tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61617799257800335722024-02-18T17:41:26.661-08:00Combat Outpost: AfghanistanRobert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-82990891375320985052012-08-29T10:57:00.003-07:002012-08-29T10:57:52.662-07:00"The Surge" to air in Tampa, Fla. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Public television in Tampa, Fla., has added "Afghanistan: The Surge" to its schedule. It will air on WEDU+ (aka WEDU-DT) at 8 p.m. on Sept. 9. WEDU+ can be found on digital channel 3.4, on Bright House cable at channel 605, on Comcast at 203, Knology at 137 and on Verizon FIOS at 476. As always full future listing for airings can be found at The Surge.biz, as well as information on buying the DVD. </div>
Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-87788682696689710572012-07-08T12:04:00.000-07:002012-07-08T12:04:32.442-07:00Topeka PBS to Air "The Surge"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Topeka's PBS station has added "Afghanistan: The Surge" to its schedule. It will air on KTWUDT3 at 9 p.m. on Aug. 4. A full schedule can be found at TheSurge.biz. </div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-60978365398841477182012-07-05T14:08:00.000-07:002012-07-05T14:08:06.690-07:00Camp Lejeune broadcast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
OK Camp Lejeune Marines, "Afghanistan: The Surge" will be on your cable PBS channel Aug. 15, at 9 pm. That is to say, on the cable channel UNC-MX. It will also be broadcast on their main UNC-TV channel at a date yet to be determined. As they say, watch this space. And did I mention that DVDs are for sale at TheSurge.biz?</div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-89414863033281074272012-07-05T06:09:00.004-07:002012-07-05T06:09:52.324-07:00Broadcast schedule<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here's the broadcast schedule as of July 5, 2012, for "Afghanistan: The Surge." I only get reports about three weeks out so I'll update this as I get new information.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 364px;"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 2816; mso-width-source: userset; width: 58pt;" width="77"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 4425; mso-width-source: userset; width: 91pt;" width="121"></col><col span="2" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 1389; mso-width-source: userset; width: 29pt;" width="38"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/11/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Denver</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KBDIDT</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">8:00 PM </td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/11/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Denver</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KBDIDT</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">11:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/11/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Colorado
Springs</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">K32EO</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">8:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/11/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Colorado
Springs</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">K32EO</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">11:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/13/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Jacksonville,
Fla.</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">WJCTDT</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">10:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">ET</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/24/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Denver</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KBDIDT2</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">7:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl72" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt; width: 58pt;" width="77">7/27/2012</td>
<td class="xl67" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Denver</td>
<td class="xl66" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KBDIDT2</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">3:00 AM</td>
<td class="xl64" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">MT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="21" style="height: 15.75pt;">
<td class="xl80" height="21" style="border-top: none; height: 15.75pt;">7/31/2012</td>
<td class="xl70" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 91pt;" width="121">Atlanta</td>
<td class="xl68" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">WPBADT</td>
<td align="right" class="xl83" style="border-left: none; border-top: none;">11:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl69" style="border-left: none; border-top: none; width: 29pt;" width="38">ET</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl73" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">8/26/2012</td>
<td class="xl74" style="width: 91pt;" width="121">San Francisco</td>
<td class="xl75" style="border-left: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KQED</td>
<td align="right" class="xl76">9:00 PM</td>
<td class="xl77" style="width: 29pt;" width="38">PT</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td class="xl78" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">8/27/2012</td>
<td class="xl74" style="width: 91pt;" width="121">San Francisco</td>
