U.S. Troops on Graveyard Shift in Afghanistan to Protect Cover

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?By day, this tunnel of mesh camouflage and barrier walls is the only cover for U.S. troops patrolling a dangerous combat outpost in northern Afghanistan.

Here at Pirtle-King, a region that sits precariously in the Kunar River Valley, insurgent snipers have all the advantage hiding in the forested mountains on either side.

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For the little boy in every soldier, the danger is what keeps them going - thumbing their noses at the enemy.

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[Sergeant Joshua Danison, 1-12 Infantry Regiment]:

"PK is kind of our childhood fortress that we never got when we were kids so it is pretty interesting, the lifestyle is a lot different being on a kind of vampire cycle but it's pretty cool at the same time, we all enjoy it here, yeah it's pretty interesting."

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Troops wear full body armor during the day, when attacks are most likely, and try to lay low until the sun goes down.

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And then the work begins.

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Soldiers fill sandbags, reinforce their walls or fix their vehicles - all by the cover of night.

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Slated for closure when the U.S. troops withdraw from the region and handover to Afghan forces the battalion commander here expects a smooth transition.?

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