Now that the extension has been approved, the activities at Camp Marmal, strategically located near the airport Mazar-i-Sharif, are set to continue.

Spread out over two square kilometres, the camp, which is the largest German army base outside Germany, offers an easy target.

Therefore, most of the soldiers there (almost 2,000 -- two-thirds of all the German troops deployed in Afghanistan) live and work in shell-proof, air-conditioned cabins.

The base commander, Major Guido Warlitz, said there were 45,000 sand bags under the corrugated iron of the cabin roofs -- capable of supporting the weight of a bomb. The layer of air underneath, he explained, would absorb the shock, and the splitters would end up in the sand bags.

Problematic location

With fuel and munitions depots, hangars for Tornado jets and helicopters, a repair unit, a hospital and a mess hall and kitchen, Camp Marmal at the foot of the Marmal mountain range is like a small town, but one with many problems, explained Major Warlitz.

For example, in the barren and dusty region, drainage poses a major problem. "By now, a third university has been appointed to solve the problem," Major Warlitz said. "The scientists here think the layer system is a real phenomenon. Water seems to behave differently here from what we know from Germany. Here, if you pour a thousand litres of water somewhere, the earth might suddenly sag somewhere else in the camp. What happens here is sheer madness."

The base was built precisely here, where water shoots down from the mountains when there is rain or the snow melts, for security reasons. Massive drains protect the base from floods Big draining ditches protect from massive floods but only thick foundations and hope can really help against erosion.

"The damage has been trivial so far," explained Major Warlitz. "But whether the camp could last 20 years is not certain. But we are trying to build it with this in mind."

New reconstruction

The soil under the runway, designated for the take-off and landing of the Tornado aircraft, is also porous. The soil being soaked could be dangerous. The damages to the runway caused by the war have at times only been patched up provisionally and Colonal Torsten Poschwatta said the runway was far from being a permanent solution. The squadron leader brought the Tornado jets to Mazar-i-Sharif in April.

"There are some ideas for a new runway. The current runway is in a very bad state. If ISAF wants to operate here a few more years, improving the runway will be one of the essential projects for the future."

So building for the future is the name of the game all over the camp. Digging is going on to build a new reconnaissance structure and a wall is being built around the entrance to enhance security.

"The local employees also have to go through a checkpoint to be thoroughly searched," explained Major Warlitz. "Many building sites will close in November, and it could happen that the people working here might change their minds about us."

"Building means security" is the Marmal camp's motto -- the army is using up tonnes of building materials and seems set to stay for a few more years at least.