Planning Director Beyard Sends Greetings from Afghanistan

Westminster's Department of Planning, Zoning and Development Director Thomas Beyard departed for a 400-day rotation with the Maryland Army National Guard late last summer.

Beyard joined the Guard in 1997 after years with the Army Reserve. He has worked for the city of Westminster for close to 24 years.

Until his return, his position is being filled by interim Director Steve Horn.

Beyard sends occasional correspondence to Patch and we will post his letters and photos as we receive them.

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Hope you are doing well. Since my letter last month, my unit has grown. Reorganization increased the size of our brigade from four to seven battalions.  We now have responsibility for over 2,500 Soldiers and almost 100 aircraft. Many of our Soldiers participated in the end of Operation New Dawn in Iraq and are now training in Kuwait and preparing for new missions. Other Soldiers are serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan operating airfields and completing other missions. Still other Soldiers are working in Kuwait and doing the best job possible to support their fellow Soldiers.

I recently returned from my second battlefield visit to Afghanistan. One thing for certain – when you travel to Afghanistan in the winter months you must be ready for any weather condition. I can say that my most recent visit was no exception to the rule. After keeping an eye on the weather, we found our flight from Kuwait to Afghanistan was fast and smooth and we reached Kandahar on schedule. With one fuel stop along the way, we arrived at Kandahar Air Field and saw that the area was wet and muddy from rain.

One good thing is that it was not raining on our arrival. We loaded up our gear and went to our temporary housing. I found that there is even some humor in Afghanistan. There was a group of modular housing units called the “Tropicana”, “MGM” and “Desert Rose”. We were lucky enough to stay at the “MGM” , but I am sure it was similar to the other housing in the area. Then it happened – about an hour after our arrival it started to rain again. And that rain, which became torrential, lasted for about two days!!!! The entire area that was already muddy simply became even muddier with standing water.  In some places the water was a least a foot deep and roads were covered in water and mud.

But the war doesn’t stop due to bad weather. We were out and about, but we made sure we had on the proper clothes. We visited our Soldiers serving at Kandahar Air Field and made arrangements to travel to a base north of Kandahar to visit more of our Soldiers. The weather affected our plans for a few days so we kept busy and confirmed our flight arrangements. The weather finally improved and we took a flight out of Kandahar on a C-27 aircraft. I had never flown on this aircraft before, but I can say that the flight was smooth and quick. As we exited the aircraft, we were greeted by the leadership of our subordinate battalion and taken to our “rooms” for the next few days. I use the word “room” loosely, as our housing was very resistant to enemy attack and provided some protection for us.

Having traveled by air in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, I can tell you that Afghanistan has a natural beauty that is awesome.  The mountains of Afghanistan are magnificent, with snow on top this time of year. I could easily imagine those mountains being somewhere else in the world, with skiers, hikers or others simply enjoying them for recreation and for their beauty. In my mind, trying to describe the mountains is like trying to describe the Grand Canyon. The beauty is impossible to describe in words. So I have included some photos to give you some perspective of what I am talking about.

At the conclusion of Operation New Dawn in Iraq, one of our units was dispatched to Afghanistan. The unit was split between a number of locations and I had the opportunity to visit two of those locations. I enjoy visiting Soldiers and I can honestly say that Soldiers appreciate seeing their leadership. After talking about their mission and their needs, we had some coffee and they showed us around. Helicopters take much tender loving care, but imagine operating helicopters in one of the harshest environments in the world. But day after day, our Soldiers do the job, flying dangerous missions and completing the necessary maintenance so the aircraft are ready for the next mission.

One of the places where we had the chance to really talk to Soldiers is in the DFAC, the Army term for dining facility. The food is very different than the food here in Kuwait, and there often more than one DFAC to choose from. Many of the DFACs have a special focus to a NATO member country. One of the specialties was stir-fried noodles or rice, with chicken or some other kind of meat or poultry. The variety of food was just fantastic and we talked and ate. I liked this informality and Soldiers open up and tell you what is on their mind. Here in Kuwait we just don’t have the choice of DFACs. But in Afghanistan, we had choices and could decide American, Far East or even European cuisine. The variety was nice.

I have included some photos for you. First, is me in the MWR center in Kandahar. Second, is a photo of the majestic mountains of Afghanistan.  Third, is the “MGM” (hehe). Fourth, is a directional sign at Kandahar Air Base – 11, 152 km from Kandahar to Washington, DC. Fifth, is me standing on air traffic control tower. Sixth, is a memorial to fallen warriors at passenger terminal at Kandahar Air Base. And seventh is me with an Afghan merchant.

Enjoy!

Regards, Tom