A St. Albert photographer is off to Kandahar this month to tell the stories of local soldiers in Afghanistan.
David Bowering, 49, is flying to Afghanistan Oct. 13 to be an embedded reporter with the Canadian and American forces for about 90 days.
"I'm not looking to be a reporter and dig up dirt," he says. "I just want to shed some light on what these people's lives are like."
Bowering, a professional photographer and St. Albert resident, will spend the next three months living with soldiers based out of Kandahar Airfield, taking photos, shooting video and conducting interviews. Some of his work will be published in the Gazette.
This will be the first time he's ever worked in a war-zone, Bowering says — he normally does concerts and architecture. "I'm not expecting this to be a vacation by any means."
Preparing for takeoff
This is an interesting time to visit Afghanistan, according to Walter Dorn, a professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College of Canada in Ontario. While Canadian forces are getting ready to withdraw next summer, American units are stepping up their offensive, with the possibility of major fighting in the months to come.
Bowering says he got the idea for his trip when some military friends told him about the embedded reporter program. "I researched it for about a day … and went, 'Wow, this is pretty interesting.'"
Many people he talked to said they supported Canada's armed forces but opposed the government's decision to deploy them to Afghanistan. Bowering says he wanted to support those troops the only way he knew how — through his photography.
A few calls later, he hooked up with navy Lt. Kelly Rozenberg-Payne in Ottawa, who runs the military's embedded reporter program. She helped him with the paperwork; he did the rest.
Now, $20,000 later, Bowering is in his final stages of preparation. "I'm doing 10 to 20 kilometres a day carrying the pack," he says, which contains about 23 kilograms of camera gear. He's bought his backup gear, life insurance and bulletproof vest. He's also done extensive research with local soldiers to learn what to expect.
Bowering will be one of about 20 reporters embedded with Canadian forces later this month, Rozenberg-Payne says — there are seven in the field now. He'll work with local media officers to arrange interviews and will be pretty much free to write what he wants. Any stories on ongoing operations will be held back until they are complete for security reasons.
A dangerous place
It's not uncommon for people with no military experience to enter the embed program, Rozenberg-Payne says. All reporters get a safety briefing on arrival and are asked to be physically fit before they go over. "Afghanistan is completely different from anything the majority of Canadians will ever experience."
It's also dangerous. Since 2002, 152 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan, the majority of whom were killed by improvised explosive devices. Calgary Herald reporter Michelle Lang died last year when her vehicle was struck by such a device.
It's a dangerous place, Bowering admits, and he's well aware of the risks. "I can't say if I'm going to get hurt or not get hurt. Am I worried about that? Not so much."
Bowering should have a unique trip, Rozenberg-Payne says, as he'll be able to compare the experiences of Canadian, American and likely British troops. "He'll bring a unique Alberta perspective to it."
Bowering says he wants to focus on the personal experiences of soldiers. "I know these people have stories to tell," he says. "If you're willing to listen, people are usually willing to talk."
Bowering will be documenting his trip at www.afghanistanthroughmylens.com.
