I’ve been stationed on Bagram, Kandahar and a forward FOB.
This is going to be a blow to morale.
BAF is a US base, but KAF is a NATO base.
The smaller FOBs don’t have many amenities and the troops look forward to going to KAF or BAF for rest and R&R.
That place is a very tough place mentally... can’t tell you why, but it is. I’ve been in Anbar too, so I do have a little experience with stressful places.
The article talks about closing the US type places, but what about other countries places? Tim Horton’s? The French cafe? Canada house? New Canada house? The British PX, coffee shop and cafe? Dutch corners?
If they only close the US places the troops will go to the other places (these are only on KAF) until the other countries get pissed off and shut them to the US troops... and how is that going to help cooperation between the countries?
While I was there the British talked about closing their facilities to the US... until the US threatened to close their facilities to the British (the US has by far the biggest and cheapest PX).