This summer I went with the Dutch army to Afghanistan. Captain Cynthia took good care of me over there. Anything else that I would say is going to be a lie.
A couple of weeks ago captain Cynthia went back to Afghanistan. She told me that it was raining a lot over there right now.
So my indispensable assistant Johannes bought her this beautiful umbrella.
If the Taliban are going to see this umbrella, they will realize that NATO is in Afghanistan to build bridges, dig tunnels, enlarge schools, and clean up swimming pools.
By the way the US Army could do something about its PR.
While visiting Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo this fall I had the feeling that the US Army had left the PR to some former gang leaders from South Dakota.
Of course the Dutch army is by its own nature an ironic army, but to win hearts and minds you need to use lots and lots of irony.
I’m willing to volunteer. I moved to New York, I’m waiting for my green card, I should do something for my new country.
My offer to the US Army is this: I speak to your PR people about the beauty of irony in the Middle East. And you call me a soldier of sarcasm.