"Afghan Journal" Marks Anniversary - Book Author Recalls Challenges of His Afghanistan Deployment

Oct. 8, 2009 - PRLog -- Chicago, Illinois – This week, “Afghan Journal: A Soldier’s Year in Afghanistan,” marks an important milestone. Three years ago, the book’s author, Sergeant First Class Jeff Courter, left his comfortable suburban Chicago life to begin a mission as a mentor to Afghan National Police at a remote and dangerous eastern outpost near the Pakistan border.

That’s also when he began to write regularly about his experience – from preparations at home with his family, and training with the Illinois Army National Guard – to details about the mental, physical, emotional, cultural and spiritual challenges that soldiers face when deployed in such a distant and desolate corner of the world.

During his deployment, much of Sergeant Courter’s “Afghan Journal” was originally featured as a series of blog posts at Godweb.org. Then, when he returned home, family and friends encouraged him to convert the commentary into a book, so others could learn from his experiences with Army colleagues and Afghan counterparts.

In light of continued terrorist attacks on U.S. outposts in Afghanistan, and this week’s eighth anniversary of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Sergeant Courter’s “Afghan Journal” remains as relevant today as it was when he began his digital diary in October 2006.

“Many things have changed since my Afghanistan tour began – including my personal perspective on the world. You can’t serve in an environment defined by terrorism and not be profoundly affected by it,” Sergeant Courter observed. “Meanwhile, Afghanistan itself has changed little. It’s still a desperately poor, tribal society where progress doesn’t come swiftly or easily. We still face the same cultural and communication barriers I left behind when I returned home last year.”

Since its debut in 2008, “Afghan Journal” has garnered growing attention and accolades from the public and the publishing community. For example, one Amazon.com Top 1000 reviewer describes the story as “A first-rate account…I fully expect to see it cited in historical bibliographies in 50 years time.”

Sergeant Courter continues to write blog commentary, but has expanded his focus to encompass a broad spectrum of spiritual, social and humanitarian issues. His blog is  “Life Love & Truth" - located at http://www.lifeloveandtruth.com.

About the Book
“Afghan Journal: A Soldier’s Year in Afghanistan” is a day-by-day account of one man’s mission to make a difference in a dangerous, post-9/11 world. Unlike typical "war stories," the book focuses on the spiritual, emotional, cultural, physical and mental challenges soldiers face when deployed in distant and desolate corners of the world.

The book is published through CreateSpace.com, and is available now through Amazon.com (at http://www.amazon.com/Afghan-Journal-Soldiers-Year-Afghan...) and through other online channels at a suggested retail price of $15.95. For every book sold, $1 is donated to wounded Afghanistan war veterans and their families. Additional facts: ISBN: #1438259662 - 392 pages - U.S. trade paperback binding with black-and-white photos. For more information about the book or its author, Jeff Courter, visit the "Afghan Journal" website at http://www.afghanistan-journal.com.


NOTE TO EDITORS: Review copies of “Afghan Journal” are available on request.

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ABOUT AFGHAN JOURNAL - "Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan" is a book by Sergeant First Class Jeff Courter, a soldier who maintained a digital diary while he was deployed in Afghanistan, training border police to fight terrorism on their own turf. Unlike typical bloody "war stories," Sergeant Courter's book focuses on the spiritual, cultural, physical, mental and emotional challenges soldiers face when deployed in such a distant and desolate corner of the world. Since his return in 2008, Sergeant Courter has continued to write. He currently authors a blog "Life, Love & Truth" - focused on a broad spectrum of humanitarian, social and spiritual issues.