Michael J. Forsyth

During his 2009-10 combat tour in Afghanistan, battalion commander Lt. Col. Michael J. Forsyth kept a daily journal. In it he writes about his daily interactions with the Afghan government, citizens, security forces, and his intermittent conflict with the enemy. As the deployment progresses, the journal reveals that his expectations for peace in were tempered by his experiences. The journal also provides a glimpse into how the US Army functions at the unit level and what America's Soldiers do on a daily basis.