In two Black Hawk helicopters we hopscotched across the forward operating bases of eastern Afghanistan.

They are manned by American soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division in Country for only a month, but our host Brig. General Mark Milley has studied this country preparing for the mission and brings experience from Iraq to counter insurgency ops here.

Here’s a few of his observations we shared over the intercom of the Black Hawk as we flew together:

1. To win the people away from the insurgency people have to see immediate improvements in their lives in terms of roads and schools and security.

“It’s happening rapidly,” says Milley. “We offer the promise of a better life, all the insurgents offer is death and destruction.”

2. Big Country, Afghans have to feel connected to the Central Govt.

“It’s happening everywhere in the East,” Milley said … but he acknowledges the south of Afghanistan is a problem

3. The Afghan Army now at 70,000 is getting strong and getting good, says Milley.

“They can conduct operations, they lead and we shadow them, their excellent,” he claims.

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We were embedded with the 24 MEU, (Marine Expeditionary Unit) in Southern Afghanistan.

Charlie Company was involved in a fire fight with a Taliban insurgents hold up in a Madrassa just down the road. Cameraman Malcolm James (left) and I dodged bullets whizzing past, a rocket propelled grenade detonated a couple hundred feet away, and marines from Charlie Company were ducking and returning fire with a 50 cal machine gun.

Now picture this … it’s in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, nowhere. No power. Just a lot of dust and dirt and searing hot temperatures as the fighting is going on.

From our backpacks, Mal and I pulled out what are known as a stream box and BGAN terminal, two little lap top computer sized gizmo’s that changed the way you saw TV this week (below).

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A Marine captain sweats. I could see it plainly but maybe his troops didn’t.

They were nervous and he didn’t want to show them he was too. Captain John Moder was more than sweating a little when he called his men together to give them a “pre” battle pep talk in the middle of the desert in Helmand, Afghanistan.

This young Marine had a lot on his mind. It was his first combat mission as a commander of the Charlie Company of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. It was his first combat mission of a company of soldiers, period.

That “pre” mission rally with a prayer by the Chaplin is more than just talk. For a young captain, you see, the weight of command weighs more than the hundred pound packs the marines carry in one hundred degree weather. The weight is if he make a bad call, one of his men potentially doesn’t come home alive.

Mission - clear an area called Garmsir of Taliban.

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