Life after Afghanistan: a young veteran talks about the war and going from soldier to student.

• Author: Ross, Brooke
• Position: Q&A - Logan Stark - Interview

With President Obama planning to withdraw most U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Upfront spoke with Logan Stark, 26, who spent six months as a Marine in Afghanistan. His unit, the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, has suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit since the war began in 2001. Stark is now a senior at Michigan State University.

Upfront: Why did you Join the military?

Logan Stark: I felt like it was something I needed to do. I wanted to serve my country in some capacity.

Upfront: When you learned you were going to Afghanistan, how did you and the others in your unit feel?

LS: There were definitely those pre-deployment jitters where you don't really know what it's going to be like. We were also excited and looking forward to it, and that might have been a little naive, looking back on it.

Upfront: What was the most challenging experience for you in Afghanistan?

LS: The hardest part was having to fight against an insurgent force that blends in with the locals. It's like Vietnam. It was hard to tell who, exactly, you were fighting. With the language barrier and the culture barrier, it's difficult to establish relationships with trust and get to the point where the locals feel like you're trying to help them.

Upfront: Do you think it's time for the U.S. to leave?

LS: There's always more that you can do, but it's a really hard decision. I don't think we're really going to know whether it's better or worse until after we pull out.

Upfront: How would you describe your transition back to civilian life?

LS: It was definitely difficult. I got out of the military at the end of July 2011, and a month later I was attending Michigan...