COMMENTS FROM AN AIR FORCE COLONEL RE: BAGRAM AIRBASE

email | 11/15/02 | Unnamed Air Force Colonel

[Pushi]

Two threads appeared here over the last couple of weeks concerning alleged complaints of Air Force personnel about conditions at Bagram Airbase ("Top 10 Air Force Complaints Overheard at Bagram Airbase" and "Power Point Slide Show, Pictures from Bagram") I received an email containing a reply by an Air Force doctor concerning this topic. I don't know who the e-mail was written to originally, and I am omitting his name for obvious reasons. I thought you FREEPERS might appreciate it.

The email follows:

My response to the articles:

For those who don't now me, I'm an Air Force Colonel, a physician, flight surgeon, husband, father, soon to be grandfather. I served almost 11 years in the Navy (active and reserves), now 17 years in the Air Force. I took care of Marines from the Beirut bombing, set up the first American Military Hospital in the Gulf AOR in 1990, was the Air Force's top doc in Korea for two years, and I continue to teach young docs how to treat gun shot wounds and worse....you get the picture. Right now I'm the senior AF doctor in the AOR.

I have been here for 4 months, and traveled to Afghanistan, the other "Stans" and all over the Gulf states....several times each. Most recently, I was in Bagram a week ago today. So I am not an arm-chair quarterback on the subject of this conflict. I have been there (still am, for that matter, and will be for some time to come), I've done that, and I'm wearing the T-shirt now. So let me give you my take on it.

First, the pictures are old now, taken weeks ago. They were originally made to show others what the brave young men and women, America's finest, are doing for the War on Terrorism in a place most couldn't find on the map before 9-11. This was not intended to be a show for others to gain pity for the Air Force, or the Army, both of whom, along with the Corps and our Coalition partners, share the same turf.

Second, things have improved since the pictures were taken. They have heat in the tents now (it was in the mid 30's when I was there). They just got a contractor to clear a mine field next to the tent area, so they could put in toilets and washers, now over a year since the troops have been there. Up to this day, they still use port-a-johns. A contractor serves two hot meals daily now....you scrounge for the third....or the ever-present MREs for those with poor scrounging ability.

Third, the war continues all around. The missions fly daily, the base patrols are omnipresent, and the bad guys are there....believe me, they are there.

But in my travels, I have never heard a single word of complaint:

No moaning about the lack of variety in meals.

No gripe about the cold toilet seats in the port-a-johns.

No words about the dirt in everything....and I do mean everything.

Not a spoken word about the knowledge that any minute they could be killed by an enemy that exists in Afghanistan, just as in Viet Nam....cut your hair by day, cut your throat by night.

No worries about never a day off....we all call it Groundhog Day, a reference to the movie where everyday is like the one before and the one after.

Sure, they worry about their families at home, but no one doubts that this is where they need to be. Not for a moment.

Now I don't know who Fred Reed is.....or who Rowan Scarborough is....he sure talks a good game though. He "obtained" these photos....makes you think he's friggin' J.Edgar Hoover...heck, I saw these photos weeks before he published them.

Some Airman told him their clothes are wet....well, they are! And there is a paucity of sinks, showers, hot water (they ration it), and the like. Acknowledging it doesn't make these fine folks bad citizens....doesn't take away their putting it on the line in a really dangerous part of the world....doesn't mean that the missions they fly or support from the base aren't likely to get them shot at, or, God forbid, killed. Yes, they stand their posts just like the guys on Okinawa, the troops in the rice patties, the ships in the trans-Atlantic convoys.

I don't know where Rowan Scarborough and Fred Reed served....I sure don't remember their names on any wall of heroes. Yep, you probably won't ever see mine there, nor my dad's who was a Navy Corpsman, nor my father-in-law's from Pelileu. But, no matter what heroics these two modern literary cynics have, they mock the highly skilled men and women that are all volunteers...no governmental compulsion to be here, no draft. These loyal Americans take the crap like this off a bunch of guys who sleep in nice warm beds, go to their Fitness Clubs but denigrate those that actually need the diversion of a volleyball game, eat in restaurants or fast food places, but laugh at those that have a nice meal in a war zone.