<td class="xl75" style="border-left: none; width: 48pt;" width="64">KQED</td>
<td align="right" class="xl76">3:00 AM</td>
<td class="xl77" style="width: 29pt;" width="38">PT</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-26616383717088484692012-07-04T14:30:00.003-07:002012-07-04T14:30:34.589-07:00Another PBS station signs on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Another PBS station has scheduled "Afghanistan: The Surge." WPBATDT in Atlanta will air it July 31 at 11 p.m. You can check the full schedule as I know it at TheSurge.biz.</span>
</div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-32773311831296523562012-06-28T19:36:00.001-07:002012-06-28T19:36:10.544-07:00DVDs NOW ON SALE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
DVDs of "Afghanistan: The Surge" are now on sale at TheSurge.biz. They are $24.95 plus $2.50 S&H. Please help spread the word. </div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-39217194804847715052012-06-16T07:37:00.001-07:002012-06-16T14:12:22.212-07:00KQED TO BROADCAST "THE SURGE""Afghanistan: The Surge" was sent out yesterday to all the PBS stations in the country. Each station will decide if and when to air it. The first to report in was KQED in San Francisco, one of the PBS flagship stations. It will broadcast the film on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 9 .m. on KQED World. Further updates at TheSurge.biz.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-89577005633952899022012-06-05T13:09:00.003-07:002012-06-05T13:29:21.583-07:00TV INTERVIEW<h6 style="font-weight: normal;" class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}"> <span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}" style="font-size:130%;">I made a guest appearance last Sunday on "This Week in Defense News with Vago Muradian." Disclaimer: I helped create this show when I was at Army Times Publishing Co. In any event, Vago had me on to talk about my documentary "Afghanistan: The Surge." For pain junkies, here's the url to the clip (look in the right hand side for the specific segment of the show). </span></h6><h6 style="font-weight: normal;" class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}" style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.defensenewstv.com/video.php#/Segments/%201CAfghanistan%3A+The+Surge%201D/57636759001/52684858001/1656976810001" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow"><span>http://www.defensenewstv.com/</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>video.php#/Segments/</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>%201CAfghanistan%3A+The+Surge%2</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span><span>01D/57636759001/52684858001/</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>1656976810001</a></span></h6><p><br /></p>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-80549708443723849102012-05-29T17:39:00.001-07:002012-05-29T17:41:08.492-07:00New Web Site<span >Another small step forward on the documentary formerly known as "Combat Outpost." The new name is "Afghanistan: The Surge." There is now a Web site. <a href="http://thesurge.biz">TheSurge.biz. </a>Spread the word. There will be a screening of the film at my college reunion this coming Saturday. Grinnell College, Harris Theater, 10 a.m. Drop on by. </span>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-88822266213585051692012-04-27T10:57:00.001-07:002012-04-28T10:32:46.658-07:00The First Five Minutes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
NETA, the folks who are distributing my film, have put the first five minutes up online. I have renamed the film. It is now "Afghanistan: The Surge." Here's the link. Scroll down the page to find it. <a href="http://www.netaonline.org/5minutes.htm">http://www.netaonline.org/5minutes.htm</a></div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-70571165134574189952012-04-12T02:18:00.000-07:002012-04-12T02:19:37.710-07:00Post ProductionThe film goes into the hands of the post production folks today. They're the ones who correct the color and sweeten the audio. In other words, put a high gloss finish on the film. If all goes according to plan, the film will be distributed to all the PBS stations on June 15. Each station will then decide if and when they broadcast it. Stay tuned for further details.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-27285521200879698302012-03-27T11:13:00.002-07:002012-03-27T11:33:48.870-07:00Good NewsI've struck a deal to distribute the film to all of the PBS stations in the country. The film has a new title: "Afghanistan: The Surge." Distribution to the stations will take place in mid June. Each station will be free to air it or not, and to pick whatever date and time they want. As I get more information about specific stations I will post it here. Also, as soon as the program has aired on the first station I will have DVDs and Blu-rays available for sale. So, as the advertising people say, watch this space.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-81481121163280103112011-01-26T18:42:00.000-08:002011-01-26T18:45:20.706-08:00The TrailerWe're still trying to raise the money to finish this film. This is the trailer we're showing people as we go about lining up underwriters. I thought you guys would enjoy seeing it. It's six minutes long. <a href="http://vimeo.com/partisanpictures">Click here to see it.