A Battlefield Tourist

Facial Hair, Exercise and Bureaucracy

Jan 3 at 11:11am by David Tate

Preparing for a month abroad in Afghanistan takes a lot of time and effort.  It isn’t as easy as buying a plane ticket and going.

Exercise

Getting into shape is a priority.  While at 41 I do keep in good shape already, however that’s with 175lbs on my bones and muscles.  With a lot of time spent in body armor and kevlar, I need to get my body ready for carrying an additional 80 pounds worth of gear, and that takes time.

This month I’ll be adding those pounds to a three mile hill course that I have plotted out through the river district of Roanoke.  That jaunt will be interupted by a series of wind sprints, push ups and crunches that will help build my stamina.  In all, the workout takes about one hour.  Now I just have to find the time (likely 6am). 

Finding the time is very important.  What many folks don’t realize is that if you are out of shape you put yourself, and the troops around you, at greater risk.  The last thing I want is the blood of a Marine on my hands because my ass is out of shape.  The Marines know I’m a former Marine and there’s no way in hell I’m showing up out of shape.

In 2004 while deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Oruzgan Province, an Australian journalist named Carmela Baranowska was also embedded with us.  After a few patrols where she was dragging behind, the Marines pretty much kicked her off of patrols for safety reasons (she would later write that they did it to censor her).  Point is, that will never be me, and when it is, I won’t be there in the first place.

Facial Hair

Fact is, I hate facial hair, my wife hates it as does my daughter.  Hate it, hate it hate it (on me that is).  Unfortunately, part of my trip will be taking me into the general public of Afghanistan where a fresh faced white guy sticks out like a burqa at the beach.  So, goatee on for a few months.

Bureaucracy

So I just remembered that Afghanistan is one of those countries that requires an early visa to get in.  That of course requires a number of things:  Have to find someone to process it for you, need passport photos, letters of proof, etc…  A lot of what you need varies for what you’re doing.  If you’re going for business, that’s one visa; as a tourist, it’s another.  In my case, while I am a journalist by profession, I am coming to Afghanistan on my vacation time as a battlefield tourist of sorts.  So while in Afghanistan’s general population, I’m a tourist, but when I’m with the coalition, I’m a journalist.  I guess I will apply for the tourist visa and hope for the best.  The whole thing costs as much as $250.

I do have a plan B in the event Afghanistan does not let me in.