Report from the flight line

By Leading Seaman Erik Lindholm and Shelley Lipke

Marine engineer Leading Seaman Erik Lindholm is a Naval Reservist from HMCS Malahat in Victoria, B.C. Serving way out of his usual environment, he is deployed for six months with the unit providing physical security on the flight line at Kandahar Airfield. In this Q&A with Shelley Lipke of The Lookout, he describes his impressions of living and working in a war zone.

What do you like most about your job?

I like working with all the different aircraft, both military and civilian, and their crews; we are all on the same team. We get to meet armed forces and civilians from all over the world, transiting in and out. The crew I work with is Australian, Belgian, Dutch, French, American and Canadian.

What challenges do you face in your job that are different from working in Canada?

My job is like Port Security in that we are responsible for an area. Almost everyone is armed here, and the road and air traffic is heavy. The pace of operations is much faster — a destroyer leaves harbour at 5 knots, and a scrambled fighter plane takes off at 300 kilometres per hour. Armed planes and helicopters land and take off constantly, 24 hours a day, competing for space with large cargo planes and their ground crews unloading pallets and vehicles. All this activity means a high potential for ground accidents around the ramps, especially at night.

We deal with aircraft landing with in-flight emergencies such as injured crews, failed landing gear, failed engines, battle damage, “hung” guns and bombs — that is, weapon systems that have failed to fire on the pilot’s signal due to a system fault — and hot brakes, which can cause fires capable of engulfing the aircraft. In these cases, we work with the firefighters on crash response and first aid. We also assist the Role 3 hospital with medevac security and patient transport, so we see people who are badly hurt, and others who did not make it.

Add to the mix the amount of unexploded ordnance — tank shells, bullets, mortars— and active minefields on the base. We sometimes find smugglers of drugs and alcohol. Rockets fired at the base will fly right over us, and we get threats of vehicle-borne suicide bombers.

Often two or more such events happen at once — Murphy's law — so we have to prioritize. What is more important, unexploded ordnance or a potential plane crash?

I also do some basic maintenance on our trucks because of my mechanical background. So, let’s say it’s like a Port Security Unit with more rocket attacks.

What is your job during a rocket attack?

First and foremost, physical safety of unit personnel and vehicles. I make sure everyone takes cover and follows their drills, and I perform first aid if necessary. We look for the rocket, and we get bomb disposal involved if it hasn’t exploded. We do a visual sweep of the runways and hangars for damage. That’s very important; if an aircraft hits a rocket crater on landing, it will crash and cause another problem altogether. It is busy here, so this check must happen quickly so the incoming planes don’t have to wait to land and risk running out of fuel.

What is a typical day for you?

I show up for work with full armour, helmet, tactical vest, knife, pistol and rifle, and get briefed on guard-mount. We learn about planes coming in, things to watch for, potential problems, and transiting VIPs to be escorted. We get our vehicles and start patrolling, inspecting everything and waiting for calls. It can be quiet, but you never know when or what will happen so you have to be vigilant.

Usually we spend 13 hours on shift. When I’m done, it’s time for the gym, something to eat and a quick trip to the boardwalk for some shopping if needed, some relax time and a coffee. Then home for a bit of reading and to sleep it off.

Describe what it's like in Afghanistan.

It's an interesting time to be here. We've seen two complicated federal elections, and the release of a major report by ISAF commander General McChrystal of the U.S. Army stating how strategies and tactics must change. U.S. President Barrack Obama has just announced a large increase of U.S. troops for the mission. Afghanistan is getting more attention as Britain pulls out of Iraq and the whole western world is trying to decide what to do here. Meanwhile, the base is a hive of activity — lots of construction — and we just keep working.

What shocks you the most about Afghanistan?

The logistics of keeping this mission going; it takes an amazing amount of food, fuel, troops, water and ammunition. We are literally in the middle of nowhere keeping a base roughly the size of the town of Esquimalt fed and operational. Convoys must push through on the hazardous roads, lest we have no fuel and water. It is an ongoing effort.

What is the most important thing that you will take away from this deployment?

The value of life and friendship. Life, in working around the Role 3 trauma hospital. Friendship, in working with other nations to achieve the same goal. Without friends, it would be a very long tour.

I see how good we have it in Canada, particularly Victoria. People need to see the aftermath of war to understand how undesirable it is. Many of my civilian friends play video games and watch action movies, but I think their perception of violence would change if they saw combat casualties on a daily basis. I would encourage any young sailor to volunteer overseas, as I believe they will learn lessons here that apply to their ships and their personal lives.

What is your favourite memory?

Morning on the airfield, with a formation of Afghan National Army Hind helicopters heading into the sunrise. It's something to think of: the Soviets were defeated here, and the Afghans fly their helicopters now. The Afghans are very tough and resilient people.