AFGHANISTAN: U.S. Army gives medals to Afghan soldiers to boost morale.

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

While top officials in the U.S. look for new large-scale strategies to combat the
resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, a U.S. army commander hopes he’s found a small way to improve the morale of the Afghan army: medals.

Army Maj. Brian Gary handed out medals to 30 soldiers from the Afghan army’s 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade, 207th Corps during a ceremony at Camp Zafar in the western province of Herat.

‘The reasons we are decorating these soldiers are the same reasons we recognize U.S. soldiers: to build up their confidence [and] show them they achieved something,’ Gary told the American Forces Press Service.

U.S. soldiers say their Afghan colleagues conducted themselves well during a recent ambush.

‘My truck was shot, but we didn’t lose our morale,’ said Afghan Sgt. Mahmood Mohammadi, a fuel truck driver.

Tony Perry, San Diego

Photo: Afghan soldiers. Credit: U.S. Department of Defense.