My first impressions of a war zone were filled with myths and innuendos. The tales of insurgent fighters running through the Middle East is something that reads like a movie screenplay. Action packed films like Lawrence of Arabia, Platoon and Hurt Locker depict good guys fighting bad guys in distant lands was imprinted in my mind. The chance to fight for your country and execute years of training is a Warrior’s dream. The worlds’ wars have changed since September 11, 2001. Failed states and insurgent forces dominant foreign policy. Coalitions of military, police, and Non-governmental organizations have put aside their differences to defend democracy in Afghanistan. For nearly a year, I eat, sleep, and live with coalition military, police, and civilians on a 24 hour basis.

Our office is bustling with many different languages and uniforms, but we share common values. Many of my colleagues have served in Africa, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, and South America. Our many conversations are thought provoking, educational, funny, and sometimes heated. Jean-Marc, Xavier, Jens, Edwin, Henk, Dennis, Luc, Paul, Peter, Mathias Finn and Allan are my brothers from France, Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, United Kingdom and Denmark whose friendships I will cherish for eternity. My first experience with Multi-Coalition Forces has influenced my friendships and family relationships.