark Kuntsi from the group HONEYTHROAT, discussing the music business and the official launch of the Honeythroat Greatest Hits CD. . . 
How does a new band make time write, practice, perform, and record their music, put together their first CD, raise families, and hold down full-time jobs and businesses? That's what Julie asked during an interview with three of the band members of a new emerging group called "Huckster", during the final episode of "The Scoop: Going Deeper". 
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