Posted on 08/23/2005 6:47:48 PM PDT by SandRat
While the command structure and isolation make Provisional Reconstruction Team Farah unique, the mission is the same: help the Afghan people build a better future.
BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Aug. 23, 2005 — The 170-square meter compound stands out against the dusty reddish brown rock of southwestern Afghanistan. It’s a small compound with sparse amenities in the middle of nowhere. A few small saplings dot the compound but offer no shade or relief from the summer heat, which on a day in June topped out at 148 degrees. But the base that houses the Farah Provisional Reconstruction Team is a beacon of hope and a magnet for reconstruction and a better life for the Afghans who live near.
The few U.S. soldiers stationed at the provisional reconstruction team, dubbed “Fort Apache” by some after the old west outpost, are alone in many ways. They are far from many of the support elements that many service members at larger bases in Afghanistan take for granted. But this isolation only serves to bring these soldiers closer together and serves as a badge of pride.
"There is no other place I would rather be in Afghanistan than [Provisional Reconstruction Team] Farah. I’m really lucky that I ended up here and I think we are doing a great job. We’ll all be able to go home with pride that we helped the people of this province to take a couple of steps closer to what we all take for granted in America."
U.S. Army Lt. Col. David Wylie
“Anyone who is in the service knows that shared suffering is a great way to bring people together,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. David Wylie, commander Provisional Reconstruction Team Farah. “Right now I’ve got a small group of soldiers on the [provisional reconstruction team] and we are like a very close-knit family. Almost everybody knows everybody else and they come to rely on them to do a lot of different things. Nobody just has one job here.”
This provisional reconstruction team is the only one in the Farah province, a large chunk of land bordering Iran.
“The soldiers of my command know that we are isolated and alone,” Wylie said. “It’s not like we are at great risk though because they are tough and well-trained soldiers who can handle it and protect the force.”
“[Being so far away] poses challenges for us,” said Staff Sgt. Javier Garcia, a squad leader for the force protection element of the provisional reconstruction team. “We have to be self-sufficient. We have to watch ourselves while we are out here.”
Microwave pizzas are a staple of the diet here along with plenty of water as the troops fight the heat. This is the fuel that keeps reconstruction going in this remote corner of Afghanistan and extending the reach the national government.
The western and northern parts of Afghanistan are under the control of the International Security Assistance Force. Provisional Reconstruction Team Farah finds itself as the only U.S. provisional reconstruction team working under the International Security Assistance Force.
“It’s an exciting and interesting challenge working under [the International Security Assistance Force],” said Wylie.
The team has played host to a Spanish unit a number of times and will host a company of Spanish infantry as Afghanistan holds its parliamentary elections.
“A lot of my soldiers are Spanish speakers, being from Texas, and it adds a little bit of variety to what can be referred to sometimes as a “groundhog day” environment,” Wylie said.
While their command structure and isolation make Provisional Reconstruction Team Farah unique, their mission is the same as the other teams working around Afghanistan to help the Afghan people construct a better future.
“Reconstruction by itself isn’t the purpose so much as reconstruction that will bring stability that the Afghans need in order to create a functioning and effective government on their own,” said Wylie.
“It’s been very interesting,” said Garcia about his experiences in Farah. “We’ve seen a lot of things that we normally wouldn’t train for. We’ve gotten a good crash course on how to deal with the populace.”
Garcia along with many of his other fellow soldiers trained for the Afghan mission with a combative mindset. The reality on the ground, though is something different.
“We find ourselves talking to the populace more rather than just expecting the worse,” Garcia said. “That is pretty much what they train you for, to expect combat but that is not what the situation is here. Kids love us. Most of the adults are happy that we are here. They see elections and some of the positive changes as good. Of course you have those few that want to go back to the old days and we have run into those as well.”
Wylie said the reception with the local populace is best evidenced by the growth they have seen in Farah city since the team has been established.
“Where there used to be nothing but bare rock, there is a whole series of construction projects being built,” he said. “So you can see the [provisional reconstruction team] as a magnet and we are drawing city dwellers toward us. They like it when we roll through. They feel safe because we are here and we are bringing some of the good things that they expect from their government. We’re helping to jumpstart the infrastructure. We are helping to provide education, healthcare, clean water… all of the things that they should be able to expect from a legitimate government.”
The soldiers of Provisional Reconstruction Team Farah are instrumental in allowing the government of Afghanistan to extend its reach into the most remote corners of the country. Their mission and situation is unique, but the soldiers there wouldn’t have it any other way.
“There is no other place I would rather be in Afghanistan than [Provisional Reconstruction Team] Farah,” Wylie said. “I’m really lucky that I ended up here and I think we are doing a great job. We’ll all be able to go home with pride that we helped the people of this province to take a couple of steps closer to what we all take for granted in America.”
148 degrees in June? That has to be some kind of record or a misprint. I think the latter. Otherwise a good report.
No misprint just fact.
I though 136 in Death Valley or the Sahara was the highest ever recorded.
What is the highest temperature ever recorded?
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Death Valley in California holds the record for the highest temperature in the U.S. at 134° in 1913.
too bad the story does not have more details about what they are building.
Somebody isn't shielding their thermometer from the Sun...
I’ve never heard a field officer refer to his command as a “family”, but I’d expect it from one that would think the above. Actually, this is probably a good command for this guy.
You're right on there, "...National record of 134 degrees set in Death Valley on July 10th, 1913..." I also know it was recently 128 degrees in Death Valley on July 15th 2005
as I have friends who were there. I on the other hand was calmer and surely a bit cooler in only 119 degree heat at the Colorado River earlier this summer. I love the mixture of heat,boats and friends.
http://www.americasroof.com/wp/archives/category/states/california
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