AFGHANISTAN. Winter 2009. Kunar Province. US soldiers on helicopter launching pad "inside the wire" of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bostick. The most northern of US military bases and the most active area for insurgent attacks is seldom visited by journalists. Its 3rd Batallion, 61st Cavalry regiment recently lost 8 soldiers at the nearby Observation Post (OP) Keating, which is now closed down. The Swat Valley of Pakistan is directly across the mountains.