Pedros

Typical compound.

Afghan interstate system.

The Afghans call this the Dasht-i-Margo (Desert of Death).

The roads of nowhere.

Lone vehicle in the Desert of Death.

Some compounds are miles from the nearest neighbor, yet they still have walls.  Afghanistan is the land of a million Alamos.

When Afghans build a home, they start by building a wall.  When the wall is finished, they start on the home.

The pilots swoop in for the patient.  There is only one thing that British soldiers love more than mail and that’s Pedro.  When I told British soldiers from 2 Rifles that Pedro was going to take me, many British soldiers asked me to say “thank yous” to the Pedros.  The Pedros are a great morale booster because we know when we take casualties, Pedro is coming with miniguns and incredible medics.  When other helicopters are grounded by bad weather, Pedro goes.  When bullets are flying, Pedro comes in with miniguns blazing.  They also rescue Danish, Americans, and others, including contractors and Afghan civilians sometimes.