I have been here almost two months now and to say that we hit the ground running is an understatement.  We are living on a COP [Combat Outpost] that is literally in the middle of nowhere.  The most amazing thing is that EVERY NIGHT we sit outside of our B-Hut and look up and can see every star that God has created, twinkling down to us.  The landscape at night really reminds me of what the Pioneers must have thought when crossing the Great Deserts of the U.S. way back in the 1800s.  No city lights where we are...just an occasional light here and there in the distance of a nearby village, probably the Malik's house or some village elder.  The nearest base is [JBAD]  15 minutes by flight or 1.5 - 2 hours by MRAP across some of the most bumpy roads in the world.  I mean I have done my fair share of off-roading in jeeps, blazers, etc., however, these roads here take the cake.   There are not too many real roads to use, with the exception of wadis that we bounce across riding in the belly of a 40-ton wheeled beast.  One cannot have a bad back or a heart condition riding in one of these things...it is definitely an adventure of a life time.  The village I work in is one of the secure ones, however, they still do find caches of weapons, component pieces, etc. every now and then.  So, the moral of that story is, NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.   We have completed a few dismounted patrols through the village and it is amazing to see the bright colors of the shops and the clothing that the people wear.  In our area, women still wear Burqas [more still be choice].  I am still amazed every time we head out on patrol.  The smaller villages that we pass through appear to be stone monuments of the past, frozen in time by a 1000 years or so.  It is truly a sight to see.  Again, I have to say that I am glad to be here and  be able to participate in an historic undertaking such as this.