The Bookworm Mom
A weekly review of a new read by Shannon Grady.
The Bookworm Mom
Interview with Yaser Yarghal Teasing His New Book 2027
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Shannon interviews Yaser Yarghal, a warrior and survivor of the Afghanistan conflict. Yaser grew up in poverty along the Pakistan - Afghan border to become a soldier and witness to the upheaval in that far off part of the world. Tune in and listen to his story and perhaps you too will desire to hear his complete story when it arrives in 2026.
And we were excited today to have a brand new author on the show.
SPEAKER_02Extremely excited.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Mr. Yachter Yargal. Now, this isn't just your everyday author. This is a young man who went through a hardship as a young guy. He was actually born and raised in Afghanistan, obviously, during the period of the global world terror. And he not only excelled and prevailed through some very tumultuous times. I can't imagine I've never lived in a war zone. I can't even imagine that. But a few things about him is that he is a former Afghanistan Army major. He is also a graduate of the United States Ranger School, which is nothing to fluff off. No. As well as having graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School. And he has written a fantastic book. I've seen some of the clips and snippets of it on his sub stack. The book is going to be entitled Unsabotaged, Breaking Every Limit. So today I would like to uh welcome to the show Mr. Yasar Yargal.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, Shannon, uh, for having me here uh and for the opportunity to talk to your audience today.
SPEAKER_01So great to have you. Hey Yasar, I noticed on your LinkedIn page that you had a newsletter, and one of the quotes that came uh up in your newsletter that just kind of popped out to me, it said, You wrote a book that covered moments that rewire who we think we are. Um tell us a little bit about your childhood because I know that plays an integral part in the writing of your book. So, what was it like growing up in Afghanistan as a young child?
SPEAKER_00Um so in Afghanistan um uh my life was uh completely uh different than uh what we have here, people living here in uh western countries. Um I was living in a village that we did not have a school uh at all. It was um before uh the previous government, um the Afghanistan Islamic Republic, uh before NATO came to Afghanistan. Um it was uh the Taliban regime that I realized that we did not have schools and uh I was growing up and my dad was uh teaching me uh whatever uh requirement he was thinking that uh have to be prepared for for the world. So he was teaching me uh schools at home. Um and then uh uh we were living in the border of Pakistan.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Um it is uh province uh close by to Pakistan border there and um uh we had a school two hours away from my house.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00And yeah, that was Pakistani school. Um and my dad decided uh because we were also financially struggling, we were just living uh with a very basic uh living, we were still um not prepared to my dad was not prepared to pay me and my brother to send us to that school because that was a private school and we were supposed to pay for that.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Now I I understand, Yaster, that you told a story that I think your father um basically called you lazy. And um you went on to demonstrate that you were anything but again, folks, if if you don't understand the difficulties of finishing a school like the like a ranger school that he finished. Um and not only did he finish, he did it the first time through. He didn't have to go back and and uh and go through a second time because he flunked something or he got injured. Um so what uh what was it that inspired you to kind of prove that your dad was wrong? You're not lazy, you're actually a a smart young man and you have a bright future ahead of you, and it's not to be a dentist. I think that was what your your initial goal was you're gonna be the dentist for the local population. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Uh yeah, this this is a moment that I have never talked about that to anybody. And I that's why that's the reason I'm writing a book. I want to if I just say uh my dad was told me a lazy, probably my dad will will hear that one day somewhere. Yeah and he will be not feeling good. So I wanted to put that in the right context uh contents uh to make sure um that everybody uh understand why he was telling me lazy and why I tried to prove him wrong.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Maybe he he was thinking you were more unmotivated.
SPEAKER_00Um yeah, so the thing was um my uh uh uh he was paying um schools uh uh like the school fee and everything for my uh younger uh brother, and uh he was uh trying because he was uh teaching me from very young age and he was not teaching my brother from that age. And uh he decided to keep that momentum with me and uh keep my other brother who was not teached by my father to send it to that school. And also he was kinda a little bit, I believe, uh he was better than me uh in school in those days, uh, for some reason, uh because I had another lord from my home too. Like I was working in the field, uh in like the farms and uh feeding animals and things like that, and also working with uh my dad at nighttime to study my school.
SPEAKER_01Was your father uh did your father speak English uh at the time?
