Convoy Ops Through the K-G Pass

On 21 April we joined a joint convoy of US Military Police and Afghan Uniformed Police on a three-hour, 38 kilometer trip in and out of the famous Khowst-Gardez Pass. The pass transverses part of the White Mountains and links two key eastern provinces. (Pictured: a member of our convoy, Specialist Lovenburg, in the K-G Pass.)

It is a trecherous road in places, closed by frequent landslides and unstable, narrow roadbeds. Despite the climb - it rises to almost 10,000 feet at the top - it is a major route for goods entering the country from Pakistan, exports, and inter-province trade in food products, firewood, and people.

Most goods are moved by "jingle trucks" - colorfully decorated, dilapidated vehicles that haul enormous loads across the pass. With bald tires and problematic mechanical condition, one wonders how they make it at all. (Pictured: one of the many jingle trucks that squeezed past our MRAP on the unpaved and extremely narrow mountain road.)

While slowly creeping along a narrow roadway with a steep cliff on one side and a thousand-foot drop into a mountain river on the other, frequent caravans of Kochi nomads pass casually along, tending herds of sheep and goats, hustling loaded donkeys, or steering camels with children and livestock too small to make the walk tied securely to their packs. Little boys ride the top of the hump in colorful garb.

The mission was to accompany AUP leadership to major sites along the pass, including Waza Zadran and Shwak, two large police encampments, and two smaller, permanent traffic check points.

Along the way we also made a brief stop at Combat Outpost Wilderness, a Coalition base camp where elements of the 92nd MP Company keep a permanant presence.

LTC Duane Miller, commander of the 95th MP Battalion, and his Command Sergeant Major Henry Stearns were along for the trip, accompanying Afghan Police General Farar on the inspection.

The convoy of several MRAP armored vehicles was joined in Gardez by a handful of hunter green AUP Ford Ranger trucks, all with RPK machine guns mounted in the bed. Since Taliban presence in the pass is a given, everyone was on the alert. The necessity of takng the same route out as into the pass - there is no alternative road - increased the danger of IED or ambush.

The AUP general is a pro-active leader. He questioned subordinates about missions, care and feeding of soldiers, and maintenance of grounds and vehicles.

At the two major stations he did not see or hear what was up to his standards and promptly relieved the commanders, instructing them to turn over their stations to the men he was sending to replace them. (Pictured: Afghan soldiers standing by while listening to the General first chew out and then dismiss their supervising officer.)

Colonel Miller and CSM Stearns have high regard for the general and support his actions. This convoy was the first time that both US and AUP forces have engaged in a joint operation of this type. "We're going to do a lot more of this kind of thing," Miller said, obviously pleased with the results.

Unlike units such as Special Forces that have much more aggressive operational tempo, Military Police operate on the need to have AUP forces take the lead and the initiative.

"Until they realize how effective these kinds of operations are and develop the confidence to do them on their own, they will always depend on us. We are doing everything we can to encourage their confidence and independence," Miller said.

There are some heart-stopping moments in transiting the K-G Pass, even without someone shooting at you. The views, while occasionally terrifying, are stunning.

A universal comment from Soldiers and writers alike was that "this is what we expected to see when we came to Afghanistan." (Pictured: US Soldiers and their Afghan counterparts inspecting a lookout bunker far above the main Waza Zadran facility.)

Soaring peaks, rising toward the east and north eventually become the Himalayas. In the near distance, the Pakistan border sits, generally ignored by the Pashtu tribesmen who occupy both sides.

Now that spring is in the air, the valleys are greening up splendidly, making the terrain softer and more visually appealing than the stark desolation of the tail end of winter.

Fast-moving water flows through the steep valleys and draws; small, hand-tilled fields are sprouting, and new lambs and kids play on the mountain sides.

This idlyic picture is darkened by the harsh realities of life for an Afghan peasant: farming at the survival level and fearful of roaming Taliban who impose taxes, take young boys, and threaten the lives of any who cooperate with the government.

By extending rule of law through Afghan resources - the Army and Police primarily - the MPs and the Coalition intend to make life more peaceful and relatively prosperous for ordinary people. (Pictured: an Afghan guard mans a roadside checkpoint.)

