WASHINGTON — One of them, an Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan, led a team into a treacherous mountain ravine to recover the remains of 16 American commandos shot down in a helicopter crash. He still remembers how only their boots had been taken off their bodies by the Taliban.

Another, a captain in the Oregon National Guard, held a town in the southern Afghan province of Helmand with a ragtag Afghan Army unit for three chaotic weeks in 2006, only to see the Taliban sweep back in after he got orders to move on.

Read the article  at NYTimes.com

About our storytellers:

Kristen L. Rouse, founder of Veterans for Afghanistan, is a regular contributor to the nationally broadcast NPR show, “The Takeaway,” and recently appeared on MSNBC with anchor Contessa Brewer to discuss Veterans for Afghanistan. She served in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division for twelve months in Afghanistan and will return for a second tour early next year.

Max Noble, who served in Afghanistan as a medic with the Army’s 10th Mountain Division in 2006, recently joined President Obama at the White House to honor the service and sacrifice of his team member, Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Max spent fifteen months on missions, many of them on foot, in the eastern mountains of Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

Heather Metcalfe is an advocate who utilizes both the arts and law to raise awareness for others. She is a member of the NYS bar and the founder of Artfully Unforgotten. Since founding Artfully Unforgotten Heather has traveled to Rwanda where she spent time at a Rwandan orphanage. She has since produced a video which highlights the children of Gisimba and four multimedia exhibits all of which have raised funds and resources for the orphanage. In 2008, Heather began researching the situation of the women of Afghanistan. In June of ’09 she traveled to Afghanistan where began the production of a short film and a book that demonstrates the strength and courage of Afghan women.

WNYC’s “The Takeaway” posted a segment featuring supporter Mary Galeti whose husband will soon be deployed to Afghanistan with the Ohio National Guard. She talks about what it’s like to wait for those marching orders. The audio was posted on Thursday, December 23, 2009.

Listen to the segment here

Kristen Rouse, 36, of Brooklyn was glued to the television last night, carefully listening to every word. Rouse is a first lieutenant with the Army National Guard and is on her way back to Afghanistan in a matter of weeks. She was inspired by the President’s speech.

“Thank you, President Obama, for articulating how properly resourcing the war in Afghanistan to empower Afghans is a matter of American values,” she said. “This is why I believe this war is well worth placing my own life at risk.”

Listen to the entire discussion at: The Takeaway

We met again at our excellent venue, the Belleville Lounge, where our bartender Malcolm came through with fantastic service, drinks, and food, and where any latecoming audience member was hard-pressed to find a seat.  The audience turnout was amazing, and they were as patient, attentive, and generous as our first.

Founder, Kristen L. Rouse hosted the event and updated everyone on the great success of the first event, and our growing relationship with the Afghan Child Education and Care Organization (AFCECO).

Michael Montesano told amazing, insightful, and action-packed stories about his experience as an Army MP officer and trainer and mentor of Afghan National Policemen during his deployment in 2008.

Theresa Frey talked about her experience working as a civilian with Afghan women and on NGO-sponsored agricultural projects in Herat, Kandahar, and Kabul in 2006.

Dan Huvane, a Marine public affairs officer, told powerful stories about his experiences on missions and with Afghans in eastern Afghanistan in 2006.

All of the stories were truly touching and riveting, and when it was all over, most of the audience stayed to discuss, ask questions, and decompress from an absorbing, stunning evening! We raised a total of $600 in cash donations that went toward purchasing firewood that will keep three orphanages in Kabul warm through the winter.

It was a simple premise, and we blocked an hour for six people to tell stories.  But veterans are not short-winded once we start talking.  We ended up talking for two and a half hours!  But our wonderful audience listened attentively, glued to what was happening on stage, and many even stayed afterward to talk with us.  And, more importantly, everyone gave generously to AFCECO.  Thank you to each and every person who came out for this event!

Dave Dickerson, one of the best storytellers in NYC, introduced Veterans for Afghanistan founder and director, Kristen L. Rouse, as the evening’s host.  She explained how Veterans for Afghanistan came about: essentially, after the New York Times was kind enough to run her op-ed, The Children of Asadabad, last March, she experienced a mini media blitz and ended up getting people’s attention.  Strangers got in touch with her, asking the question, “what should we do?”  Veterans for Afghanistan was the answer.

There is power in veterans telling stories that express the human dimension of our experiences in Afghanistan.  While there are some great and dedicated reporters out there who take great risks to embed with U.S. troops — like our friend James Dao from the New York Times who is en route to Afghanistan right now — ultimately the fact remains that nobody can tell our stories better than we can.  That is the purpose of Afghanistan Stories.

There were six of us who told stories.  Kristen spoke first, then was followed by Matthew J. Morgan, who is a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School as well as author of A Democracy is Born, an inside account of the 2004 elections held in Afghanistan.  Next up was Genevieve Chase, founder of American Women Veterans, who has also given a stunning testimony of her recommendations for Afghanistan policy to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Then Marco Reininger shared some really powerful stories and thoughts from his 2008 deployment. Masha Hamilton, a civilian novelist, former foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, and founder of the Afghan Women’s Writing Project, shared stories about her experiences traveling and interacting with women in Afghanistan.  And last, Max Noble, who served for 15 months as a medic alongside cavalry scouts in the rugged eastern mountains in Afghanistan, read his incredible account of his thoughts and experiences.  If you were there, you were floored.

Our great success could not have been possible without the support of Paul at Belleville, who so graciously opened up the Belleville Lounge for us on a night he is usually closed, and he also generously encouraged us to go as late as we needed to go that night.  Everyone enjoyed great food and drinks, and we encourage everyone to support Belleville!  Also, many thanks to Sherry Weaver and her Speakeasy storytelling series for the inspiration and support that helped to make Afghanistan Stories a reality!

All told, we have collected $535 as a result of this event.  Thanks to everyone for their generosity.  We sent every last dollar to AFCECO (via Charity Help International), which they used to purchase sports uniforms and a few new footballs for the boys and girls of the Sitara Orphanage in Kabul.  Take a look at these heartwarming photos of the children with their new uniforms!