M16

The grunt takes a hard look at our interpreter, rotates his M16 and opens the vehicle door, motioning for us to get out.

After that there was a long burst of fire from an M16, and then silence.

"I spent a career carrying typically either a M16, and later a M4 carbine," he said.

The AR-15 assault rifle is a fearsome weapon, forged from aircraft-grade aluminum and as powerful as a Kandahar-bound M16.

An M16 is somewhat more expensive, around $3,500, but available in abundance on the other side of the border in Lebanon.