British soldiers celebrate their arrival in Afghanistan.

BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN — Thousands of troops stationed at Afghanistan's major air field told reporters from Stars and Stripes that staying in Afghanistan for ten to twenty more years "would basically be awesome," sources confirmed Monday.

"That's not surprising at all," said Gary Tucker, a reporter for Stars and Stripes. Speaking to Duffel Blog reporters, Tucker said every single soldier and airman he talked to hoped that they would never come home — with many hoping Afghanistan could become the 51st state.

"We have more than 60,000 troops living and working there now," Tucker said. "So it only makes sense to consider making it a state, or maybe make it a similar setup as Puerto Rico, with less beach and more mines of course."