On The Ground Action Report From Afghanistan

US marines prepare their grenade launchers during a six-hour fire fight against Taliban insurgents, who are reported to have a permanent hold in 80 per cent of Afghanistan. 1ST LT KURT STAHL/US MARINE CORPS

On Helmand's Frontline With The US Marines -- The Independent

The heat, the sweat, the fear and the firefights: Terri Judd joins the 2nd Platoon as it clashes with the Taliban, dodging bullets and tangling with IEDs.

Battling through the dense, towering corn fields, the heavily armed US marines trudged through Taliban territory, every arduous step sinking into deep cloying mud. In the background, the thunder of artillery rounds boomed.

Suddenly, a burst of Pashtu emanated from the radio set monitoring Taliban chatter. "They say they have got eyes on. They are waiting on us," translated one of the marines. "Can we ask them where they are?" another replied sardonically.

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My Comment: In the past month, McClatchy, AP, and the Independent are publishing "on the ground" action reports from Afghanistan. This is long overdue. Military bloggers like Michael Yon and web sites like Wired have reported stories of what is happening on the ground, but their audiences pale in comparison to what the big media outlets can do.

I think I can speak for a lot of readers when I state that we wish to have more news reports and eyewitness accounts of what is happening on the front lines in Afghanistan.