In 2014, when the last U.S. and NATO forces are gone, Afghanistan's defense will fall to troops like those at Chinari outpost in Logar Province, bordering Pakistan. Twenty Afghan National Army troops man the makeshift base, built on a hilltop behind bags of rocks and rolls of barbed wire after the Taliban destroyed a nearby police post. For now, the men of the 4th Battalion, 203 Thunder Corps, are short of some equipment. While riding in Humvees, they share just one state-of-the-art helmet among them. "There is an awful lot of equipment purchased and sitting in warehouses until we get the logistics fixed," acknowledged Lt. Col. Timothy Stauffer, U.S. Army director of public relations. Most of the soldiers at Chinari said they enlisted because they love their country -- and because the $250 monthly salaries offer a way out of poverty. They say they aren't afraid of the Taliban and expect fighting to stop once foreign troops leave. Most of all, they say they dream of peace and prosperity after 30 years of war.
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In interviews with the Star Tribune, Ryan described life before and after the Russian invasion in the country, where she’s worked to secure the border and help refugees flee war-torn areas.
