Below are some snap shots of Afghanistan I took from a Blackhawk helicopter to help you get a feel for the terrain and few other slice of Afghan life shots thrown in. The op-tempo here is pretty high especially given the land and distances involved. Most platoons walk everywhere so there is a lot of up and down. The average patrol covers 10 kilometers and lasts 6-8 hours.
Note the size of the compounds
The closer you are to a river, the land is irrigated. The chief crop is wheat, but there is also corn and barley.
These plots are not being cultivated this year
The fields are small and most work is done by hand. There is not enough scale for the farmers to move much beyond subsistence. Many farmers are sharcroppers or in a cycle of debt to the "land owners." Who owns the land is a source of conflict throughout Afghanistan.
Smaller rivers still have enough water for small plots up against the foothills.
These are just the foothills, not the real mountains.
The Khowst/Gardez Highway, the main artery of commerce in Khowst province follows the wadi through the mountains.
An example of terraced fields. It is common for one side of a wadi (river/stream) to be used for fields, the other for housing.
Kholbesat Bazaar. There are actual shops and stores in the main strip, but the seasonal fresh foods are sold in these stalls rented by the day. These stalls are down in the river bed. No one knows why.
The 125cc knock-off of a 1970s Honda. Probably the most common form of transportation in AFG. I've seen whole families on one.
Threshing wheat. The Massey Ferguson is the most common tractor in AFG. The owner of this thresher travels from village to village. The Afghan version of a custom harvester.
The tea is always served.
JD with an Afghan Army radio operator. The officers, Afghan and US were talking with a group of village elders.
Heading back to the outpost across a freshly harvested wheat field.
