From Ashes and Rubble Rises a School

Afghan School
Originally uploaded by Sydney Weasel.

By Air Force Master Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr., 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

6/6/2006 - BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (AFPN) -- Happiness is hard to find in this country at war. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and in 1980 Noman High School became a casualty of war after it was bombed.

The school, located in the Parwan Province near here, had a proud past. It was built in 1921, and through the years some of the country’s top doctors, engineers and government officials walked through its doors.

When the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, the Taliban took over until 2001. The school remained in tatters until America waged war against terrorism and ousted the Taliban.

In 2005, behind the rubble, rose a new school.

Bagram’s Provincial Reconstruction Team, or PRT, worked with the local school district and government to champion the project of rebuilding the school. The team helped find funding and worked with a local contractor to build the school. {click on image for details}