Yes, I, too, "disagree with what [they] say, but will defend to the death their right to say it." But I'm here in the perpetual delusion that if I do my job well, my kids, and their kids, won't have to ever do this. Well, as I speak, my son-in-law is here for his second tour (by the way, his dad is retired AF as well). And I don't know when I will be home for good. No complaints....we both volunteered to be here. It's what we do, it's who we are.

Yeah, go ahead and laugh. Sneer at us if you must. But remember that no ground soldier, sailor at sea, airman or Marine has been killed by an aircraft strike for decades. And it's those Airmen (with our sister-service airmen) who provide that service to America's fighting men and women.

One more thing....reading about the hardships of Bataan, Stalingrad, Russia, Iwo Jima....how the heck would these guys know? Did they watch it in a movie, read it in a book, hear about it on their Grand Daddy's knee? I'll tell you about hardships. How about watching the little children having their amputations completed by a military doctor who has never imagined that humans could still, in our enlightened age of such notables as Reed and Scarborough, keep blowing up small kids? Or the "stress" of having to never walk where they see grass or dirt on the base, because that signifies that the land under their feet has not been de-mined. And Bagram is arguably the most heavily mined piece of ground on Planet Earth. Yeah, they can hack it without stress counselors. And, they would probably get a laugh out of these clowns making fun of them, simply because they are good troops, and it takes a lot more than this cheap nonsense to rattle them.

But, make no mistake about it....they are warriors, as stately as the knights of old, determined as the evil enemy they oppose, and as willing to make that ultimate sacrifice as the men of the Alamo. My only regret is that I see this type of slander and I think of the scorned of Viet Nam, coming home to an ungrateful nation. That memory makes me want to cry...and I'm a big tough Colonel!

Hey, I have an idea...maybe the money this guy got paid for this dribble could go to pay for bathrooms, hot water, a few phone cards, or whatever, for the folks at Bagram? No, never mind, we'll do fine on our own. You just stick to what you know best....mouthing off from the side lines.

______________

[Pushi]

I have known this man almost all his life--he married my neice. He is a fine person--never knew anyone better. I swore him into the Navy when he was in medical school. He got his professional education at the government's expense, but I think they got their money's worth.

[RaceBannon]

I took care of Marines from the Beirut bombing,

2002-1983=19.

This guy said he had 17 years in the AF, that means he went to school for a year or so, too, unles he is lying about service time, or leaving out prior service time.

The dates do not add up.

[RaceBannon]

OH, 11 in the NAVY, I missed that!! Sorry!!

[Common Tator]

but I think they got their money's worth.

I think we got a 50,000,000% return on taxpayers money.

[Blue Screen of Death]

I don't know where Rowan Scarborough and Fred Reed served....

I believe Fred Reed was a Marine in Viet Nam. I think he was writing about the old time rivalry between the grunts and the Air Force. Don't take columns written by Fred Reed too seriously.

[FreedomPoster]

That's the kind of number I was coming up with, as well.

[vbmoneyspender]

How does your friend think things are going in Afghanistan? I know it is only a year since the Taliban and Al Qaeda were driven from the cities but does he think things are getting better over there?

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

This is probably a little too defensive, and over-reaction to a tongue-in-cheek column by Fred Reed (Marine in Vietnam, later military and police reporter).

The rivalry among the services goes back a long ways- I suspect that the infantry at Agincourt made fun of the longbowmen, because they got to stay 200 meters in the rear.

That said, although I was Army, I have spent time in the field with the Marines- and they do tend to make life tougher than it really needs to be- it's part of their philosophy. They don't WANT to be comfortable. I have also spent lots of time on Air Force bases and stations, and heard an unending series of complaints about minor discomforts and inconveniences.

Does that mean we don't need both of these miltary branches? No. Are they going to get along like a band of brothers at all times? Probably not.

Best to ignore this stuff, and just get the job done.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Good post, Pushi, thanks. Thank your friend for his service to our country. I'll share his first-hand knowledge with the "concerned" pols, pundits and entertainers who keep 'misunderestimating' our troops as they 'misunderestimate' our CIC. We don't and we won't!

