‘The nights in Kabul are beautiful’

In this first post for Veterans Day, I found a moving and beautifully written essay by Navy Lt. Cdr. Victoria A. Stattel. The last line of this excerpt is particularly haunting. For those of us who have spent long periods of time outside the US, the cultural shock of reentry is nearly overwhelming.

Stattel writes:

First of all, I learned that I am glad I didn't join the Army! …

I learned that I am deeply concerned about our policies. Though the best of intentions may be from where we start, I have come to realize our objectives are almost always lost in metrics …

I learned that bananas in Afghanistan are superior in taste than those in the United States -- even though I would argue that they look far worse!

I learned that the women in Afghanistan have a harder life than I ever want to imagine having.

I learned that the amount of contractors along the road to Kabul would astound anyone who had eyes that cared to see them.

I learned that the nights in Kabul are beautiful. The wind will rustle through the trees drowning out the sounds of the city in the distance and create an inspiring peace.

I learned that language is not only a barrier between us and the host country, but also between us and our coalition partners. A great asset is lost because of our lack of patience with our non-English speaking partners.

I left certain that there is hope and what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Some stereotypes are true -- the Italians have the best looking uniforms, the Brits break for tea and the Americans are workaholics.

I have learned that it will take time, perhaps more time than we are willing to give…

About myself, I learned the ugly truth that I am absolutely human. I can only do so much, I can only understand so much and I will falter in ways that I never thought imaginable.

I learned that coming home can be lonelier than I ever imagined.

Read the entire essay here.