REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Cappuccino takes bite off dusty, concertina wire-clad place

FILED: 1 p.m. EDT, March 26, 2008

The first thing I noticed when the C-17 airplane touched down in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday morning was the dust. Even at 6 a.m., it hung around the International Security Assistance Force base like fog.

Most of the Marines have come down with what they call "the funk" in their first few days here - likely the result of breathing in the powdery sand. It eventually goes away, but no one really knows how to avoid it.

I grew up in Arizona and I don't mind the desert. And the dust has no obvious smell or flavor. But it is not easy to escape. Service members from more than a dozen countries walk around the base in various shades of desert camouflage, sunglasses on to shield their eyes from the glaring sun and ubiquitous dust.

The living and working facilities, while much nicer than I expected, are nonetheless pervaded by the dust and strong afternoon heat. And I learned that even a shower doesn't do much to get rid of the dirt - since it will simply collect again on feet and legs during the long walk back to the tent.

Still, I have been impressed with dining facilities (or "chow halls," as they're called), the tents and the buildings here - some of which did not even exist before Camp Lejeune Marines began arriving here about a month ago. And the Canadians brought with them a miniature Tim Horton's, a coffee and pastry shop that offers a refreshing and tasty iced cappuccino.

A few Marines have said they think their wives may stop sending those generous care packages if they know how "cushy" the accommodations here really are. But I know better. I know that those homemade cookies aren't baked because a family member is afraid her loved one is starving. It's more akin to the reason the Canadians set up Tim Horton's - to make this dusty, concertina wire-clad place feel a little more like home.