What is it like in Afghanistan?

I couldn't tell you, for sure. But I have caught glimpses from what I see through Skype, and what Hyrum has told me.

Hyrum's unit is stationed at FOB (forward operating base) Pasab, which is in the province of Kandahar.  They are 30 km to the west of a large base (also called Kandahar), which has the feel of a small town--complete with Subway and TGI Fridays.  Most of Hyrum's regiment was located in Kandahar.  A big part of their current mission is to disassemble the infrastructure-- when the troops pull out of areas for good, they can't leave behind their cafeteria, fire trucks, housing, etc.  So they get rid of stuff, or pass it along to the ANA.  They're also helping to strengthen and train the Afghan forces-- patrolling roads, dismantling IED's...  war stuff.

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Now that they're getting ready to come home (and be replaced by potentially the last American unit at Pasab) the 'services' are dwindling.  For example, they used to have a mini-PX, but it's now in the process of being torn down.

The soldiers eat all their meals at a cafeteria, which is mostly staffed by Indians.  It might just be that Hyrum loves food, but he has had a lot of good things to say about meals.  They decorate and have special meals for holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition to the cafeteria, there are a lot of care packages sent with goodies they all enjoy.  No shortage of sugar for the soldiers.

They have a gym.  For a lot of guys in the Army, if you take away the gym you take away a piece of their souls.  It's hard for me to wrap my head around that mentality.  Hyrum uses some equipment they have near his office so he can squeeze it in easier.

They can take their clothes to a laundromat to be washed and folded.  I'd like to get in on that.  It's run by a group of Kenyan ladies.  Hyrum said when you go inside it's a happy place, with music playing.  Then you leave, and it's back to the real world.  There's also a barber shop, with ladies from Kyrgyzstan.  It seems like each 'service' has it's own nationality.

I think most of the guys either sleep in tents or containers.  Hyrum is in a giant tent with wood dividers separating it into 'rooms'.  Nothing fancy, but at least he has some space for himself.  Then they pay an arm and a leg if they want internet, which I mentioned before.  The offices they work in are a bit sturdier--concrete blocks.

The weather hits both extremes.  Most of the year, it's hot.  But they did see some snow in December/January.  In the summer it's normally over 100 degrees, which leaves the soldiers melting in all their equipment.

Because Hyrum works in an office, he doesn't need to leave the FOB too often.  They sometimes leave to visit counterparts in the ANA, or occasionally he goes to Kandahar for work stuff.  Usually they go by helicopter.  However, when there is a lot of dust and bad visibility (it is a desert, after all) the flights are all grounded.  They carry their weapons with them at all times, inside and outside the FOB, but when they leave they obviously have to wear a bit more gear... like 40+ lbs of gear.

And lastly, their schedule is crazy.  They work 7-days a weeks, because war doesn't have weekends.  Hyrum usually gets out of work around 10 pm, comes home to talk to me on Skype (if the internet is okay) and then goes to bed.  Since Friday is when Muslims observe the Sabbath, they have Friday mornings free.  Hyrum is usually able to sneak away for an hour on Sunday afternoon to attend church service on the base.  Their attendance is usually 2-5 soldiers.  They sing, pray, take the Sacrament, and have a lesson.  Simple, but such a blessing to have people there to do it with.