Dan,
I think you are to be congratulated for being honest.
Being at the Kajaki Dam is a million and one miles away from the coffee shops and gyms of Kandahar, as was downtown Basra to the safety of the airport although the number of indirect fire attacks makes up for this.
There are plenty of people that, like you, could benefit from reading these books and then perhaps they wouldn't moan about the food in the biggest camp in Helmand and might be inclined to thanks the chefs instead.
(No - I'm not a chef!)
G