Archive

Afghanistan

Snapshots of the soldier

December 12, 2011
Afghanistan
9 Comments

This post is really just a selection of images from a recent trip out which will hopefully give you an idea of what a soldier is.  They are random images that I hope will show we are human and they do have a sense of humor.

Soldiers will have a laugh whenever they can and will make light of anything even the bad.  On a recent trip one of the officers was shot in the leg during an operation and all the guys could talk about was how he had only been out here a few days and was already on his way home again, ‘lucky bastard!’

Of course this was what we term banter and like most things said out here is not to be taken seriously.  It is designed to lighten the load and of course everyone was glad he was not more seriously injured.

Mascots, the soldier will name their vehicle, stick mascots on it or personalise anything including their bed spaces.

Even when it gets cold, and boy does it get cold,

there are ways and means to feel the heat.

In confined spaces anywhere you can dry your kit, you use.

We love getting our mail and when it comes in so infrequently it can mean lots arriving at once.

There is always an opportunity to get into the party spirit, and sometimes you get the impression that fancy dress is code for hardly any dress at all.

Soldiers like getting tattoo’s and many of them have meaning, many of us have been here before and will come again.

Food HAS to be so hot you no longer taste it!

It does seem that out here most soldiers smoke.

It is difficult to keep your hair short or do Jedward have a lot to answer for?

Mustaches and Christmas hats should be worn at any and every opportunity.

Preparations to go out on an operation are a ritual, everyone has their own.  Nothing is ever taken for granted.

Although there is always time for a smile no matter how tense.

It is better to be ready early and then wait than wait til the last minute, it pays to be organised.

We are just regular people, just like anyone else but we adapt to circumstance and adversity, we just find a way to deal with things we would have no cause for otherwise.

If only!

Local Bobbies and a case of the fowl ending.

December 5, 2011
Afghanistan
Leave a comment

One of our recent excursions was to visit a newly established Afghan National Police (ANP) Patrol base.  The ANP are part of the relatively newly formed Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and are really another armed facet designed to assist in the regional control for the elected national government.  In reality they are nothing like the Bobby on our streets back home, but then this country is culturally and historically much different to our own.

A patrol base is exactly as it sounds, a compound that the ANP will base themselves from as they patrol the local area and attempt to provide comfort and security to the locals and assist in the forcing out of the remaining Taliban and criminal elements who manipulate the lawlessness to their advantage.  It is a slow progress that will take time but it is slowly working.

Any force that speaks the local language and understands the cultural sensitivities will inevitably be more successful than any force that requires translators.

These members of the Police have closer links to the Army than our own police and are armed ready to protect themselves when necessary.  Lets not beat around the bush, these are battle hardened men, who are under no illusions as to the day to day threats they face.  They live rough (by our standards), and carry little kit and equipment beyond the essentials.

These guys are committed to the task and have a camaraderie evident in abundance.  They have seen and endured things that perhaps no-one their age should really have had to experience.  They don’t see that I suspect, life out here is tough and you just have to get on with it.

They fend for themselves by killing and cooking their dinner which tonight means that the bird gets it.

They are a presence for the government, and a presentation that the people are not being forgotten.  They are an authority which will have greater credibility than any insurgent or criminal organisation, certainly in time.

They are a part of the future of Afghanistan, although the chicken’s hours are numbered.

The Green zone in Helmand is a stunning region, that is unique within Afganistan.  Called the ‘bread basket’ of the country because of its fertile soils and density of farming lands, it is an amazing place to visit and walk through, although the potential risk of doing so should not be played down.  Many of the locals appear friendly and smiles are plenty but as you patrol you are acutely aware of the threat as you scan the surroundings.

The Michael Jackson effect and the journey to security

December 3, 2011
Afghanistan
Leave a comment

There can be little doubt that Afghanistan is a developing country.  Forty years ago it was considered an extremely forward thinking Muslim nation and quite liberal with it.  Not that you would believe that if you saw it today.  Prolonged conflict will do that to a country.

Are things changing?  Well things are always changing, so that is a given, the question is though, is it changing for the better?  The only people that can answer that are the Afghans themselves, so I won’t start.  However they are certainly taking charge in their own security.  If you measure ‘better’ by improving civil rights and education, then yes it is improving but it is still a dangerous place to grow up.

Having had the opportunity to observe a pass off parade in Helmand where 1400 newly trained soldiers formed up, I was not surprised to recognise many aspects.  Being a serving soldier I still remember what I felt like on the day I passed off the square.  You have been thrust together with strangers into an environment that tests you, trains you and as best it can prepares you for what comes next.  Yes there is a lot to learn, yes it is physically hard at times, yes at times you wonder how much of it is really necessary, but on this day, it all pails to insignificance as the pride of your achievement takes control.

Being a soldier in the Afghanistan Army, is nothing like being a British soldier, the equipment is different, the circumstances are different, the opportunities are different, but effectively the job is the same.  They are charged with the responsibility to protect and defend a nation.  Their nation.

In the case of Afghanistan, this is no easy task, but it not been easy for forty years, and it won’t get any easier over night.  A fledgling Army has to get up to strength, meet the challenges ahead and gain popular support, which it is doing.  They are gradually beginning to take over areas from ISAF (International Security Assistance Force).  They may not be able to operate the same way as their ISAF counterparts, but as they can communicate with the local population in a way ISAF cannot, you could argue that they will have greater effect.  The local population will, after all, be the ones to decide where the nation is going.

Afghanistan is a large multicultural nation which has had a past with the Soviets, so it is unsurprising that elements of the Soviet drill are practiced.  The Soviet drill that was witnessed all over the world beamed from Red Square during the height of the ‘Cold War’, was nothing if not impressive and imposing.  Stamping feet, swinging arms, heads help high, this is definitely not a simple march and at times timing was lost, but in the scheme of things, an ability to march in step all the time is possibly not of primary importance.

As a soldier over here, we try to find humour in that around us and I had a chuckle to myself with the marching.  When it was good, it was impressive (as is the intent), but at times as I photographed it I found myself thinking that it looked like a rehearsal for a Michael Jackson music video.  The the influence of the self appointed ‘King of Pop’, has reached far indeed.

An Afghan parade holds very little similarities with a British one, this is not intended as a criticism as the Afghans are not British, nor I am sure, do they wish to be.  They follow their own cultural paths and do their best too.  There were times during the parade where the soldiers sang, and not just to their national anthem.  When they sing, they sing with passion, even if the National anthem is played over the PA system from a mobile phone.

My overall impression from witnessing this spectacle was they are a proud people that really love their country and they believe in themselves.  When they have all that what can stop them?

It will be a long journey but a journey that Afghanistan has to take for its own future and now there are an additional 1400 soldiers to help.

Cultural differences and naked sauna’s

November 5, 2011
Afghanistan
7 Comments

The Combat Camera Teams  latest task has been to visit patrol base Wahid, in the green zone of Helmand province to record the contribution to the campaign by the Estonian force.

Smoking is common pass time amongst all soldiers

Two Estonian soldiers ease the burden off their weary feet

I have to admit my naivety about Estonia, other than their geographical location and the fact that they were part of the Soviet Union, I knew little else.

The final cigarette before leaving the safety of their compound

Where is Estonia?  Well it is situated to the east of the Baltic Sea nestled between Finland to the North, Latvia to the south and a small country called Russia to the East.  One of three small independent nations huddled together that used to be part of the old Soviet Union Estonia,Latvia and Lithuania, were important players in the breaking up of the Soviet Union.  Consisting of about only 1.3 million people, it is one of the least populated countries in Europe.

Under threat, a keen lookout

The country contributes about 160 soldiers for a rolling six month deployment on a par with the British troops however considering their population; they are actually one of the largest contributors to the operation (per capita).  They work as part of the multi-national task force within the British are of operations.

Culturally closer to Scandinavia than Russia, they are a friendly bunch and have a mental toughness that is obvious.  Most of its soldiers are physical giants.

Mental preparation before leaving the safety of base

Being a smaller nation they do at times seem to be a little less equipped than the other nations, their vehicles look like cold war throwbacks, but here is the thing, it all works and works well.  They are an example of the emphasis on manpower over technology.  That said they are still sufficiently equipped for this theatre. They have suffered losses and like all the nations involved are constantly adapting their tactics to suit the enemy threat.

Photograph donated by photojournalist Martin Middlebrook of Op massive in progress

Life in any Patrol Base can at times be slow and efforts need to be made to help pass the time.  This can be using the gym (in military terms, known as Op Massive), watch DVD’s, read or pretty much find anything you can to pass the time.  The Estonian platoon in Patrol Base ‘Brekna’ had another, I had not seen before.  For nearly three hours, these battle hardened soldiers dragged out their laptops, sat around the communal dining table, wirelessly linked up and in teams and preceded to kill each other over and over and over again……….tirelessly.

The band of brothers, games style

Illumination from the screen

Focus and concentration

The apple portrait

The focus and concentration was astounding but good natured.  These guys just didn’t move more than their fingertips for ages.  It made for some interesting images.

Stunning natural light in the pitch of night

As the light departed and faded to black (a little video pun), the opportunity was too good to miss in an attempt for another long exposure star trail shot, this time getting the North star too for a bit of visual interest.  It was a shame that the moon was so prominent so although it gave some awesome light for the compound, it did mean there was a lot of light pollution in the sky.

The home from home in a patrol base

Refusal to accept its time to get up

So what about the Sauna?

