Afghanistan Stories...

[TN2IC]

Does anyone have any stories from going over seas there? What was it like? Lifestyle and culture...language ..What is it like to peace keep? What is the general population like over there? How are they towards Canadian Troops? What about other forces are there? Germans? Americans? I heard they are moving to Kabul... or they left Kabul and are in another town.. correct me on that issue please. Any Gucci kit I should bring? And is there anything else that will be good for us to note that may be deployed over there soon. I am working on my Farsi since I have a knack for learning languages.

Any other Help Please would be nice...

Thank You for your Time

Khoda Hafez!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Oy... :

 

[TN2IC]

Well I just want to know... but if you do want to talk then that is fine. I am only intrested in this field... that would make a good topic to talk about.

 

[BruceinAlberta]

I've served in both Afghanistan and Iraq in the US Army (National Guard).  In Dec 01 I got mobilized and sent to Afghanistan and served in the XVIII Airborne Corps G3 shop.  I was amazed at how most people took to us.  The average person over there really just wants to live a peaceful life. I was really worried we would get the same reception as the USSR did in 1980s.  The Talibann made life pretty hard, and of course life sucked during the Soviet occupation.  One thing that struck me was the wild west feel to the place because it seemed the majority of men toted kalishnikovs around.  It does make one a little nervous at times.  While I was there we supported the Northern Alliance in their attacks on the Talibann, and of course there was Operation Anaconda on our part.  It is a strange country weather-wise too.  Sometimes as hot as the middle-east and as cold as Canada at other times.  Also, the country needs major infrastructure work too since there is no infrastructure so to speak.  As to languages, they have a boat-load of dialects over there but the official languages are farsi and pashto (i think pashto is a bit more used than farsi but not by too much)

 

[jmackenzie_15]

The only thing I can tell you for sure, since ive never been there, is that they are in fact moving from Kabul to Kandahar. (Canadians).
Its in the southern, south east area of the country I beleive? Theres a few hundred guys down there already, with the rest of them arriving in the spring-summer I think.

 

[COBRA-6]

As to languages, they have a boat-load of dialects over there but the official languages are farsi and pashto (i think pashto is a bit more used than farsi but not by too much)

Mostly Dari here in Kabul. Which is great, becuase we did a week of Pashto training before deploying! Oops  :

 

[PPCLI Guy]

The most important thing for you to hoist aboard if you are going to be deploying on the next Roto is that you will not find out "what it is like to be a peacekeeper". 

You will find out what it is like to be a soldier conducting full spectrum operations, up to and including combat, in the conduct of counter-insurgency operations.

We have chosen sides here.  That changes everything.

Dave

 

[Armymedic]

If you are intersted in languages, then Pashtu and Dari would be the ones to learn, not Farsi.

As we are working in the south, Pashtu would be the first. Dari is more common in Kabul and up North.

 

[MacKenzie1NSH]

so you actualy get language trainning as well before you are deployed? thats pretty intense

 

[BruceinAlberta]

rechecked my post and I forgot Dari.  If you speak any Afghan dialect you'll find yourself over there.  Where does the Canadian Army do in it's lingual training.  US forces go to Defense Language School in Monterey CA.

 

[TN2IC]

I have a friend that lived in Iran which he said Farsi will get me places. So I am sticking with Farsi for now. Besides I am mastering it now.  ;D

 

[TCBF]

Well, if any Iranians 'stiffening' the Taliban manage to get their hands on you, I don't imagine screaming "Mercy" in Farsi will do much more than provide them with a bit of amusement.

While you last.

If you learn it well, tell your Int guys.  DO NOT tell the locals.  You learn more when people don't know you understand certain languages.

Tom

 

[TN2IC]

Ah nice trick...lol.... thanks for the heads up.

 

[Norm The Storm]

The most important thing for you to hoist aboard if you are going to be deploying on the next Roto is that you will not find out "what it is like to be a peacekeeper".  

You will find out what it is like to be a soldier conducting full spectrum operations, up to and including combat, in the conduct of counter-insurgency operations.

We have chosen sides here.   That changes everything.

Dave

Well you're right Sir !!!!!

 

[MacKenzie1NSH]

If you learn it well, tell your Int guys.   DO NOT tell the locals.   You learn more when people don't know you understand certain languages.
Tom

Well thats pretty smart thinking, never would have thought of it.. I would have just tried going around showing I could to try to get on their good sides for the time being

 

[3rd Herd]

Having a pretty handle on five languages besides English, I often address a child /children in English " please tell your father/grandfather how proud he must be to be blessed with so many fine sons, large farm, many goats, etc etc etc". You would be supprised the number of times the adult male in question straightens his back and beams a great smile before the child can do the translation. This is after he has denied being able to speak any English. I didn't learn this one on int course either, like in an above post " keep your eyes and ears open, mouth closed" you will be amazed about how much you can learn. It is also a good way to keep an eye on your "offical" translator, remember they have to live there and you do not know how many rice bowls they are eating out of. Not so sure about Afghanistan but since the various brands of 'Christers' have been spreading their good book around the world I have been astounded in a number of remote locations where there is knowledge of the Queen's English.

 

[MacKenzie1NSH]

" keep your eyes and ears open, mouth closed" you will be amazed about how much you can learn.

It makes total sence now that I thought about it, you are casualy walking down the road and they dont think you can speak their language and start to talk to each other, and you pretend like you don't understand and then you just keep on listening, perfect intel right there

 

[Acorn]

First off, as pointed out early you won't have much call for Farsi if you deploy with the Canadians to Kandahar or Kabul. Pashtu, which is quite different from Farsi, is the most common language in the South and East of Afghanistan. Dari is similar to Farsi, so if you go to Kabul you might find Farsi useful, much like Russian was useful for those deployed to Yugoslavia in the '90s (Serbo-Croat and Russian are about 60% similar).

Don't worry about Iranians "stiffening" the Taliban.

If you are going to Afghanistan with the CF you'll get a load of training that will clear a lot of things up, including stuff (like rules of engagement) that aren't appropriate for discussion here. The language training you get will be very rudimentary - "hello, stop, hands up, I'm going to search you, where is the Taliban" and stuff like that. It's taught by native speakers contracted from the civilian world. They mainly try to get you to get the pronunciation right. If you get selected for intensive language training you'll go to the Canadian Forces Language School - Asticou Campus (in Hull, Quebec), which uses a curriculum similar to that of the US Language School at Monterey (in fact, depending on the language, you may even use Monterey's teaching materials).

Finally, if you can only hoist aboard one thing from this thread, take PPCLI Guy's advice - "Peacekeeping" as we knew it is a thing of the past.

Acorn

 

[TN2IC]

Well gee... now I got to learn Pashtu.. I am sure it has some words that are close to Farsi.
Now where can I get my hands on some books along the Pashtu line..