Watch Fobs

02.02.10

Capt. Jeffrey Nilsen worried that there would be little here when the 114th Transportation Co., arrived.

He was right.

When it got there in June, the company was assigned a dusty field that offered nothing more than a stunning view of a nearby mountain range. In the months since, the Minnesota National Guard members have built up their garage and motor pool area to the point where other units are coming to them scrounging for parts and expertise.

Leatherneck is one of the new Forward Operating Bases, or FOBs, emerging on otherwise barren Afghan landscapes. Meant to establish an archipelago of U.S. influence and firepower -- and bring Taliban fighters within quicker reach of a counterstrike -- the bases are where most troops entering the war zone will spend their time when not on a mission.

Some soldiers have dubbed the string of new American islands "Fobistan.'' Not all of them are as austere as Leatherneck -- some sport Burger Kings, Pizza Huts and Casino Nights and allow soldiers whose duties largely keep them on base to live in a more insular world than those who routinely travel outside the wire.

[ Via: Minneapolis Star Tribune | Read more... ]