Welcome to our world listeners. I'm Captain Jake Maraldi.

Today on the podcast we'll be talking to Medal of Honor recipient Sal Junta about his actions in the Coringal Valley in 2007.

We'll talk to him about how he handled leadership on his worst day and what he did to prepare himself for a situation like the one he encountered in the Coringal Valley.

As always, the views in this podcast are those of their respective participants and do not constitute the position of the United States government.

Also want to take a second to give a shout out to Dead Prussian podcast.

If you're looking for other podcasts to listen to when you can't listen to the Modern War Institute podcast,

we recommend the Dead Prussian podcast.

They have great episodes talking about history, Klausowitz, and war.

So make sure you check that out.

St. Churjudo, welcome to the podcast.

I appreciate taking the time and talk to me.

I'm interested in trying to get a little bit of just the general background of what your

unit was doing in Afghanistan in 2007.

In 2007, the 173rd deployed to the Kunar Providence and the Battle Company was in the Coringal Valley,

about a 6 kilometer by 6 kilometer valley.

Our goals for the year were to interact with the general populace, win hearts and mines,

dig wells if we're able to build a road through the Coringal Valley coming off the Pesh River Valley.

This entire valley was, one river went through on the north side and there was no road there

other than a dirt road which was heavily, heavily IED and it would be to clean up the road

and win favor of the people.

Let them know we're not there to command or conquer or control and we don't want their land.

We want to assist them in establishing a government and a stable way of life.

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