It is a laudable goal in a land that has rarely known such security.

The Tough Zormat District

Zormat, the city - of sorts - is known from the earliest days of the Taliban as a safe haven for them. The town lies west of Gardez on the route to Gazni, a major trade route and a line of infiltration from Pakistan. Combat Outpost (COP) Zormat dates back to early days of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The COP sits on land that was salted by the Soviets to make it permanently infertile, part of the kind of scorched earth mentality that led them to put tens of millions of land mines in Afghanistan.

In a quirk of geography, the flat upland valley - Zormat sits around 8,000 feet - has a shallow water table. Dig down a foot and you hit water. Consequently living conditions at the COP, primitive as they are, are exacerbated by lack of drainage. Virtually every B-hut has up to a foot of standing, stagnant water under it.

We won't go into the abysmal sewage disposal and other sanitary issues. Suffice it to say that Soldiers at COP Zormat live in conditions that would be considered unacceptable by civilians in the US.

And they are, for the most part, happy to be here. The enemy is nearby and they know that they can make a contribution to the fight.

We visited the local district police station on three occasions, patrolling by foot through the streets of Zormat to the fortified station. The police chief worries that his area of responsibility - which is relatively large - is too big for the few officers he has. He has sent a list of new recruits to province headquarters but processing is slow.

With warmer weather the Taliban are coming out of hiding. Along with them, the chief is concerned about foreigners. Village elders have warned of Chechnens, Pakistanis, Saudis, and others among the population. Suicide bombers and IED specialists come from the foreigners.

The MP unit assigned to COP Zormat, 3rd Platoon, 92nd MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, led by Sergeant First Class Ronje, trains, mentors, and works with the local Afghan Police on almost a daily basis. (Pictured: SFC Ronje with the Zormat police chief)

His Soldiers teach both policing and military skills to the Afghans and over the ten months that they have been assigned here have developed strong mutual bonds with them.

 The Soldiers are doing everything possible to prepare suitable areas for them to move over to district headquarters and co-locate with the police. They are already taking steps to make the tranistion to the incoming unit smooth, so that the new arrivals can take advantage of the relationships they have developed. (Pictured: Afghan members of the Zormat police force.)


At the unit level, the progress is tangible, if still frustrating in the time it takes to develop. But this is Afghanistan, and things happen here on a very different schedule.

Cruising the Streets of Zormat

After nearly a week without internet access we're finally back in FOB Lightning and able to post some pictures from our stay in Zormat, where we walked through the streets with the MPs from the 92nd.

Many will remember that way back in December 2001, immediately following the infamous Battle of Tora Bora, Bin Laden and many of his Al Qaeda buddies escaped US forces using two different routes: one over the mountains into Pakistan, and the other south into the areas of Gardez (where we are now) as well as the little nearby village of Zormat.

The Taliban also have a significant presence there to this day, and as we walked through the streets with our military escorts we wondered who they were among the hundreds of people we saw there. Here's just a little of what we saw while walking alongside our military escorts:

The villagers are already used to seeing US soldiers in their neighborhood, and most of them seem to appreciate our presence there. Suicide bombers are a constant threat, so this is hardly surprising. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are also a very serious ongoing problem for local civilians, Afghan law enforcement and security personnel, and NATO forces; we saw several civilian vehicles that had been destroyed by IEDs, including this one that's now home for this sleepy stray dog:

Back on the street the many shop keepers and street vendors are always eager to sell you their wares, and are in fact fairly aggressive salesmen, although MPs can rarely take the time to stop to buy anything:

Over several days I only saw a few women in Zormat, and all of them were escorted by male members of the family. If you look carefully at this photo you'll notice the little child glancing at the MPs while zooming past my camera with his parents on a motorcycle:

At any rate, everybody in the village knows that the MPs are on their way to train and otherwise work with the Afghan police just beyond this same street, and that their long-term security rests with the the local police. Gordon will be writing a bit about the police training program in Zormat in the next couple of days, so stay tuned for more!

