Ill be heading there in a few months. just looking for some basic info on KAF and Kandahar.


Update!!!
Alright, Im back from my 9 months in RC South. Ill post pics when I can. Thanks for the info.

I only had to be around there for a day or so, but I walked around a bunch and got a sense of the area.  It is really dry and dusty.  The facilities are pretty nice; they have a good USO place there, and lots of shops and eating places on the Boardwalk.  Unfortunately it smells awful because of the sewage treatment ponds and trash burning.  The winds seemed to shift around enough that it always smelled like sewage or burning trash anywhere on base.

Everything Hawkeye said plus it's hot and the food pretty much sux...it's the worst in theater thanks so some general somewhere who decided to cater (pun intended) to our coalition partners who a) didn't want to pay then KBR now DI prices for good food and b) most of whom are no longer around...go figure.

OK, rant off.

yeah Ive heard about the smell.

KAF is awful.

It's over crowded, every swinging dick has an NTV so its a goddamn dust bowl even on non-dusty days. The NATO chowhalls are fucking disgusting. It's rice, and something to put on rice... EVERY FUCKING DAY. The supposedly "American style" chowhall serves a hamburger patty along side the same old gruel as the other DFACs. It is full of asshole eurofags who think they are the pointy tip of the spear and the roads have gone to shit in the last few years.

It really went to shit when the Canadians left. They kept that place in good shape.

DvlDog hit the nail on the head.

Hot/dusty.  

Eurotrash mall rangers.  Everyone is just marking time and punching the clock.  

Go to Ghazni and try the homemade 'spiritus' the Poles make.  Good times.

It's hot, dusty and smells bad. The Supreme ran DFACs are garbage. Huge lines, terrible food that no one likes. Supposedly it's "international" but it's just awful.

If you get in good with some of the Europeans, you'll find that their compounds have upsides (alcohol, naked women.) The Canadians were still there when I was last there, I didn't realize they'd left.

Lots of food and Eurotrash girls. Cheap Dunhills at the Dutch shop. Smells like poop.

You will never find a more wretched hive of villany and scum. You must be cautious.

I have been here just over 100 days now. This is my 4th time here since 2002. Its beyond any question in my mind that this is the worst place on earth. Way to many TCN's and I dont trust any of them.

More contractors than service members (makes you wonder if we are here to fight or to give people jobs)
Smells like shit
Food sucks and is catered to Euros
REMF central
Coffee Time on the boardwalk is the same coffee as Tim Hortons (if you are from WNY you'd understand)

TGI Fridays!

The American chow hall, called Niagra, has chicken fingers and chicken breasts. Something the others clearly lack. Never eat at Luxembourg unless you really just want to pour salt down your throat to get some taste. The Asian/Indian chow hall is nice, they serve curry. The English? I haven't been there but plan on it before I leave.

Go to the Boardwalk, check it out at least and see the fuss. The German PX has a lot of nice gear, Acertyx jackets, Hazard 4 bags, First Spear PCs/pouches, and even some Elberlestock packs at the normal price you'd pay in the states. There's a 5.11 store above a place called "Downtown". Downtown is cool becuase they broadcast the British version of AFN... without the gay PSA spots.

The MWR is nice, has a Green Beans inside it, free popcorn, moves, the usual. There'a  billion gyms on this place including a Crossfit box, I go there and love it, check it out at www.kandaharcrossfit.com. The NATO gym is nice and clean and climate controlled but requires two pairs of shoes and all the weights are in kilos. The MWR gym (located right next to the MWR) is good too, just a lot of meatheads in there jerking each other off with gym groupies standing watch but at least the weights are in pounds and the cardio machines use miles. Lots of 5K runs.

It will get cold and rainy here pretty soon and stay that way for a bit. Hopefully the shit pond doesn't flood over again... that will suck for you people. Planes all the time. Rockets some of the time. If you're going out a lot you're going to be pissed when the PX runs out and it runs out a lot.

Enjoy. Embrace the lovely smell of KAF.

Don't forget all the sleeping paratroopers.  I am sssooo glad to be away from RCSouth.

They just paved KAFs main roads in 09.

How much could they have degraded in that time?



http://www.stripes.com/mobile/news/afghanistan-s-economy-is-seen-as-not-sustainable-1.184423

Not all the roads are paved. Maybe 1/3 of the main roads are. The rest are still crap.

It's shit. I hated lag in 05 and I hated it in 11. Don't go.

They were just starting to pave them at all in 2009. A third is still an improvement over their previous condition.....

