Marines in Afghanistan: A Day in the Life

(CBS)  Wednesday will mark the 8-year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, and the situation for American troops there is not getting any better.

The U.S. Marines in the country's south face the toughest fight, and the worst conditions, reports CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan. They're surrounded by hard-core Taliban fighters in Helmand province, and the local people are often hostile - but sometimes war can deliver the unexpected.

CBS News Special Report: The Road Ahead

For Marine Sgt. Anthony Matthews, the unexpected came in the form of a kiss on the hand from an Afghan child as he taught the youngster a handshake.

Matthews, a father of two, can't resist reaching across the cultural divide - trying to pass on a few American traditions - even here in the most violent part of Afghanistan.

"When you see people that can't help themselves and you can provide them with just a little security, it's worth doing it, and that's the thing about it," said Matthews.

In Afghanistan, that means something different every day. Recently, Sgt. Matthews and the Marines of Echo company used a canal as a secret approach into a Taliban-held village.

After an hour in the water, Marine engineers came scrambling back; they'd found a series of roadside bombs.

It took five more hours of waiting in the water before the bombs were destroyed.

Most days, they have to force their way through thick cornfields because the ground they patrol is so heavily mined with roadside bombs.

Getting through these cornfields is hard because the ground is uneven and it's full of mud. The humidity is stifling and it's hard to breathe, but it's great for cover.

Back at the base, there's nowhere to shower, no way to get comfortable. It's blistering hot and filthy dirty. Marines sleep wherever they can. They haven't washed for months.

"As you can see, just living out in the dirt, that's never good. The shower situation, the bathroom situation... going out every day, getting shot at, walking through the mud... you're never dry you're always wet," said Matthews, "just stuff like that."

What makes it bearable? When the mail truck finally arrives with letters from home.

"It's a struggle. You worry about your Marines here, you worry about family at home, it's hard trying to keep your head in the game," said Matthews. "Try to keep your mind off of home as much as possible here."

Many of these Marines are on their third or fourth deployments, and a lot of them have small children and young wives at home. But you really don't hear them complaining. That's a big part of the Marine culture.

[USMC_WARRIOR_MOM]

I would like to comment on a couple of things that a couple of people have stated here. First,GUNZUSMC,>>I would love to take you into combat with me so I can watch you be the first one to cry for your mommy when sh?! hits the fan.<<I AGREE AND PLEEEZE TAKE PICTURES FOR US IF YOU ARE SO BLESSED!!!>>The men and women in our Armed Forces are the chosen few to protect little punks like yourself, I hope that I never run across you, because if I do stand by! <<AGAIN,AGREE AND PICTURES PUH-LEEEZE.>>To all the Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen deployed Keep your head up and Stay Motivated.<<AMEN Second,army_wife07,>>A soldier wouldn't bother thier time trying to talk some sense into you, because just want to do thier job with the least amount of drama.<<YUP SO TRUE,AND I AM GLAD YOU MENTIONED TALK TO WIVES NOT MOMS...NUFF SAID.>>Most of the afghanistan civilians thank our soldier when they walk down the street.<<SO TRUE AGAIN,MY SON HAS TOLD ME SO.>>Do you go out and buy stuff to make care packages for our soldiers over there?<<HE*# YUH,FOR YEARS... ANYSOLDIER.COM ,AND NOW MY SON TOO.>>DO you write letters thanking them for keeping you safe at night?<<UH-HUH ALL THE TIME.>>Do you go up to people who's loved ones are deployed and tell them to stay strong and let them know that you keep them in your prayers?<<YUP.I am posting a few days 'after' ya all,but I just couldn't-not-.You addressed the 'others' enough that I thought if maybe they were ignored they would fade away..*giggle*. THANX AND STAY STRONG!OOHRAH!

[GUNZUSMC]

pigsinlipstick, I'm not sure why you chose that name as a username but I think it tells alot about you, You must kiss alot of pigs *****! I would love to take you into combat with me so I can watch you be the first one to cry for your mommy when sh?! hits the fan. The men and women in our Armed Forces are the chosen few to protect little punks like yourself, I hope that I never run across you, because if I do stand by! To all the Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen deployed Keep your head up and Stay Motivated.

[bubbadubba]

It always makes me sick to see Generals waste such great men as US Marines as if they were nothing.
The greatest fighting force in world history and US Marines are treated as if their lives mean nothing just like in Vietnam.
Sending them into combat without the finest equipment and total air support is not negligent, it is criminal.
I hope Obama wakes up and gets rid of all those political generals who jumped up the promotion ladder under GW Bush because they supported his bogus invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

[native_warrior_USMC]

Matthew's!! you crazy azz MF'r! I didn't know you stayed in 2/8! keep you head down, buddy. And keep an eye on Steele and Greenlee. ECHO COMPANY!!! FALL OUT!!

