 From Soldiers Radio and Television, this is the Army Today, a daily feature from around the globe. Today's Army, whether it's 8,000 feet above sea level, or gathered to bear witness to a comrade's reenlistment, today's force, according to Brigadier General Gary Valesky, is the best it's ever been. You look at the Army you have today, it's unbelievable. Valesky is Deputy Commanding General Maneuver at the 1st Cavalry Division, currently deployed to Afghanistan, where the infantry officer spends most of his time on battlefield circulations, following up on tactical operations within Regional Command East. RC East is large, 14 provinces, 43,000 square miles. It's about 28,000 soldiers that really are the rubber that meets the road. It is, he says, a road paved with measurable improvement, primarily with their Afghan partners. For example, there are 200 independent operations probably every night in RC East that the Afghans are doing themselves. He says like many of his troops, his prior deployments to Iraq make him keenly aware of the similarities and the significant differences. To be able to pull embedded partnership here, to be able to pull a targeting process here that we used has really, in my mind, been extremely rewarding. He acknowledges there are challenges to overcome, but here in the provinces, Afghans are stepping forward with confidence and capability, tenants of conviction they've gained with the help of soldiers from the world's best Army. Getting better every day. This is the Army Today from Soldiers Radio and Television.