Chad Hunt Photography

You can click HERE to see a edit of the images from my experience.

I am currently in the process of talking to photo editors and galleries to try to make something happen.

Getting out of Kabul was a nightmare. I was detained by customs because I overstayed my visa. I didn’t REALLY overstay my visa but they stamped my passport with the wrong date when I entered the country. It cost me $100 to “fix” the problem. I also discovered that traveling with a beard, no checked luggage and a passport with a afghanistan stamp will get you the extra special security search in Dehli.
It’s good to be home.

If all goes well I will fly out of Kabul tomorrow.
Here is where I have been living at Bagram.

Back at BAF and feeling like I dont really deserve to eat a hot meal or take a real shower. I know those guys are still out there sleeping in the dust and pulling gaurd duty all night.
I have no idea how I am getting home, but it will work out.
I wanted to post a few more portraits, including one of me….

A General came to Kamdesh today. I hitched a ride and watched the most amazing landscape I have ever seen pass under me as we head to BAF in a Blackhawk.

The Army considers mail to be a top priority when flying re-supply missions to the FOBs. SPC Hoglung disects every piece and shares the contents with his buddie. His wife has sent a book titled “SEX 101″ and she has put post-it notes on the pages she wants to try. She included a stack of post it notes for him to mark his own pages. ” I’m putting them all on the ass sex page “, he jokes..

“Hajii” is what most people on the FOB call Afgans. Even though most enlisted men will openly talk about their distrust of Afgans, most don’t use it in an offensive way. Just as “charlie” was used for the Vietnamese durring Vietnam, “Hajii” has become the generic nickname for all things Afghan. “Hajii food” is often bought by soldiers who send terps down to the gate to get rice and bread from the locals. Afghan locals help gaurd the base during the day.

Today soldiers from of the 10th mtn. division head up to the OP, and onto the Villlage of Kamdesh to meet with the elders. I am with the MPs as we move back to the trail to block any enemy movement away from the village.

An Afghan National Army soldier, don’t worry, he is on our side, ….for now.

Today I am headed out with the . 554th MP Co based in Stuttgart, Germany, along with members of the . 10th mtn division, 3/71 CAV The mission is to Recon a trail that leads to the village of Kamdesh. We head out in Humvees, dismount and head up the mountain. It reminds me of hiking in the Grand Canyon, only with guns. After we hike for a couple of hours we return to the Humvees.

On the way back to base we stop and cross the river to talk to some locals about Taliban operating in the valley.

Most Army units operate with “Terps”, interpreters that are either local or brought in from the US. Kamdesh has about 10 terps. Above is a picture of “Bob”, a terp who is risking his life simply by working with the Americans.

09.12.06pm

I’m surprised at how many of the soldiers are wired. Laptops, Playstations, iPods and digital cameras are as common as m-14s. The creature comforts here are pretty much non existent. I am over eating MREs and I don’t even want to talk about the toilets.