Sergeant First Class Jeff Courter is in the Illinois Army National Guard, currently serving as recruiting and retention NCO in Chicago.  He served for a year in Afghanistan, training and mentoring the Afghan Border Police near the Pakistan border. During his tour in 2007-2008, he fought with the Taliban and participated in numerous combat and humanitarian missions. Prior to his mobilization, Sergeant Courter was an independent business consultant and Sunday School teacher in suburban Chicago, where he lives with his wife and three children.

Previously, he served for many years with the US Navy Reserves, and served on active duty with the US Marine Corps. Sergeant Courter is a long-time student of diverse religious practices and spirituality. He holds a BA in Mass Communication from The Ohio State University. Sergeant First Class Jeff Courter is the author of Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan.

According to the book description of Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan, “Journey to the front lines in Afghanistan with Sergeant First Class Jeff Courter, as he completes a one-year tour of duty with the Army National Guard, training Border Police to defend a region where Osama bin Laden  has left a terrifying footprint.

Learn how the US Army is struggling to bring stability to a region where fear and poverty envelope the lives of tribal Afghans. And discover how one man reconciles personal, professional and spiritual challenges in a distant and dangerous corner of the world.”

Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan Jeff Courter  More Info

One reader of Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan said, “you want to understand what the War on Terror is really about, forget reading the news headlines or watching CNN. This should be required reading for those of us in the US who tend to dismiss Afghanistan as some sort of remote "irritant" that is best relegated to academic debate.

This guy looks at what it means to be an in-the-trenches soldier from all dimensions - mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. It isn't always pretty - but it's real. It also helps you get inside the head of someone who's willing to do the tough work of showing up - when most of us "back home" are focused on our own personal priorities.  If you want to understand what it means to put your life on the line in Afghanistan - or any war - this is the book for you.”

One reader of Afghan Journal: A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan said, “A really good book for anyone who wants to know what it's really like to be a soldier in Afghanistan. Written for the non-military reader (but military members will probably like it, too), Mr. Courter captures the day-to-day experience of both danger and dullness. The book was interesting and insightful. I learned a lot and have a new respect for those who have spent a year there.”