AJ quick note: different weapons, yup

Hello all, some more random thoughts pictures that don't quite fit with our other blog entries...

Gordon and I have finally been getting out on missions this past week, and while tagging along on guard detail during a Afghan ceremony in Gardez I saw this guard with an RPG standing watch on a wall:

He didn't speak English but I was able to ask him to stand with me wearing my new hat (a floppy "boony" hat) for a photo anyway. Well, as soon as we came to that agreement using sign language, another Afghan officer came running up wanting to be in the picture. Unfortunately, when the third Afghan security man insisted on joining in, the second started getting his hackles up -- so Gordon took the shot in a hurry and we left them behind to sort out whatever differences without me being stuck in the middle.

At any rate, it is a bit strange seeing Afghan security forces carrying around AKs and RPGs so casually, not exactly approved weapons for the US military personnel responsible for training them. It's an interesting situation that leads to show-and-tell moments for both sides (the man shown here in the blue shirt is a "terp" -- short for interpreter -- who arrived to translate for the occasion):

I'll be posting more photos soon, meanwhile, take a look at Gordon's latest post on our trip to Forward Operating Base Chamkani!

Into the Hindu Kush Mountains

We made the four-hour convoy run from FOB Gardez to FOB Chamkani, located in the mountains only 8 kilometers from the Pakistan border, for an overnight visit (photo: homes on a steep hill alongside our travel route, as taken from behind the bullet proof window of an MRAP). The road up is exceedingly rough in spots - at one point it actually follow the bed of a fast-running mountain river for about a quarter mile.

Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, 92nd MP Company say it has been improved over the past year and we passed considerable construction work on route. We also noted that most of the villages had what appeared to be a standard deep well for community use. One of the interpreters, "Bill," said that USAID was responsible for the clean water project.

Chamkani is a town of about 30,000 or so and is deep in Indian country. "See that road?" a sergeant pointed to a winding path leading south. "Right past there is all Taliban. We get into a fight every time we go there. The Special Forces work that area all the time."

Soldiers at the FOB have a bit of improved living conditions compared to what they endured for several months. It used to be "showers" done by having a buddy pour cold bottles of water over your head, chow strictly MREs, and tent living. Over the months they have installed hot and cold running (sometimes) water, have hot food of sorts prepared at the neighboring Special Forces compound, and have constructed the ubiquitous B-huts that dot bases in Afghanistan.

Scenery-wise it is a million-dollar view, with sharp mountains rising on all sides and parallel ridgelines disappearing in the east into Pakistan's troubled tribal area (photo: Chamkani living quarters threatening to slide off the mountain above the parking lot, with the village in the valley below). Ultimately these mountains peak in Nepal with Everest and K-2.

Along the route we saw many of the nomadic Kochui people leading camels, herds of sheep and goats (mostly black lambs), donkeys, and horses.

These people follow the seasons and stay near water, so the low passes are ideal for them at this time of year. They decorate their animals with gaudy colors and pitch tents in community groups for temporary rest stops. (The photo shown here was also taken through bullet proof glass from a moving vehicle, therefore quality suffered a bit).

However, all is not calm here. Along the way we passed a patrol from the MPs based at the FOB who were engaged in a firefight with Taliban. They were accompanying Afghan security forces who had been fired on from ambush.

Chamkani was the scene of a fierce fight in the early days of the war when it was strictly a Special Forces compound. Now that MPs are there, the organic firepower they bring to the fight is an incentive for the Taliban to keep distant.

As we post this, we are back at Gardez preparing for an afternoon mission. Soon we will be at other FOBs and will be reporting on what we see and learn.

Patrol to Sayyed Karam

We rolled out of FOB Gardez at approximately 0730 for the run up to Sayyed Karam, a police station (see photo) adjacent to a small city of the same name about an hour away on a low-traffic day, north-northeast of FOB Gardez where we had overnighted.

We rode with 1st Platoon, 92nd Military Police (MP) Company, under command of 1LT Michael Barnhart. The particular model of MRAP we were riding has a large window in the rear door, and windows on the sides, making visibility considerably more user-friendly than the models with less glass. Somehow being able to see what’s happening gives a sense of comfort, regardless of how false.