SPEAKER_00Yes, my father speaks English, not pretty good, but he can read very well and he uh he has a lot of um uh study in uh like everything he's studying, he's studying it in English.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00That's why his conversation is not good. If he's talking to you, you will think like he probably not understands, but his um education, like uh uh reading skills and all this understanding understanding concepts are very good.
SPEAKER_01Now, what is your native language? Is it Pashtu? Is it Farsi?
SPEAKER_00What do you think Pashtu? Yeah, we speak Pashtu, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Fantastic. So that that makes your story even more impressive that you you really grew up in a home that was somewhat bilingual, but he was learning English, I guess, at the same time he was teaching you English, so that's pretty impressive.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's exactly what it was. Sometimes he will have uh uh his own uh dictionary and working on his own things to uh to make sure that he understands the tenses and all those grammars and grammar things and teach it to us. And there was a lot of things that he teaches wrong too. Like I realized later, like that was not sound like that, you teaching me. At least they teach something.
SPEAKER_01Sure, sure. Well, I know you you have a story that you talk about when you were in uh in seventh grade, uh, that NATO forces had just arrived in Afghanistan, and you talk about one afternoon um some so soldiers come and and among the soldiers are women in uniform, and that that was a bit of a surprise for you. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, this was a time when um uh it was a little bit uh after uh like the US uh settled and then uh they start moving around the country uh uh meeting with people and uh one one morning. It was like uh noontime, maybe like twelve o'clock, one o'clock. And uh we got uh the trucks. If you see that truck in my picture, that was how the trucks will look like, like a lot of trucks were uh around our school.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00And uh all of the students come out and uh talking to them, and uh I was talking to them too, and uh one of the guys uh and they had women like um uh soldiers and they were taking pictures everywhere, and uh we come come up like with a team one a couple of guys or friends, and we were talking with a soldier, and he asked a question, and uh he first uh asked us, um, do you guys want to go America? And we said, Yes, we go, we w we do want to go to America. That we were kids and he was just making us to have a conversation with them.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And uh yeah, and then say and then he said if you want to go to America, you have to be flight attendant or something like it's power radio or oceans, and he was explaining that way. And uh he said if you want to be a pilot, uh like a flight attendant or some someone you have to uh you have to know uh you have to be better educated. That's how he explained it. And then he asked, what you guys want to be, uh, and everybody answered different questions, like different uh way of answers. Even I was thinking before that, I was thinking that I'm gonna be in my partner place uh doing pharmacy in my village. That's what I was prepared for.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00My yeah, society. And then uh uh I replied, I replied that I because he explained that if you want to go to uh US, you have to be a pilot. I think that's why I come up with uh this answer I told them that I want to be a pilot.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00And uh yeah, and then he asked me that question and says uh named uh the planets, how many planets do we have in the solar system? And then I replied in those names in Pashto because we were in seventh grade and we were exactly in those uh lessons. Right. Uh those plants. Yeah, so I I repeat those seven planets in Pashto, and he called for a translator. He was around somewhere there, and he came and the translator was struggling to translate that as well, but he modeled it and they accept yeah, and they accept it, like, oh you said it right. And then he said, give me a hi-fi, and then said, uh, good job.
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, here uh well and maybe there as well. There's been discussion that Pluto is no longer a planet. So I don't know if you if you had Pluto as a planet then or not.
SPEAKER_00So in that time we were studying nine nine of them, and then I never studied too much about them after, but I I learned that uh the uh planets are coming up, like they are not nine planets anymore, there are a lot of planets. But on that time, because our curriculum was the the old system curriculum, I believe. That's why we were studying that thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I always say when when people say, Oh, that this new information and and can you believe it changed? And I thought, yes, at one point in time we actually taught that the world was flat, and there are a few people who still seem to believe that, but despite the fact that we've sent spaceships up that have actually orbited the globe. But anyway, um yeah, so your story is so fascinating. So what uh so now you let's get you through high school, and you then um do you go right into like a commissioning program in the Afghanistan army, or do you have to enlist first and then you get commissioned? How does that program work with the Afghanistan military?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so uh there was certain time that I was almost ready to quit the high school and go help my dad to fight with that um uh power key in all those things. Right. But uh my yeah, my dad prevents that he uh so one day I wasn't going to school. Uh I was deciding not to go to school, and my mom uh realized that and my mom uh sent someone behind my dad, and my dad uh returned back to um uh to home and he talked to me. He said, I don't want you uh to be a doctor or someone and then help me. I do not need your help, but I do want you to graduate from university.
