Pentagon chief Ash Carter visits US airfield in southern Afghanistan as part of listening tour

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with U.S. military personnel at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. Carter is making his first trip to visit troops and commanders in Afghanistan since his swearing-in this week. (AP Photo/Jonathan Ernst, Pool) (The Associated Press)

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U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, left, holds a question and answer session with soldiers at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. Carter is making his first trip to visit troops and commanders in Afghanistan since his swearing-in this week. (AP Photo/Jonathan Ernst, Pool) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter is getting briefed on American military operations at Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan as part of what he calls a listening tour of the war zone.

On his second day in Afghanistan, Carter flew to Kandahar from Kabul, the capital, where he had held a series of talks with Afghan government leaders and American military commanders.

Carter is in Kandahar on Sunday to receive briefings from U.S. and Afghan commanders on progress in training Afghan security forces.

Kandahar is home to the Afghan Army's 205th Corps, elements of which are involved in a major offensive against the Taliban in neighboring Helmand province. U.S. special operations forces also use the airfield at Kandahar to launch counterterrorism operations.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/pentagon-chief-ash-carter-visits-us-airfield-in-southern-afghanistan-as-part-of-listening-tour