</a>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-66462793720221454202010-09-20T17:23:00.000-07:002010-09-20T17:26:34.594-07:00It Seems Like Just Yesterday You Said GoodbyeWell, no it doesn't seem like yesterday. It seems like seven long months ago that you said goodbye to your Marines as they left Camp Lejeune for Afghanistan. As they prepare to return soon I thought you might like to see some video from the farewell last spring.<br /><br /> <br /><object width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rz-D-BjJrG8?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rz-D-BjJrG8?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-47976311387387299002010-08-25T03:53:00.000-07:002010-08-25T04:10:56.246-07:00ShortThe fathers and grandfathers of Vietnam troops went off to World War I, World War II and Korea knowing they wouldn't be back till it was over over there. But Vietnam troops went for a set tour (a year for soldiers, 13 months for Marines). Most kept calendars to tick off the 365 days. Short timer calendars, they were called. Some were simple calendars; others featured elaborate sketches of women which more often than not reflected a lack of familiarity with the original source material. But those paper calendars were carefully kept up to date and any solider or Marine could tell you with great precision how many days were left in their tour. When you got close to the date you were going home you called yourself "short." As in, "I'm so short I have to look up to Chesty Puller." I recall the moment the wheels of the plane carrying me and several hundred other vets lifted off from Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon -- just at lift off most guys on the plane whispered "short."<br /><br />Not much has changed. Most of the Marines at Naw Zad can tell you exactly how long they've been there. How much longer they have to go is still a bit up in the air. But unlike the troops in Vietnam who kept paper calendars, these guys are high tech. Many have their iPods programmed to tell them how many days they've served in Afghanistan. We call this progress.<br /><br />I left the guys last week and now I'm back in the states. I want to report to them that the beer back here is still cold and the women still look fabulous. I hope to be at Cherry Point and Lejeune to shoot their return. It was hard leaving. I always feel like I'm deserting them. But since no serious moment in a combat zone goes without being mocked, here is how I handled it. As I was going around saying my goodbyes, I'd tell a Marine, "Now don't get hurt while I'm gone." Pause for one beat. "That would screw up my movie." The Marines got the joke but I notice my civilian friends don't think that's funny. Oh, well ...Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-1362492773349565752010-08-24T03:54:00.000-07:002010-08-24T03:57:49.853-07:00It Takes Balls<object width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XrLu7fJ_k8M?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XrLu7fJ_k8M?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object><br /><br />Capt. Michael Linhares, a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, works as the air operations officer at the combat outpost in Naw Zad, Afghanistan. He also coaches Afghan kids in soccer -- and other life lessons.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-9218381747347965882010-08-10T00:12:00.001-07:002010-08-10T00:21:51.565-07:00River City<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hJqYoXA7qEo3UPcH218FM4mkW4s9V_gcZJewfPIHZUHKvjxsxIslnb7PY9_pjt3bxJkS2_4kJm7PtSSVTCYa82mg6WDAdPd45-g7RVIZCqJV8qn7LneVe_rNiJ6VkEj5EvI9rcwEqmM/s1600/River+City+sign1sm.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4hJqYoXA7qEo3UPcH218FM4mkW4s9V_gcZJewfPIHZUHKvjxsxIslnb7PY9_pjt3bxJkS2_4kJm7PtSSVTCYa82mg6WDAdPd45-g7RVIZCqJV8qn7LneVe_rNiJ6VkEj5EvI9rcwEqmM/s200/River+City+sign1sm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503677856160838642" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br /><meta name="River City="> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/rhodiern/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults ext="edit" spidmax="1026"> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout ext="edit"> <o:idmap ext="edit" data="1"> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">River City. Restricted communications. Access to telephones and the Internet are closed down whenever a Marine is killed or seriously wounded. And we stay in River City until the families are notified. The idea is clear – no one wants a family to hear secondhand they’ve lost someone. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The battalion just lost two Marines. Not from Alpha Company but whenever anyone in the battalion is killed the entire battalion goes into River City. Families, of course, know this. If they are accustomed to hearing from their Marine every day or so and then they hear nothing, no e-mail, no call, no Facebook posting … </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At this combat outpost there is a morale, welfare and recreation room – MWR in military speak – with phones and computers. During River City it is closed and empty. I’m fortunate in having wireless access to the Internet but during River City the radio wave icon in the upper right hand corner of my lap top screen is gray, not black. No signal. When I look at that icon and see it’s gray I know the families haven’t been notified yet. Their lives haven’t been crushed yet. I dread seeing the icon go black, that the Internet is back and River City is over. I dread that because then I know that officers in dress blues and chaplains will have knocked on the doors of two families.