Afghanistan: The Forgotten War
Audio Interview | Staff Sgt. Reinaldo Alvarez
Howitzer section chief. North Philadelphia.
"That's the biggest killer in Afghanistan right here, you're looking at it. The number one killer in Afghanistan."
Audio: "It shoots very far. Very far."
Staff Sgt. Reinaldo Alvarez, 26, grew up in the Logan section of Philadelphia, attending Olney High School and Benjamin Franklin High School.
"Oh I was getting into some kinds of trouble, so I needed to change my life. So I joined the army. ... It's been pretty good to me."
As a howitzer section chief, the six-year veteran is responsible for one of the 155-mm guns at Fort Blessing that can rain powerful shells to support ground troops throughout the Pech River Valley.
When the U.S. military originally deployed to Afghanistan five years ago, the Defense Department did not send over much field artillery - howitzers were weapons of previous wars. According to Army officers, however, the big artillery has proven vital for supporting infantry, particularly in mountainous areas such as Kunar province.
