Blog Posts from February, 2010
A Rude Awakening in Kabul, Afghanistan
![Meuniform3 Meuniform3](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921114621im_/http://www.eucom.mil/Content/LegacyPhotos/2009/11/meuniform3.jpg)
Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs
This is Day 6 for the EUCOM social media team training in Kabul, Afghanistan and it's one that I'll remember for a long time to come.
I was awakened around 6:30 a.m. by an explosion that literally rocked our entire encampment. My normal routine of listening for the alarm and hitting the snooze button to wake up peacefully was more of a split-second jump out of bed with my heart pounding uncontrollably.
While so many are used to this over here, this is my first experience. And I don’t care who you are, this sound will chill you to the bone. There was another smaller explosion and small arms fire exchange continued for more than an hour but finally ceased.
So far the reports are that there was a vehicle explosion and 2-3 suicide bombers who blew themselves up in downtown Kabul and there are at least 10 dead and more than 30 wounded. Click here for the Times Online piece for a bit more detail.
This mission over here is so important and now more than ever as these guys are literally building institutions and training the Afghans to teach themselves and protect themselves. And the Afghan people here are really amazing and want so much to turn this country around. You can see it in their eyes and when you talk to them. They just want to have normal lives and raise a family.
The fact that some maniac over here can strap on a bomb and ride a bike or drive a car into a crowded area and take the lives of those around him just sickens me to no end. I will never understand the purpose of this…terrorizing and murdering innocent men, women and children…never.
If you’re reading this from the states or from Europe or somewhere else around the globe where you get up in the morning in your house or apartment and you have running water, food, clothes on your back, a family to love, a job to earn a living, and peace of mind that you will not die today walking to the market, be very thankful…please.
And more than anything PLEASE support our troops over here who are working so hard to make a difference in Afghanistan.
The NTM-A team will keep you posted on the accomplishments AND struggles through their NTM-A Web site blogs, news stories and social media sites. Follow them and support them as they are your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, Moms and Dads who are away from their peace and freedom and really need your support in order to make a difference!
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Stronger Together: Logistics Exercise 2010 Mid Planning Conference (LOGEX10)
It is no secret that EUCOM remains committed to enduring partnerships and increased interoperability with NATO.... look at any Directors calendar and you'll probably notice how busy we all are towards that commitment. This year marks the third EUCOM-led logistics exercise, which is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) that is based on NATO doctrine which uses a multinational approach in supporting deployed forces in NATO-led out of area operations, and easily follows EUCOM's them of "Stronger Together."
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Exploring the "Cyber Sea"
They cyber world really caught my attention about a year ago when my daughter’s Facebook account was pirated and her identity used for a swindle. Ugh!
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Expanding our Communications with iPhones
It's been a year since our major overhaul of the EUCOM public web site, breaking the mold of a military web site and incorporating robust Web 2.0 capabilites. In keeping with our mindset of disruptive innovation, later this week we will receive the latest addition to our EUCOM Public Affairs tool box--eight iPhones. These mobile devices will complement the stand-alone commercial DSL computers we currently use to engage our traditional and social media communities via unfettered internet access.
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Social Medializing from Afghanistan--What Do You Want to Talk About?
I'm not blogging from Stuttgart, Germany today. Instead, I've made a little jaunt to Afghanistan to help out NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan with their social media strategy.
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The Passing of Gen. Alexander Haig
All of us at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe were saddened to learn of the passing of the seventh Supreme Allied Commander, General Alexander Haig.
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Operation Moshtarak
And so began the Afghan-NATO offensive into Helmad province, known as Operation Moshtarak – which translates roughly as “Together.” We are focusing on the area around a town called Marjah, where there has historically been a great deal of insurgent activity and heroin production.
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Should the U.S. Military Communicate in the Social Media Realm?
As important as social media has become in the world, it is playing an ever-increasing role in the U.S. military. I’d like to highlight a great example from the International Security Assistance Force.
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A Global Force for Good
Just left historic Munich, Germany where I was fortunate to attend and speak at their annual Security Conference.
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Afghanistan: The London Conference
Yet, at the moment, I am thinking about a superb international event that happened last week: the International London Conference on Afghanistan. Last week, I wrote about my last trip to Afghanistan as we prepared for it. The media has thoroughly covered the conference (here’s a sample of recent coverage, based on an interview with me), and you can watch key presentations online, like this one from Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s review of the conference on his video blog. So rather than reiterating what's already been said, I thought I'd share with you some personal thoughts and impressions, and my interpretations of the atmospherics.
Comments: 12
Kristi - you are amazing ... keep up the great work!!
I work for U.S. European Command, located in Stuttgart, Germany. We are not the European Union. Here is a link for their Web site to learn more about them. http://europa.eu/ A great deal of what we do at U.S. European Command is in support of NATO or North Atlantic Treaty Organization www.nato.int. I am here in Kabul right now in support of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan. Hope this helps!
Sir, That was quite a bit more than I experienced, definitely! Thank you for your service to our great country. It is because of you and so many others that we have the freedom we have today. I salute you!