The 92nd Company is normally organic to the 709th MP Battalion, based out of Baumholder, Germany. Since the 709th and the 95th recently changed flags, for the remainder of their deployment the 92nd now falls under control of LTC Miller and CSM Stearns. MP units, because of constant attachment to different units due to changing missions, are comfortable with such line-and-block changes and the transition seems to be fairly seamless.

We rolled with a convoy of vehicles, headed north and a bit east, most of it on unimproved dirt roads. Once out of Gardez we gradually gained altitude, and ended up at about 9,500 feet when we hit our destination. Probably “dry, dusty alpine desert” would be the best layman’s terms for the terrain. Large sprawling flat valleys surrounded by steep, sharp mountains mark each populated area. Mountain passes link the valleys, channelizing traffic along predetermined routes. Such terrain favors a defender and it is easy to see how centuries of invaders have been ambushed.

The lead vehicle, in which Avery rode, had a long arm extended from the front bumper with rollers on it (see photo). Any pressure-plate IEDs theoretically will be detonated by the weight thereby sparing the vehicle itself. Of course, if the IED is command-detonated, then all bets are off. Still, it is a good defensive measure.

In addition there are sophisticated electronic systems – called “Dukes” – on each vehicle that provide an interlocking jamming and interference signal that – so the theory goes – can help defeat cell-phone and other signal-detonated IEDs. Every provision is being taken to protect Soldiers and vehicles, but this enemy is much smarter technically than many realize and constantly adjusts his training, tactics, and procedures (TTPs in military parlance) to US and NATO counter-measures.

Today Barnhart left the wire with about 22 Soldiers from his platoon and an attached mortar crew that I’m pretty sure is from the 1/172nd Infantry Battalion, an Army National Guard unit from Vermont that has been in-country for less than a month. When we arrive at Sayyed Karam we spend some time chatting up the mortarmen (see photo at right). Only two – the platoon leader, SFC Adams, and the team leader, SSG Barrett, have previous deployment experience. Adams, a short, thick-bodied black NCO, operates at only one speed: all ahead full. He has a sharp, penetrating voice and booming laugh can be heard dominating conversation all across the camp.

There is a sense among the new Soldiers of what we’ve come to see over the years in any group that is standing at the edge of a dangerous situation and is uncertain as to how they will perform when the time comes. They are hyperactive, a bit too loud, and take pains to display a cool demeanor. You’ll see it in newly deployed units before they hit their first firefight, in paratrooper candidates before the first jump, that sort of thing. After they get through the first one they’ll settle down, but for now the air about them reeks of uncertainty.

By contrast the 92nd Soldiers have been here for at almost 9 months and have been tested, albeit not to the extent some of them wish. It’s not that they are a bunch of blood-thirsty marauders, but when you train up for a combat mission your mental attitude shifts: I’m here, this is a war, bring it on. While some Soldiers are fully content to spend their year sitting on the FOB, these Soldiers are more imbued with Warrior spirit and if given a choice would seek out and close with the enemy at every opportunity.

While perfectly willing to mix it up with the Taliban, the MPs realize that they are here to mentor, train, and support Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP), and to carry out the COIN mission that means winning over confidence among the civilian populace

At Sayyed Karem Soldiers drag a bag filled with school supplies, stuffed bears in multi-colors, candy and food, and distribute it to three young boys who are the sons of one of the Afghan policemen. The kids have natural shyness but run quickly when the goodies come out.

Once again we see on a micro level what has come to characterize American Soldiers for decades. It is as the late historian Stephen Ambrose said: “Of all the armies in the world, when local kids see foreign soldiers they run away and hide. When American soldiers arrive, they run to them for help and security.” In a country in which the Soviet army sowed upwards to 30 million mines, many gaily painted to attract children’s attention, just that change in perception of what a uniformed foreigner is has been a major mental transformation.

