Contrails - Afghanistan

War is never pleasant. On this day in late October 2001, I came upon three men who, for years, had been fighting against the Taliban. Members of the Northern Alliance were riding horseback to their village, ecstatic when the first bombing campaign began by the US and British coalition. Contrails from military planes swirled above in the weaving pattern of their turbans. After decades of fighting against the Soviets, and the Taliban, for this moment, they were pleasantly happy for a change. A change that would only last until 2021, when the Taliban returned to power.