Ensuring stability and providing safety

Mark Barber said he wasn't completely surprised when he was called up to active duty to serve in Afghanistan.

A member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves for 19 years, Senior Master Sergeant/First Sgt. Barber said his squadron told him there was a chance he might have to go in the fall of 2008.

Still, when he had to go overseas for 4 1/2 months, he was disappointed. Barber missed Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with his sons, who are 14 and 10. He also missed celebrating his 44th birthday with his family, and his 20-year anniversary with his wife, Pam.

On Aug. 31, 2008, his unit, the 455th Expeditionary Wing, flew from the Charleston Air Force Base to Norfolk, Va., to Canada, Iceland, Hungary, then Kurdistan, before finally landing in Bagram, Afghanistan. Barber's base was about 25 miles north of the nation's capital of Kabul.

"It had a high altitude, about 5,000 feet, and was surrounded by mountains. It was like we were in a giant bowl," he said. "The base was also surrounded by mines, because it was built by the Russians, and when they were forced out, they surrounded the base with mines. So we were told to not leave the concrete path. There were controlled detonations of them every few hours."

Barber said his unit's primary responsibility was to build support for the coalition, while combating terror.

"We helped with air mobility, getting people in and out, we did combat search and rescue, we extracted allied members and did aerial evacuation. We saw helicopters coming in quite frequently," he said. "As the senior master sergeant/first sergeant, I also advised the commander of people and issues relating to them, like the morale. I also had to discipline members, organize the commander's calls and meet with people."

Barber also acted as the person who other people could come to. He said the father of one member died, and he had to facilitate a flight out for that person.

Other people in his unit got "dear John" letters, and Barber said he served as a counselor for them.

Not all of his unit's work was flight-related. Some of it was talking to the Afghanistan people, who Barber said were very friendly.

"There was a lot of the Taliban threatening the villagers who helped coalition forces, which included people from Great Britain, Bolivia, France and Canada. We try to gather intelligence from the villagers, but not put them in harm's way," Barber said. "The primary reason we're there is to ensure stability and provide safety for the Afghan people, which will make it safer for (Americans) back home. If we keep the bad guys on the run, they don't have time to plan things. The strategy has worked well in Iraq, and that country has settled down and done a 180."

He said it's harder for coalition forces to get a foothold in Afghanistan than it was in Iraq because the nation doesn't have a centralized government.

"Afghanistan is more tribal. They live in mud villages, and they don't have law in each village, but have elders. Without one centralized government, it's harder. We have to work with each individual tribe to work things out," Barber said. "I don't know if what we're doing is working. But I think we'll have to bring Pakistan into the mix. The two countries are joined by mountains, which act as a safe haven for criminals. We can't stay in one location forever, and when we leave, al-Qaida and the Taliban come out of the mountains."

While the military is there, they try to help the people of Afghanistan as best they can. They give them food, clothing and free medical care.

"They have to go through several checkpoints, but we give them medical care," Barber said. "Our beef is not with the people, but with the Taliban. Afghan people by nature are very friendly."

Barber returned home Jan. 10, after working 12- to 14-hour days for 131 days straight. Although he could have had days off if he wanted them, Barber said there was nothing to do. Military officials told them not to leave the confines of the gates surrounding the base for their safety. There wasn't much outside the base, anyway, he said.

He did get to see a few special guests while he was in Afghanistan. The USO (United Service Organization) flew Kellie Pickler, Kid Rock and a few other musicians and comedians to the base to perform while he was there. Barber also saw former president George W. Bush, who visited his base.

Despite the celebrities, Barber said he was glad to be back home, where he could actually see his family, instead of just e-mailing and calling them. Before he left, Barber hooked up a webcam to his family's computer. His laptop had one already built in, so he was able to see his family while he was gone. Still, it was no substitute for actually being home.

The first thing Barber did when he got home was take a long shower.

"Because of the desert environment, water is trucked in, so you have to take a combat shower. You have 30 seconds to jump in and get wet. Then you have to turn the water off, lather up from head to toe, and then you have exactly two-and-a-half minutes to rinse off. That's all the water you're allowed."

Barber said it was easy for him to transition back into his life as the chair of industrial and public services at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute. Although he could have taken a few weeks off before returning to work, Barber only took a few days before heading to the college.

"I wanted to get back to work. I got bored sitting around," he said. "And it was very easy for me to transition back in."