Notre Dame Magazine: To What End?

Some of today’s college freshmen weren’t born when U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 following the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Now in its 19th year, the Afghan war is the longest in U.S. history. More than 2,400 American soldiers and more than 38,000 Afghan civilians have died so far in the conflict, the New York Times reported in December. About 13,000 U.S. troops are still serving there. Four current Notre Dame students who are veterans of that war, speaking at a February 17 panel discussion at the Eck Center, said there are no easy answers for ending American involvement. John Chao, an MBA student, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003 and served his first tour of duty in Iraq. “I remember I was jealous of those going to Afghanistan. Their mission seemed more justifiable, more righteous,” he said. When he later was deployed to Afghanistan, he learned the mission wasn’t as clear cut as he expected. Read the rest of the story, "To What End? by Margaret Fosmoe (ND '85), on Notre Dame Magazine's website.