Bone-chilling cold, often unbearable heat, lung-choking dust storms and the constant threat of enemy land mines and sniper fire are just a few of the challenges the son of two area residents is facing as he stands on the front line of the war on terror in Afghanistan.

Army Pfc. Brian Saltzer, son of Levittown resident Michael Saltzer and Wantagh resident Cynthia Saltzer, is serving his country in Afghanistan as a carpentry and masonry specialist. Saltzer traveled to Afghanistan soon after the events of Sept. 11 to serve his country.

Saltzer's job is a vital one, as the war against the remaining Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists is far from over.

"It's my job to help build and improve the facilities here - everything from roads and runways to tents and bunkers. I've worked on just about everything in the camp. I also stand guard duty on the perimeter when I'm needed," said the 1997 MacArthur High School graduate.

Saltzer is one of a few thousand soldiers who operate out of the Kandahar Airport - a bomb-wracked complex that serves as their temporary base of operations. Located in the southeastern region of Afghanistan, the area was once a hotbed of Taliban activity and the sniper fire and accompanying flares that light up the night sky are evidence that the war is not yet over.

The living conditions on base are Spartan. The crowded tents where soldiers sleep practically shoulder to shoulder are unheated and Saltzer said that with temperatures dipping below zero degrees in the winter months, soldiers are constantly defending against cold weather injuries. Running water is a distant memory of living in the states, as are hot meals. The heat in the summer months can be prove to be unbearable to the soldiers as well.

In spite of these conditions, Saltzer said he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I am here to help freedom endure for our future, and to ensure world peace for all who support a free world," he said. "As a member of the military, there's no more important mission I could be supporting - we're making history here."

One way the conditions in the country have affected Saltzer is in his ability to accomplish his mission.

"The dust storms can really slow us down and they're tough on the equipment," he said. "We put in long hours and at the end there isn't much to look forward to with bad food, cramped quarters and no running water. We make do though and we'll get the job done."

While Saltzer said the 14- to 16-hour work days, uncertainty of how long he will be in Afghanistan and the perils of the job occasionally wear him down, the real difficulty of the deployment has been being away from his family.

"I definitely miss my family, friends and loved ones. Thoughts of them keep me going. I also miss the freedom that was taken from me on September 11. I want to be able to come and go as I please. There are a lot of things I won't take for granted anymore," he said.

For Saltzer, the creature comforts of home may remain a distant memory, but the knowledge of the part he plays in Operation Enduring Freedom will last a lifetime.

(Editor's Note: Robert Hayes is a sergeant and provided this article to the Tribune from the Army and Air Force Hometown News Service in San Antonio, TX).