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As the conflict in Afghanistan intensifies for American troops, soldiers of the Utah National Guard help train the Afghan National Army to fight the Taliban.
Freelance journalist Doug Grindle catches up with Utah soldiers a long way from home.
Soldiers of the Utah National Guard check fuel tanks at a small base 40 miles east of Kabul, Afghanistan.
The guardsmen are working with the Afghan National Army to build a brand new base next to a massive reservoir.
Lt. Will Biesinger, with the Utah National Guard, says, "This is the Naghlu Reservoir. It's basically a reservoir to feed a hydroelectric dam."
The soldiers were amazed to discover this part of Afghanistan looks a lot like home. "When we landed here we thought they had taken us up and flown around in the air for a couple of hours and landed us back in Dugway, in Utah," Biesinger says. "It's very similar."
The soldiers easily stay in touch with home with 50-cents-a-minute phone calls and e-mails.
"I just talked to my wife this morning," says Maj. Chris Warner of the Utah National Guard. "With my cell phone our here, stand in the right spot, get a signal. I could talk with my wife right now if I wanted to."
The soldiers work, rest and get back to work again. They're here for nine months and move between this forward base and their main base. As basic as it seems, they insist they have some luxuries. Warner says, "It's nice to have something different to eat, got these ramen noodles, just heat it up and dump it in, makes a nice meal to have."
These Utah soldiers spend about a week at this forward base and then head back to their main base near Kabul. They rest, get ready and come back out to the field again.
NATO's senior commander has asked for more troops in Afghanistan. The defense secretary has asked for additional surveillance drones and armored vehicles.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
