ianstone
05-18-2010, 09:05 PM
Life On The Frontline Through Officer's Eyes
Sky News is featuring a series of personal reports by soldiers serving with 1 Scots, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, during their tour of duty in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634313.jpg The troops carry out one or two patrols a day
In this first installment, 2nd Lieutenant David Dufus describes the huge challenges - but also the benefits - of using the local language, Dari, in his work.
Offering a fascinating insight into managing life on the frontline, the Brigade Advisory Group commander also tells of building a gym out of spare parts and perfecting the art of bread-making.
Good link below
Dari, football, cooking and bomb scares
My two months in Afghanistan (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Afghanistan) so far have been hugely satisfying, exhausting and nerve-wracking - not in any particular order.
One of the biggest satisfactions has been putting into practice all the Dari I learned during a 40-week course in Edinburgh before we left.
I was the only one from my company who had the chance to learn the language so thoroughly and I use it every day.
It is great to be able to speak to the Afghan National Army (ANA) officers we work with and the Afghan people when out on patrol without an interpreter - and I am learning more words all the time.
Not everyone uses Dari here. A lot of the soldiers and the locals speak Pashtu, but I am picking that up too.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634318.jpg Striking up a good relationship with Afghan soldiers
Our days are filled with one or two patrols. As well as reassuring locals we are there to protect them from insurgents, we spend time teaching a range of skills to the ANA soldiers who live in the same base as us.
Our base is right on the 611 highway so we can see people walking and driving past all the time.
I have a really good relationship with the ANA commander I advise. We take tea together while we wrestle with putting a good supply chain in place to keep his 'warriors' equipped with what they need to fight.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634323.jpg 2nd Lt David Dufus speaks Dari every day
In a country like this it is one of the biggest problems - but when we eventually leave we need to be sure they can manage things like that.
When not working we play football in our yard and take it in turns to cook our our new gas cooking range, which has vastly improved our culinary possibilities.
We even made an oven in the yard out of an old ammunition tin. We can't get the bread to cook properly yet - we need Afghan advice.
We also have a gym. The equipment was all made by ourselves out of ammunition tins, water carriers, fence pickets and spent batteries.
I miss rugby. I play for the battalion so I am missing all the competitions this year.
But I will be home in the autumn and need to make sure I stay in shape. You need to be really physically fit to carry all the weight on patrol too.
We have had a few hairy moments so far: we have been shot at, had bomb scares and even come close to a suicide blast.
But we are enjoying the challenge and it has only made my guys closer.
Another day brings another pay day
Sky News is featuring a series of personal reports by soldiers serving with 1 Scots, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, during their tour of duty in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634313.jpg The troops carry out one or two patrols a day
In this first installment, 2nd Lieutenant David Dufus describes the huge challenges - but also the benefits - of using the local language, Dari, in his work.
Offering a fascinating insight into managing life on the frontline, the Brigade Advisory Group commander also tells of building a gym out of spare parts and perfecting the art of bread-making.
Good link below
Dari, football, cooking and bomb scares
My two months in Afghanistan (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Afghanistan) so far have been hugely satisfying, exhausting and nerve-wracking - not in any particular order.
One of the biggest satisfactions has been putting into practice all the Dari I learned during a 40-week course in Edinburgh before we left.
I was the only one from my company who had the chance to learn the language so thoroughly and I use it every day.
It is great to be able to speak to the Afghan National Army (ANA) officers we work with and the Afghan people when out on patrol without an interpreter - and I am learning more words all the time.
Not everyone uses Dari here. A lot of the soldiers and the locals speak Pashtu, but I am picking that up too.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634318.jpg Striking up a good relationship with Afghan soldiers
Our days are filled with one or two patrols. As well as reassuring locals we are there to protect them from insurgents, we spend time teaching a range of skills to the ANA soldiers who live in the same base as us.
Our base is right on the 611 highway so we can see people walking and driving past all the time.
I have a really good relationship with the ANA commander I advise. We take tea together while we wrestle with putting a good supply chain in place to keep his 'warriors' equipped with what they need to fight.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/May/Week3/15634323.jpg 2nd Lt David Dufus speaks Dari every day
In a country like this it is one of the biggest problems - but when we eventually leave we need to be sure they can manage things like that.
When not working we play football in our yard and take it in turns to cook our our new gas cooking range, which has vastly improved our culinary possibilities.
We even made an oven in the yard out of an old ammunition tin. We can't get the bread to cook properly yet - we need Afghan advice.
We also have a gym. The equipment was all made by ourselves out of ammunition tins, water carriers, fence pickets and spent batteries.
I miss rugby. I play for the battalion so I am missing all the competitions this year.
But I will be home in the autumn and need to make sure I stay in shape. You need to be really physically fit to carry all the weight on patrol too.
We have had a few hairy moments so far: we have been shot at, had bomb scares and even come close to a suicide blast.
But we are enjoying the challenge and it has only made my guys closer.
Another day brings another pay day