Month 10 Day 4

Notebook entry

One report given, formation, certificates, met Razaq, Met executive officer, biometric automated toolset Razaq, meeting, detainee, illegible.

Journal entry

We had a combined formation with the ANA in the morning.  The XO did their version of a troop review.  WE then gave all of the guys from the 5^th kandak CLP their awards and reawarded Yunis his medal.  I was not expecting it, but I was called out along with LtCol Valquist and GySgt Casanova to receive an award from the Afghans.  This was really surprising.  I have no idea what it says because it is written in formal, stilted Dari.

Immediately after the formation I walked over to the living quarters and Maj Razaq was there.  Skinny, unshaven, blouse open.  I asked him about the HUMINT money and he claimed he had all of the appropriate forms.  HE complained that since he left someone stole his blanket.  I told him with a bit of a wry smile that there are a lot of people in this country that are only out for themselves, he should know that as an intel officer and that if you leave for 260 days, then you should not expect that your things will be in that place that you left them.  He didn’t take my bait, but I think he caught the double entendre.

I met with the XO, the GSU commander and the S2 briefly.  I gave them the S2 performance review from the week prior.  I just happened to run into Salim as he was carting around his ‘bandee’ (detainee). I called Bobby Brumfield our Law Enforcement professional to again try to work with Salim on interrogation techniques.  As luck would have it when I came in the afternoon Razaq was in the COC.   HE did not have any paperwork, but since Lekic and James were there doing the BATS, I got his stupid ass enrolled.  I also got our detainee enrolled.

I went to Razaq later and asked for the forms he said he gave them to the XO. I went to the XO and as I suspected, he had no forms.  He called in Razaq and then his story changed, ‘well the XO has seen the forms, and I can get them for you if I go to Shorabak…’ liar.  Anyway I went to the evening staff meeting where I found out that the Afghans had destroyed our doorbell by yanking it off the wall rather than pressing the button.  Awesome, and after that I went back to meet with the XO per his request. 

He calls me in and we sit down on the floor of his living quarters, he winks at me and reaches under his bed to pull out a bunch of forms.  These forms implicate the General in stealing over 150,000 Afghani, he also implicates the S-3 and the S-2/G-2.  He hands them to me.   I tuck them in my blouse, head back scan them and bring them back.  When I return there is another guy in his office, so I clandestinely tuck the forms under a pillow on the floor so only the XO can see and then I depart.  The XO wanted me to stay for dinner, but I told him  I had to run. He also made another comment.  He called in Salim and said that he was a good sergeant and that he had picked Salim and Qais for me.  He said if it were up to the general all of S-2 would be Hazara’s then he says in English ‘made in China.’  I wonder if I just became a bit player in his inter-tribal game.  I can’t help but like the guy, but I don’t think he is any less corrupt than the General.

Maybe the best thing that will come out is that corruption cannot be forgotten by anyone and that everyone should be scared if it is everyone against everyone, then maybe that will reduce corruption.