challenging them and n regions where they had free reign and training afghan national security forces. because in this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe haven for al qaeda and their extremist allies. we will disrupt, we will dismantle, and we will ultimately defeat al qaeda. >> 66 american troops died in afghanistan last month. a new record for the war. and the growing u.s. commitment has meant a growing toll of wounded. cnn was given an exclusive opportunity to join a u.s. evacuation mission as it flew into afghanistan, pick up the wounded and took them out of harm's way. here's cnn correspondent barbara starr. >> it's before dawn in the trauma bay at bagram air base in afghanist afghanistan. another shoulder wounded in the fighting down south. surgeons, nurses doing everything they can. >> one, two, three. >> reporter: the journey home starts here.