The most primitive country imaginable is the one Army Captain Justin Quisenberry says he is serving in.
The 2000 Brandon High School graduate is nearing the end of his second deployment to Afghanistan. While home on leave last week, he spoke about the country and the progress made during Operation Enduring Freedom, the anti-terrorism offensive launched in October 2001 by the U.S. military in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
The difference between the U.S. and Afghanistan is ‘night and day,? said Quisenberry, who is stunned at the poverty he has seen in the Paktika Province where he is currently serving.
‘They live in mud huts,? he said. ‘Some don’t have food. It’s a very arid country and there are very few things to observe that let you know it’s the 21st century. There are a few technological devices, otherwise you’d think it was biblical times. It’s very old-fashioned.?
However, Quisenberry said headway is being made and it is more obvious to him during this deployment, which began a year ago and is scheduled to end in August.
‘The infrastructure and capability of Afghan forces has progressed,? he noted. ‘Having been there twice, I can see that and it’s nice to see their ability to secure themselves. Improvement in security is the biggest thing I’ve seen.?
Quisenberry always wanted to go to college and be in the Army. He attended West Point Academy and in 2004 entered the Army as a commissioned officer. He was stationed in Vicenza, Italy and his first deployment to Afghanistan lasted from July 2005-February 2006.
The mission of the Airborne Infantry Company that Quisenberry is part of is two-fold. They train Afghan security forces and target insurgents. He said there is no typical day.
‘We spend a lot of time in the countryside interacting with citizens, gathering intelligence, building infrastructure, doing combined patrols with their police forces and providing security to the region,? Quisenberry explained. ‘We’re infantry, so we’re as endangered as you can get, I suppose.?
The troops have received an overwhelming amount of support from home and he said there is nothing specific to ask for. The biggest challenge the 26-year-old has faced is the duration of his stay? 15 months for this deployment.
‘I miss my family the most,? said Quisenberry, who is the son of Joe and Lana of Groveland Township and brother of Katie, Joey, and Kelly.
Quisenberry participated in the Ortonville Memorial Day Parade, walking alongside his grandfather Matthew Mersino and pushing the wheelchair of his great-uncle, Roger McCarville, both of whom are World War II veterans.
Committed to the military until 2012, Quisenberry said he knows he will be deployed again, probably in about a year.
‘It’s very slow progress, but we are making it,? he said. ‘Let us go to work and do our thing, and for the folks here at home, enjoy what you have.?