For the youngest service members, a country at war is all they knew.
Their responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
He retired as a captain from the Navy earlier this year, after 44 years of service.
How did Afghanistan compare with your previous deployments?
There was direct combat all around.
How did your age and experience prepare you for the mission?
With so many years under your belt, you could’t help but be adaptable.
You have to be ready for anything.
At the same time, you know your day is going to be filled with surprises.
The more you’re prepared, the less surprised you’ll be.
The day I stepped into Afghanistan was a week shy of my 58th birthday.
I walked off that helicopter with kids who were in their early 20s.
We all walked off that helicopter knowing that we were part of one.
What should Americans know about the war?
What is your most vivid memory?
I saw the energy plume wipe the top of the building between me and that bomb.
Once it reached me, I was thrown about 15 feet.
Being on a rooftop, there wasnt a whole lot of real estate to give up.
Once the scramble in my head cleared, I went into the door where all my colleagues were.
Soon we found out what it was and what the implications were.
What is something you think all Afghan War veterans might share in common?
Its like they say, “All generalizations are untrue.”
But I hope that they share a pride in what they did.
He previously served in Operation Desert Storm among other deployments, combating terrorism and on counter-narcotics missions.
He retired from the Army as a colonel in 2017, after 30 years of service.
What is something that Americans should know about the war in Afghanistan?
