I am headed back to the states tomorrow. I feel as if it is a good time
to be leaving Kabul. Things have been pretty crazy here.
I have a quick story to share with you before I go. It is not related to flying, but is still good. You may or may not remember I have been friends with a man here for a while. He is an Afghan security officer name Colonel Aziz. Anyway, we have spent quite a bit of time working together on various things. Over the many discussions and cups of tea we have become really good buddies. His wife and 7 children made and gave gifts for my entire family. It was a extremely nice to which Hollie and the boys and I responded with numerous small gifts back to him.
This last sixty days we have spoken together numerous times but today was the most significant. As I said he is a security officer. Actually he is in charge of security on the base that I live while I am here. Colonel Aziz has always made me feel as if he really cared about keeping me and my team safe. Today he explained why and it was very humbling.
As I was thanking him for his hard work and dedication to the safety and security of our team, Colonel Aziz told me how he has lost four brothers in this war and he was very tired of the fighting. One brother was very recently. He explained that sometime before the US showed up he and his father were captured and beaten by the Taliban. He explained how after being beaten unconscious he awoke to see his father's finger nails being pulled out. Very long story short; both he and his father were let go. Sometime later after the US had arrived Colonel Aziz had been involved in many battles, and on one particular day he actually captured the two men that had beaten him and his father. Aziz carried the men to his house and offered them up to his father to be killed. These men had no shoes and were close to 17 years old. His father instructed Aziz to let them go, but before they were allowed to leave Aziz's family clothed them, gave them shoes, gave them chores, and kept them fed. Finally the two boys did leave. Amazingly the two boys quickly returned and asked to stay and serve the Aziz's family; he indicated that they stayed and did chores for nearly two months before finally leaving again. In that two months they adopted Aziz's mother as "mom".
Many months later the Taliban moved back into that village and were destroying people and homes. When the Taliban arrived at Aziz's home it was the two boys. The Aziz home was not harmed and "mom" was actually somewhat reunited with the boys. Pretty amazing story.
Aziz shared many other stories of different battles dating back to the Russian wars. He is very clearly tired of fighting and wishes for peace in Afghanistan. Colonel Aziz has attended training in the USA a couple of times over the years. He mentioned how it is so quiet and peaceful in our nation and how he hopes his nation will someday be like this.
Trust me, Aziz is a good man. What we are doing here matters? When we do leave a huge gap will be left that is why it is so important to do all we can why we are here.
Finally, we have so much to be thankful for in our country. While sometimes things seem grim, and actually may be, we still live in the greatest country on earth. Thank God for that.
God bless and fly safe.
Matt
