The ambitious development plans reflect, in part, the isolation of the American compound, which is separated from the rest of the base by high earthen berms and other security measures aimed at thwarting terrorist attacks. Service personnel cannot leave the base except on official business. The austere living conditions and lack of contact with the outside world take their toll, especially among those who have been here before. As tensions mount in the region, however, the prospect of imminent action has generated a palpable sense of excitement. Don Mertz, the chief support officer and self-described mayor of the American compound.
People know why they're here.
It's not like we have to reiterate it and pound it in to them. . . . They watch the news. With policymakers in Washington still debating the scope and nature of a U.S.-led air offensive, senior commanders here acknowledge that air power is not the panacea that its advocates sometimes seem to describe. Targeting for the sake of targeting doesn't really buy you anything. You have to figure what kinds of effects you're going to get.