<span style=""> </span>And two families will feel pain beyond comprehension to most. </p> <!--EndFragment--> Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-3907307398640691602010-08-02T08:10:00.001-07:002010-08-02T08:14:16.681-07:00May the Dove of Peace ...I may have complained a time or two that there really hasn't been much direct contact with the enemy. Trust me when I tell you the Marines are more annoyed at that than I am. But nonetheless, I have vented a time or two about this. Today, while sitting in the shade of a mulberry tree where the temperature probably didn't get much above 110, a dove shit on me. What am to make of that? Is that a good omen, a bad omen or just shitty luck?Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-65901996387182401502010-07-31T08:17:00.000-07:002010-07-31T08:26:07.711-07:00Return to Naw ZadI just returned to Naw Zad for a two- or three-week stay that will complete the shooting in Afghanistan. As it happens they were grilling chicken and cooking up real french fries for dinner tonight. The feast was not, as I happily assumed, in honor of my return. Although the Marines did greet me like a long-lost brother. OK, long-lost grandfather.<br /><br />Things have changed a bit at the outpost: They spread gravel over most of the open ground, which has eliminated the choking clouds of moon dust, dust the consistency of talcum powder. In some places your sank into it over your boot top. Not to be gross but I coughed up brown crude for a month after I got home. But while the gravel holds down the dust, ask any Marine and he'll bitch about how hard the gravel is to walk in. One of the things I love best about Marines is they'll bitch about anything. They also have (small drum roll here please) a real laundry facility. You turn your laundry in and they get it back to you the same day. I can't wait to try it. There is also -- and I'm not going to say where for obvious reasons -- a small ice making machine. Ice! It's a nice machine about the size of a small micro wave. One of the Marines had it sent from home. We have branded it the expeditionary ice machine. Remember, Marines are supposed to do without such comforts. But ice! A real miracle.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-29463580432921406252010-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:002010-06-22T03:35:53.154-07:00Ode to Armor<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">They're not comfortable and they're not much to look at, but the armored vehicles the Marines use can take a punch. The Marines riding in the new M-ATVS, the older MRAPs and the workhorse 7-ton trucks keep walking away from explosions that cripple the vehicles. Some of the Marines suffer concussions and some of those concussions are no laughing matter but if they'd been in a Humvee chances are they'd be dead.<br /><br />One side note: The M-ATVs are air conditioned and the rear seat a.c. vent is perfectly sized to hold a water bottle. Chilled water, a real patrol luxury.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><object width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pror9hcWfIE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pror9hcWfIE&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object><br /></div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-18500345892658501752010-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:002010-06-22T03:34:39.423-07:00Not for the Faint of HeartAs you marvel at the nerve of Air Force Tech Sgt. Alex Morgan as he brushes dirt and rocks away from the trigger on a bomb big enough to destroy an armored vehicle ask yourself this question: Where was videographer Rob Curtis standing? And if you listen carefully you may hear me in the background shouting: "Rob, get away from there! That <span style="font-style: italic;">camera </span>isn't insured."<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ij720z05rJQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ij720z05rJQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="240"></embed></object></div>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-37725219438204887052010-05-29T03:24:00.000-07:002010-06-22T03:36:53.994-07:00A Hard Day -- Video<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dytrlGa2SqpPFxitoPBMUev4LuL0nCZNwQvRXV7a53mthtjpo_7dZsCzPpqc7EXtChlUwO0TNWnY5prF42-uw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-4987202059438934382010-05-28T23:12:00.000-07:002010-05-29T03:24:32.885-07:00Wounded Girl Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN7Vjhyphenhyphen5VCQHp1Uu7QjZOYVv5FOXy3Zu9gwQ7XeNmdAU530V3DAfBiD-COzTQdfdaABH9wUXvOhDSBG82ClfblWhJ5fzSx68fRNAkTRScfaD1vS89LZfG-LONg1XFjqTZq4Mtf3ETvU8/s1600/Royizasm.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN7Vjhyphenhyphen5VCQHp1Uu7QjZOYVv5FOXy3Zu9gwQ7XeNmdAU530V3DAfBiD-COzTQdfdaABH9wUXvOhDSBG82ClfblWhJ5fzSx68fRNAkTRScfaD1vS89LZfG-LONg1XFjqTZq4Mtf3ETvU8/s320/Royizasm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476635857337993442" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a bit of positive news about one of five children wounded when Marines returned mortar fire on the village of Kenjak-Olya.<br /><br />Rozya, 6, was the most seriously wounded. Her face was torn up and her left arm was badly mangled. She lost that left arm but her face isn't as badly damaged as feared. Yesterday her father, Khan Mohammad, 40, came to our combat base looking for his daughter. He had not been told the extent of her injuries.