MAJ Michael Trujillo served as troop commander and operations officer (S3) for the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment in Farah Province, Afghanistan during 2009 and 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In this September 2011 interview, MAJ Trujillo discusses the immediate challenge of carrying out his mission without all of the necessary equipment, the design and implementation of the Skills, Tactics and Afghan National Police (ANP) Readiness (STAR) Program, and his last few months as the S3. MAJ Trujillo concludes his interview with the observation, "I learned over the years I spent in that country is that the Afghan people are good people. They are. They're good people and hardworking people. They're just different people. Some of the things I saw the Afghan people capable of there, some of the things they endure and the fact that they're still able to smile, it's an amazing culture. I don't know that even guys who have been there multiple times have an appreciation for how awesome that country is and how good those people are. They're good people; they're hard working people and they're just good. They're not lazy. They're not a lost cause either. Afghanistan is not a lost cause. There is a lot of hope there."

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