Afghanistan: Stories from America’s Longest War and Human Resilience
Visuals & Words by H. Léo Kim
In the heart of shifting, Taliban-controlled zones during what soldiers called the war’s “kinetic” peak
In 2010, I embedded with U.S. troops and reported alongside Afghan civilians and aid workers.
This section presents a visual chronicle of America’s longest war: a ground-level account of its human cost and lived complexity. From high-stakes patrols to quiet, intimate moments in war-weary villages, these stories explore not only trauma and conflict but also the persistence of dignity and grace amid chaos.
Honored with a Best Multimedia Presentation Award, this work is ultimately not just about war — it’s about people: what they endure, what they dream, and what they leave behind.
The bullet-resistant glass of this MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle) bears the spidered scars of a past attack — a quiet reminder that every journey could be your last.
Life in remote villages like Ghandak continues much as it has for generations. Tucked in northern Afghanistan, this settlement of herders and wheat farmers has no electricity, no running water, no school — not even official records. When asked his age, the young shepherd could only guess. In the background, Sgt. Bill McCullough stands watch, providing security for visiting outsiders.
Exhausted and overwhelmed, a member of Afghanistan’s embattled security forces leans against the wall of a school in Marjah — his back resting beside bullet holes left by Taliban fighters. The scars of conflict surround him, visible on both the walls and his face.
Bill ‘Mac’ McCullough listens as a village elder describes the conditions of a southern Afghan bazaar. Decades of war and broken promises have bred a survival-first mindset — one where trust is scarce, and allegiance to the government, the coalition, or even neighbors is given reluctantly, if at all.
Against a dramatic landscape carved by ancient glaciers, a shepherd guides his flock homeward through Afghanistan’s Balkh province.
Cultures collide when the Marmal team heads up into the mountains to make contact with a remote village – a trek that turns grueling in terrain that crumbles beneath the weight of armored SUVs.
Amy Bursell carries ‘Mission Monkey’ to lighten the mood in Afghanistan. As a social scientist with the Human Terrain System, she works to understand the local population. ‘The military has the brains to do this work,’ she says, ‘but not the bodies.’
Students buy popsicles from a man selling them through the gate of a schoolyard. Boys and girls attend classes in separate shifts. Classrooms are crowded. Books supplies and teachers are scarce.
Marine officer and a translator talk to local leaders after shura – held to discuss community concerns in Marjah, Afghanistan.
An Afghan student at a German-built school in Maser-e-Sharif, Balkh province, Afghanistan.
Driving is a dangerous undertaking in Afghanistan, the world's epicenter of terrorism. Whenever he can get a seat, Bill ìMacî McCullough, bounces around the country on military flights.
Elders pray during a meeting – or shura – held to discuss community concerns in Marjah, Afghanistan.
At the dedication of a new government center in Helmand, Afghan police officers nap on a bed inexplicably placed on the front porch. For coalition trainers, instilling discipline in local security forces remains a persistent challenge.
On the back bay of Helo, a gunner looks over the terrain of central Helmand Province, the last Taliban stronghold in central Helmand Province.
A U.S. Marine stands guard during a patrol through the city. In Afghanistan — a nexus of insurgency and roadside threats — even routine driving carries life-threatening risk.
Marjah’s elders pray during the dedication of a new government center. Religion and politics are one and the same in Afghanistan, where no law can be passed that’s contrary to Islam. It’s one of the many cultural idiosyncrasies that make the country seem so foreign to modern-day Westerners.
In a country littered with IEDs, missing limbs are heartbreakingly common. At a shura in southern Afghanistan, 7-year-old Najibullah — who lost his leg in an explosion — and his surviving brother study a prosthetic foot worn by another attendee. A quiet moment of recognition, resilience, and shared loss.
Two US Marines find a Wi-Fi hot spot under a blast wall at Camp Dwyer in southern Afghanistan. Temperatures can reach 120 degrees at the base. Coupled with a punishing wind and swirling dust, outside conditions are almost unbearable during the day.
After returning from battle, a Marine unwinds by watching a Disney film on his laptop. At Camp Hansen — where amenities are scarce and entertainment is limited — animated movies offer a brief escape from the monotony and mental strain of war.
"Hell, man." That's what U.S. Marines call Afghanistan's Helmand province. At Camp Hansen in Marjah, life is sweaty and accommodations are lean. A row of PVC pipes driven into the ground serve as urinals. But the camp is not completely without beauty. The desert night delivers a glittering canopy of stars that drape down to the horizon.
This MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle (MATV), scarred by an IED blast, was towed back to Camp Hansen. Remarkably, the Marines inside survived — a testament to the armored vehicle’s design and their sheer luck in a war zone where survival is never guaranteed.
Dog tags of fallen Marines form a solemn memorial on a weathered signpost at Camp Dwyer in southern Afghanistan. Collected since October 2009, each tag honors a life lost — a quiet, enduring reminder of sacrifice.
Work and heat take their toll. Lance Cpl. Anthony Antonich dozes off inside an MRAP while waiting for his convoy to roll out in the early morning hours in Marjah, Afghanistan.
This multimedia feature blends frontline visuals, veteran voices and policy context to humanize the toll of Afghanistan's enduring crisis. The project earned the Best Multimedia Presentation Award, underlining its storytelling impact and visual clarity.