Although 1st Platoon has not been to Sayyed Karam in several weeks – they were visiting regularly but other mission requirements took them to other places – their routine is familiar to the AUPs. While LT Barnhart visits successively the mayor, chief of police, and other officials, some of the NCOs drop in on the communications center, others ask their counterparts to assemble AUPs to inventory weapons and check general condition, and still others visit with those responsible for personnel accountability, serious incidents, and enemy activity.

From outward appearances everyone is happy to see the Soldiers, and query why they have been gone so long. The chief is away because a woman was murdered in the town this morning and he has taken a team to investigate. Later we learn that the gathering we saw on the road coming in that morning was her funeral. Under Islamic custom bodies must be buried within 24 hours of death, so that was done. We never learn the circumstances so whatever forensic evidence was associated with her death went into the ground with her.

The mayor (left) is an interesting individual. Somewhat above medium height with dyed henna red hair and the fingernails of his right hand painted a subdued pink, he has the dark eyes, hawk nose, and full beard of many Afghani men. His name is Manur Jan, about early 40s, and has been in the position for several years. In a way that the Americans don’t really understand, he collects taxes of a sort from vendors in the large local bazaar held in the city outside the gates of the camp and reportedly uses them for infrastructure improvements.

“I’m certain that some corruption happens,” Barnhart notes, but it falls into the category that most Americans resign themselves to dealing with. We’ve heard the terms “acceptable” and “unacceptable” corruption for months now, and it is admittedly two extremes with a broad gray area between. Acceptable seems to fit this case, as the mayor no doubt siphons off some for personal use, but still does the local improvements. Unacceptable, to use a well-known case, is when Karzai’s brother in law runs the national opium traffic. All the thousands of cases in between have to be evaluated by Soldiers and civilian analysts.

Also decidedly unacceptable is taxing the population to support warlordism or Taliban.We were assured by the locals that Taliban activity was minimal in the area. However, warmer weather is here and the fighting season approaches. We shall see.

War zone tourism: Afghans on the FOB; shopping at the mall

Hey out there, Avery here, with some more interesting photos from our ongoing Afghanistan tour:

Afghans work all over FOB Lightning (i.e., the Forward Operating Base where we're staying), although their way of doing things is somewhat different than what we're used to. The other day we looked up and saw this construction worker dangling from a crane:

Turns out he was swinging over to help place a concrete barrier in front of some of the B-Huts, with help from some soldiers and a fellow countrymen who wore only sandals (OSHA would have a fit but hey, this isn't America):

There are a lot of Afghans here (which isn't too surprising since we're in Afghanistan of course). They work all over the FOB on construction and maintenance, among other things. Since this FOB doesn't have government-run shopping facilities, the Afghans fill in the gaps by selling all kinds of things to soldiers -- usually from stores they make themselves out of shipping containers (generally called "Con-ex" containers here, although I'm not sure of the correct spelling):

While we have some basic shops on Lightning, the really big "mall" favored by Soldiers is located just a short MRAP ride away on FOB Gardez. It's a little strange at first, yet who can resist the Afghan versions of Walmart, Best Buy, and K-Mart -- you can even stop to get a cup of coffee at Star Bucks! Check 'em out:

 

Radio Shack is also having their grand opening in the next few days... the new owners are pretty excited about it, too:

After our shopping trip we had to wait a while for our ride back to Lightning. Sgt. Nicholas Olsiewski (we call him "'Ski") and SFC Jared Matthews were among the soldiers waiting with us... Ski's quite the character, and didn't drop Matthews once during an unscheduled weight lifting session: 

Yikes, computer time here is limited to 30 minutes and people are waiting in line, so... until next time! Gordon will also be posting another update in the morning regarding yesterday's trip "outside the wire" to Sayyed Karem, where we were honored to have tea with the Mayor as well as some Afghan National Army soldiers. Stay tuned!

Our Welcome to FOB Lightning

Forward Operating Base (FOB) Lightning actually sits inside FOB Thunder. (No, we don’t know why. If we get the history, we’ll pass it on to you). Compared to Salerno the combined area is tiny.

Minutes after we landed and emerged with full battle rattle from the Blackhawk carrying our rucks, we were met by Staff Sergeant Villalobos who we met in Mannheim, Germany before Christmas. It was great to see a familiar face!

