Keeping calm and carrying on in Afghanistan

Published August 2, 2026 6:05am ET



One of the Army values is respect. It’s important. I’m careful to avoid allowing my column to disparage someone’s military service. Everyone who has served deserves some measure of respect. But even among soldiers, some perform better than others, or serve at peak levels at different times. I need to tell you about one Army Sergeant First Class who had a fine career, but one that perhaps should have been wrapped up by the time he served with my fellow soldiers and me in the Afghanistan war.

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