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By Phil Stewart KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A once bustling military hub at the heart of America's war in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar Air Field seemed destined to quietly shut down this year as part of a U.S. withdrawal that had already thinned its numbers. New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the sprawling complex on Sunday, but kept reporters guessing whether he thought it should remain operational longer - keeping a U.S. toe-hold in an important region of Afghanistan. The prospect of exiting Kandahar altogether has sounded alarms in Washington, where Republican lawmakers critical of President Barack Obama's withdrawal strategy note the region's importance to Taliban militants and the threat they pose. "Kandahar is just not a spot on the map.More...