Eckervad

Eckervad jobbar på en sjukvårdsgrupp och skriver varje vecka brev till sina kompisar om veckan som varit. Vi kommer att få läsa utdrag någon gång då och då, från det han skickar ut till sina vänner.

Nesspreso
Now it´s ready and available for all Soldiers at the camp! The Nesspreso machine, which gives you a really nice cup of coffee for one Dollar. When I first went down here I took with me a Nesspreso machine and when I was home now I bought the capsules (coffee). So for one Dollar you can buy a capsule and enjoy a nice cup. I hope that my little welfare project will be successful and that lots of Soldier will like it. The money that comes in I hope will cover the coast of the machine and the capsules.

Of course this two last weeks have been generating news in the Swedish media. So a reporter from the Swedish Television came to CNL to do a report and join a small patrol in the area. The interview could be seen on Rapport the biggest Swedish news program. They interviewed Marcus a friend to me that was in the patrol that was attacked by the INS. My believe is that he did a really good interview. It’s always a big chance that the reporter will turn around everything and the true will not be told.
All the Swedish Soldiers that is here in Afghanistan is here on free will, we are here to do a good work, so the Afghanistan people can move on and have a future of peace and democracy. We are all Soldiers down here trained to handle all kind of situation and also the most difficult ones when someone is shooting at you or your friends. We are not here to shoot anyone but if we are attacked we will fight for our lives.
Everyone that are sitting in their sofa and thinking that we should go home should read the history and the news how the Taliban’s are treating people. When information comes that they have for example throw acid in the face of girls, just because they are studying in a school.

Patrol
One evening we were sent out on a mission there we should see if we could find some weapon or things that some INS had dropped in our area. The mornings are the best in Afghanistan the temperature is around 30 degrees plus and the morning are beautiful. We went out with the QRU and the CV90 platoon. The Soldiers search the area and found a few things so that was good. When we were going back one of the vehicles broke down so the maintenance Soldier had to come out. The patrol that some Soldiers went out on that should be five hours became 17 hours. During the night I tried to sleep for a few hours inside the APC, I think I went minus in sleeping hours.

Visit
Every week there is lots of Soldiers from different countries that are visit the camp. This week I talked to Soldiers from Germen and from US. They are all very impressed of our ambulance and the food in the dining hall. On the pictures you can see vehicles from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany and US.

Barbar Shop At the camp we have a local barber that have a small container there he has his shop. So after that I have been looking myself in the mirror and saw that now it´s really time for a hair cut I walked up the barber shop. Knocked on the door and the barber sad hello and told me to come in. I sat down at a chair covered in plastic, and on the table there was all kind of things, scissor knifes. My thoughts was now already in a bad horror movie from Russia. He gave me some water and start asking me of my family. He was really worried that I was not married, and told me how things work in Afghanistan. After that we had talked for ten minutes he asked me how I liked to have my hair. After that I explained a little he said, that is the most beautiful hair cut, and that I should be really happy soon.

He stated to use his “machine” and the scissor and I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best. When he was finished and we agree over that it was perfect. He asked me if he could take a “little cut on my beer” Of course I sad, and he started with the machine and then suddenly I felt how he cut my eyebrow with the machine. I gave him five Dollars and we took a photo and I wished the Finnish Soldier that was next in queue good luck!

General
One of our Generals in the Swedish Army came down to the Camp during a day to talk directly to us and inform us about what are happening in Sweden and how they are working to help us but also listen to us Soldiers if we needed something. The canteen has never been as full as then the General had his speech. I think it was a good one even that we all know that things take time and words often sounds better than they really are. We can just hope that the politicians will make the right decision so we can have so good tools as possible to do our work.

Driver
This week Mr Robin arrived to the group, our new driver. Robin has been down here before as a driver and rifleman in a rifle platoon. So we welcomed him when he arrived to the camp and showed him to his barrack. Because he is a reserve hi did not have any more things than he was travelling in. So we had to go to the main store to take out some gear for him. It will take some weeks before his things from Sweden will come down to Afghanistan. He had also go throw the information package that everyone has to do then they first arrive to the camp. So after one day he could follow us out on patrol. So for two days we were five people in the group and that worked very good, Robin had a good introduction in the job as driver.

Shooting range
This Sunday we went out to the Shooting range to have a shooting, so Robin could come into the group. We tested first our weapons so they were still hitting there we were pointing. After that we did some exercise then we were going on a foot patrol and we are attacked by enemies, after that we did one when we haft to leave the APC for some reason. We tested a new bag there we have some extra things that is good to have if we are needed to leave the APC.

Summary: The media has written more about us than they have done the last few years. We are know one of the top stories in Sweden. I have been seen in one of the reportage from the Swedish Television. (http://www.svt.se/ / svtplay). I can just hope that this will make people back home the knowledge that Sweden is doing a difference in Afghanistan. Our present makes peoples everyday more safe. We had a new driver this week Robin that we all hope will enjoy the time here with us and that we will have many good days together. I have learned to never truest a barber in Afghanistan! But it was worth five Dollar for that experience.