I have arrived at my Forward Operating Base. It took a couple of weeks to get here, having left the USA on a chartered commercial flight. There is a certain pleasure in bypassing TSA altogether and boarding a plane armed to the teeth! I brought an automatic rifle, a grenade launcher, a bayonet, screwdriver, leatherman and a FULLSIZE bottle of shampoo on my flight...that's a felony stop at BOS!

Had a brief stay at an airbase where I lived in a huge open barracks in a tent. We have one of those tents here at the FOB. They park helicopters in it, so you can get a sense of the scale of it. Just you and ~300 other folks crammed together in bunks. They didn't give me any Marriott points either. Major downer.

From there we crossed into Afghanistan and stayed in Kandahar. HUGE airbase in the southwest. Rocket attack on the first night I was there but apparently they miss the base almost every time. Even if they did, it's so spread out and sparse they still have trouble threatening the troops...

Saw a little bit of everything at Kandahar. Canadian, British, French, Belgian, Italian, Romanian, Dutch and Afghan troops. A virtual airshow of the worlds aircraft. A hockey game (no skates). TGIFridays (no free refrills!). Want asian style food for lunch? They had a DFAC (Dining Facility) to satisfy that hankering. Jonesin' for a croissant? Head to the Parisian style cafe. KAF is quite the place.

Oh, and that base smells. Bad. The prevailing winds cross over the cesspools and sewage and deliver a serious stank. I was happy to leave.

I am now happily ensconced at a very very small base in a desert area. Top temp last year, in the shade, was 147. Accomodations are spartan but livable (I definitely have it better than the Infantry at the moment). The showers DO have water, most of the time, and are dangerously close to being warm. We have a PX here but it's been closed for months. The terrain looks a lot like Nevada, believe it or not.

Food is unexceptional but tolerable. If you're not picky that is. Thought it was great when a local dignitary presented us with a goat in thanks for all the work the previous team had accomplished with him. It was OK barbecued.