ISAF

We U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan wear this patch on our left sleeve. We're not here on our own, but as part of the "International Security Assistance Force" sanctioned by the United Nations in 2006.

The Pashto motto "کمک او همکاری" is pronounced "kamak aw hamkari" and means "Help and Cooperation."

The number of countries with a presence here on KAF surprises me. There are not only our closest allies, the Canadians and the British, but also Romanians, Bulgarians, a French Air Force detachment, Slovakians guard the gates, and I remember there being a pair of Singaporeans on our flight when we came in. Australians replaced the Dutch in Tarin Kowt, and even more countries are represented in other parts of Afghanistan.

I think I understand the Canadian ranks well enough, but I'm still trying to learn the Romanian ones.