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07-28-2010, 04:25 AM   #1
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The Afghanistan Travels Thread

I'm currently in Afghanistan and roving about the country to different FOB's for work reasons. I would like to share what I have available with the forum if you are interested. I can take photo's of everyday scenes so long as it's not a security concern.

Feel free to post suggestions of what you would like to see and I will do my best.
I'm limited to FOB's unless in a convoy as walking around out in town will get me killed.

Here are a few to begin.

These were taken on a flight between Jalalabad and Bagram.

Sarobi Hydro plant located in Parwan province in eastern Afghanistan.



Downstream on the flight up the river.



Afghan National Police running a checkpoint



A footbridge over the river


The river delta



07-28-2010, 04:32 AM   #2
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In a UH-1 helicopter flown by the Canadians. We are currently on a stop at a firebase along the route to Bagram air force base from Jalalabad.



Lifting off and flying out of the base. We are on our way north and heading over the city of Jalalabad.



The city of Jalalabad:




This is a remote home out in the desert along the route, some people live in conditions that resemble thousands of years ago in this country.

07-28-2010, 04:32 AM   #3
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What a stunning landscape. Nice shots.
07-28-2010, 04:44 AM   #4
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An afghan sunrise:




A sunset



Local Flower, I have no idea what this is but it has thorns like many desert plants.




Rocket fire, this is test fire near where I work.



Commuting to work in a John Deere diesel gator.



07-28-2010, 04:55 AM   #5
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These little guys run around without fear at night. They are practically tame compared to any mice I have ever seen. Unfortunately they bring with them the Indian Krait which has a very high chance of killing you if you are bitten. I nearly stepped on one of these in the middle of the night and one needs to be cautious.
The green light is because we are not allowed to use white lights at this location.




This is a blimp used to watch over the area to prevent attacks. They are a common sight over many bases and are raised thousands of feet into the air.




In this photo some soldiers are relaxing flying/watching an RC helicopter. My line of work seems to attract a lot of RC enthusiasts and some are impressive with their flying skill.

07-28-2010, 05:04 AM   #6
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My typical home sweet home when moving around. I live out of a backpack for the year.



Taken with a pair of night vision goggles attached to the camera.



We have these "midnight" dragon flies out here. I hope they are feasting on the mosquito's as they carry malaria.

07-28-2010, 05:07 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by fractal Quote
What a stunning landscape. Nice shots.
Thanks,

Let me know if you have anything in particular you would like to see. I will get some shots over the larger mountains to the north when I get the opportunity.

Lee

07-28-2010, 05:09 AM   #8
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Very interesting thread, please continue. For me any kind of shots taken is such interesting place is worth to publish and see.

regards
07-28-2010, 05:19 AM   #9
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These were taken just outside Bagram Air Force base as you come over the mountain range and into the valley. This valley is very dry.



Some of the homes around Bagram. Ruins here exist from Alexander the Great and are still somewhat standing.



07-28-2010, 05:45 AM   #10
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Very interesting stuff, please keep'em coming!
07-28-2010, 07:21 AM   #11
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Very interesting series. The sunrise (gorgeous) and the dragonfly (just plain cool) are my favorites. Stay safe out there and thanks for sharing.

Mike
07-28-2010, 07:44 AM   #12
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I totally echo what others have said. Please keep them coming. We don't see this here anywhere's near enough. This is NatGeo quality.
07-28-2010, 08:28 AM   #13
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This is primarily what you see in the "terminals" over here. Flights are frequently delayed or cancelled due to mechanical failures, weather or an attack. Here are a few photo's from my "waiting" (note this can take days and my record is almost 3 with hardly any sleep).





Onboard a C130 Transport plane.



This is a dvd market stand at one of the bazaar's. Copyright is pretty much ignored in this part of the world.



Keeping with how random I can be with a camera, some mouse tracks.



And I'll end this one with this. Some soldiers and civilians having fun with a water balloon launcher, because you have to have a good laugh in places like this to keep your sanity.

07-28-2010, 08:59 AM   #14
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Excellent! I had been awaiting your Afghanistan pictures ever since you mentioned it in the Vietnam thread.

Really, any pictures from over there will be of great interest to me. But if you need some inspiration, how about....day-in-the-life, natives, out-with-convoy, weird-junk-you-don't-see-in-the-US (catch-all), military hardware that's not classified or FOUO or whatever.
07-28-2010, 09:45 AM   #15
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Great series, hope you can keep it up! My youngest son was in Afghanistan two years ago with NATO, he retires with 22 years next month. Of all the places he has served he hated Afghanistan the most........the terrain and climate were horrifically bad on everything, including humans. He found the people friendly and hard workers, but the environment was the worst of anywhere he ever served. Your shots give me a new perspective on just how bad it is there. West Texas is a paradise compared to this!
Regards!
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