Pictures of Kabul Embassy

Heera on her way to work.   She's standing in the hallway right out side our door.

Another picture of the bar.  This time with a better view of the sandbags protecting it and the old Russian shell that doubles as a cigarette receptacle.  

This it the bar on grounds.  John is fortunate enough to work right around the corner.   The name refers to what sounds off when we're getting mortared.  An alarm goes off warning people to get away from windows and get on the floor.  So they've cleverly named the bar after everyone's favorite announcement.

A view of the USAID compound.  It's hard to get a great picture of the place because it's just trailers and sandbags.  You can get a sense of how fortunate the three of us are because we all live inside hardened (read: mortar-proof) buildings with really nice amenities.  A lot of our colleagues live in trailers like this.  

Sandbags, Hesco barriers and a bunker to the right.  This is John's bunker, right outside of his office.   It hasn't been used in a while and the groundskeepers have thus decided it's a great place to put the rat traps.  

Steve, at the bar, with an empty AT4 cylinder.  In some states you can't bring guns to the bar.  Here I guess you can bring just about whatever you like.  Including tank-killers.

Steve with an Orwelian shirt and Orwelian look on his face.

More USAID pictures.  Just trying to give you an idea of what the place looks like.

Yup.  More sandbags.  Heera and Steve's side of the Embassy is all nice with laws and stuff.  This is where John goes to play so they didn't bother landscaping.

Random picture of the Economics Minister from a  meeting that John went to last week.

Richard Miller!  Richard was a governance advisor on John's ePRT in Iraq.  I didn't even recognize him and Heera and I sat down for lunch with him.  Richard and John shared many, many bunkers together and he was there for the worst of it at EPRT-2 / EPRT-East.  He's now headed out for more in Afghanistan and will be hanging out with the Army out in a remote part of Afghanistan.  It was really, really great to see him and introduce him to Steve and Heera.

Mountains in the background.  Sort of like West Virginia but more barbed wire.

Heera getting ready for work.

A Massoud picture.  He was a leader of the Mujahadin and is held up as next to God by the Tajiks.  You see random pictures of him everywhere, including on the front windshields of up-armored vehicles around the Embassy.  We live off of Massoud circle.  He's known as "The Lion of Panjshir" and was assassinated by Osama Bin Ladin on Sept 9th, 2011.

Ambassador Crocker's swearing in.  John sat in the back.  

Another view from the AID compound.  On a clear day, you can see the mountains that surround Kabul .  They're really beautiful.  

Marine Security Guard Commercial "I've seen the four corners of the World"

OK, OK, This is what I really do for a living. I am really enjoying having John and Heera here with me!!!

First Days In Kabul

These are some pictures of our first days together in Kabul.  We're still settling into our apartment (which has the exact same furniture we had in Mexico City).  We went to a party at the Marine House the other night.  Life is really good!

Revelers

Dubai

On my way to Kabul, I went to Dubai.  Even though I missed Heera, I still managed to have a good time.  This was my first trip out of the airport in Dubai.

Preamble

Before there were three, there were just two.  Here's what Kabul looked like before there were three . . . 

Why I am Here

So, there are many myths and rumors about what Marine Security Guards actually do for the Diplomatic community. This clip, at least the first 20 seconds or so, explains what my day to day life is like, and why I am currently stationed at the United States Embassy to Kabul. Enjoy.

SDC