The PRT Engineering Team

The PRT engineering team. From left to right: James Sivley, LT Ed Plymale, LT Drew McClune, Mark Smith, and LT James Bowen. As the only structural engineer in the entire province, I have my hands full making sure that the horrific building designs submitted to us for construction by the local contractors don't collapse and kill people.

LT McClune, US Navy

As a member of the Provincial Reconstruction Team, I work in conjunction with the military engineers assigned to the same team. One engineer that I quickly befriended is LT Drew McClune, whom after graduating with an engineering degree became a P-3 pilot. Because he has an engineering degree, despite never actually using it professionally, was assigned to the PRT as an engineer. His basic abilities and skills working with the local contractors and as a project manager have been extremely helpful. You may have seen him in such movies as "Office Space" and the HBO series "Band of Brothers"! (his resemblance to the actor Ron Livingston is uncanny)

FOB Ghazni

Foward Operating Base Ghazni, where I am assigned to the US Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) is a Polish operated base located just outside the capitol of Ghazni Province, Ghazni City. There are a few thousand Polish troops here as well as a few hundred American soldiers and sailors. There is a flight line here, including several Blackhawk and Apache helicopters operated by the US military. Helicopters are our lifeline here, as ground travel into and out of the province is extremely dangerous. Chinook helicopters are constantly coming and going, delivering equipment, fuel, food, water, and other essential supplies. I don't believe that the Polish have made the technological breakthrough of flight yet, because there aren't any Polish helicopters operating here, even though the majority of the supplies flown in are for their consumption and use.

The Blimp

Ghazni is a rough province. It's hot, dry, mountainous, and crawling with Taliban. With all of the inherent dangers here, it's nice having our giant blimp hovering overhead. The blimp is tethered to the base and is our eye in the sky, thanks to the high-tech imaging equipment mounted to it. The blimp can see for miles and miles, and the bad guys know it, so for the most part, they don't attempt to attack us here at the base. There is the occasional attack however, but usually minor.

Qalaa House, Kabul, Afghanistan

We arrived at Qalaa House for inprocessing by the US Army Corps of Engineers shortly after landing in Kabul. Qalaa House, the former Iraqi Embassy building and surrounding compound, has been repaired and remodeled, and is now the headquarters of the Corps of Engineers. The compound is secured by elements of the US military and hired Afghan security forces. I was stuck in this damn place for roughly 8 days after doing the usual administrative paperwork, waiting for a flight from Kabul to Ghazni (my final destination) to become available. The compound is slightly larger than a football field. Because we are not able to leave the compound for any reason besides crossing the street to Camp Eggers to visit the PX, I basically felt like a prisoner. If only I had had some license plates to make like a regular inmate, the time may have passed by quicker! Not only that, I managed to roll out of my top bunk in the middle of the night and break 3 of my toes. I was happy to leave Kabul!

Kabul International Airport and the Hindu Kush Range

Kabul International Airport is our hub to the glorious nation of Afghanistan, home of the Mujahadin and the Taliban! They didn't roll out any red carpets for us, but US Army was there with gifts of loaner body armor and helmets for the exciting car ride from the Airport to Camp Eggers (Coalition Force HQ). The most memorable part of stepping off of the plane and onto Afghan soil was the spectacular views of the Hindu Kush mountain range. These bad-boys make the Cascades look like tall hills! The Hindu Kush are the western end of the Himalayan mountains.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

All USACE personnel typically have a stop-over in Dubai, UAE for one night before flying to Kabul, Afghanistan. Despite the global economic climate, Dubai is still has a skyline littered with cranes. Home to several 7 star hotels and resorts, as well as the famous palm-frond shaped man-made island off the coast, it's an impressive place. The first thing that I noticed once stepping off the plane was the 115 degree heat...and it was 10:00 PM! We stay at a really nice hotel (though not one of the 7 star joints) where English is spoken, thankfully, because my Arabic is horrible...well actually non-existant!