[OT] I've arrived in Afghanistan

M. Bréqs · Post by **M. Bréqs** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:08 am

smutek wrote:If you want this war so bad and you are so concerned then why don't you go fight? I mean, I know your not going to get to do it in your countries army, and you can't join ours (not yet at least) but with your real world soldiering skills I am sure you could get a job as a contractor at Blackwater.

Well, Smutek's advice (from another post here) is eerily prophetic.

I have volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan, starting in July and staying for 9 months. I'm not doing contract work as Smu suggested, but I'll be deploying as a member of the Candian Forces, and I'll be starting training on April 2nd.

My team will be operating in Kandahar, which is in southern Afghanistan, away from the relative security of the Capital, Kabul. Unfortunately I cannot be specific about what I will be doing, or in what areas I will be working exactly.

The money's going to be fantastic, so that'll help pay for my new house, but it'll be very austere working conditions, somewhat dangerous and very long, strenuous and stressful hours. I'm planning to take my notebook computer and Live out there with me, but I don't think I'll have much time to work on music (or post on this forum for that matter!!!)

However, that's a small price to pay to put in my part to help out the people there by tracking down and killing / caputuring Taliban; CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) should be able to get some good work done there if we can provide enough security for their reconstruction efforts.

Unfortunately Smu, I can't get my butt to Iraq right now (the money would be fantastic) until I've cut my teeth with a mission in the region. My experience in Bosnia doesn't ammount for shit as far as Blackwater is concerned, but after my tour in Afghanistan I'll see what oppotrunities develop.

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:15 am

Good Luck!

Above all, stay safe, and post as often as you can.

Be great to get some first-hand reports from the region...

cheers
paddy

dango · Post by **dango** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:19 am

I have two friends that both recently returned from Afghanistan; One in the army the other in the Marines; one from his 2nd deployment the other back from his 3rd. Both pray everyday that they never have to return to that hell hole but they know that they will. They say Afghanistan is not nearly as bad as Iraq but it is no fun. I wish you luck and hope you find the enjoyment in your trip that so many can not.

forge · Post by **forge** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:22 am

is your woman happy about this?

well, good luck anyway!

Thinktanx · Post by **Thinktanx** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:25 am

Good luck and be safe.

The Phat Conductor · Post by **The Phat Conductor** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:31 am

whoah, heavy.

please don't get killed or do anything you'll regret later.

and send us some field recordings if you can

<3

d

simpleton · Post by **simpleton** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:36 am

M. Bréqs wrote:I'm planning to take my notebook computer and Live out there with me,;)

You go girl -sorry- dude!

prediction... Breqs will Abletonize those crazy feckin' radicals once he exposes them to the ultimate truth-music! via a smokin' Live set, and they'll be so enlightened as to renounce their murderous ways and evolve into the next flower power generation.
Good luck M. You're a brave man... hope you can stay in touch with us.

cosmosuave · Post by **cosmosuave** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:38 am

Godspeed Marcus... This is a bit of a shock... Be careful and take care of yourself you want to be able to mow that lawn of yours when you get back......

Brian.

M. Bréqs · Post by **M. Bréqs** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:39 am

Well, thanks for the well-wishes.

My lady's all for this; the reason we were able to buy a house recently is only because I'll be paying off the mortgage quickly with money earned this deployment. Of course she's scared, but she knows that if she were to try to forbid me to go, I would leave her in a heartbeat.

It's also kinda wierd when a lot of my friends have gone, and I'm the last to deploy; There's no peer pressure, but they share a common experience that I can't relate to, and I don't want to be the only one of my professional peers who hasn't taken his fair share of the shit.

Sincerely, the motivations for going are so many, it's almost overwhelming.

Pride,
Avoidance of shame,
Desire to share a common experience with my friends,
Desire for professional respect,
The medal (believe it, that hunk of brass means a lot),
The money,
The personal satisfaction of helping some really ufortunate people out,
The adventure,
Testing my physical and mental limits (self-actualization), etc.

One of my buddies (who's ex military) is a buddhist; He claims he achieved a lesser state of enlightenment after being shot at (and shooting back) in the Medak pocketin Croatia.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:41 am

Keep your wits about you.

Sheesh and I thought changing your login to a short name was a shocker...

jb61264 · Post by **jb61264** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:40 am

Damn...I guess money talks...best wishes for a safe deployment man. I know its not something I could ever do.

Keep us informed about your status if you have a minute of internet access while you're over there and above all, stay safe!

Cyberstar · Post by **Cyberstar** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 3:40 am

Good luck and stay safe mate

Jeroen · Post by **Jeroen** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 4:45 am

Pride,
Avoidance of shame,
Desire to share a common experience with my friends,
Desire for professional respect,
The medal (believe it, that hunk of brass means a lot),
The money,
The personal satisfaction of helping some really ufortunate people out,
The adventure,
Testing my physical and mental limits (self-actualization), etc.

Hi Breqs, just be aware that the first five on your list suggests that you base your choice on some relation to your social environment. I wonder what choice you would make in a different environment. What is good for you?

D K · Post by **D K** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 6:11 am

man, i can't help it...
you posted this in a public forum.
so i'll reply.
you're excited about making money to hunt down/kill people.
exactly what makes you better than them? or in the right?
this touched a real nerve in me. how sad.
i hope you live to remember it all.
be safe, good luck.

LOFA · Post by **LOFA** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:05 am

When my "older brother" became a police officer he basically said: There need to be more people like us here. It makes sense. I still consider it. Everyday. I would be a lousy soldier however. My strengths lie in my desire to ask questions.

Anyway, I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for your posts and ideas, and I have just as much respect for your decision. I feel that the escalated crisis, while perhaps being the result of inappropriate actions, is at a point where interaction is vital. Better you than me or many others. Please be safe.

Ian

[OT] I've arrived in Afghanistan

[OT] I've arrived in Afghanistan

Re: [OT] I'm off to work in Afghanistan