Certainly from my perspective as I sat at the top, I had the good fortune to go down to the recruiting command on a regular basis, where all of the recruits would come in. They are very representative of the entire country. It is actually quite a thing to see. The battalions are built ethnically balanced. Of all the entities within Afghanistan, the army tends to be a bit of an ethnic balance.
For most of them, their eyes are wide open. If they've come from a major city, they'll have a bit of an understanding of some of the basic things you might see. If they come from smaller towns, they will unlikely be literate, and a thing like a fridge can be a bit of a discussion point.
The one thing they are is extremely proud. As I walked around talking to sections that were already formed, I'd ask about their ethnic background. They'd say, “I'm Afghan.” I was quite impressed with that sort of response. I saw some very proud soldiers, struggling perhaps with some of the advanced concepts because of literacy rates. They are not stupid by any stretch, but when you can't read, that becomes difficult. They're loyal to their country, very friendly, and certainly willing to put their life on the line. They're very brave. That's certainly what I saw.