We got an up-close look at an M1 Abrams tank training in the desert and saw why it's still king of the battlefield

I was riding in a government SUV down the dirt roads of the large training ground at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

My guides were two Army public affairs officers. A large military exercise called Bulldog Focus, which involved the entire 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, was underway.

The wind was sharp, the sun was bright - and I could see for miles, all the way to the surrounding mountains.

The sandy training grounds covered so many square miles that you would have never guessed tanks and troops were scattered around. Only the dust signatures kicking up in the distance from small convoys maneuvering here and there may have given it away.

We then came across two Abrams tanks and its crews - a total of eight soldiers.

They had been out in the desert for several days, sleeping in or outside of the tank, and eating only MREs. But they were nevertheless upbeat, and gladly showed me around their two war vehicles.

Here's what I saw: