Hello from LT Miller March 3 2007

Hello from Afghanistan. I hope you are all doing well. It is just about one year since I reported for duty on March 6. Originally I would have been on my way home today but no such luck. Hopefully we will be leaving Afghanistan sometime in mid May. The process to becoming a civilian will then take a few weeks. That being said any packages should not be mailed after March 15 since it can take anywhere from 1 to 5 weeks to receive from the U.S. Letter mail nothing sent after April 1st. The weather has severely limited the missions that we are able to do since all the rain and snow make the dirt roads impassable. The dam should have some water behind it but other than donkey we have no way to access it until the roads dry out a little. Well above average rainfall this year and much needed. We are able to get to some of the less remote villages and have started a well and continue to work on irrigation
canals (see picture) from the mountains. School should be starting up again this month for the Afghan children. I also hope to see one more school finished in Kalehkarchun that is supposedly making progress but I have not been able to get down there to check on it.

I was able to take a 4-day R&R pass to Qatar. It took about 10 days with travel from Herat to Bagram to Qatar so it passed a good chunk of time. I just missed Vice President Cheney at Bagram but have heard the news make a big deal out of the main gate suicide bombing. Unfortunately it happens quite often and if anyone thinks that it was planned by the Taliban or Al Qaeda because the VP was there they are crazy. Just lucky timing. Unfortunately our American press gave credence to the terrorist's claims that it was planned because of the VP. The press seems to be lured rather easily into reporting on terrorist's propaganda. Really sad to see how little actual reporting takes place. Makes me real skeptical of any story I hear on anything now. The greatest failure in the war on terror is the fact that we let the terrorist propaganda machine work, which allows them to recruit even more insane people to
their cause. Lots of changes coming and everyone seems to have an apparent new idea what to do. I actually have a plan of my own that would be less costly and require fewer people but am having a hard time getting the President and Congress to listen. They are too busy accusing each other of not doing anything. Once again I will put the political commentary on hold until next time.

One new task being implemented is to train recruits locally in Herat. I had the pleasure to eat lunch with them today and it was very interesting. First they were amazed that an officer and an American would eat with them. For some reason there is a taboo about getting to know the Afghan enlisted. It is a class thing. I felt pretty old because they were all about 18 years old. Very motivated and I hope they keep it up because at some point the Afghans will have to be more motivated than
us if this is ever going to work out. It is also the first group of Afghans that I have been able to get to clean up after themselves and to stand in a line. Progress is slow but I guarantee you that this is a big step in instilling some kind of pride and discipline in the Afghan Army. These young men do not have the curse of being trained under corrupt and undisciplined warlords like the older Afghan soldiers. I think this gives the American drill sergeants a clean slate. This is a positive not seen on the news.

My favorite picture this update is of the little boy with the sucker. He is probably about 5 years old. We were at his village working on a well when I noticed him all by himself just watching. It was a rare moment because no other children were near me because they were all getting candy from some other Americans. I reached in my pocket and gave him a sucker and he had no idea what to do with it. He just looked at it. I motioned to put it in his mouth and he did, wrapper and all. I took it and unwrapped it and gave it back to him and he had the biggest smile on his face. Hard to see because of the way my buddy taking the picture was positioned. Hard to believe as an American but I don't think this child ever had a sucker before. I would like to close on wishing the best little boy in the world a happy 3rd birthday, my son Jack.

Take care and keep in touch.
LT John Miller USNARMY