[army_wife07]

Anti-global2 how dare you say that this war is a waste of time and money! People are risking thier lives for you so you can sleep safe tonight. My husband and I are about to go through our second deployment and it's people who like you make everyone believe that our soldiers aren't doing any good over there. Most of the civilians over there love our soldiers and thank them for helping them. While helping the civilians over there, they also are doing the best they can to not let any more terroists get back over here and destroy more of our country. I doubt that you have a close loved one deployed or one that has ever been deployed, you'd have a diffrent view. You really should sit down and have a talk with a military wife who's spouse is deployed, if you came out of it alive you'd be thinking totally diffrently. A soldier wouldn't bother thier time trying to talk some sense into you, because just want to do thier job with the least amount of drama. But since they're like that us wives will deal with all the BS and tell people like you how wrong y'all are! My husband loves his job, he hates having to leave me and our daughter but he loves knowing that he's going to make our country and another country a better place. I would love for you to be able to see how much they help our country by helping Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the afghanistan civilians thank our soldier when they walk down the street. The news portrays a totally diffrent image then what is really going on.And you say the terroist boogey man line is getting old, say that to the poeple who lost loved ones in the Twin Towers. By saying that it's a waste of time and money is saying you don't support our troops, no matter what you say. Do you go out and buy stuff to make care packages for our soldiers over there? DO you write letters thanking them for keeping you safe at night? Do you go up to people who's loved ones are deployed and tell them to stay strong and let them know that you keep them in your prayers? I doubt it! SO before you go and say that you support the troops but think the war is a waste of time and money, you need to talk to someone who really knows whats going on!

[anti-global2]

I wish you the best but Afghanistan is no threat to me or my family and i don't care about anyone other then American's so the threat posed to others in the region means nothing to me. They aren't American so I don't care what heppens to them and I definately don't care about Afghanis or Iraqis. If it were up to me not one cent of U.S. tax dollars would support them. Those people live like dogs and should be treated as such.
also i am close to a few soldiers deployed there and they have all expressed frustration because they say we are not hearing the whole story and they agree the taliban do not pose a threat to the U.S. They pose a threat to unocal, and from what I understand the majority of military over there believe unocal should protect their own interests or
die trying.
Finally like I said I don't think anyone in Afghanistan had anythingt o do with 9/11 and more and more evidence is sipporting that view, though some believe we should just shut up and accept the official version.
I do however believe if the troops do stay everything should be taken, all natural resources, everything and should be used to strengthen the position of the U.S. in the global economy. If we could keep developing countries from acquiring oil and gas we could slow or stop their economic growth. We live in a world of limited resources so the less they have the more we have. To me it is not about helping others, it is doing what is right for the majority in the U.S., f--- everyone else.

[tmansonk]

oorah!

[mary-miami]

It's War. It's not a vacation. These men and women are fighting for our freedom and rights. This is not a war about territory, it is a war to protect our civilized way of life. We didn't start it. The terrorist started it when they attacked the towers in New York City.
We cannot walk away because it will give them more encouragement to try to bulldoze our civilization by imposing their backward ideology.
I am a Democrat who believes that it might not be a popular war, but it is an important one.

[anti-global2]

While I take my hat off to all of our service people, this war is a wasteof time and money if you are an American.
The senior counsel on the 9/11 commission John Farmer has come out and said the whole investigation and the findings are a cover up. This just supports the position that the 9/11 hijackers had nothing to do with Afghanistan, just liek they had nothing to do with Iraq. Does anyone really still believe that the largest terrorist attack in U.S. history was planned and carried out from mud buildings and caves in Afghanistan? There is so much evidence going against this theory it would have been disproved by now if the media were independent enough to ask thier own questions.
Afghanistan and the taliban do not pose any threat to the U.S. They don't have weapons that can even reach here.
People will use the terrorist bogeyman line, but that is getting old. Right now they keep talking about the Afghan national in Denver who was going to make a huge bomb using 18 12 ounce bottles of peroxide. I am not an expert on bombs but I have not been able to find anything saying that small amount of peroxide could be used to make a bomb. Now since this guy will never have a trial by jury, or even a criminal trial we will never hear what actual evidence they have against him. I think he is being scape goated to keep up the pressure to stay in Afghanistan.
The other factor nobody is talking about is the Obama administration has already decided the Hamid (unocal) Karzai will be taying in power no matter what the investigation into election fraud finds. What this means is they tried to cheat to keep thier man in power, but because of UN observers have gotten caught, and are now sayong so what, they guy stays. When you look at it like this you cannot blame the Afghanis from being pissed. They don't owe us anything, we need to get out of their country and leave thier natural resources to them.

[stuart-johns1]

Marines in Vietnam: A Day in the Life
Unbearable Heat, Constant Mud, No Showers and Taliban Shooting At them, Marines Still Don't Complain

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Some things never change.

[tmansonk]

That guy at the top of this page from Oct. 6 is my son!!!! These boys are the best, even though some people have made ignorant comments here...thats what our military is for...so they can.