Aug. 1, 2011

Mullen confident Afghans will be ready to shoulder security

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (July 30, 2011) — The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is satisfied the U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan is being done in a responsible manner and that the Afghan national security forces will be able to shoulder the defense burden by 2014.

Aug. 1, 2011

Afghan police broaden horizons through local literacy program

HELMAND, Afghanistan (August 1, 2011) — Among the biggest challenges the local government faces as the United States prepares to draw down thousands of troops from Afghanistan is its literacy rate. Only one in 10 recruits who sign up for Afghanistan's police and army can read and write according to a recent Reuters article. Many of the local residents find something as simple as spelling their own names a challenge.