Passionate romance:
"I had been told by several friends about finding troops 'doing it' in cramped spaces like the small bomb shelters around our tent living area and Porta-Johns. Yeah, Porta-Johns."
Clever imperialist banter:
"'Wow,' I said. 'But that's Indian territory.' I gave them the street location. 'It's the heart of where the bad guys are hanging out these days.'"
Realistic unflinching looks at the front lines of the battlefield:
"We had to get back to Bagram before dark. Besides, the mess hall served Alaskan king crab on Friday nights, and you had to get there early before it got too rubbery."
Even subtler foreshadowing:
"The graveyard sat on a high plain that overlooked Kabul against a backdrop of brown and gray rock mountains. Faded green Soviet vehicles -- T-64 and T-72 tanks, BMP armored personnel carriers, BRDM armored cars, and more -- were stretched out on a tan flat plain as far as the eye could see. Row after row of them."
Inverted literary allusions based on movies:
"I thought about Willard's journey up the river and into the 'heart of darkness.' Maybe we were going to have to do something to get at these guys where they lived; the remote area where Kurtz called his home was as remote as Wana to us."
Insights into local customs:
"Dave and I put on our 'Hajji hats' -- flat-topped Afghan hats worn by the local men."
Massage cream sources that threaten national security:
"I'd never given a massage in a combat zone before, but I dug out some hand cream with lotus flowers that I'd picked up at the BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP and figured it would do in place of massage oil."
Hints of a sequel:
"We have to become involved in helping to shape and improve the message of the true Muslim faith."
"I had been told by several friends about finding troops 'doing it' in cramped spaces like the small bomb shelters around our tent living area and Porta-Johns. Yeah, Porta-Johns."
Clever imperialist banter:
"'Wow,' I said. 'But that's Indian territory.' I gave them the street location. 'It's the heart of where the bad guys are hanging out these days.'"
Realistic unflinching looks at the front lines of the battlefield:
"We had to get back to Bagram before dark. Besides, the mess hall served Alaskan king crab on Friday nights, and you had to get there early before it got too rubbery."
Even subtler foreshadowing:
"The graveyard sat on a high plain that overlooked Kabul against a backdrop of brown and gray rock mountains. Faded green Soviet vehicles -- T-64 and T-72 tanks, BMP armored personnel carriers, BRDM armored cars, and more -- were stretched out on a tan flat plain as far as the eye could see. Row after row of them."
"I thought about Willard's journey up the river and into the 'heart of darkness.' Maybe we were going to have to do something to get at these guys where they lived; the remote area where Kurtz called his home was as remote as Wana to us."
Insights into local customs:
"Dave and I put on our 'Hajji hats' -- flat-topped Afghan hats worn by the local men."
Massage cream sources that threaten national security:
"I'd never given a massage in a combat zone before, but I dug out some hand cream with lotus flowers that I'd picked up at the BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP and figured it would do in place of massage oil."
Hints of a sequel:
"We have to become involved in helping to shape and improve the message of the true Muslim faith."
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