American Heroes

The Medevac Helicopter banked sharply over a chaotic scene being played out on the road below. The charred and twisted hulk of what had been an armored Humvee lay smoldering, surrounded by a circle of debris thrown up by the blast that destroyed it. Soldiers crouched alongside the road, scanning the surrounding hillsides for the Taliban snipers which had opened fire on them after the IED detonated …

… I came to Afghanistan to find some slivers of hope in a dry and dusty place. And hope is here – from the Marines in Helmand province to the south, who are enduring deplorable conditions and brutal heat to build security in a lawless place, to the Panjshir valley where our troops are delivering electricity and education to places that have never had them before. But today’s mission was a painful reminder that this progress comes at a very high price.

Read the rest of the story at Books on the Ground.

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