Major Jason Curl, in this first of two interviews, talks about his command of a rifle company in 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan and Jacobabad, Pakistan, from August 2002 through January 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He discusses their predeployment training and preparations, the lessons learned they received from another battalion prior to deploying, their lack of cultural awareness and the security situation at Jacobabad Airbase. He also talks about the professional relationships they had with the Pakistani Army and the Air Force, the importance of using female soldiers during searches, the attitudes of the Afghan people towards the Americans, and the experiences of dealing with unfamiliar assets like interpreters, civil affairs, psychological operations and intelligence. Curl closes the interview by noting the importance of predeployment site surveys and good handoffs between units.

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