Soldier cooks under fire

Miami Herald ^ | February 26, 2004 | JOHN B. DENDY IV

[Prodigal Son]

A Miami area resident stationed at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan is helping the efforts to combat terrorists and help rebuild that country.

BY JOHN B. DENDY IV

Special to The Herald

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The son of two area residents says you have to pack heavy when leaving home to go fight the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. The climate he's in is bitterly cold, snowy and icy during this time of year, while, in the summer, it's just the opposite -- like living in a convection oven infested with vipers and cobras.

You'll also need the tools of the trade: sleeping bag, assault rifle, ammunition, body armor, helmet and everything else required to take out terrorists and former Taliban loyalists bent on your destruction.

Army Spec. Jose L. Fachal, son of Jose L. Fachal of Miamiand Gladis Fachal of Hialeah, lives at the eye of the storm in the war on terror as an unsung member of Coalition Joint Task Force 180, the lead military agency for operations in Afghanistan.

Some service members arrive here and never go beyond the concertina wire perimeter because their work revolves around supporting the people who do leave the wire to rebuild in Afghanistan or to destroy holdout Taliban and Al Qaeda elements from a string of fire bases along the border with Pakistan.

Each task force member contributes specific talents to the mission, said Fachal, a food services specialist at the air field.

''I cook hearty and nutritious meals for the soldiers of the Army, plus the Romanians and the French. I also rotate to the fire bases and work with numerous special operations personnel on their food service needs,'' said Fachal, a 2000 graduate of American Academy. ``The most difficult part of my job here is the long hours. I work holidays and weekends while everybody else gets days off.''

Located 15 miles from the city of Kandahar, this air field is one of the most remote, landlocked and desolate places where the Army has ever tried to build a combat base. But it makes for a perfect hub for the coalition to go on missions into the mountains to battle the Taliban or perform reconstruction projects that range from digging a well for a village to setting the stage for national elections and ratifying a constitution.

Some troops helm the firing bases with names like Shkin, Gardez and Oulet -- areas Soviet invaders wouldn't even go into against the mujahadeen 23 years ago -- while others provide support in the form of supply, transportation, food or recreation services. Everyone here brings something special to get to the end game in Afghanistan, Fachal said.

''My work contributes to the war on terror by making sure soldiers are well fed and never hungry, so they can be ready for any mission,'' he said. 'I also contribute to the soldiers' morale by giving them good food while they are members of this task force.''

Most of the service members at the camp live in a tent city -- complete with limited Internet access -- built over a former Taliban mine field that was carefully cleared several months ago. But there aren't even tents at the forward fire bases, just sleeping bags, mountain ice, thin air and drastic temperature changes.

Fachal takes it all in stride.

''I can't complain about the living conditions at Kandahar. They are good compared to other places we go to,'' he said. ``We have a roof over our heads and a tent with air conditioning and heat. Except for the dust, life is good.''

[Prodigal Son]

You might like this one.

[2banana]

Some troops helm the firing bases with names like Shkin, Gardez and Oulet -- areas Soviet invaders wouldn't even go into against the mujahadeen 23 years ago --

And the US is doing that with 11,000 troops (compared to the 150,000 - 200,000 Soviet troops that were Afghanistan).

[BushisTheMan]

Yep, our guys rock!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you, Prodigal Son.

Respectful, hometown articles about our troops are welcome always! (^:

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Army Spec. Jose L. Fachal, son of Jose L. Fachal of Miami and Gladis Fachal of Hialeah, lives at the eye of the storm in the war on terror as an unsung member of Coalition Joint Task Force 180, the lead military agency for operations in Afghanistan.

Some service members arrive here and never go beyond the concertina wire perimeter because their work revolves around supporting the people who do ...

Each task force member contributes specific talents to the mission, said Fachal, a food services specialist at the air field.

"We have a roof over our heads and a tent with air conditioning and heat. Except for the dust, life is good.''

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

   

   Thank you from your great home state of Florida,

               Army Spec. Jose L. Fachal! 

 

           

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    

    Freedom Watch
 ~ daily paper of CJTF 180

[blackie]

Freedom Fries ~ Bump!

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists and the democrats are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Neets]

This is just right up your kitchen alley.

[Prodigal Son]

I liked this one. I've said before, I have a lot of respect for the cooks in the military. They are very professional and do a job I would not be able to do and get very little recognition for it.

[jwalsh07]

Thank God for cooks!

[xzins]

Sadly, I love freedom fries.

But Dr Atkins doesn't.

So....I gotta pass.

[windchime]

Bump!