third trip. I wanted to go to helmand province in the south on my last trip and had clearance to embed with a great unit there but I didn_Tt do it because to embed with ISAF you need ISAF credentials that can only be obtained in Kabul. So logistically that would have been a nightmare. The taxi takes about an hour and a half from Bagram to Kabul one way. I simply didn_Tt want to add that risk onto my trip when I worked so hard to get a flight straight to Bagram.It seems silly to me to have to go to Kabul to get credentials but that is the way it works. I did it on my first trip while I was in Kabul but those credentials have expired. I am guessing that the Marines will not be at the Forward Operating Base where you are going and if they are you will not be permitted to go on patrols with them if you are embedded with an Army unit. Don_Tt worry though, get to know the people around you and ask about going out and it will happen. Also, up until now I have thought that i need a level IV vest to get on the base. Is this correct? If there is a solid plate in the front and back of the vest then it is more than likely a level 4. The plates look like this: ttp://www.diamondbacktactical.com/Balli\\... -- C45.aspx if the vest is soft it is