Embed with US military Kapisa province Provincial Reconstruction Team

October 22, 2009

Photos of my time with the US military’s Kapisa province Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) are courtesy of Captain Darrick Lee, US Air Force Public Affairs Officer. I apologize that many of these photos include me in the shot – but they should give you a sense of a PRT operation. I will write more later.

These photos document:

Construction of Bolaghain, Malikar and Omar Shahid High Schools
Koh Band to Durnama Road and “9km” road construction
Failed attempt to hold women’s training at Al Baruni University
Kapisa Province governor, ministers, aids, contractors and farmer’s Community Development Council leaders gather for a monthly meeting with PRT commanders and US Department of State and US Agency for International Development representatives
Mission briefs and debriefs
Bagram Air Force Base drop off and pickup area, accommodations and bunkers

Five Dark Years – the Fall of Humanity and the Silencing of a Generation

Aug 15, 2026

Five years have passed since the fall of Afghanistan—a period that, for millions of people, has meant far more than lost years. It has been five years of humiliation, deprivation, fear, silence, and the gradual erosion of hope and human dignity.

Five years ago, Afghanistan fell into the hands of a group that, instead of building a future, closed the doors of life on its people. During these five years, the Taliban have not moved toward reform or change. On the contrary, with each passing day, restrictions have expanded and life has become increasingly difficult for millions of Afghans. The rights to education, work, freedom of movement, social participation, and many of the most basic freedoms of human beings—particularly women and girls—have been taken away.