The Road to Hell -- A Report From The Ground In Afghanistan

Lt. Menuel Zepeda (left) and Cpl. Austin Hall (right) compare physical features of the terrain with those on a topographical map of the region near the Afghanistan/Pakistan border on Sept. 10, 2004. Zepeda and Hall are with the 3rd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment which is conducting vehicle checkpoints and village assessments while maintaining an offensive presence throughout the region. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Justin M. Mason, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

The Wilds, Afghanistan -- Michael Yon

Since leaving the British embed, I’ve gone unilateral. I flew back and forth between Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, drove around and talked with people down south, then flew up to Kabul. In Kabul, I met Tim Lynch and Shem Klimiuk (a retired USMC and ex-Aussie paratrooper, respectively), and we drove in an unarmored truck east to Jalalabad. The canyon-filled drive would be dangerous even if there was no war, but there is a war – a rapidly growing one — and Tim pointed out burnt spots on the road where ambushes had occurred. I was unarmed, and counting on the military experience of my two guides as well as their combined seven years experience in Afghanistan. In the weeks that I would spend with Tim and Shem, we drove more than a thousand miles up and down Afghan roads without the slightest drama, except that Tim scares me with his driving. If you are rich and want the adventure of a lifetime, contact Tim Lynch. You might die. But if you live, you’ll come back with a new perspective on Afghanistan.

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