Combat curbo, Afghanistan scrapping

Army,

Interesting...what do scrapyards look like over there? Got any photos? Do they load shipping containers and truck them somewhere or what? Do they use oxyacetylene torches to break stuff down? Chisels?

I kinda just realized I have no clue of how technically advanced they are over there. I know they run around in thoroughly thrashed cars and trucks but I always kinda thought they fixed stuff by sacrificing a goat to it or something!!



Thanks,
Jon.

To answer your question from what I remember they were small yards that I seen. Maybe 30 by 30 and a lot of shred. Their scales was a balance and the counterweights were buckets of concrete. If I remember correctly. I did see quite a few of these small yards. My guess is they load down a jingle truck to haul to a larger yard. I did see some nifty metal balers that they would use to bale hesco barrier wire up into manageable blocks. I wish I had one to bale wire and cans myself! If I remember correctly they had torches and crude welder as for tools in the yard. And yes to answer everyone else scrap metal was everywhere. One place I stayed had 3 old Russian tanks within about 250 yards. Imagine that.. Pulling up with a tank on the scrap trailer.

I have actually scrapped in Afghanistan. The small FOB i was at had a pretty bad fire and all of the A/C units were destroyed, but instead of throwing them away I snaged them up and took them apart. I had my Afgan counterpart take them to the yard and he brought back 3 goats and 2 sheep. Which over there was pretty significant. Everyone of the ANA guys ate like kings that night. I ate with them everyone other day and it was great to see everyone happy after the fire.