WARDAK, Afghanistan -- The new Afghanistan strategy is supposed to be all about winning hearts and minds. But this small combat outpost high in the Hindu Kush mountains seems to be mostly about fighting.
The outpost, manned by Delta Rifle Company* of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, has been mortared or rocketed seven times in the last two days. They also got involved in a major firefight between the Taliban, Afghan security forces and private security contractors protecting the supply trucks heading up the main road towards Kabul.
To be fair, overall violence levels in Wardak province have dropped since the division started moving in earlier this year. There are significantly less attacks on the main road, and some of the districts, formerly no-go areas, have become reasonably safe.