I suggest anyone who is willing to give their life for something they believe in - including the Taliban - is not a coward. We may find their methods reprehensible, but cowards they are not. I suspect they truly believe in their "jihad" as well as the value of "martyrdom", including when the "martyrdom" extends to innocent men, women and children. I surmise they see the loss of civilians as collateral of the fighting in promoting their way of life, much in the same light as we see the unfortunate loss of innocent life to promote our vision of Afghanistan - a sad consequence of war. What we now term as "terrorists", in another time were "freedom fighters of Afghanistan" (President Reagan's words) railing against the Soviet oppressors. The antecedents of the current fighters fought as our proxy in the Cold War. If I am left with one impression, it is that for the scrabble of dust, dirt and rock that we will leave behind someday, these warriors you are facing are willing to risk it all to achieve their aims. We should be thankful they are not as well funded or resourced as our side is, and that they don't have the advantage of technology that our side has - or this would be a significantly different battle. If they had a fraction of our sides resources I doubt they would resort to suicidal attacks. At the risk of speaking for David, I suspect he is just trying to connect the motives of today's attack in Kabul with the recent loss of civilians. I am not sure his comment was attempting to justify the recent attack you experienced or to indicate that he does not understand that there will be losses on all sides. Respectfully, C.P.
Thank you for your additional insight, Maj Hillman. Yes, I failed to make that distinction and it must be a factor in any discussion. In terms of understanding the Taliban with a capital 'T' I don't think the challenge is to change their beliefs anymore than we can change the belief or value system of any people. That said, we cannot forsake an attempt to influence the Taliban with a capital 'T'. We cannot give up on that mental exercise and investigation. Otherwise, we resign our forces to killing, maiming or injuring the Taliban with a capital 'T' to eliminate that threat. My comment was intended to encourage us to try to think as they do. If we try to think as they do, then perhaps we can discover their pressure points and gain insight into what incentives they may respond to. An improved understanding of the Taliban with a capital 'T' can assist in making the Taliban less effective. This intellectual exercise is also about messaging, and that messaging goes well beyond the borders of Afghanistan. If we want men to stay at home rather than travel hundreds or thousands of miles to join the Taliban then we have to make it less attractive for those men. Something is motivating young and old to join a force that we perceive to be destabilizing and counter-productive to an enduring Afghan state. The question is why? What is the incentive to make such a choice? Until that is truly understood then we will just kill or injure Taliban with a capital 'T' replacements. The same insight you have into the small 'T' Taliban came from similar investigations. There is more to this than we know at present. Respectfully, C.P.
Excellent post. Another excellent use of social media. Thank you. Keep up the good work. Although seemingly incomprehensible from our framework, those "maniacs" believe they are doing the best they can for their nation, tribe, people, religion, etc. They are willing to lay down their lives to achieve their aims. Until we step out of our reference points and truly understanding their perspectives and motivation we will never really get ahead of these attacks, and we will be perpetually left to respond to heart pounding insanity. Best wishes, and good luck.
Seems like this might be revenge for the heaps of civilians NATO has bombed in the last few days.
C.P. Smith I do believe you are right, but there is one thing I’d like to tell you about. There are 2 types of Taliban; the ones with a little ‘t’ and the ones with the capital ‘T’. Though they are doing the same things there is a huge difference between the two. You are referring to Taliban with the capital ‘T’. They are truly dedicated and willing to give their lives for what they believe in. We will not be able to change their beliefs no matter what we do. Our goal is to reach the taliban with the small ‘t’. They are the ones who are not the true believers. They do what they do because it is a job and it gives them money to feed, clothe and shelter their family. If we (the military in concert with the Ministry of the Interrior and Ministry of Defense) can get them to lay down their arms and fight for the Afghan National Secuity Forces we will succeed.
David, All the taliban is trying to do is put the spotlight on themselves. They are trying to bring attention to themselves and they are extremely cowardly individuals. NATO troops are doing everything possible, to the utmost extent, to limit civilian casualties. This is a top priority but unfortunately we are up against terrorists and they have no laws, no rules, no problem putting innocent civilians in harms way. There was an excellent story written recently by The Christian Science Monitor that I think you should read. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2010/0222/Afghanistan-war-challenge-civilian-deaths-from-NATO-airstrike It's a very telling story of the challenges we face everyday in Afghanistan. Gen. McCrystal's number one priority, that takes a back seat to killing insurgents, is protecting civilians. Bottom line is that we are at war. There will be civilian casualites and U.S. and coalition troops will lose their lives. If you don't understand that, then I don't know what to tell you. But we are willing to put our lives on the line for the good of Afghanistan and its people.
I remember another war, and another time when at 400 hours on February-3-1968 I was awoken ,the same way. In the space of two cities blocks, 21 rockets hit our base. All of this in two o three minutes . Running for your weapons, putting on someone else boots. Screaming in the dark. Sheer terror. Lucky for us nobody got more than a stubbed toe. Major Beckman like someone said once, "I feel your pain". I'm thankful for your service
Thanks for your thoughts, C.P. You put it a bit more nicely than David did and I am sure that he meant just what he wrote. Losing innocent civilians isn't easy for any of us. Neither is losing our troops. We strive everyday to protect innocent civilians and help the Afghan military and government grow strong so they in turn can protect their people and we can one day pull out of here with full hearts knowing that what we did indeed made a difference.
So who do you work for? European Union (EUCOM) or Nato? or United States? Or better yet should I ask if there's a difference anymore or are said entities one in the same?