Rough Day after Memorial Day

My time in Panjshir was incredible. Not quite the same as a vacation by most people's standards, but I loved working with the group and we were well-taken care of. They were a close-knit family and a very interdependent team with all of the individuals given the chance to speak up and share their thoughts and opinions. Out of all the people there, the Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander was perhaps the most outstanding. He was kind to his soldiers and leaned heavily on his civilians for guidance. Mark did everything he could to make our stay pleasant, from checking on the sheets to pointing out the goodies to be found in the mess hall. He even was the one who wanted to take us out to see some of the sights so we could understand the area a bit better, interact with the people, and just get outside the walls of the base. As we were driving out, he shared how hard the post was for him as he works to bring change for the people and it breaks his heart when he sees one of the few kids (that are generally educated in the couple of madrassas there) make a face or throw a rock at their cars. He was so sweet, the tension actually caused him to be a bit depressed...I pray his family will be held up by their community as I know they have a lifetime of broken hearts ahead of them. On top of the Commander, there were two other Americans and one Afghan lawyer that were also killed. Tragic. These are the stories I think of when I read FDR's quote, "I have seen war, and I hate war..."

Peace...