He drove a four-wheeler gator, so we had to keep our ACH (Army Combat Helmet) on during the ride but were permitted to doff IOTV (Improved Operational Tactical Vest), what the Army has replace the IBA with, and ride in comfort.

FOB Lightning in some ways reminded me of FOBs I had been on in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Surrounded by desert not jungle, but with simpler construction and cozier living that one finds on the larger bases. When we entered the 95th MP Battalion TOC (tactical operations center) and saw Command Sergeant Major Henry Stearns we felt like we had come home after a long journey.

We are billeted with the battalion in B-huts that house from 4 to 6 personnel. Plywood dividers offer privacy and security of equipment. It was a great feeling after 10 days in travel, to be able to unpack and stow gear in what will be our home for the next several weeks.

Food here is good and plentiful. The DFAC (stands for “Dining Facility”) serves four meals daily – including a midnight meal for swing shift Soldiers or those returning from outside-the-wire missions. It is also open 24/7 for cold food – sandwiches, snacks and drinks.

The shower facilities are the nicest we’ve seen in country so far and as a very helpful touch include washing machines and dryers. I wasted little time in turning my smelly clothing into something resembling a civilized state.

Like FOB Salerno, Lightning is dark at night, enforcing light security as a preventive for possible Taliban snipers. The first night we have almost a quarter waxing moon, giving it a very exotic appearance.

South of the FOB, perhaps half a mile and three quarters of a mile to the south on two formidable hilltops but clearly visible, are two castles that – according to rumor – may date back more than two thousand years. They sit astride the famous Khowst- Gardez Pass road, a part of the ancient Silk Route that originated in Beijing and terminated on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. We would love to visit the ruins and hope a chance opens up.

It is becoming clear from mission statements and a briefing we listened to at Salerno, that emphasis has firmly shifted from direct combat (although in places plenty of that still happens) to a population security-centric approach that is General Stanley McCrystal’s strategy for victory.

Soldiers salute and carry out the assigned mission to the best of their abilities. They are loath to criticize or second-guess commanders, so we have encountered the traditional military attitude of focus on getting the task accomplished.

One thing that we hear fairly consistently is that few believe that the magnitude of the mission will be completed within the short time span that President Obama has indicated. A 2011 pullout seems wildly optimistic to Soldiers working daily with Afghanis either in the security forces or the general civilian population.

Most Soldiers think that there is just too much work to be done and that it will be impossible to get to the desired state in such a relatively brief time schedule. When you consider the extraordinarily high illiteracy rate, primitive state of what is essentially an agrarian society, rampant corruption, and deep loyalties to tribe and family, not central government or nation, it does indeed seem to be an overly ambitious schedule.

Blackhawk Ride Over the Hindu Kush

Yesterday morning we loaded on a Blackhawk helicopter (UH-61) at FOB Salerno for a flight to FOB Lightning, where we expect to be based for most of our embed. SGT Victor Gardner from public affairs picked us up at our tent and drove us to the DFAC for a hearty breakfast.

MAJ Pratt, the PAO of 3/101 Rakkasans, graciously met us at flight operations and offered to arrange for us to accompany Soldiers on operations in the future. We hope to take advantage of that offer.

In Afghanistan, as in Iraq, Blackhawks fly in pairs (photo at left shows the second helicopter as we saw it out the window). This is theater SOP. In case of an emergency landing or shoot-down, the second bird may be able to pick up survivors. As we took off we watched a CH-47 Chinook chopper lift a very large sling load under the helicopter and rotor off into the distance. This is just one of the ways that remote outposts are supplied and takes the pressure off road-bound convoys.

To get to our destination – FOB Lightning, from Salerno, the most direct path is over the beginning of the Hindu Kush chain of mountains. These start in many places – like arms of a starfish – and converge at Everest, the roof of the world, in Nepal. We saw some of the arms of these mountains when we were in Manas, and also in Bagram. Today though, we got to fly over them and through a spectacular pass.