As we all sat around in the evening waiting for their two chefs to rustle up a fine meal, we began to talk about the welfare facilities these guys had and the subject of saunas were raised.  It turns out that they have a mobile sauna on the Patrol base ‘Wahid’………….. No really an actual sauna.

Suspiciously we enquired more to discover that in Estonian military law, every soldier must sauna at least once a week, so that although this was not possible on ‘Brekna’, an ops sauna on ‘Wahid’ was a sight to behold.

“And so it came to pass that on the last night, hosted by the Estonians, the Combat Camera Team were all sat (naked) in a fully functioning Sauna on the front line of the Helmand campaign”.  A surreal experience you can be sure, but all I can say to end this entry is to say, be thankful there are no photos!

Estonian top gunner taking a moment inside the Armoured Personnel Carrier

A final wave on the journey back to Bastion

Until next time.

Bloody Digital Photography

November 1, 2011
Afghanistan
1 Comment

The worst thing about digital photography is I have to say the requirement to have power.  Yes batteries can last for days now, and they are quite small and light so you can carry a few with you, but there will always be the inevitable need to recharge.  “You just cannot forget about film” is a recurring message that I seem to be hearing over and over.  It still has its place.

One of the problems being out here as the Camera Operator is that I don’t get to shoot anywhere near as much as I would like. So when I do, it would be great if everything worked the way you think it should.

I have shot star trails on film before on a Hasselblad, and the results were great.  I have wanted to give it a go on digital for some time and managed something out in Canada once.  It didn’t work as the battery died before I closed the shutter meaning that the camera couldn’t do its post exposure clean up!  The resulting image was dreadful with all kinds of noise overly distracting from the general image.

Now with the D3, and finally in a location with no light pollution (not even any flashes from incoming rockets and mortars), I decided to give it another shot.  To get a decent trail of light I decided on a six hour exposure with some interest added as a reference.

So working out my aperture and ISO, I set the camera on my tripod, pre-focused and away it went.  Leave the camera in the middle of a compound full of squadies and hope six hours later not to have pictures of genitals.

Alarm set, getting up at ‘stupid O’Clock’ on a cold (by Afghanistan standards) morning, I was again disappointed as the battery had gone dead before I got there and the exposure had ended.  CRAP!  Clear nights are not all that common out here with dust light pollution and a bright moon.  Never mind I will get another shot.

Anyway here is the shot, it has taken some creative post production to get an image that I am happy to display but it is not the shot I wanted.

Not another bloody school day!

 

The dark side

October 23, 2011
Afghanistan
2 Comments

As I told you last time, I am working in Afghanistan with the ‘Combat Camera Team’, a three man team who are responsible for gathering footage, stills and stories to send back for the UK and international press to use (if they so wish).  Now I am the ‘Video guy’, so I am the one who films the footage, packages it up and sends it back to the UK for distribution via our internet, which is a bit like internet at home, just a damn site slower, in fact at times it is soooooo slow (try to remember the old dial up speeds from the 90’s and then quarter it), it might be quicker to jump onto the nearest bicycle (the main local form of transport) and take it home like that.

These are just the kind of limitations you have to endure out here at times, although not pleasant they are frustrating enough when an editor is desperately waiting for your footage, but that is just the way it is.

My background is not working with video, I am a stills photographer for the Army, however one of our roles is to supply a camera operator from within the trade, which at the time of writing consist of just 43 people, to fulfil the role (internally referred as turning to the dark side).  I did a camera operators course once, but now due to my age and possibly assisted by my rapidly thinning ginger hair (we like to focus on this fact in the Army), I had pretty much forgotten it all and even working out where the tape cassette went was proving challenging until it was pointed out to me that the ‘NEW’ cameras didn’t use tape anymore.  Oooops.

In the patrol we are organised so that we fit in with minimal fuss

So with three months due until the deployment, off I went to re-learn the skills of video, sound, editing and packaging my footage, shot sequences, overlapping action, crossing the line, terminology like Cut Away’s, close up’s, General Views.  Sounds easy………………………but its not!  I am an experienced stills photographer, who may, at times, be a little set in his ways. I have over time developed my style of photography and now tend to work towards what I am looking for…………a single shot to tell a story when possible.  Now with video I have to take 25 frames a second.  I have to wear big headphones or protective earphones to keep on top of the sound, carry a big tripod as ‘shakey’ cam is ‘just amateurish’.  So as I look through the viewfinder concentrating on all this I may well have to bear in mind where I am walking because there are a few people out here who like to hide unpleasant things for us to find in the ground.  Its not all bad news though because I get my own officer to look after me (a  bit of a turn around from old the Blackadder days hey?).  He even carries the sticks (tripod) and with some pride calls himself my ‘sticks bitch’.  You gotta love Army humour.

