They Deploy By The Horde

A BBQ of Mongolians?

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 12/09/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

This goes beyond one word, but how about a WWE-theme like Mongolian Maulers or Mounted Ravagers of the Plain?

I suggest NURS => Nomadic Urban Redevelopment Specialists.

I'm an American who's lived in Mongolia for two years. Careful with ridiculing what you donlt understand, it can easily backfire.

Far more interesting is to see how the Hazara and the Mongolians get along. The Hazara are descended from a Mongolian military colony. "Hazara" is Dari for "One Thousand", which was the Mongolian "legion" size.

If you can, speak to the Mongolians about the "graveyard of empires" meme. Not only did the Mongols conquer Afghanistan, they ruled it in one form or another (Timurids, Mughals) for 500 years. The Mughals, conquered most of India from Afghanistan (and built the Taj Mahal).

Next time some idiot speaking of Afghan history goes from Alexander the Great to the British, ask them about the Mongols rule of Afghanistan. And tell them of the Hazara.

Kasmir:

You misunderstand. I'm having some fun with them, not at them. Actually, I find them to be entirely respectable folk, and am glad they're here. You'll find, if you peruse this blog, that I have fun with a lot people including myself.

Be careful with lecturing and hectoring, because it can backfire. I deal almost daily with Hazaras. And I know whence they come. The whole story is fascinating, and yes it tends to give the lie to a commonly swallowed myth.

jpp

Matt:

"BBQ" is perfect.

jpp

I worked with the Mongolians a lot when I was in Afghanistan ('07-'08). They did a mobile artillery training team. My job was to train the Afghans in employing the old D-30 howitzers the Soviets left behind. The Mongolians actually still use the D-30, so they went around providing training and maintenance support.

I asked them once if the wanted to take the Hazarans that they forgot last time home with them this time around. They laughed their asses off and declined.

Translation was a little tricky. At first they had an artilleryman teaching in Mongolian, which a non-artillery Mongolian would translate into English, which an Afghan would then translate into Dari. It was painful. Later, they found an Afghan who spoke Russian. Most of the older Mongolians spoke fluent Russian (having been educated in Moscow while Mongolia was controlled by the Soviets). The Mongolian then just taught the class in Russian, which the terp translated directly into Dari. That worked a lot better.

I worked with the Mongolians a lot when I was in Afghanistan ('07-'08). They did a mobile artillery training team. My job was to train the Afghans in employing the old D-30 howitzers the Soviets left behind. The Mongolians actually still use the D-30, so they went around providing training and maintenance support.

I asked them once if the wanted to take the Hazarans that they forgot last time home with them this time around. They laughed their asses off and declined.

Translation was a little tricky. At first they had an artilleryman teaching in Mongolian, which a non-artillery Mongolian would translate into English, which an Afghan would then translate into Dari. It was painful. Later, they found an Afghan who spoke Russian. Most of the older Mongolians spoke fluent Russian (having been educated in Moscow while Mongolia was controlled by the Soviets). The Mongolian then just taught the class in Russian, which the terp translated directly into Dari. That worked a lot better.

thanks you