Looking down on the road snaking and twisting through the narrow defiles it was easy to think of ambush sites. With a bit of imagination one can see Soviet armor columns winding through them. Drift back a bit further and this part of the ancient Silk Route felt the hooves of horses, camels, and other beasts of burden as precious spices, silks, and other treasures made the incredibly long and dangerous trek from East to West.

It is every bit as dangerous today.

From the start of the flight we looked down upon Afghan villages and compounds – mud-walled, secretive, and even when clustered, isolated from each other. Initially the fields were surprisingly green and we observed orchards, pastures for grazing, and newly emerging crops. The bucolic picture turned grim as green faded rapidly to dun brown and the ridgelines grew steeper, valleys deeper, darker, and more hidden.

At one point, rather farther up into the mountains, we looked down on a tiny cluster of huts with their surrounding wall that appeared to have no road in or out, just a dry wadi bed that accommodated snowmelt, that, judging from meager traces of snow remaining, had already occurred.

Then the Blackhawk clawed its way into the high stuff. It felt from the thin, cold air that we were easily above 12,000 feet, maybe higher. Snow-capped peaks rose on both sides of the bird and the ground below was amazing close. In some places our actual above-ground altitude was less than 1,000 feet.

Given the normal heavy vibration associated with rotary wing aircraft, the Blackhawk is a good, stable, powerful ride. In contrast to the UH1H, Huey, the previous generation of lift helicopter, the performance of the Blackhawk is outstanding. Within thirty minutes we cleared the mountain range and began to descend to FOB Lightening and FOB Thunder.

Not that we had all that far to descend, since the FOBs sit at an average 8,000 feet. Compared to the warmer days at Salerno, it felt like early spring or fall here: crisp, dry air; energetic rather than enervating.

Almost "Club Med" at FOB Salerno

Gordon and I are leaving for FOB Lightning tomorrow, yet I've received a number of emails asking what it's like here so I'd like to take a minute to describe the accommodations at FOB Salerno.

War zone or not, it's been very comfortable in the area where visiting members of the media are kept, with porta-potties that are cleaned every day, air conditioned tents with semi-private rooms, a fenced yard with a locking gate, and wonderful views of the local mountains. Take a look:

Each tent has plywood doors, with very large concrete barriers just outside to help  prevent any vehicles, sniper fire, or Taliban rockets from crashing into the living spaces inside:

The interior hallway and bedrooms are also made from plywood, quite simple and in some ways even elegantly appointed. My quarters have a large carpet and a folding chair that serves as a side table (since one leg is too short and can't be sat upon):

Just outside the gated yard is a private bunker, used only by media, members of the Public Affairs Office and their Afghan counterparts mostly during the day, and any passing soldiers, sailors, contractors, or others who might be passing by during an emergency. However, since the area is away from most other facilities on the FOB (which stands for "Forward Operating Base") it feels rather exclusive:

And just around the corner from the bunker are the aforementioned porta-potties, complete with a quaint, chocolate brown plastic, foot-pump operated sink.

While difficult to see in this photo, both liquid soap and paper towels are conveniently located within easy reach. Water pressure is not a problem (as long as one stomps hard as quickly as humanly possible on the foot peddles... otherwise, a trickle does nicely for hand washing).

Although we didn't have the opportunity to venture outside the FOB main gates (commonly referred to as "going outside the wire"), it is our understanding that courtesy transportation is also available upon arrangement.

Unlike Iraq, Humvees are no longer used while outside the wire in Afghanistan. MRAPs (that is, "Mine Resistant Ambush Protected" armored vehicles) are the preferred way to travel.

Finally, and very seriously, the staff and personnel throughout FOB Salerno have simply been outstanding throughout our stay. They have bent over backwards to show us around, answer countless questions, and even driven us to the DFAC (the "Dining Facility") in the evenings to save us the walk in the dark (note that Salerno has black-out rules after sundown, and it's difficult to navigate using small red, green, or blue lights unless you have some idea of where you're going and what the layout is.

We're almost certain to transit Salerno again on exit, as this is the best place in the neighborhood to catch flights for Bagram, and it is likely that the Brigade staff will like an exit briefing from us before we fly away.