Hello! I have been contracting in Afghanistan for almost a year now and here is a list of things i wish someone had told me before i started!
Things to bring:
- If at all possible get a Deployment Bag! i got a tri-wheel deployment bag and it has been incredibly useful!
- Decent boots. You will be walking on gravel a lot, you’ll need some boots that will hold up
- Wristwatch
- Shower bag
- Body Glide (trust me here)
- Micro fiber towel
- Bring your own pillow! the ones at the PX here will always suck, at every base.
- Backpack that can fit 3 days worth of cloths
- 4-5 days worth of cloths
- Good bed sheets! bring these with you, you will need them when traveling!
- Flashlight(s). If you get stationed at a blackout base.
- Camera if allowed. you’ll want to document this experience!
- Kindle. books add to baggage fees and its more crap to lug around, buy a kindle and stock it before you arrive
- Laptop/Tablet something to watch movies on, there will be alot of down time
- External harddrives. Movies, TV shows, music. all of these are a form of currency here. come prepared.
Things to buy when you get here: (an amazon prime subscription will be useful for this)
- Mattress pad! i don’t have back problems or anything like that, that’s not the reason i recommend it. its because there are no good mattresses over here, anywhere.
- Games. i ended up buying a few card and board games. keeps us occupied on boring times in the office and after work.
- Food: there are alot of foods and snacks you will miss. amazon ships to APO/FPO
Expect to be in hell for the duration, in actuality you’ll prob end up loving it! but expect the worst. some bases get attacks almost daily and are terrible to live at. some are a walk in the part and have all the amenities of home! Good luck and stay safe!
Oh and if you are going over there to work for Dyncorp try to find another job once you get there. dyncorp is a terrible company. Oh and avoid Kandahar at all costs, that place is terrible.
{ 2 comments }