Soldier’s heritage makes impact among populace

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Fahad A. Khan didn’t need a translator to make small talk with the local baker.

Khan ordered a delicacy of sweet bread and chai tea for himself and four others in his unit as he and the owner of the shop exchanged pleasantries in Urdu.  Afterwards, Khan accepted the foil-wrapped sweetbread, which was pulled out of a stone oven only seconds before.

During his deployment in eastern Afghanistan as a squad leader with 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team’s 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, Khan has discovered the locals react very favorably when they realize he speaks their language.

“(They are) extremely happy,” he said. “Very welcoming. And they are always wondering why the others don’t speak Urdu or Arabic.”

Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and his family left the country when he was only a few months old. He was raised primarily in Bronx, N.Y., and eventually moved to Buffalo, N.Y.  His family spoke Urdu in the household and Khan initially struggled with English. 

“I was in (English as a Second Language) up until the third grade,” he said.

Eventually he mastered not only English and Urdu, but also Arabic.

Khan, who joined the Army in 2005, has already served one deployment in Iraq. His language skills were in demand during his time in Baghdad and Ramadi. Now he normally lets the interpreters do their job without him, but occasionally steps in, especially when there’s trouble. 
 
Khan described a recent incident, described by himself and his fellow soldiers, as “the Riot.” 

He was riding in the lead vehicle during a convoy back to their base when the unit found that villagers had blocked the route with huge stones, burning tires and tree trunks.

“People started to throw rocks but I dismounted, and took off my Kevlar just to show no hostile intent,” he said. “I walked up to them and calmed things down.” 

The villagers were protesting reports of a shooting during an operation in another district. Eventually, Afghan forces arrived and helped disperse the crowd. 

Other encounters with locals have been more pleasant and brought Khan some personal satisfaction.

“The first time I went to the Nawa Valley, we were dropping off concrete for a Mosque reconstruction project, and were going up this hill and I noticed the name Kahn spray-painted on the side of a house, and it turned out this dude had the same last name as me,” he said. “I told him that in Urdu and immediately he tried dragging me inside his home to feed me and give me chai.”

Although he is using his unique abilities to help others, Khan’s decision to enter the military has not been an easy one for everyone in his family to accept. 

“Some of the family support me, some refuse to talk to me,” he said. “My mother fully supports me. (And so do) all my friends.”

Khan joined the military for its financial and educational benefits, but admitted there are other aspects to his service.

“There’s an idea within my family – since they came over as immigrants – what rights besides just paper do they have to be here? So I kinda feel like I’m buying the franchise and buying my right to citizenship.”

To help alleviate stress, Khan likes to unwind by playing guitar or travelling. 

“Here (in Afghanistan), we have a couple of guys with guitars,” he said. “We (like to) jam out.  I have an acoustic guitar here but I play electric back home. I like punk rock.”

When back in his unit’s home station of Vicenza, Italy, Khan spends personal time travelling through Europe. Some of his favorite destinations include Sweden, Bosnia and Turkey.

“I think being stationed overseas in Germany and Italy has probably been the best aspect about being in the military.”

After his deployment, Khan plans to return to college and complete his degree in political science.

“That was the goal when I originally enlisted,” he said. “I (will) probably go to law school and major in international law.”