Customer Reviews

Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year In Afghanistan

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a touching, thought-provoking story of one man's mission to make a difference in the world - by sacrificing his typical suburban life in the US to help empower the Afghan people to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. If you've ever struggled to choose between personal and professional demands, while aiming to serve a higher purpose, you'll relate to this story.

I learned SO MUCH by experiencing this soldier's tour of duty through his eyes! We see not just how difficult it is to wage war successfully under the Army's current constraints (lack of budget and attention paid to operations in this part of the world) - but also we discover really interesting aspects of the Afghan culture, as well as life in a desolate military setting.

Now that violence and terror in that region are escalating again, this should be required reading for any of us in the West who assume that terrorism isn't "relevant" to our everyday lives.

A 50ish senior non-commissioned officer in the Illinois Army National Guard deployed to Afghanistan in January 2007 as a member of a training team supporting the Afghan Border Patrol for one year. "Afghan Journal" is his diary from that year complimented with some background material on the reality of Army life in the first decade of the twenty first century.

Sergeant First Class Courter recorded the course of his deployment, from receiving the warning to his return in great detail. It is an excellent first hand perspective of the conflict in Afghanistan. SFC Courter describes the complexities of dealing with the Afghan federal forces and offers glimpses of the life of the people of that country, while providing candid snapshots of day to day life in the Army in training and at war.

His thoughtful reflection on the effect of his faith on his actions and perceptions and the war on his faith and a human depth to this book, but don't overwhelm the retelling of his experiences. His maturity allows for a much more considered and detailed text than often found in similar works.

His book is a first rate account of the conflict in Afghanistan in 2007, and I fully expect to see it cited in historical bibliographies in fifty years time.

E.M. Van Court

If you want to understand what the War on Terror is really about, forget reading the news headlines or watching CNN. This should be required reading for those of us in the US who tend to dismiss Afghanistan as some sort of remote "irritant" that is best relegated to academic debate.

This guy looks at what it means to be an in-the-trenches soldier from all dimensions - mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. It isn't always pretty - but it's real. It also helps you get inside the head of someone who's willing to do the tough work of showing up - when most of us "back home" are focused on our own personal priorities.

If you want to understand what it means to put your life on the line in Afghanistan - or any war - this is the book for you.

Lets you feel the heart torn effects of being a soldier with a family, the joys of successful missions, challenges of day to day survival, the joys of watching your Afghan counter parts grow as a nation and the grief of losing a brother or sister in arms.
RIP SSG Thomas McGee, SFC Collin Bowen and God Bless our soldiers.

SSG Rock

A really good book for anyone who wants to know what it's really like to be a soldier in Afghanistan. Written for the non-military reader (but military members will probably like it, too), Mr. Courter captures the day-to-day experience of both danger and dullness. The book was interesting and insightful. I learned a lot and have a new respect for those who have spent a year there.

Courter gives the reader a personal look at the "global war on terror" from its point of origin -- Afghanistan. Courter's account is raw and unabridged, allowing the reader to learn not just about the many faces of war, but also much about the history of Aghanistan, its people, its cultures and the devastation caused by the Taliban forces. Against a backdrop of faith in God and a commitment to supporting "Operation Enduring Freedom", Courter's personal insights extend well beyond the combat zone to provide readers with spiritual perspectives that can apply to our daily lives. Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year In Afghanistan

A GREAT STORY, TOLD BY VERY GOOD FRIEND... WHO WROTE FROM THE HEART AND TELLS HIS STORY FROM THE BOOTS ON GROUND PERSPECTIVE... ESPECIALLY INTERESTING: HIS WRITING ABOUT INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LOCALS (CUSTOMERS) AND HIS TEAMMATES. GREAT STUFF!

I thought it was multi-faceted. Which kept it interesting. From working with the Afghani people and the challenges and progress wanted and need, although slow moving. From the weather and the equipment breakdowns (which I never knew was so common) to firefights. Treating the Afghani people when they were hurt (I can't think of a better p.r. than that, training the Boarder Police and the school supplies) ...Actions are better than words to show them that we care. And your family and how much you missed them and missed out on. I had stared a passage, "The Afghan people need help, even if it's just so simple encouragement on our part. And sometimes just a smile is enough to make a difference."

If you are looking for a book where a soldier shares some insights about Afghanistan, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a book where a soldier shares his experience in combat, this is not the book for you. There's no enemy contact until page 200, I think there was one other enemy contact. I skimmed the rest of the book because I didn't want to read about the problems of Ahghanistan as a country. I wanted to read about a soldier's combat experience. I had to go back and look at the ratings why I bought this book. I can't believe people gave it five stars. There are good books about the war in Afghanistan, but this book isn't about the war.