Passed through there on my way to Shindand in '10.  Confirm what most have said.  However, it is still 10239729382948756 times better than Bagram.

Do you like Poopoo?

They are still paving a little at a time. They are doing another this week. I was here late 01, and yes you are right. A def improvement. The aircraft ramp is much nicer too. A lot of concrete has been put down.

Spent almost a year there through a few deployments. Pretty much everyone has said the said thing. Smells like shit, food sucks, over crowded, mall-rat's, etc etc.

Honestly, your experience depends greatly on what part of base you live on, and where you work. I've lived in South Park (I call it District 9), the MOD's and the CHU's. I have work Mustang Ramp and the ramp (name escapes me) by the ATOC. I purchased a bike from one of the local shops on the board walk. I think he drives around at night and steals bikes and sells them. And he swears a lot. Pretty funny. I rode my bike to and from work for exercise and some time away from my dudes.

-Look 6 times before you cross any road, and run quickly.
-Get to the BX atleast 30 minutes before it opens if you want anything.
-Go to the Russian chicks to get your haircut. Having your head touched by a woman after a few months of being around nothing but smelly dudes feels awesome.
-If you chew take 5 or 6 longs with you. I took 6 logs of Copenhagen Wintergreen and I could have sold every can for nearly $20.
-Have someone at home send stuff regularly. I always liked hot sauce, ranch dressing, flavored bacon salt, Lauries seasoning and anything else you can think of to make the food somewhat better. I ate pancakes for lunch for 5 months straight, just to give you an idea of what to expect if you get Marmites (food delivered to units that say...sit alert or cannot leave to go to chow hall)
-Take some air fresheners to hang on your bed post. The smell of shit will slap you in the face in the middle of the night and yard you from your sleep.
-The NATO gym (Globo Gym) is nice and clean. You have to take a spare pair of clean shoes in. If you like doing butt lift's and yoga and work out on the elliptical then it's the place for you. If you want a man's gym go to the Kandahar gym across from the BX. Plenty of roided out Marines and Army guys to compete with. It does get crowded, but if you aren't a puss you can get done what you need to get done. If you are a crossfitter...you are out of luck since the Canook's left. They had an awesome gym. The Air Force gym has too many rules, so stay away.
-Use bodybuilding.com I think they have a shipping facility in Pakistan or something. I can order something the same day my wife mails be a box and the BB box will show up in 3-5 days. My wifes box will come in 2 weeks.
-Take plenty of body wipes.
-Invest in a good headlamp and never let it leave your side. Nothing like trying to poop in a porta-potty when it is pitch black dark outside. Plus, there are some parts of that base that are darker than a coal miners ass.
-Take earplugs for sleeping.
-If you don't something stolen or destroyed don't take it, or lock that shit up! Or it will get broken or taken.
-Don't waste your time going to the boardwalk or the bizarre. It's all over-prices crap. The pizza on the boardwalk at midnight isn't bad. But the Taliban know where that boardwalk is at and they target it when they do their weekly rocket attack. You can see the boardwalk from 20miles away.
-Get 2 laundry bags and cycle them through the laundry centers. If you do your own laundry do not leave it unattended. You will be missing clothes when you come back.

Most importantly just go there and do your job. Don't brag about what you do or where you work because there is always someone around who has a more bad ass job than you and knows more than you. You will just look foolish if you brag about your job.

Lastly, if you see someone with 2 green feet on a piece of gear or their vehicle or building thank them. They are USAF Combat Rescue aka The Pedro's and if you get blown up they will risk life, limb and aircraft to save yours no matter what.

this.
KAF is Mos isley incarnate.

I laughed. And agreed

....and I'll be back there next month, but only briefly. Dusty, stinky, huge and annoying. The only thing I like is watching planes and chilling on the boardwalk.

I was just there yesterday. You didn't miss much. I probably have one or two trips left up there before I head for home.

Yesterday was the most badass time you've ever had in KAF. Admit it.

Well...to be honest, when I got to escort a mental health case up there, I got to ride in a Pedro bird, and the medic gave me two cherry Starburst. We'll call it a tie.

Im really getting to hate this place. Im still looking for the euro trash girls. WTH is euro trash anyway? European ugly chics?

Found out I have to spend three nights there on the way to my final destination.

FML

Okay, okay, it's not THAT bad. But still... there's a lot of places I'd rather be.

Been here all week for CREW training.  Looking forward to getting back to LNK where it's less....KAF.  

