Zahra Nazari Oral History

title:

Zahra Nazari Oral History

creator:

Nazari, Zahra (1996 December 24 -

subject:

Female Tactical Platoon (FTP)

description:

Born in Maidan Wardak, Afghanistan on December 24, 1996, Zahra Nazari grew up in Kabul. Her uncle had been in the military. In 2015, she trained for 6 months in Turkey, and joined the Afghan military from there. Zahra was part of the Female Tactical Platoon (FTP) in the Afghan Army, helping to search and talk to women on missions. She worked with both the Afghan and American military in her time as an FTP. She was proud to work with women in the US military, and the Army women helped with combat training for herself and other members of the FTP. Her job was to search and protect women and children during night missions, since the men weren't allowed to. She worked in the field with CST women doing the same job together and also, on occasion, working as an interpreter for Dari and Pashto speakers. Her family knew about her service and what all it involved, and they approved of her choice. Her parents encouraged her to join, especially her father. She explained her position to them right when she joined. There were about 45 FTPs that she served with, so it was a very small group of women. Zahra was evacuated from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 with the help of the CSTs. Her brother and siter came with her to the US, but her mother and another sister and brother are still in Afghanistan. If she had stayed, she likely would have been killed for her service, and the Taliban does harass her family that is still in Afghanistan. CSTs are now doing what they can to help her get members of her family out of Afghanistan. The support of her family and her conviction that they could succeed in their missions helped her stay committed to her service despite the difficulty and risk it entailed. Zahra served in the FTP from 2016-2021, and she was awarded the Malali Medal for her service. No transcript of this interview is currently available.

publisher:

Military Women's Memorial Foundation

contributor:

Gill, Dennis

date:

2022-10-07

type:

Moving Image

format:

Born Digital

identifier:

1368; 2022.1368

source:

CST - FTP

language:

English | Dari

relation:

NR

coverage:

Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan)—2001-2014 | 2016-2021

rights:

Unrestricted