The Foreign Service Journal, March 2007

cooperation. PRT funds built the facility and USAID funds hired the staff and developed the pro- grams that train locals in the con- struction trades — plumbing, car- pentry, electricity, etc. We now use these skilled workers on our other projects, not only as the actual builders but also for quality control that was lacking before this center was operating. Less easily quantifiable suc- cesses are those where our team has influenced people to change their behavior, encouraged them to work harder or more responsibly, or resolved an injustice. There are numerous cases in which people have come to request our assistance to resolve a prob- lem or dispute or mistaken arrest. The PRT has access to provincial officials, and can often make a difference in either alerting someone to the problem, or at least letting them know that “Americans are watch- ing and interested.” As during my four years in the Peace Corps, I find that the phys- ical hardships are the easiest thing to adjust to here. It’s the cultural differences, and never being sure how to act or what to do or where to be, that are the most difficult. In particular, adjusting to life in the military was as hard as adjust- ing to Afghanistan itself. But as I approach the halfway mark of my time here, I can say that I am more convinced than ever that the U.S. should be here helping the people of Afghanistan, and that the satisfaction of knowing that I’m part of it is worth all the personal hardships and sacrifices. F O C U S M A R C H 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 47 This is the first time in my life that one of my considerations when getting dressed in the morning is whether my clothes could be easily spotted by snipers.