At The Pilot, we are always looking for ways to make connections between news that's happening around the world and people here in Hampton Roads. The NATO hospital in Kandahar is staffed in part by doctors and nurses from Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, so it provides a powerful opportunity to apply a local lens to the war in Afghanistan.
This series offers a rare view of our military's bravery and sacrifice, and of the hospital staff's heroic efforts to save the lives of soldiers and Marines who have sustained horrendous wounds on the battlefield.
Some of the words and images you will see are graphic. We debated how unvarnished to be in our report. Ultimately, we felt a responsibility to illustrate the heavy toll that this 10-year-old war continues to take.

Denis Finley, Virginian-Pilot editor