Planting a new seed in Afghanistan

I realize that on the surface, reading about U.S. troops helping vaccinate donkeys thousands of miles away may not seem like the most exciting way to spend a few minutes of your day. But when we all step back for a second, doesn't the fact that our military has special units devoted to helping Afghans build a lifeblood for their war-torn country say something great about America?

To its credit, The Los Angeles Times filed a detailed report about the 40th Infantry Division's Agribusiness Development Teamstationed in Afghanistan. The story is no fluff piece, and the soldiers helping Afghan farmers care for their animals are risking their lives to do so.

To get to Naray, a village backed up against snowcapped mountains separating Afghanistan and Pakistan, the 64 troops took their convoy on a 60-mile journey on a narrow, winding, unpaved road.

To the left of the slow-moving trucks was a sloping mountain, providing perfect positions for an ambush. The convoy had been warned attacks were possible.

To the right, hundreds of feet below was the rushing Kunar River. Often the tires of the massive vehicles had only inches to spare to keep from plunging down to the river.

The article notes that the unit is not scheduled to return home until August. Considering that the team inoculated 462 animals in one day, that means these soldiers will eventually vaccinate tens of thousands and help many farmers and their families survive. To me, that's a big deal, and shows why our military is the greatest on earth.