Bill Ardolino from Afghanistan
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Long War Journal has sent Bill Ardolino to Afghanistan for a while to report while embedded with the Marines. I had a chance to sit and talk w/ Bill before he left and as always I look forward to his excellent reporting from in theater.
I'm currently embedded with the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, in Musa Qala, Helmand province, Afghanistan. After traveling through JFK, Frankfurt, Kabul, Camp Leatherneck, and Delaram, I've finally settled in. Several pieces are in the works, but here are some first impressions of Musa Qala.
Security is variable, hinging on how far one moves from the District Center (DC). The DC can be very roughly described as 'downtown,' since it contains government buildings, the densest press of people and brick and mud-daub structures, and the district's sole legal bazaar. The remainder of the district stretches north and south in a kidney-shaped area of small villages, farms, and individual compounds littered along the wadi.
