There's thousands of miles of open terrain in Afghanistan; rock, sand, and mountainous terrain greet the ANA soldier who, even during basic training, is asked to hike the rugged ranges. (Photo by G. A. Volb)
Initial entry into the home comes fast and violently. Select this photo and read what it says on his canteen. (Photo by G. A. Volb) 
Then the rest of the team begins their entry into the home. Security is stressed with each member of the team covering a specific area. (Photo by G. A. Volb) 
Being prepared for the unexpected is what this is all about. (Photo by G. A. Volb) They were blanks, sure enough, but they caught me by surprise.
I was standing in front of the large main window to a "home" being used by the ANA to conduct house-to-house search training when they opened up. As if to take the house by any force necessary, the sound of many rounds echoed throughout. Since nobody let me in on the fact this would be happening, I jumped out of my shorts.
On this day, the ANA commandos were in "town" to select a few of the best troops to join their ranks. I stood by as they had them running up and down the hills in sweltering heat; I remember thinking it was nice to be a retiree. The fact is, as an Air Force guy I rarely had the opportunity to experience live fires, commando training etc. And I'm glad I didn't.
Yesterday, there was a sand storm that came through the camp. It reminded me of those days when it rained so hard back on the east coast that you couldn't see two feet in front of you. The only difference is you never had to worry about chewing on rain. Here, bits of sand and dust fill up your eyes and mouth -- you spit and rub, rub and spit for hours afterwards.
In two weeks I'm taking a much needed vacation. I'm looking forward to a stress-free week or two in some exotic location.
