Day 1

Kandahar Air Field (KAF) has become a monster of a base.

Since the Taliban were forced out in 2001, KAF has become one of the top five busiest airports in the world with planes taking off and landing 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"You get used to the sound after a while," says Canadian Forces Corporal Claude Arsenault as an F-18 roars overhead.

Some might argue that KAF more resembles a city than a military base. The base's population has reached in excess of 22,000. It has its own boardwalk with a Tim Horton's and shops galore. It even has sports facilities including a ball hockey rink where the Canadians take the game almost as seriously as they take fighting the Taliban.

"It's a good release for them," says Corporal Arsenault. "You need to take a break from the war to keep your mind healthy."

On the day of my arrival, some of the families of the latest fallen soldiers were visiting the base for a special ceremony. "It gives the families a sense of closure," says Arsenault. Canada has lost 140 soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly to IED's (improvised explosive devices).

One of the latest casualties was Canwest reporter Michelle Lang who lost her life along with four Canadian soldiers last December to an IED. "Our vehicles offer good protection, but the Taliban keep making bigger bombs," says Arsenault.

Some might say the Taliban are waging a propaganda war. Since Lang's death, a number of media outlets refuse to let their reporters venture out with the ground troops in convoys, meaning collecting and reporting information about the war is harder to come by.

What reporters publish is also under tight scrutiny. The Canadian military is adamant that coverage including photos must not tip-off the enemy. For instance, media outlets can publish photos of military aircraft but must not reveal their precise location by identifying buildings in the background or broadcast a mission before it happens. "You don't want to give the enemy information beforehand that will jeopardize the safety of the troops," says Arsenault.

Rocket attacks on KAF are also on the minds of those who live on the sprawling base including the hundreds of civilians who've landed lucrative contracts with NATO. "If you hear the words 'rocket attack' over the PA system, hit the ground," says Arsenault. "One landed right beside the media tent a while ago, but thankfully it didn't explode."