Kandahar Air Field

I am currently stationed at Kandahar Air Field otherwise known as KAF. The base is located about 15 miles southeast of Kandahar City. KAF has a large single airstrip and is supposed to be the busiest single runway airport in the world with 5000 flights daily. I believe it, given all of the air traffic I hear throughout the night. NATO fighter jets take off constantly as do helicopters. Larger military and commercial jets take off occasionally. The headquarters for KAF is located in a building on the airstrip known as TLS. This stands for Taliban's Last Stand. Kandahar was Taliban's last place of resistance in 2001 until the Marines took the airport. It's interesting walking through TLS as you can still see the bullet holes in the walls and a shattered wall thanks to a larger round.

There are currently ~30,000 people on KAF consisting of soldiers, sailors, air force and marines from nations all over the world as well as civilian contractors. It's basically the population of University Place plopped onto a built-up airfield. The place is hot, dusty and brown. A clean vehicle looks completely out of place. Whoever landed the deal for Toyota here made a mint. There are Toyota Hilux trucks and Hilux Surf SUVs everywhere, 2/3 with the steering wheel on the right.

My next posts will describe the sights, sounds and smells of KAF.

The picture was taken on the four minute walk from my billets to the DFAC for a meal.
The one story buildings are the mods were we live. The mountains in the background separate KAF from Kandahar City.