<br /><br />To make sure he really was her father he was photographed and that picture was e-mailed to the hospital in Kandahar. Rozya did not recognize him, throwing the entire issue in doubt. But when he returned today and told she did not recognize him, he suggested it was the medication she was on. She had given the medical staff the names of two of her brothers. When Mohammad was asked, he gave the same names. But the clincher came when he was shown a photograph of her in a hospital bed: He broke down in tears. Afghan men don't cry in public. I've told this story to several Afghan interpreters and they were astounded at the public display of emotion. Later, Rozya was shown her father's photograph again today and this time she called him "papa."<br /><br />Mohammad assured the medical staff here that his daughter will be welcomed back into the family despite her scars and the missing arm. Healthy daughters are an important family asset. Grooms pay for their brides, and they pay a substantial amount. For instance, at the current market prices for opium and girls, Rozya would have been worth her weight in raw opium. (In U.S. dollars about $9,000.) Rozya's prospects will be diminshed, the father said. She might end up having to marry a cousin at a discounted price.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-22262344693280162462010-05-27T05:06:00.001-07:002010-05-27T05:11:11.282-07:00The RaidThe intel was quite specific but you'll understand if I'm a little vague about details. We had a name and description of a man suspected of being an IED facilitator. A facilitator helps the guys who build and plant the improvised explosive devices that have twisted a dozen of Alpha Company's armored vehicles. (Twisted, yes, but every Marine in them has walked away.) The intel also told us where and when we could find the guy.<br /><br />Now I've been on raids like this before -- in Vietnam and Iraq. And more times than not you come up dry.<br /><br />But not this time.<br /><br />The place we were told we could find this guy was in a compound near patrol base Sofla in a village called Kenjak Sofla.<br /><br />Compound. Imagine a twisting maze of alleys, eight-foot tall mud walls, a collection of houses and garages and small barns. Chickens and turkeys running loose. In all, maybe an acre or two. We were told we could identify which compound by the green doors.<br /><br />We pulled up in broad daylight in four armored vehicles, nearly two dozen Marines and a pair of Afghan National Army soldiers. The Marines cordoned off the compound with practiced ease. The only confusion came when the Marines discovered several green doors. They picked one.<br /><br />Inside they found a heavy-set, middle-aged Afghan man. He told us his name, which matched that of the suspect's father. He told us no one else was there, and with that a door opened and into the courtyard walked a young Afghan man. Well, almost no one else. The old man led us to a larger courtyard and there we found still another young man, a man who fit closely the description of the suspect the Marines were hunting.<br /><br />Staff Sgt. Keith Kesterson, who was leading the raid, and Moi Tai, his interpreter, began the questioning. Kesterson had a practiced set of questions to break down any evasions. "What's your name?" Kesterson asked. The man simply and promptly identified himself as the guy they had been sent to find.<br /><br />Sometimes it's just that easy.<br /><br />The suspect was tested for the presence of explosives on his hands, arms and clothing. He tested positive. In one of the garages the Marines found four 50 kg bags of ammonium nitrate-based fertilizer. Because that is the chief ingredient in the IEDs the insurgents use, it is illegal to possess it. The Marines destroyed the fertilizer by dumping it in a ditch and soaking it with water.<br /><br />The suspect was flex cuffed and put in the back of one of the armored vehicles. In truth, his father seemed more upset that the Marines confiscated several thousand dollars in Afghanistan and Pakistan currency than the arrest of his son.<br /><br />As of this writing the son is still in custody.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161779925780033572.post-60479383411865541952010-05-27T04:57:00.000-07:002010-05-27T20:52:27.680-07:00A Hard DayThursday, May 20, 2010<br /><br />It started out as a routine patrol.<br /><br />It ended as one of the worst days for Alpha Company.<br /><br />The routine part was one of those dreary assignments grunts get in war zones. One squad of 2nd platoon was to provide security for a team of engineers who was going to blast a path through a minefield to the top of a hill overlooking a valley leading to Kenjak-e Olya. The look out point is called Outpost Arizona.<br /><br />Even though the real heat of summer hasn't arrived yet -- it can regularly reach 120 degrees in the summer -- the temperatures nudged 100 in the shade and, as they say, there ain't no shade. As far as the grunts were concerned the only redeeming part of the patrol was watching the engineers blow shit up. At the base of the hill, which rose steeply 170 feet from where the Marine vehicles were parked, the engineers fired a rocket that streamed 100 meters of 1,800 pounds of high explosives in a string up the hill. The high explosives detonated with a thoroughly satisfying bit of fury that was intended to set off any mines in its path. The engineers worked their way to the summit using smaller, rocket-launched explosives. We could see at least one secondary explosion, a mine intended for a Marine.