Embedding with a military at war requires an arsenal of patience

111°; 1,833m altitude

KABUL, Afghanistan — Cancelled flights, missed connections and long delays sitting crammed up in economy airline seating as tight as buckshot inside a shotgun shell leaving tempers nearly as explosive — it is a scenario pretty much on par with a lot of summer travel.

The fact that my travels this week are intended to take me deep into one of the hottest areas of fighting for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, however, has not exalted things one bit. In fact, it’s only made the delays more frustrating. I’ve come to this country to embed with Marines in Helmand Province.

Planning something like this takes copious patience. For a reporter, you have to wait for the green light from the unit, find a way to get to them, and sort through the paperwork of visas and press badges. It can take months to construct a plan.

Impromptu flight changes can stoke heart-stopping fear during a 14-hour transatlantic flight that checked luggage with body armor wouldn’t make the journey. And after you arrive, if you miss the desired time slot for filing a piece of paper or picking up a badge, you may have to wait days for another opportunity.

(It turns out I had good reason to worry about my luggage. The European Union released staggering figures last week that left me feeling lucky I received my bag at all. Almost 33 million pieces of luggage were reported lost in 2008, amounting to about 1 bag for every 64 passengers disappearing.)

The name of the game here is “hurry up and wait.” Flight cancellations are prevalent in Kabul, too, as I’ve been waiting three days so far for a spot on a military aircraft to take me south.

The waiting hasn’t been all bad. I’m in a secure hotel filled with other journalists scurrying about the city working on their various projects and deadlines.

The internet has allowed me to have some unexpected face time with my husband of two months, who is still attempting to wrap his head around my absence.

Skype has allowed him to see me which assures him I’m safe. I, in turn, have had enough time to keep up with his attention to laundry and walking the dog.

I have taken virtual nagging to a new level, at least while I can. In a few days, my ability to communicate will likely shrivel to just the satellite phone.

My pack is crammed full of chargers, solar panels and batteries to ensure I’m able to power up my laptop and phone under the worst of conditions.

My editors are prepared for the very real possibility my filing may come to them old-school style, dictated over the phone.

I will be bringing you information about the Marines’ campaign in southern Afghanistan, including their efforts to train security forces and stabilize the region in preparation for this month’s election. Violence is up everywhere in this country.

During the first six months of 2009, civilian deaths shot up 24 percent over those reported during the same period the year prior, the United Nations reported this week.

No doubt about it, it is an incredible time to be here. Kabul is alive with activity as the country readies for the election Aug. 20.

The city is blanketed in vivid election campaign posters, most notably for President Hamid Karzai. The photo poses of the Pashtun leader seem to fall into one of three categories: pointing, pondering or pontificating. Other posters explain the process of casting a ballot in simplistic visuals. The brightly dressed cartoon characters — oddly enough — are standing in a line, waiting.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/afghanistan/090805/embedding-military-at-war-requires-arsenal-patience