THE place looks different from what I could recollect from yesterday. It was shabby and makeshift, displaying all the scars of a base under siege. Afghan soldiers sit around, some smoking, some chatting, and others sleeping. They look crushed, and we are quickly informed that they have been getting smashed by the Taliban for several weeks, constantly engaged in close-quarter firefights. They have lost several men and are low on food and ammunition. Hand-to-hand combat has left many dejected, and their battle-worn faces say it all.This kandak fights alone and unsupported, and they have no indirect fire weapons, such as artillery; nor are they afforded the luxury of CAS in the form of Apaches or fixed wing fighter aircraft that coalition forces can call upon.These men are fierce and proud fighters, although many lack the basic discipline that Western soldiers learn in training. Weapons and equipment must be looked after if they are to survive the intemperate conditions of Helmand. However, the Afghans are in disarray, and their battle discipline is non-existent.
