PARIS – Speaking before members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a soldier recently returned from Afghanistan said the country’s future is bright.

Capt. Jarrod Crockett, a Bethel native, spent a year near the Pakistan border with the 240th Engineering Group out of Augusta, and an additional six months as an embedded trainer with an Afghan infantry company.

“The Afghan army, head to head against the insurgents, will win,” Crockett said. “There’s no question about it.”

Crockett said a combination of factors, including religion and the country’s history, have made the Afghan soldiers “fierce fighters.”

The presentation included several mementos from Crockett’s time in Afghanistan, such as formal clothing presented to him by a member of the Afghan military and currency from the Taliban regime. Crockett also gave an Afghan flag, which was presented before he left the country, to Donna Crockett-Wing, the VFW’s auxiliary president.

The presentation was framed to answer questions Crockett says he commonly receives, such as whether the United States can win the war. He said the creation of a strong Afghan government will prevent terrorists from using the country as a haven.

“We can win because the Afghan government is strong,” Crockett said.

On women’s rights, he said the United States is aiming to increase women’s education. However, he also recalled instances where the military would hand out humanitarian aid and discover men preventing females from receiving the goods.

“I never considered myself a women’s rights activist until that time,” Crockett said.

The returned soldier said he has also been asked what the best way for citizens to support soldiers in the field is, and that sending letters is one of the most effective methods.

“It makes it a little warmer,” he said.

Crockett said he will return to Afghanistan if he is called back to duty.