Funny how KAF is the place everyone hates, but when you go there for any reason, everyone in your unit is jealous, and holds it against you.

Guy who went to KAF - "Dude, it sucks that I have to change all the tires on this M88 by myself."

Guy who didn't go to KAF - "Yeah, well, you got to go to KAF..."

I ain't gonna lie, chilling on the boardwalk is fun and all, but the novelty wears off pretty quick.

I liken it to Al Udeid––nice place to visit for maybe 7-10 days or so, but I wouldn't be fond of being stationed here for an entire deployment.

Kandahar in general pretty broad.  The city is pretty big, and is about 12 miles from KAF.  There are a couple large camps and a ton of CPs and JSS's all over the City.  Everything south of Kandahar is pretty much desert, with mountains to the north, and jungle-like agricultural districts to the west and NW.   The west and NW are pretty much dismount only areas.  The NE area of he city, district 10, is the "rich" area, an doesn't see much action.  The rest of th city sees harassing attacks and IEDs, with an occasional unsuccessful mass attack.

The altitude is about 3000',  which is pretty low for the country.  It only really rains for about a week or to a year, but the city floods fast in that time.  Outside of KAF there isn't much in the way of support, only small troop stores here and there.

What's not to like about KAF. The moon dust kicked up by every damn nobody in a vehicle, the poo pond, te TCN's trying to blow it all up, the fact that all the rain happens  in 3 days, putting the place under water, the 654 different nations there (Romanians were the coolest, then Canucks).

While KAF was, and probably still is, a shit hole, I've spent a year in worse places.

I'm still trying to find out the story behind this:



That was a couple weeks ago when I went up for CREW/EWO training.

as my terp use to say " WHAT DE FUCK!?" i can tell you this about KAF. if you live at a strong hold, police station or COP. KAF is like a god dam vacation! decent food, internet, uso with lazyboys and icecold AC, greenbeans PX full of smokes, monster ETC








 

I've been in KDH area since 05, currently in the city.  I LOVE KAF.  I mean, seriously, it smells like shit, but if you go diving in the poo pond, you can find all kinds of old Russian artifacts, and even jewelry that soldiers have accidentally lost down the sink.  It's treasure!  Oh, and that fat assed Bosnian girl with the pink hair that works at the NATO gym, dude, I'm allllll up in that!  

Here are some pics of the KAF greatness, and some time with the highly cultured locals in town:

There not a lot of EuroTrash tail availble on KAF...but there is Rusky/Asian, Kyrgzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, a smattering of Bosnians, and the little chubby Filipinos girls.   The Rusky/Asians hang out at the "NAAFI", or British PX/Heroes coffee place at night.   That's the place to score.  Talk about being lonely, and how you are on a wife hunt....they'll bum rush you.

Only other ones are "holster sniffers"...i.e. American contractor chicks from "fusion cells"  hooking up with the SF guys.

Continuously since 2005?
Or multiple tours dating back to 2005?

I've been in country since 2004.   The usual vacations and such.

Thats rough. THAT is a long haul.
I thought two years back to back was a long time.
Have you been inside the wire the whole time?

Nahh, most of it's been outside the wire, much better that way.

I am hanging ou at the USO for the next two hours if anyone wants to drop by.

The DV transient tent smells like ass and dirty feet, it was a lot better in 2002/2003 than 2011/2012.

I love it here at KAF!  Leaving in a month.  Going to miss the arid environment,  the AC-130 0300 alarm clock, the F-16's and the Tornadoes reaching MACH 9 right above us, the 'rocket attack' recording whose voice and accent makes it seem like it'll be OK, the sewage smell when the wind shifts direction, all the selfish 'tards driving around in their TATA's and Hilux's and SUV's, the 270 degree left turns at every traffic circle, and everything you need to wage a war on terror in RC South crammed on a piece of real estate 1/3 the size needed.  My last OIF tour was spent at the ECP and on QRF.  Thiis OEF...been stuck on KAF 24/7.  Love it here, never want to leave.  

Truthfully though KAF does have one of the best USO's I've ever seen.  And Niagara, between the PX and the boardwalk, is probably the best DFAC here.

You have traffic circles now? Hmmmm.theres a sign of progress of sorts.

You are clearly high!

The A-10's provided the best wake up calls, and Niagara sucked such balls it wasnt even funny anymore. The best was the tent chow at South Park, tied with the field chow 82nd ran over at Whiskey Ramp before the new chow hall was put in on that side of the ramps.

