Ask A Woodbury Soldier

Have you ever wondered what life is like for American soldiers deployed overseas? Now's your chance to find out.

Greg Schlichting, a Woodbury firefighter, is currently in training at Fort Polk in Louisiana and will soon with the U.S. Navy.

He will provide Patch readers an inside look at what he's up to in Afghanistan. If you have a question for Schlichting, email kris.janisch@patch.com or leave it as a comment below this story.

Question: So, who is the man with the beard standing next to you?

Answer: Meet the Afghan National Army’s 201st Corps Religious and Cultural Affairs Officer. Islam is such a vital part of life in Afghanistan that he held the rank of brigadier general and served on the Corps General staff.

Although I was assigned as the adviser to the Deputy Commander of the Corps (during a 2009 tour), on days when we finished our work early I would stop in for a visit and have a chai with the general. 

Despite his intimidating façade, he was a man that had a genuine heart for the care of the soldiers and families of the Afghan Army, and we often found much common ground in the role our faiths played personally, and for our soldiers. 

As our trust developed, I even introduced the general and his garrison religious officer to our army chaplain in hopes that we would spark some cross-cultural discussions (see second photo).

At times, we would spend hours discussing history, politics and religion. He had served as a mujahedeen commander against the Soviets, and as an operations officer for the famous Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Massoud. 

This history was remarkable in itself, but it also gave keen insight to active insurgent tactics and plans in our current operating area. I definitely miss our visits, and look forward to sharing a chai with him again if our paths should cross again! Inshallah!

Editor's note: Next week Schlichting will talk about a day in the life of a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.