Mark Blackard - Killing Sheep: The Righteous Insurgent

KILLING SHEEP

The Righteous Insurgent

by

Mark Blackard

Copyright

Killing Sheep: The Righteous Insurgent
Copyright 2010 by Mark Blackard

First published in 2012
Edited by a team of four volunteers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval, without permission in writing from the author. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012914234

ISBN (Print Edition): 978-1-936956-00-5
ISBN (Kindle Edition): 978-1-936956-02-9

Warning: This book contains graphic language, graphic content, and opinions which may be considered offensive, especially to the religious conservative. Reader discretion is advised.

eBook designed by MC Writing

www.markblackard.com

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my friends and colleagues from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. It was definitely an honor to serve with them. Their actions and efforts will keep them in harms way, long after the world loses interest in their country.

I would like to extend an honorable mention for a few fellow gringos (Americans) who are true warriors, and were not just there for the paycheck: Mullah Paul, Jackie Chan, Harry the Great, Ron, Rene, Rob C, Harry, The Jims, and Honest Abe. I would do battle with these gentlemen any day.

Without Abes inspiration, I could not have imagined a finished product. His encouragement and confidence drove me to start writing. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.

I would like to thank Sammy. He is absolutely fearless and is a true Afghan patriot. Sammy will always be my best friend and is the cocatalyst for most of these adventures. He saved my life on a daily basis. Thanks for the memories, my brother.

Thanks to Ihsanullah, with whom I shared many good times in Kabul. Welcome to America, my friend.

I started not to mention these two gentlemen, but its not in my nature to be politically correct. I would like to say that I certainly appreciate the actions of two unnamed lazy rats. The small inconvenience I suffered as a result of their effort, betrayal, and dirty deed has only added to my credibility. It also afforded me the time to complete this manuscript. For that, I must thank them as well.

A special thanks to my good friend Smitty. You endured hours upon hours of listening to me while I read paragraphs from the book. Thank you for your time and support.

Last, but most important, I want to thank my friend who well call Hope. She conducted the final edit which turned a manuscript full of jumbled thoughts into a readable product. The layout, design, and typesetting are to her credit as well. It takes a special person to volunteer on such a labor intensive project. I sincerely thank you for your work.

Foreword
BY MULLAH PAUL

I first met Mark two weeks after arriving in Afghanistan. Police and military careers often draw individuals with like minds; such was the case with Mark and I. Without knowing it at the time, our paths, careers, lives, and trains of thought paralleled each other with a similarity that goes beyond words. To look at us, one would think we were complete opposites. Mark is a Caucasian gentleman from the South, and I am a first generation Mexican-American from out West. We both found ourselves on the other side of the world with individuals who varied even more than ourselves in language, customs, and religion. Yet, after several encounters with our Afghan partners sharing the mysteries of life, we discovered what made us all so similar. The underlying theme was poverty. Each had endured their own hardships and tribulations associated with this ailment.

Often enough, people in this circumstance go one of two ways: into a life of crime or into a life of fighting against it. It is no wonder why some of your better police officers are those who would have made good criminals as well. Marks Dirty Dozen were the embodiment of this, as the Biggest Gangsters in Nangarhar Province. The Taliban would soon know what they hoped the rest of the world knew: fear. The Dirty Dozen would make sure of this.

On numerous occasions I found myself in conversation with the Dirty Dozens upper echelon of command. On more than one occasion, I was told by Colonel G and Lieutenant Colonel A that Mark was crazy. When asked to explain, both stated, A person who is crazy has no real comprehension of fear, or an understanding of the consequences of their decisions. However, what they soon came to realize was that Mark was a man who had spent his whole adult life mitigating risk and looking death in the face. From his perspective, it was our job to go in harms way to protect the average Afghan citizen. To Mark, it was simply doing what everyone was being paid to do and nothing more.

Life looks different in the eyes of a man with no fear of death. He becomes the threat that is out there, and we all soon became the Talibans threat. The Taliban found themselves fighting against experienced undercover agents doing what they do bestacting like gangsters. The Taliban could no longer readily identify its enemies. They experienced the pain felt by most uniformed militaries from around the world that had fought an enemy who blended with the local populace.

I was honored when Mark asked me to write this foreword. Throughout my career as an 18-year police officer and 10-year military veteran I have read many books dealing with war and crime. But none have come close to capturing both worlds by showing the success police work can have on todays conflicts of counter-insurgency. Mark has put together a masterpiece of a raw, honest look at the war in Afghanistan from the perspective of a veteran law enforcement officer, military veteran, and civilian contractor from both the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.

Mark often refers to the term ground truth in conversation. He has written the ground truth about his exploits in Afghanistan. It will entertain you, shock you, and amaze you. It is my hope that it will open your eyes to a world not yet discovered by most. Share the experience of how individuals from different facets of life, yet with great similarities, have joined together to fight against injustice. Experience the journey without having to take a risk or pay the price because after all, The threat is out there.

Paul Cuellar

S IR E DMUND B URKE

D R. M ARTIN L UTHER K ING, J R.
1967

Introduction

The idea for this book came to me on a daily basis during my time in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010. My frustrations and concerns as an operator, U.S. citizen, and as a taxpayer didnt seem to matter to anyone but meespecially since I was there as a contractor. I worked for a defense company who well merely refer to as Company X, in an attempt to avoid a threatened lawsuit (over this book). Company X is run by a bunch of retired army generals. Not a bad company to work for, but its basically a good ol boys club that takes care of military retirees by giving them high-paying jobs. Thats not meant to shed negative light on anything, but its the ground truth.

Company X employed me as a law enforcement advisor, of sorts. The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) originally funded the program I was a part of, but it eventually transitioned to the U.S. Armys Criminal Investigation Division (CID). In this program, seasoned cops from the U.S. are embedded with deploying military units in order to help combat the threat of IEDs (improvised explosive devices, i.e., bombs). I had served in law enforcement for about twelve years with the majority of my time spent as a narcotics agent. When I evaluated the position, I figured it was basically the same job I was already doing. Instead of chasing kilos of cocaine and drug traffickers, I would chase bombs and bomb makers. It was a very similar concept, so I elected to go. I was tired of working dope, the money was unbelievable, and I truly believed I could catch some bad guys and save some young lives. After two tours in Fallujah, Iraq, embedded with the U.S. Marines (another story for another time), I found myself headed to Afghanistan.