My fiancé is there. Air conditioned tents, easy access to skype when you're not working and the modem isn't busted. You're going to get the Navy standard menu thing no matter where you go. That's Navy wide -- from OCS to the sand box. As for Afghanistan...it's f-ing hot. Think Phoenix mid-summer. Go look up some of the NMCB's on facebook or navy.mil and you'll find a good amount of photos.
Individual experiences may vary, as the image in the link below suggests...
http://img186.imageshack.us/i/afghanistan.jpg/
There are wildly varying conditions between Kabul, Bagram, Kanadahar, and the outlying bases. Even on a single base like Bagram there can be wide variations. I got home earlier this week after my summer vacation there, and to call the tents we were in "air conditioned" is a bit of a stretch. Daytime temps inside the tent would get north of 120 degrees; at night, though, it was actually pleasant. Kandahar is *significantly* hotter than the north. Air quality is extremely poor, making PT a challenge. When the burn pits blow in your direction, it's quite unpleasant. Dusty like you read about. Life is good if you end up in a hard shelter (plywood B-hut or CONEX), but those are fewer and farther between for newly arriving units. Unless you're in the Air Force, of course. I signed up for the "No Tent / No Indirect Fire" options when I joined the Navy Reserve, and was distressed to find this go unhonored...
Wireless is available via a local provider ("Hadji-Net") to the tune of $100/month. Not the most reliable thing in the world, but certainly nice to have. AF is supposed to be making free wireless available at some point, which should have some interesting impacts on Hadji-net pricing and service quality business models.
Chow is pretty standard, although the consensus in the squadron is that it has decreased in quality over the last several years. (My second deployment to Bagram, the squadron's third.) Good amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, something I was always impressed with. Distressingly infrequent availability of RipIts, at least at the DFACs we frequented. Long lines, depending on when you go to eat. They've gotten rid of the Burger Kings and Pizza Huts, which is a shame since we always looked forward to going and debriefing over a pizza after landing at Oh-Dark-Thirty.
Showers and crappers are of varying quality. If you're lucky, there will be "cadillacs" within walking distance. They can get pretty well crushed between cleanings - it's good to time your use to right after the daily cleanings.
Traffic, of all things, is approaching ridiculous levels. Let's just say that depending on where you live, commuting can be a significant aspect of your day. I get to work faster here in the DC area than I did in Bagram. Crazy.
All in all, definitely an expeditionary environment, although with some nice touches here and there. Out in the hinterlands, though, it gets more primitive extremely quickly.
