We have had constant reminders of both war and hope as Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix continues its training and mentoring mission while we also reach out with humanitarian assistance operations.

Members of Company C 2nd Squadron 101st Cavalry of the New York Army National Guard from Camp Blackhorse recently teamed with Afghan National Army soldiers from 4th Kandak, 2nd Brigade 201st Corp for a humanitarian assistance mission.

The chief of the National Guard Bureau came to see his troops serving in Afghanistan during a very special visit on 26 and 27 August.

One of the side effects of the shift of news media attention from Iraq towards Afghanistan seems to be that more folks back home are looking into our situation here.

Ever since the first Task Force Phoenix, we have conducted outreach efforts to help the people in the region and also show the Afghan Army and police to do it, as well. All around the country, U.S. commanders are working locally and using federal dollars to plan, support and construct projects that will help ordinary Afghans.

More than 1,000 residents of Ud Kheil village were treated by Afghan medical staff and received medicine, vitamins and personal items through a joint assistance operation on Aug. 7.

It is terrific to know that while 1,700 of us from the New York National Guard are serving here in Afghanistan, our recruiting numbers back home continue to go up.

It is both an eerie and satisfying feeling to note the increasing amount of attention being shown to Afghanistan in American news media reports these days.

Going "down range" is a euphemism for getting closer to where the enemy operates from and for where the "real work" is being done.

Several positive things have happened here at Camp Phoenix over the last week worth noting.