Month 6 Day 26

Notebook Entry
Morning Salim no-show meeting, Video teleconference, made presentation with Salim, fight with Rafi.

Journal Entry
Salim missed the Meeting this morning because Rafi told him that one of the Property book officer Sergeants was going to do it. The Brigade SgtMaj came up to me and asked me why I didn’t make sure that he was there, I’m like dude ‘you’re the Sgt Maj!’ I guess Rafi gave Salim bum scoop because the general de facto fired Rafi while we were gone and told him not to do any more briefs, a fact that Rafi selectively forgot to mention to Salim. I told Salim to prep for the Video Teleconference and type his ciphers and be ready by 1245. He didn’t even know that was going on. We went to the VTC, again, I am not sure of the purpose of these things, are we trying to give them a capability that they will never have, and then yank it away. It was the same bullshit, I did this number of patrols, my area is this long…

I walked into the CoC after the meeting with Salim. I spoke with a couple of the Marines for a few moment then turned around to see Salim crouched next to Zaqriullah, an otherwise upstanding Sergeant. They were speaking in muted tones, and Salim reached in the same pocket that he said he had hash in the day prior and handed Zaqriullah something white, literally under the table while smiling and making the elongated throat sounds possible in Dari. I told Zaqriullah to give it to me, he played coy, what are you talking about…then pulled out a cigarette as though that was what I was talking about. I started to search his pocket and then the General Walked in and we all stood up and I lost sight of him. Searching was then pointless because I am sure that he stashed it. I told them no hash in the Combined COC. We’ve got to draw a line somewhere.

I wanted to sit down and do a class with Salim, had been tasked with creating a daily brief off of the information that they had so that I could show the General what is possible. I wanted Salim to watch for his one hour daily class. Rafi tried to send Salim back to Camp Garmsir. Rafi said that as the senior man in intel all training had to go through him. Salim was happy to listen because it meant less work for him. Salim ran out to the truck and tried to hop in the back. I ran out to the truck and told him to get out, he did after I spoke to the driver and made it clear they were not going anywhere with him. Salim walked back into the Combined COC and Rafi sat there crestfallen. Salim then bitched while I was making the presentation and having Neckpai translate all that I was doing saying that he had a lot of work to do back at the Camp. On the ride back Salim wanted to know who he should listen to, me, Rafi, what, and I told him that he should use his head. They don’t even listen to their officers, so he shouldn’t pretend that Rafi’s one extra stripe actually makes a difference to him. All he wants is to do as little work as possible. I felt a bit up in arms about the whole thing because I felt like I had just cashed my dost del chip and I am not sure that this was the right battle to fight it in. I am not sure what they think we are trying to do here, if they think that we are just trying to create more work for ourselves and them by having them do bullshit. I’m like, dude, I am trying to teach you how to do your job.

Fuck