Uniquely Bagram

I have lived and worked overseas for most of my life. I grew up in the Bahamas and have lived in numerous countries. My tour in Afghanistan started in August 2007. I have seen much of the country; been to every major base; seen dozens of PRT’s and FOB’s; but, Bagram is the most unique of all locations.

Japan, Italy, Australia, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Scotland, Wales, England, Guam, United Arab Emirates, and dozens of other places I have lived or visited have one thing in common: a civilized society that is acceptable to most and accepted by most. But, being in Bagram Air Field (BAF) presents a new set of challenges that make it the most unique place I have ever visited. Not everyone has the same view of "Civilized".

BAF is a conglomeration of cultures, people, and geopolitics. There are more than 28 nations represented on BAF and just as many languages can be heard at any given time. The US Air Force is responsible for a portion of the base and the US Army is responsible for the rest. Sometimes this presents a problem with getting things done in an orderly/timely fashion.

When you have so many people working and living in such a small area, there are bound to be some misunderstandings and cultural differences (even among the US military). The rules and regulations for BAF are designed to enhance security and provide a basis for day-to-day operations. But, as with any rule/law/policy/procedure you cannot predict every contingency. Therefore, you must interpret the meaning of the regulation/policy/rule… et al for the benefit of good order and discipline.

Most of us know the adage, “Common sense is neither common nor sensible to other people”. Well, that is the way of Bagram. If you expect things to work as they do in the US, you are in for a rude awakening. "WE are not in Kansas anymore".

For example: getting material onto the base is a process that is worthy of Rube Goldberg. The construction standards on the base are generally to US standards. That means you must order much of the material from the US. Once the material leaves the US, it is sent to Pakistan (Karachi) for overland shipment. If the material makes it through customs, then it is shipped via truck to Afghanistan. If the material makes it through the border, then it is shipped to Kabul for customs inspections. If it makes it through customs, then it is sent to Bagram to be processed through Entry Control Point 3. If it makes it through ECP3, then you can collect your truck and escort it to a lay-down yard: if you have room in your lay-down yard (there is little room available on BAF for lay-down).

All shipments are predicated on nothing happening to your material on the way. The port in Karachi can hold your material if there is anything wrong with the invoice. There is a “tax” (corruption fee) to get the material through the port. Then, if you are lucky, the trip overland will be mishap free – hijacked or blown up. If you make it to the Afghan border, there is another “fee” to get your stuff in country. Again, if you make it to Kabul mishap free, you will have another customs agent to pay (another “fee”). If you can get your material through customs in Kabul, then you still have to travel to BAF overland… can you say “Taliban hijack”? Once your container arrives at BAF, it must wait outside ECP3 until the Afghan “truck lord” decides your truck can go through the gate. His decision is based on the amount of the “fee” you are willing to pay into his “retirement” fund. (I have had trucks wait 15 days to enter the base). If there is no force protection issues currently enforced (base lock-down) then you can get your material if it is in the line to enter the base. Hopefully, the seals are still in place on the truck and your material is not on the black market somewhere in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Even if the seals are in place, there is no guarantee that the material you ordered is actually in the truck. The “Customs Officials” may have knocked the pins out of the doors and taken the doors off completely.

This is just one example of how things are different in BAF. I have many more examples.

AS Scotty says: “Don’t let your head explode over things you cannot control”.