Here we are in Kandahar

Fifteen minutes out of Kandahar everything inside the transport plane went black. Seconds later, the pilot started a series of banks and dives just in case someone on the ground launched a rocket.

Inside the plane, there was no concern among the 20 passengers -- about half military and the rest  civilian. Everyone seemed to be a veteran of these combat maneuvers.

The soldier next to me slept as did the contractor at the other end of the row.

About all I could see inside the plane were tiny, flashing green lights of electronic gear and moonlight streaming through the C-130’s portholes.

Being that this is a combat zone, the preferred mode of transportation from Kabul to Kandahar – a distance of about 300 miles – is an airplane.

First, it’s much quicker – about 65 minutes by air versus eight hours by ground. Second, it’s safer. There are no roadside bombs for a plane to dodge and the Taliban doesn’t have an air force.

I flew here to visit troops of the 218^th Brigade Combat Team stationed in these parts and report on the work they’re doing.

Sixty soldiers of Company B, 1^st Battalion, 118^th Infantry Regiment represent the largest group in the vicinity of Kandahar Air Field. There also are some officers in the regional command of Task Force Phoenix, and a few dozen S.C. soldiers are in support jobs like computer and radio technicians.

Most of the 250 soldiers in the embedded training teams, including about 70 from South Carolina, are – as military folks say – down range, working with the Afghan army and police.

The base is about 15 miles from Kandahar City. Although it’s desert, mountains are in all directions.

This place, though, is hardly a frequent destination for travelers.

Globalsecurity.org, a Web site that tracks military issues, says the base is “one of the most remote, landlocked and desolate places the Army has ever tried to build a combat base.”

But its location makes the base “a perfect hub” for troops to go into the mountains and hunt down Taliban and al-Qaida forces, Globalsecurity added.

The base is run by the Canadians, who’ve built a hockey rink with an artificial surface that can be used year round. This, of course, is hardly hockey country given that the summertime high usually is over 110 degrees.

Also in an area called the “Boardwalk” is a Tim Horton’s. It's the Canadian version of a Starbucks. I haven’t tried the coffee yet, but locals offer rave reviews.

There’s also an international feel to the base, which is the second largest in Afghanistan. Approximately 10,000 U.S. and coalition service members are stationed here representing more than a dozen nations. U.S. personnel include the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.

Besides military personnel, there are hundreds of civilians who work for contractors on the base. The civilians, too, come from an assortment of countries.

Although, I’ve been here less than 48 hours, it strikes me that everyone seems to get along just fine.

Now, if only the world outside the gates would be that way.