“Many of the 1/5 Marines, like Gus, were not first-time soldiers. They recognized that the story of Afghanistan remained fundamentally unwritten, and they wanted to take ownership of its future. Having already seen the changing nature of warfare, they recognized the ways in which small teams of soldiers could make the biggest impact. But most presciently, they recognized that any effort to win a war in Afghanistan required a deeper investment in the culture, the people, and the country. Counterinsurgency cannot succeed without local political infrastructure—the two are inextricably tied. Because of this commitment, leadership, and valor, the 1/5 Marines were a remarkable example for both US and Afghan brothers- and sisters-in-arms. The relationships they cultivated with the local population, in addition to their established linkages with USAID and PRTs (Provincial Reconstruction Teams), were critical in ridding Helmand of its infection of terrorism.”