Free Range International

During our last trip to Zaranj we had one more task to complete before we went home.  The after action report on the ambush of Haji Nematullah, reported they seized three large buckets of Home Made Explosives (HME) and three Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) mines.  EFP’s were a big problem in Iraq and [...]

Much has transpired since my visit to Zaranj last month.  I learned just this morning that the Surge apparently did not work and we are now, according to our esteemed Secretary of State, switching tactics too.  The new counterinsurgency tactic will be “Fight, Talk, Build” and if you have no idea what those [...]

Last week I received and heads up from Mullah John that General Allen and Ambassador Crocker were on 60 Minutes and was able to watch the show on AFN.  The one thing I noticed when watching General Allen was the emotion clearly evident as he discussed the truck bomb has had asked the Pakistani [...]

I’m back in my compound after attending a bunch of ceremonies in Zaranj marking the end of our efforts in Nimroz Province.  When we flew in last week the skies were dark and it rained that night.  The next morning was clear as a bell making for excellent photography and perfect weather for [...]

I am in the middle of an interesting few days as we finish up our projects, some of the larger ones with official ceremonies.  Those of you who follow Michael Yon on facebook know where I am and what we have been up to.  What is interesting to watch is Michael, myself and [...]

Yesterday morning there was a running gunfight spanning 100 kilometers on the Nimroz Province side of the Dasht-e Margo (Desert of Death.) It started just outside the little hamlet of Qala Fath, which is home to the only reliable source of drinking water near Zaranj and also houses this spectacular walled city which once guarded [...]

We are finishing up our projects and preparing to call it a war. This year has been our biggest success to date; operating in over 20 Provinces all of them very kinetic and getting every project we started finished on schedule and on budget.   I now routinely move in Ghost Team mode throughout [...]

A few hours ago, I was notified that the areas around ISAF HQ, the US Embassy, etc. had come under major attack.   Boy, they weren’t kidding.   That was four hours ago, and things are still going off.   This is definitely the worst fighting to hit Kabul since the war began.   It’s [...]

Like most humans, I’m a creature of routine.   Every morning when I get into the office I take the first 20 minutes or so of the workday and dedicate them to browsing the top news headlines.   Obviously, I read a lot about Afghanistan.   I’ve been reading at least one snort-worthy article per [...]

Well, the day after E2 posted the droid post, a new report by Afghan “experts” was released.   It is a complete crock, which couples blindingly obvious facts to a set of BS recommendations that are so wrong they can easily be dismissed by reasonably intelligent eight year old children (but not our betters in [...]