[tet68]

I suspect that the infantry at Agincourt made fun of the longbowmen, because they got to stay 200 meters in the rear.

Actually I believe the longbowmen were in the front rank at the beginning of the battle then when they depleted their arrows made their way back through the men-at-arms.(or even dropped their bows and became men-at-arms.)

The French were the cause of their own defeat but that too is another story.

But it's neither here nor there, interservice rivalry is the sign of esprit and is in fact a good thing if not carried to an extreme.

[GWfan]

Great big fat bump! God bless our military.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

the rice patties

That would be paddies. The only patties that I have seen the Air Force involved with were the ground beef patties they were grilling on propane grills that they flew over to Sheikh Isa in Bahrain back in 1990. Along with air conditioners, refrigerators, vending machines, televisions, ad infinitum. Contractors clearing mine fields and cooking meals? Next they'll have contractors cleaning their hootches and giving pedicures. This putz couldn't make a pimple on Fred Reed's backside let alone wear the Purple Heart he earned in Vietnam.

[VMI70]

Thanks for the post, but I would strongly object to his opinion of Fred Reed, who writes wonderfully insightful and well written columns. Fred writes with a wry sense of humor which is probably lost on the good Colonel. It has been my experience that a sense of humor diminishes as rank elevates. Your nephew-in-law by his own admission writes: "I don't know who Fred Reed is.." and then has the gall to criticize Fred? That kind of statement would serve to have some question the sincerity of the whole article.

It is common knowledge among the services that Air Force Officers have a relatively easy life. I know it was the case while I was in the Army, and I doubt it has changed much since then. It does appear, however; that he appreciates the efforts of the enlisted men, which says something positive for his character.

[VMI70]

Bump--

I tried to be more diplomatic though, but my initial reaction was the same as yours. Go ahead, call me a wimp. I can take it as I am almost as tough as Fred.

[Orbiter]

Maybe he had some ROTC time.

[Nam Vet]

The "feud" between the Navy and the Marines is, always has been and always will be of legendary proportion. Neither side feels down on the other, but keeping the jokes going back and forth are part of every 'swab' and 'jarhead' job description. An unwritten part of our duty.

Nam Vet

[Joe 6-pack]

"The dates do not add up.

The USAF is so laid back, it takes 18 months of actual calendar time to equal one year of military service....

(just kidding!!!!)

[sarasmom]

"It is common knowledge among the services that Air Force Officers have a relatively easy life."

As a former USAF member, I can attest to the truth of that statement.

What many do not seem to understand is : the USAF is the only branch of the military that sends our officers to combat, not our enlisted.We (enlisted) are very proud of them and we tend to try to make life as smooth as possible for them.Since there are so many more of us, we tend to succeed.We would not want it any other way!

BTW, I enjoyed the rivalry between the branches when I was active duty, and except for the obvious troubling superiority of the Navy's carrier based pilots, I always thought the USAF was the best branch of service!

God bless all our troops!

[SSN558]

"It is common knowledge among the services that Air Force Officers have a relatively easy life."

Compared to what ? The AF enjoys their Air Conditioning, TV, and other amenities. So what ? It is still time in service to country and you don't get rich from an Air Force career. Old Joke:

A Marine was talking to an Airman and berating how easy they had it. He said, "we sleep on rocks, eat sh*t, and hike 10 miles with an 80 pound pack. That is even before we get to the battle. You AF "rear end mother f*ck*rs" don't have a clue. "What a bunch of pussys", he added.

The Airman replied, "ya I know, I almost joined the Marines but they wouldn't let me in."

With a smug look the Marine asked, "oh ya what happpened ?"

<p. The Airman replied, "They found out my parents were married."

[VMI70]

"you don't get rich from an Air Force career"

Well, except for flight pay, all ranks is all services are paid the same, but you're right, you don't get rich. My time in the service was the most fulfilling thing I have ever done, even though it was not the most propitious time to be in the service.

BTW, good joke!