Sgt Singh plays soccer with Afghan children
By Sgt Kamal Singh, Security Section Commander in Bagram
11 March 2008
When people talk about Afghanistan it’s often all land mines and Taliban. I’m currently deployed to Afghanistan as a Security Section Commander at Bagram Air Force Base (BAF). Due to the nature of my job, I don’t often get a chance to interact with the local population, but recently I was asked to take part in a two week exchange with personnel from the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamyan.
I spent a few days with the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and the remainder of my time with a Kiwi patrol. They adopted me as one of their own, and under the guidance of Patrol Commander Major Williams and WO2 Dickson I became part of the team. In BAF there are only a handful of kiwis among about 15 000 coalition soldiers, so working with the NZPRT was like coming back home. The patrol are responsible for the central Bamyan area, and their tasks can be anything from road reconnaissance to dropping off humanitarian aid to the local population.
My first patrol was to Akhshay which was, for me, an eye opening experience. Akhshay is a remote village about two hours from the PRT and we were the first vehicles to reach the village all winter. The snowdrifts across the 4WD track they call a road slowed us down quite a bit. At Akhshay we met with the local head of Shura (local council) and discussed the village issues in a local home over a cup of choi (local tea). We identified the need for aid in the form of food and coal, and also a well that will need to be reconnoitred by an engineer.
At the moment they get their water from a trickle of a stream that has turned muddy from animals walking through it. The water gave the tea an earthy flavour that almost put me off my choi altogether. After the patrol, reports were written up and food and coal was ordered. Next time the patrol goes to Akhshay it will be with an engineer to reconnoitre the well site, and to deliver much needed food and coal.
Another patrol I did was one of these follow up patrols, to Ladu, about an hour and a half drive from the PRT. At Ladu we delivered flour, rice, beans, sugar and coal for the head of Shura to distribute to the most in need families in the area and reconnoitred two bridge sites. During the unloading of the truck we provided a soccer ball to keep the children entertained (and out of the way of the food distribution). The kids invited me to a game of football, and I was surprised at their ball skills. Give these kids a few years and David Beckham move over!
The villagers didn’t have much due to a poor harvest last autumn and one of the coldest winters in years, yet they kept bringing choi down to the patrol and even offered us lunch. The hospitality of these people is second to none. For me, this is an experience which will last a lifetime.
Ends
Read a related article about the Governor of Bamyan Province at out Features section - Doctor, Mother, Activist, Diplomat - an interview with Dr Habibi Sorabi.