I spent four years in the Marine Corps covering everything from combat patrols in Iraq to commanding generals cutting ribbons. It was challenging, exciting, life-changing and boring in almost equal measure.

After I'd gotten out and finished my Master's in journalism at NYU, I took what little money I had saved and decided to head to Afghanistan. I needed to go back, I needed to see the guys I knew and remind myself what seemed more real to me than anything else in my life.

So, I did. I got approved to embed with a Marine unit, filled out the paperwork absolving the Corps of my not unlikely demise, and took off for Kabul.

The freedom of being a civilian in that environment was a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that I could cover whatever I wanted, and a curse because so many ranking contacts now refused to talk to me. Weird being the enemy on the American side like that, but it was a good trip.

I'll be posting a series of photo essays and features on my time in country over the coming weeks, and this is a preview of what's to come.