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Mid-Valley soldier story: Lt. Col. Jim Weaver
Lt. Col. Jim Weaver retired at age 59 so he could be recalled to active duty and come to Afghanistan. His reason: "You don't get very many chances to build an army and a nation."Considering that the life expectancy of an Afghan man is 43 and the median age is 17, Weaver, now 60, commands a great amount of respect from his Afghan National Army counterparts and the soldiers under them. As he walked around the 207th Corps., every ANA soldier he came across had a kind word or even a hug for him. It's clear that he is well-liked. He has adopted the village Zangalah, which is about two miles from the base. The troops in Camp Stone affectionately refer to the village as Weaverville. "Afghanistan does not need an American solution for its problems. It needs an Afghan solution," Weaver said. In America, he said, we always are looking for the quick fix, but Afghanistan needs time. Nice interview follows at link and there are links to many cool photos there as well. Posted by: ryuge 2007-04-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=186211 |