There's something about the old adage of "the best laid plans" that certainly rings true with this trip to Afghanistan. It's already apparent the dynamic and scope to what had formerly been a seemingly straight-forward trip to capture stories about our troops has grown significantly since my arrival at Nato Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) H.Q., Camp Eggers, in Kabul.
One of the driving forces behind the trip was to help address the disconnect that exists between those who are charged with fulfilling the mission and the majority of folks back home who haven't been personally impacted...people who don't have a clue as to the degree of sacrifice our troops and their families have made over the past ten years.
The troops call this the 'Forgotten War'(hmmm, seems we've heard that term before). Not only do most Americans not have a tangible stake in the effort in Afghanistan, I'm willing to bet most don't have a clue as to what the mission is, how it is evolving or how it is being carried out.
So, yes the scope of this embed has grown because we need to have some knowledge of what it is they are doing here. In order to truly appreciate their service and sacrifice we need to understand what it is they're putting themselves in harm's way for.
We're going to do our best to bring you an inside look at this war up and down the line. From those who command, strategize, advise and hump a ruck. From the General and Field-Grade officer to the PFC. And we'll also try and bring an Afghan perspective to you.
It's time to catch a little bit of sleep and then get started...