Dear supporters, I recently traveled to Syria with a US Army team to explore ways SoA might be able to ease local suffering while furthering US objectives on the ground. I’ve been to Syria a number of times, but this trip in particular was different. I had the opportunity to tour Manbij Public Hospital, a major regional medical facility that was severely damaged by Islamic State terrorists. As disheartening as it often is to witness the ugliness of war, I felt more hopeful after seeing the hospital’s first two floors nearly renovated. The fact that local authorities were able to pull off a renovation project of this magnitude with limited resources was cause for a certain degree of optimism. No doubt, the civil war that has torn the country apart for the last six years has been unimaginably brutal. But, if once the fighting stops, local communities can find their way to reconciliation, Syria may one day return to peace. I wrote extensively about my trip in my most recent blog post. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it and reflect. For more on SoA’s work in Syria, visit my project page. I look forward to updating you again soon. Until next time, Zack Bazzi Project Manager, Middle East