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Letter 6 – from Lt Col Jesse Arnstein USAF

Oh, the people you’ll meet…..

Dr. Seuss’s book titled “Oh, the places you’ll go” tells about the forthcoming adventures people have while traveling the road of life.  Here’s a diverse assortment of people I’ve met and the lessons they have taught me:

Double Glee:  There are many unusual sights in a deployed setting.  And if you look close enough, one can often see something special.   Last month my unit relocated to a large airfield because Camp Phoenix (the previous location) was closing down.  There was extra office furniture, most of which got sent somewhere else for future use.  But some office desks were falling apart, so we destroyed them.  I had the great pleasure of seeing an office desk tossed off the second floor balcony and smash onto the ground.  Tossing my desk off the balcony is something I’ve often wanted to do.  For anyone who has ever had work frustration, this is a great stress outlet!

There happened to be almonds in a desk draw, and upon impact the almonds were cast amongst a 15 foot diameter.  Some of the almonds remained in the draw, and some launched onto the surrounding gravel.  A diminutive, elderly Afghan woman who cleans the building picked up every individual almond, both those in the draw and those in between the gravel rocks, and placed them in her pocket.

We both shared smiles.  I was struck with glee in seeing a shattered desk.  She was happy to have some food to eat.

The Warrior:  Perhaps the most interesting people I meet are the soldiers with beards.  Special Forces soldiers all grow beards to blend into their work surroundings (the rugged Afghan terrain).  If you ever see a soldier with a beard, you know he’s seen quite a bit of combat action.  Today I spoke with “Ben” the leader of a 12-man special forces unit that trains and fights alongside the Afghan Army Special Forces.  A bit shy, once he opened up he nonchalantly talked about firefights with Taliban and Haqqani killer insurgents the same way I would talk about a staff meeting.

Ben: “We took out 57 Taliban during our operation last week.”

Jesse: “you mean you killed them?”

Ben: “Yeah, every time we go on a mission we get into firefights.  The last one took about six hours.  Well, the incoming fire was off and on, so it wasn’t a continuous six hours.”

I was not about to trade stories with him about the grueling marathon meeting I had yesterday……

He went on to tell me this was his eighth deployment, and he’s had enough.  His Captain was killed recently and another buddy lost his life.  He told me about the Afghans he trains, and the Taliban he fights.  I was awestruck hearing these stories, and the casualness of his tone of voice.  I quickly became absorbed as he told me about the mountainous topography, night-time operations, and typical pattern of combat (the guys make bets about when the first incoming fire will occur).

He took his work very seriously, but combat was his job and he accepted that.  It was routine, but not pleasant at all.  His unit included a friendly explosives sniffing dog.  His truck that had about five high-caliber machine guns pointing in every direction.  I was mesmerized by the truck, Ben’s buddy was impressed with my sophisticated camera.

I repeatedly offered to get his team anything within my power, but all they asked for were bottles of cold water.

I walked away not understanding how in the world this guy was able to survive eight tours, and having more admiration for this soft-spoken soldier than anyone else I’ve met in Afghanistan.

VIP Airman:  People from all walks of life visit Afghanistan for a variety of reasons.  Musicians come to entertain troops; International Red Cross members inspect detainee living conditions; generals from stateside come to get a feel for conditions on the ground; and politicians regularly visit like a revolving door.  But one politician comes to serve in uniform: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina.  As an Air Force Reservist Colonel performing military duty with my unit I got to know him fairly well.  He is very down to earth, and quite a nice guy.  We talked about sports, New Jersey, Afghan progress, and the dining hall food.  Knowing a “celebrity” on a personal basis is inspiring.  And I have complete faith  that Senator Graham is a politician who passionately pursues the best interests of our great nation and the Afghan people.

Human Nature Versus Western Productivity

Observing and interacting with Afghan men often reminds me of American Junior High School boys.  They act a bit silly; get easily distracted; are almost always cheerful and outgoing; inquisitive; and warm.

I presumed their lack of discipline and folly was due to limited education, but now I believe it’s simply unbridled human nature.

Not long ago I was with a group of ten grown Afghan and Pakistani men who were truly down on their luck, yet they were joking, smiling, making funny face gestures- having fun.  A few were serious, but most were having a good time.  At one point they began singing, harmonizing together, and it was beautiful music.  It was a magical moment I will treasure.

I thought of my son Aaron and how parents (Jill and I) and teachers make constant attempts to reform his easy-going nature, and make demands he “be disciplined” “don’t be silly” and “grow up!”  During the school year, Aaron spends far more time sitting in a classroom and doing homework than romping outside.  It’s the way of Western Culture and productivity, but contrary to human nature.  I was delighted to see the Afghans and Pakistani revelry, but deeply saddened as I my approach to Aaron was akin to breaking a horse.  A horse by nature wants to run free, but productivity demands reform.

Is conformity to society and productivity worth the cost of frequent happiness and glee?  When I return to New Jersey I’m going to be easier on Aaron.

My personality was very much like Aaron’s when I was growing up.  I was the class clown.  Now I’m a lot more “business” than fun.  I’d like to get some of my old, natural personality back.  And I’m going to ask Aaron to help me do this.

Departures:  It’s easy to make friends while deployed as we work, eat, bathe, lodge, and exercise in the same small area. But family members come and go regularly as we are all on different deployment cycles.  At the beginning of August my closest friend Bill re-deployed to Utah.  We took daily walks, collaborated on projects, and helped each other out as brothers do.

Bill’s departure saddens me, but while I was talking about this to my friend Brio, he had a very different perspective.  For Brio, this is a pleasant occurrence as another friend gets to go home and enjoy life and other experiences.  During Brio’s Iraq tour a number of friends went home in body bags.  A friend who returns home in good health is an event to celebrate, not lament.

Soldier Heritage:  History is an important part of military culture.  Every unit writes a history report detailing the mission, unit achievements, and the soldiers who contributed towards it.  This unit is the  finest organization I’ve ever been a part of.  Bill and I draft the unit history report.  I counted this as a thankless job…..  Until today.

My buddy Bill and I have been watching the 10-part HBO series “Band of Brothers” which chronicles American Soldiers in WWII, from bootcamp to the German Surrender.  We watched the episode as the 82^nd Airborne liberated Nazi death camp survivors.  The portrayal was stirring, heart-aching.  And I was reminded again that it was the American soldier that conquered Nazi evil and freed my few remaining brothers and sisters not yet murdered.  American soldiers cut the chains of the Nazi Death Camp gates.  They rescued my brethren.  They protected freedom of my American ancestors and their community.  They battled evil and poison in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places.

Despite a variety of scandals, mis-steps, and mistakes over the course of time, the American military’s core mission of maintaining America’s freedom and pursuing justice in the world is the ultimate noble objective.

Today I have a renewed appreciation of why we fight.