ISAF, Afghans celebrate Nowruz
 By Sgt. Troy Johnson , ISAF Public Information Office
  BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (March 21, 2010) – Spring is here. The  snow is melting, the trees are blooming and days are getting longer. And  here in Afghanistan, spring marks the beginning of the Afghan New Year,  Nowruz. Nowruz, a Persian word meaning "a new day," is an ancient  Persian tradition. It marks the first day of spring and the beginning  of the new year on a solar calendar, and is celebrated on the day of the  vernal equinox, which is typically lands on March 21. In honor of  Nowruz, International Security Assistance Forces hosted Afgan National  Security Forces and Afghan government officials at a formal dinner and a  celebration, "Afghan Night Live," at Bagram Airfield, March 18. "The  event was organized by [Combined Joint Task Force – 82] to celebrate  the Nowruz with our Afghan partners so they all can get together  informally and celebrate," said Roya Sharifsoltani, research manager for  the CJTF-82 Human Terrain Advisory Team. "New Years is such an  important celebration for the Afghans, we wanted to share it with them,"  said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Karolyn Hooper, the deputy chief of staff for  CJTF-82. "This gives us an opportunity to bring all of these people  together as partners in fellowship." The Nowruz celebration,  Afghan Night Live, began as a BAF-wide celebration for U.S., Coalition  and Afghan partners to share in this important Afghan tradition. "We  are all working very hard together. It is good to enjoy each other's  company; it is one of the things that solidifies our partnership," said  U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of CJTF-82. There  are several reasons for celebrating Nowruz here on BAF, explains Dr.  James Emery, a cultural anthropologist with the Human Terrain Team, and  Afghan Night Live founder and director. "This will make our troops  more motivated, comfortable and confident in spending time with Afghans  outside the wire," said Emery. "This is crucial to the success of our  mission, since everything good in Afghanistan happens through personal  relationships." The celebration also exposes aspects of Afghan  culture to those unfamiliar with it. Emery's hope is to influence how  our troops plan and execute missions by countering negative stereotypes. Emery  added that the celebration also improves relationships with the Afghans  working on BAF. "A warm smile and pleasant greeting go a very  long way with our Afghan employees. It can create a groundswell of  goodwill that will carry outside the gate and into the surrounding towns  and villages," said Emery. The celebration featured a variety of  traditional Afghan food, musicians and Atan dancers. "The dinner  was followed by a national Afghan dance, which was very interesting with  a lot of head and neck movement. For many people this was the first  time they have seen the dance," said Sharifsoltani. With the  exception of Taliban rule, Nowruz has been celebrated and observed in  Afghanistan since the adoption of the Persian calendar, in 1957. "Nowruz  was banned during Taliban rule and as soon as they were gone the  celebration started again," said Roya Sharifsoltani. In the future  it is hoped that Nowruz celebrations, like Afghan Night Live, will take  place on other ISAF bases and forward operating bases. My wish is  to help others experience even a fraction of the kindness, generosity,  humor and friendship that I have enjoyed over many years of interaction  with Afghans, said Emery.