Spera

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-114 days till Afghan national elections

My next assignment was a 3 week mission at Spera Combat Outpost. It sits on top of a small mountain surrounded by a bunch of taller mountains along the Pakistan border. There isnt much available, we have to cook our own meals and the living conditions arent great, but most of the guys that get assigned there seem to like it. Two PBS reporters for Frontline came with us and covered the entire mission. It is scheduled to air in October. I was very busy, as I was seeing both ANA soldiers and locals brought up to our camp in need of treatment. We were attacked a few times and had an incident in which a troubled ANA soldier shot up some of his fellow soldiers. One of the ANA soldiers-Popeye (a name of affection given to him by us)-lost his life. He was very popular among his fellow soldiers and will be missed.

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Photos

King Kong
Im guessing they gave that mountain this name because its ridiculous to do a patrol on...

tidee bowl man
we have to clean up after ourselves...in every way

Spera
A view of Spera COP from another mountain

view
A view from Spera

Pakistan
A view of Pakistan on the other side of the border

water well
we have to pump our own water here

Pakistan2
another view of Pakistan

Local elder
One of the locals I treated

PBS in action
One of the PBS reporters trying to get everything possible on film

Spera puppy
we adopted a puppy and kept him inside the COP-his name is Akog

Akog in action
he was entertaining to say the least

Akog3
He bites, poops, and never sleeps..what else more could you want from a companion?

flag
We put a flag on top of our hut-nothin better than a good target for the Taliban, but its worth it.

work schedule
Each of us has our own assignments and responsibilities-mine was the medical clinic

Spera
Another view of Spera COP

captured
Detainee that went rogue was evacuated soon afterward

Comments

[Shafiullah]

about spera
i was in spera with coalition fogrces and ETTs about 3 months, as a interpreter my mission name is speedy, it was a good place to die, every day attacks by the talibans, but the ANA were defeating them from both OPs East OP and Yellow OP