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By Phil Goodwin
Video producer in Afghanistan
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I flew to Kabul and from there embarked on a six-hour drive to the border town of Gardiz, and then further to Zormat in the south of Afghanistan.
Just on the border with Pakistan, the town of Zormat used to be solely the Afghan National Army (ANA) base, but recently, the US Special Forces have joined them in trying to establish peace and legality in the region.
The first three hours of the drive were made on good and safe roads, and then local police escorts had to be picked up to ensure safety.
The area is controlled by tribal groups who refrain from attacking if local policemen are seen escorting the foreigners.
I only got to meet the group of soldiers I was to pick my character from the day before the shoot.
I chose 23-year-old Ahmed because he was the most talkative.
He was young and delirious and one of the first to join up with the ANA.
He is a serious young man and talked about rebuilding Afghanistan and about building an honest and legitimate government
He grew up in south central Afghanistan, in a poppy growing region and is ethnically from one of the most persecuted groups, the Hazara.
One Day of War was broadcast in the UK on Thursday, 27 May, 2004 at 2100 BST on BBC Two.
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