<br /><br />And while all of that was highly entertaining, the security Marines then morphed into pack mules. Every bit of food and water the men on the outpost would need had to be hand carried up the hill. That was the easy part. Coils of barbed wire and sections of the ubiquitous Hesco fencing also had to be lugged up the hill in the afternoon's blistering heat. Even fit 20-year-old Marines staggered under the loads.<br /><br />It was 1800 by the time all of that was done and we had just climbed back into our vehicles when a mortar team in Kenjak-e Olya opened fire on us. Marines on top of OP Arizona actually saw the team and its mortar tube. The first three rounds of 82 mm mortars landed about 150 meters too long. The next three landed about 150 meters too short. They had us bracketed. All they had to do was split the difference on range and we'd have been able to test how mortar resistant our armored vehicles really are.<br /><br />The Marines opened fire with every weapon they had. Even though the mortar tube was about 2,500 meters away, Marines with M-4 rifles blazed away. The maximum effective range of the M-4 is 800 meters. Many were firing their weapons for the first time nearly three months into their deployment. The one Mark-19, which fires a 40- mm high explosive projectile, jammed after firing one round. The .50 caliber machine gun, the only weapon in the platoon that could have been expected to be truly effective at the range, jammed after it fired each round. It got off maybe six rounds total. The M-240 medium machine guns, whose maximum effective range is 1,800 meters, burned up ammo. More about that later.<br /><br />2nd Lt. Cody Hardenburgh, 24, of Long Beach, N.Y., was in overall command of the Marines at OP Arizona. He leads 1st platoon, whose men will man the outpost. He called for 120 mm mortar fire from his nearby patrol base at Sofla. The six mortar rounds appeared to land in an open field on the far side of the village. An artillery unit at a different patrol base fired six rounds of 155 mm artillery. Those rounds appeared to land near where the mortar team had been seen but some also appeared to land in the heart of the village.<br /><br />Sure enough, within minutes of the mortar and artillery fire, two car-loads of wounded civilians arrived at PB Sofla's gate. One Afghan man was dead, another two were wounded. There were also five wounded children.<br /><br />Without hesitation the Marines loaded the wounded into their vehicles and raced back to Combat Outpost Cafferata, where there were dedicated trauma doctors, nurses and more corpsmen. One of the wounded adults died moments after arriving at Cafferata. One other wounded man showed up on his own at Cafferata. The wounded were stabilized and sent by helicopter to even better equipped medical facilities. All survived.<br /><br />But surviving their wounds may not mean a happy ending for two of the wounded, girls, each younger than 10. One of them, hit in the face by shrapnel, will be badly deformed. Another lost a foot. A Navy nurse told me that their families may well kill the girls because they will never be able to marry. Girls are a source of revenue for families; husbands pay the families for their brides. There was a wedding a few days back near our base. The bride was variously reported to be 12 or 14. The groom was in his 30s. The nurse recalled a young girl who underwent multiple surgeries for burns, whose family shot her when she returned from the hospital. "They didn't even take her to the house," she said. An Afghan interpreter, however, says that it is unlikely the girls will be killed. "But life will be a struggle for them," he said. "They will never marry."<br /><br />I imagine those two girls in hospitals beds -- beds cleaner than any they've ever dreamed about. I imagine them eating strange food -- but food in endless abundance. I imagine them being treated by people whose words they can't understand but whose care must be obvious. And I imagine they worry about how their families will react to their deformities when they return home.<br /><br />The one possible positive side in all of this is that the Marines believe the two dead men were part of the mortar team. Their names appear in intel files. The Marines also believe the two men died from gunshot wounds, most likely from the M-240 machine guns. That would have been damned lucky shooting at that range. But according to Navy Chief Petty Officer Eric Motz, a corpsman who treated the men -- and whose judgment I trust explicitly -- said the men died from gunshot wounds.<br /><br />Despite the efforts by the Marines and Navy medical workers to save injured villagers, word spread rapidly in the area about the dead and wounded. Five days later company commander Capt. Jeremy Wilkinson visited Khurghay, a village to the south. The people in Kenjak-e Olya and Khurghay belong to different tribes. Nonetheless the Khurghay village elder confronted Wilkinson with this blunt question: "What's the difference between you and the Taliban? You kill innocent people."<br /><br />"We don't fire at anyone who doesn't fire at us," Wilkinson answered. "And we take care of those who get hurt." Nonetheless, it is a setback in the war to win hearts and minds.<br /><br />Villagers in Kenjak-e Olya hotly deny that the two dead men were Taliban but Kenjak-e Olya is a heavily mined area. In fact the day we visited the village -- and heard the claims that the two dead men were innocent bystanders -- a motorcycle driving by the edge of town hit a mine, leaving little of the driver to bury.Robert Hodiernehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15943665534004746297noreply@blogger.com2