FILTER – AUGUST 29 – SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

Lead singer, Richard Patrick of Filter, along with his band, return to Kuwait to perform the troops, and made their first trip into Afghanistan performing for troops at some of the most remote Special Forces camps in the region.

PHOTOS

PHOTOS – BAGRAM AB

PHOTOS – CAMP ARIFJAN

PHOTOS – CAMP BUEHRING

WEDNESDAY AUG 27:

Everyone arrived Washington/Dulles without incident .
Flight was on time and a good time was had by all!!

THURSDAY AUG 28:

Arrived Kuwait about 15 minutes early. Security team along with Travis from MWR were there to meet us. No lost bags!!  Everyone was pretty tired and all went to bed safely. I did NOT tuck anyone in!

FRIDAY AUG 29:  SHOW 1. CAMP BUEHRING

Left the hotel around noon en route to Camp Buehring for our first show.  Camco crew were already setting up when we arrived.  A quick commanders call then we walked around base and met with the boys and girls and did a little shopping before heading to sound check.
Show went very well and we had a good crowd of about 500.
Meet and greet at the Oasis after the show then back to the hotel.

SATURDAY AUG 30: TRAVEL DAY 

Travel day to Kandahar. Left the hotel around 2pm en route to LSA.  Lucky us! We had a nice comfy (ish) C-17 from Charleston AFB to haul us up there. 4 hours a opposed to 6hrs in C-130!!  Great flight crew! Had the boys up on the flight deck but not on the stick!!
Arrived K Town around Midnight, they are 1 ½ hrs ahead of Kuwait so a late night for everyone. Met by SSGT Church (what a great guy he is) and and Elissa Weaver who is the USFOR MWR escort for our visit to Afhganistan. Escorted to billeting for a good nights kip ( sleep )!

SUNDAY AUG 31: SHOW 2 KANDAHAR BOARDWALK

SSGT Church and Elissa met us at billeting to go get breakfast at the DFAC but surprise surprise! The base went on a lock down due to an IED being found underneath The Green Beans coffee shop at the boardwalk!  After 4 hours the all clear sounded so we missed all the calls for that day as we needed to get to sound check.  Another great show with about 600 folks in attendance.  Meet and greet after the show and then bedtime!

MONDAY SEPT 1: SHOW 3 SHINDAND 

Up early to the DFAC for breakfast then back to billeting to stand by for bag call which was supposed to be at 1000h.  NOT!  2pm we finally got moving to the flight line for 3pm wheels up on our favorite c-130!  Fantastic flight crew. We had a “cowboy” flight deck. No slow turns on this one! Everyone had a lot of on our short 1 hour flight to Shindand.  Met at the flight line by Capt Sushinov and escorted to billeting. After freshening up, we had a tour of the Apache helicopter and then a brief visit with the base commander. This base is only 25 miles from the Syrian border so it’s a little hot up there right now.
We were supposed to go to the firing range but that was called off due to who knows what!!
Only about 250 that night but it’s a small base and there is a lot going on up there right now.  Still a great show!!

TUESDAY SEPT 2: SHOW 4 BAGRAM – CLAMSHELL

Up early for breakfast then a 10:30am bag call. Actually right on time! 11:00am wheels up for a short 1 ½ hr flight to Bagram. Arrived at Bagram around noon. Met by SSG Bates and SFC Goins and went to DFAC for lunch. After lunch a brief office call with Col Turner and a surprise drop in by Gen. Anderson!!
SSG Bates managed to work a visit to the A-1O Warthog  which was the hit of the tour as far as site visits.  This piece of machinery was due to be decommissioned a few years back but fortunately for the boys on the ground it was left in service!!
What a machine. After the tour of the hog we were given a brief video look at some of the action this plane has seen!!
Went to sound check directly after that then another great show at the Clamshell.
Good crowd around 500.
Meet and greet after the show and then everyone went for midnight chow and bed.

WEDNESDAY SEPT 3: SHOW 5 TRAVEL DAY

Back to Kuwait today for the final show at Camp Arifjan. Said goodbyes to Elissa who worked her tail off. Lots of tears on the bus L.
Bag call at 7:30am. On time again!!  Another C-17 ( Lucky Lucky ).
Arrived Kuwait around 2pm and met by our security team and Travis.
Everyone was pretty tired after 3 shows in the Stan so an early night for all concerned.

THURSDAY SEPT 4: SHOW 6 CAMP ARIFJAN

Last show today.
Left hotel at 1pm for Camp Arifjan for Commanders call.
Met on base by SSG Baacke and had a very interesting and long call with base commander and his staff.
Off to the stage for a brief sound check and yet another great show with about 500 in attendance.  Had a nice surprise when Lt Col Walid Nasr showed up backstage. Haven’t seen him since 2001 in Seoul!!!  Meet and greet after the show and back to the hotel to pack and a loooong wait for our flight home.
Overall a great trip. Met a lot of soldiers and kudos to Elissa for doing such a great job looking after us in Afghanistan. Not an easy task.

FRIDAY SEPT 5: TRAVEL HOME

Late check out at the hotel and off to the airport for our trip home. Thanks to all!!