Putting our heads above the parapet 

After being out here for a few weeks now I am starting to get the hang of it but it is still quite difficult and not at all what you would call natural, you have to zoom right in to focus and then zoom back out to compose, set the white balance, check your sound, check for background noise, listen to what is being said, will that bit edit?  Can I edit this into a piece that says all it needs to?  Can I edit it?  Can I edit?  No really, can I edit?  As if the taking of the footage was not hard enough, I also need to edit basic packages for use on the web.  Now much of this is work self taught on the hop.  A few pointers here or there and a way you go, just make sure you don’t go longer than 60 secs because the average web user loses interest then.  Editing software is never an easy task to get your head around and ‘Avid’ is perhaps the most confusing of the lot, but you have to learn it and pretty quickly.  The manual may as well be written in Japanese too with all the Video terminology that makes little or no sense to the uninitiated.

The Team leader provides support as I become tunnel visioned looking through the viewfinder

In the end you just have to jump in and try your best to keep all the information in your head while concentrating on all the elements of the camera handling………………………Damn, I forgot the white balance again!

Every day is a school day.

Until next time.

All images in this post are British Crown Copyright and taken by Sergeant Steve Blake RLC, the stills photographer from the Combat Camera Team on Operation Herrick 15

An Army photographer in Afghanistan

October 14, 2011
Afghanistan
Leave a comment

For those of you (few) who may read this, I am doing my time in Afghanistan at the moment and thought it may be a good opportunity to tell you about what it is like out here, hopefully away from the pretence and ego centric bluff that you may have heard before.

Let me start by saying I do NOT consider myself a ‘WAR’ photographer, but rather a Military photographer that from time to time may be expected to go and photograph or film in places some may call a war zone.  While this is in no way meant as a disrespectful piece on those that are ‘WAR’ photographers, I just think I should differentiate between us and them and I certainly don’t wish to belittle what I do either.

Let me start by explaining our role as I see it.  I am currently serving as part of a three man team that includes a stills photographer (Steve), and Team Leader (Mark) and myself the ENG (Electronic News Gathering) Camera operator, or Video guy, we are the ‘Combat Camera Team’.  We will spend six months of our lives out here based in Afghanistan as part of a larger organisation, ‘Media Operations’ gathering and distributing images, footage and stories to the UK, and international press.

These happy people are Mark and Steve.

Now six months can be a long time to be away from family and friends but there is also the fact that we are all in the same boat, so we just have to get on with it.  We are consenting adults who signed the contract so have to accept the possibility of these tours and take it on the chin.  For those of you that know the British Army, this does not mean that we cannot moan and whine about things.  That’s the way we role baby!  Don’t take it seriously.

Now then life out here is at times not all about bombs and bullets, at times it can get very boring, very very boring, very very very boring.  Am I making my point?

At other times the tempo can be the complete opposite and we can be zipping all over the place shooting this and that (usually with a camera).  Now I believe that we always try to be subjective in our coverage, but we do work for the Ministry of Defence, so we are limited with what we can and can’t release.  We are after all a public relations asset and as such you would not expect a PR department of any corporation to volunteer to focus on the things that maybe unpopular.

I should add that sometimes we can get bored, have I mentioned that yet?

So why don’t I consider myself a ‘WAR’ photographer then?  Do I make a living from photographing ‘WAR’?  No!  Am I an impartial observer? No!  Do I have the freedom to photograph and film what I want to?  No.  Do not read that as a negative point.  Do I wish to don a dish dash, leave the security provided by my comrades armed with only a camera and a few US dollars, to track down a local ‘Taliban’ commander and ask him how his day is?  No!  It is this point that I believe means I am not a ‘WAR’ photographer.  I have operational limitations (which are as much for my personal safety than anything else), which limit what I can and can’t do.

You cannot compare what we do, to what a ‘WAR’ photographer does.  Look at the work of Don McCullin, James Nachtwey, Tim Hetherington, Robert Cappa and the many others who fit the role, look at their pictures, look at where they have been, imagine what conditions they have been working in.  I am a soldier, I carry a weapon (or two), I would like to think I am surrounded by other armed soldiers (and they should be friendly).  Yes I can be and have been found in some unpleasant places and conditions (by my own standards), but in the big scheme of things I remain in relative comfort.

To conclude, please don’t imagine me sitting at a computer in the baking hot sun getting depressed about my lot in life, as I am actually sat in an air conditioned port-a-cabin (although dusty), sat in a real chair, drinking a real coffee (non of that instant rubbish for me).  I am happy with my job, I like what I do, even if I don’t enjoy every little aspect. If that was not the case, what would I have to whine about?

By the way, did I tell you I was a bit bored?

Tune in next time while I tell you more about what we do.

Any opinions and views expressed in this article are the opinions and views of Mark Nesbit and should not be considered those of the Ministry of Defence.