ROTC Major Douglas John Fortier knew by the oil-stained boots of his Afghani ally trainees who was responsible for the theft of countless gallons of fuel.
The current ROTC training officer at the University of New Hampshire said it was difficult to be angry about the Afghani soldiers' behavior because they weren't stealing maliciously.
The men were poor and would sell the oil for money to send home to their families.
This story is one of many from a life grounded in military service. During Fortier's time spent at Task Force Mountain in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he was deployed in 2003, he discovered the motives and much a darker truth behind stories like this one.
"There's a deep sense of sadness in telling these stories because these people have really tough lives," said Fortier. "I spent a year of my life there, and I remember thinking, 'I'm doing this so that my children don't have to, or so another soldier's mission can be easier.'"
Having grown up with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Fortier spent much of his youth relocating to different Air Force bases throughout the world, including Germany, Turkey, California and Colorado.
Although Fortier admitted his father's involvement in the military did have an impact on his decision to enlist, it was Fortier's deep love of history that initially sparked his passion for the military.
"I've always felt a sense of kinship in studying early American history," said Fortier. "My duty is to support what our founding fathers put forth."
Unlike most ROTC cadets, Fortier didn't join the military until after college.
Fortier earned his three degrees from Franklin Pierce University - bachelors in both history and business, as well as an MBA. At age 23 he enrolled in the ROTC program and participated in Officer Candidate School, or OCS. He then spent eight years as a teacher and history department head at Dover High School before he was deployed to Afghanistan.
During the 11 months that Fortier was stationed in Afghanistan, he trained soldiers belonging to the Afghan National Army and more specifically, the Afghan Transportation Company. Fortier's official title was an "embedded trainer and transportation officer," in which his job was to teach Afghanis how to drive and to maintain their Ford Rangers.
According to Fortier, many of the soldiers had never been inside a vehicle until they took the bus to basic training.
"What a culture shock," said Fortier. "I trained 300 Afghanis to drive trucks, and most of them had never even driven before."
But cultural differences were somewhat familiar for Fortier, who had been a world traveler ever since he was a young boy as a result of his father's military position.
A 13-year-old Fortier, his parents and his two younger brothers arrived at the Incerlick Air Force Base in Adonis, Turkey, in November 1983. The Incerlick Air Force Base was closer than any other to the Soviet Union, so while other American children were watching "The Goonies" and emulating Michael Jackson, Fortier and his brothers faced the very real threat of Soviet hostility.
"Spending time in other cultures is always eye-opening," said Fortier. "My time in Turkey made me realize how Americans are so lucky."
Vast cultural differences also emerged as the Afghani training at Task Force Mountain progressed. In addition to not knowing right from left and refusing to use the headlights at night because they thought it would waste fuel, the trainees clearly viewed the world in a different way.
"When we would try to talk to them about how important vehicle maintenance is, and they would just say 'Oshala, oshala,' which means 'God willing,'" said Fortier. "The sense of cause and effect, it just doesn't exist."
Fortier and his men also struggled to adjust to the language barrier that they faced at Task Force Mountain, as the Afghani trainees spoke a variety of six different languages.
"By the time I left there I knew 1,000 words," said Fortier. "Every morning I would learn five phrases and use them throughout the day."
Fortier said the help from Afghani soldiers contributed greatly to his ability to learn so much of their language.
After returning home to New Hampshire in 2004, Fortier took on a fulltime management position with the National Guard and became UNH's training officer. As the training officer, he plans special training operations for the school's 100 ROTC cadets and teaches the Introduction to Leadership course for junior-level students.
"He definitely sets an example of what an officer should be," said Cadet Justin Polanik, who is a student of Fortier's. "He is very dedicated to his job and is an overall amazing leader."
The most rewarding part of his job at UNH is the daily interaction with young men and women who are so excited about their future in an army career, said Fortier.
"I feel very validated in my job," he said. "Kids in this battalion are so appreciatory. I've never had so many people say, 'Thank you.'"
While Fortier's unit was the first group to work with Afghani allies since the tragedy of Sept. 11, he said there is still a lot of work to be done in the Middle East.
"[My students] have the benefit of learning from our experience," said Fortier. "But changes like this don't happen in 10 years."
Although Fortier agrees with President Obama's plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, he feels the media are often "inflated" in that they exaggerate the negative and downplay the positive.
Fortier is currently working with senior cadets scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in 2010. He instructs his students on the techniques he found both effective and ineffective during the time spent in Bagram.
Fortier's stories from Afghanistan and his experience in leadership positions have helped junior ROTC Cadet Chad Conte prepare for the Leader Development and Assessment Course he will participate in this summer.
"Major Fortier tells us to always use our integrity and do what is morally right, no matter the cost," said Conte. "By doing this we are living the army values that he has helped instill in us. His stories will help me with this challenge and in the future."
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