Mirza is a young Afghan military commander and Deven is his counterpart in the U.S. Marines. Their troops work together "shona b'shona" side-by-side in Taliban territory in a tenuous trust. When the US pulls out of Afghanistan the depth of their friendship is put to the test.

This story contains graphic imagery, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Many thanks to Deven Ravel, and Mirza for sharing their stories!

Special thanks to Mary Mathis, Sarah Delia, and Nikka Singh.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 38

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices