Checking In On The U.S. Forces In Afghanistan

We're hearing a lot less about Afghanistan these days, but the longest war in American history is not over. The U.S. still has nearly 10,000 military personnel in Afghanistan, where their mission is now focused on training and assisting Afghan troops, who've taken the lead in fighting the Taliban.

The Americans are not supposed to be involved in combat. But the U.S. flew several thousand sorties last year and troops still find themselves in places where the fighting carries on.

NPR Pentagon Correspondent Tom Bowman and NPR photographer David Gilkey are traveling to Afghanistan to spend a month with the U.S. and Afghan forces. They discussed their trip with Greg Myre, international editor for NPR.org.