I remember the beginings of one circle when I left in May of '10. Right in front of South Park

Didn't live on KAF, but spent too much time there. I was on a SF camp just south of KAF from DEC 2011 to June of this year.

ETA, forgot about the crossfit mention. When I was there a SOF weapons contractor named Sean got "Kandahar Crossfit" started. It's an outdoor crossfit gym right beside the American PX. Sean left before I did in June but AFAIK Kandahar Crossfit lives on. They did have a website but I don't know the URL. Maybe google can help with that.

Roads: stone roads are nasty in the winter (rainy season). It doesn't matter how many times they hit them with the grader, there is just so much traffic that it kills them in short order (matter of days). However, when I left they were paving a LOT of them especially out by the new expansion south of Southpark. I've heard from friends there that they have paved even more since then. Estimates I'm hearing is that over 50% of roadways are now paved on KAF. That's a big improvement.

Food: No chow-hall experience on KAF, but when you've spent 6 months in hell, the pizza at Kandahar Fresh Deli on the Boardwalk was pretty damn good. I'm sitting here back in the states and just thinking about how delicious that pizza tasted at the time is making me salivate.

Girls: I wasn't looking for any but remarks from a colleague fresh in from Shindand while passing through was. "Dude, this is a fucking vacation resort. This boardwalk thing is kickass and I've seen more girls in the last 4 hours than I saw in the previous 4 months in Shindand" Take it FWIW.

Poo-pond: I heard just last week from a friend that is still there that there is currently a project happening right now that will replace poo-pond with a real sewer treatment facility out much further from where it is now. That is great news...

ECPs: All sorts of fucked up. KAF has numerous ECPs but most of them are closed. ECP4 is completely clogged with truck traffic coming in off Highway 4 (you aint getting in there without spending at least a couple nights waiting in line), and ECP5 is nothing but a VBIED waiting to happen with all the trucks that line both sides of the road forming an "entrapment". The Slovakians running them are complete ass-holes that just want to make your day bad because they can. I encountered a grand total of 2 Slovakian guards the whole time I was there that were actually very pleasant to deal with and didn't seem like complete asses. One of them seemingly intentionally left his little makeshift angle-iron barricade in front of my truck and pretended to move it with his foot just to see if I would hit it or something. Who knows WTF he was thinking. Tire hit it, partially crushed it, and shot it out like a rocket right past his head. I think he about shat himself. I went through the gates weekely FWIW. 70% of the Slovakians are average, "hate my job, just doing my thing" kind of upleasant, and the other 30% were total asses in any way they possibly could be. Being a civilian with a pass into the military only gate it created all sorts of problems. #1 Per KAF HQ DoD civilians don't need a special pass to use that gate as they are technically "military". However, I got the pass because my partner (contractor) had to get it anyways and in the first week of using the gate I got tired of arguing with the stupd Slovakians that I don't need a pass to use the military gate. Once I had the pass, if I wasn't drivng the specific vehicle listed on the pass they would give me grief, even if it was a US military truck/MRAP etc. I was refused entry to ECP 5 military gate several times in an MRAP bc my gate pass didn't match that truck. WTF?

Climate: dry and dusty in the summer, mild and damp in the winter. Not much snow fall or extremely cold temperatures in the winter, but the "nicer points" offered by the winter climate are defintely counterbalanced by the heat and suckiness of the summer climate. I wasn't there when it was really hot but in June when I left daytime highs were pushing 110. Our shop was open air so it sucked. And every morning we had to blow the 1/4" of dust off all of our shop equipment.


Trash burners: nasty... I pity the Slovakians working ECP5. They're all going to die of major lung problems in 10 years for sure. The nasty shit that they burn in those things... I was far enough away that the wind had to be just right to blow it our way, and when it was I just quit working and went inside until it cleared. I had enough paperwork to keep me busy until the wind changed again.

To be honest, I actually enjoyed my time there but I had things pretty good. Good support, decent food (Lindsey DFAC), and good accomadations that were just far enough from KAF to avoid the ass-pain of traffic, smells, and rocket attacks. The few times that I was over on KAF it was spent in SF camps where the food/facilities are much nicer than big Army or NATO facilities.

The tent in South Park was closed and new DFAC built past the circle in that cluster of connex housing.

The tent in South Park was closed and new DFAC built past the circle in that cluster of connex housing.[/quote]
The fuck ?

Time to pull out of Kandahar. I knew it was getting bad when we put in Legoland (the conex housing)