A Kabal (Arabic: fortress) in modern usage means a 2.6-square-kilometre (1 sq mi) patch of desert, with 3-metre-tall (10 ft) berms bulldozed to form the perimeter earthworks. Kabals are located less than 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Iraqi border. The Kuwaiti government has cordoned off the northern part of its country, an area of more than 4,100 square kilometres (1,600 sq mi) out of 18,000 square kilometres (6,900 sq mi), where American military and coalition forces are based and are conducting training. Soldiers assigned to these remote sites must maintain 24-hour operations as units are close to the Iraqi border.