SPEAKER_01Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_00And I will do what yeah, and he said, I will do whatever you want, um whatever I can do for you. And then that moment he never talked to me like that that way. He will just tell me, like, okay, take your stock and go to school. He that's how he's gonna tell me. But in that day, he does not say that way. He said, I will pay, I will do whatever I can do, but just keep going. That was my grade twelve. I was going to uh high school to Kabul and I was in dormitory, but I was struggling financially. Uh and I d I was not happy, I was trying to uh help my dad. And then uh and uh when I was in Kabul in uh high school, I saw those military guys. Uh I was thinking about uh military from very um uh beginning, like grade seven, grade eight in that time.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00But when yeah, but when uh I was in uh grade uh twelve and eleven in Kabul, the credits coming from uh military academy, yes we were watching them and then we were having discussion with them. So they described the system how you can get into the uh to the military academy. It was very tough to get in because you have to yeah, you have to be uh connected or you have to be uh somehow you have to get the forms and then uh pass the exam. That's the second thing that you have to pass the exam to do there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, even here in the States, it it's not easy to get into one of the military academies. You have to have either a U.S. senator or a U.S. congressperson write a letter saying that you know they they are acknowledging you're going in. So um I can't imagine that it would be less difficult for you. So that's you know, that's pretty impressive that you got in um to the academy there and became a cadet.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and then that's how I uh find out from there. And then I actually before that I was thinking to go to just a regular army soldier or sergeant or something like that, because that was very exciting. But I was lucky to find out uh about the academy and then went there.
SPEAKER_01So now after you you graduated the academy, um now you're you're a commissioned officer in the Afghan military. What was your first assignment? Where were you first assigned?
SPEAKER_00Uh so that is um my first assignment was to MUD, Ministry of Defense, and uh we went through uh certain uh way of hiring uh or assign assigning. They put um when we graduate, but because that was uh there was some uh type of like the the uh I don't say corruption way people was using when they graduate, like everybody was running behind someone to hire them in a safe and peaceful place.
SPEAKER_01Sure.
SPEAKER_00So so they decided the leadership decided to put uh all those uh available position for new uh cadets or like new graduates, and then you have to go grab one uh flip, little little flip, and that uh will be your position, and they write it down like what is that position, where it is located, which unit you go in. So they will just put your name and roster number, and then they will send it uh send you to there. So that's how I was selected, and we went to many uh so my job, first job was uh the security brigade uh for AMOD, uh Ministry of Defense in Kabul.
SPEAKER_01Oh wow. Wow. So now tell us about what what led you actually getting to go to the US Ranger School? How'd that come about?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, this was the toughest thing, and I never taught that I will be going to the United States, not even thinking about ranger schools, even going to United States was not even imaginable for my my level of uh like I was from very lower um class at the adult city from Afghanistan. And uh when that thing came up, uh when I went to the Ministry of Defense, people were talking about uh scholarship to United States, and then uh I was asking about that too. So in our uh with our training officer, I was kinda uh connected and I talked to him and he said uh the brigade training officer, he was friends at me, and he said, if I get any scholarship uh from MOD, I will put your name in it uh for the tips. Which means you impressed him. Yes, and he said, uh you I'm pretty sure you will be able to pass it. And then uh he put my name in that um uh uh list and there was a long post um uh giving some text, English tests and things like that, and then I was selected and uh they sent me to DLI, Defense Language Institute, uh the first uh and before that, before uh I b become uh selected, uh you have to uh take signature from the leadership of the brigade.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And those uh brigade uh leadership, uh they were arguing with me uh at the beginning. They said uh we sent a lot of people and they just go there and come back without any achievements. And if you are one of those, we don't want anybody to go. We we need you here.
SPEAKER_01Right. I got yeah. So you no pressure. Yeah, yeah, no pressure. Yeah, and then uh so now what you you went in, you were uh what class were you? Do you remember your class number?
SPEAKER_00Uh the class number for uh for uh Ranger School? First time I went to yeah, so first time I went to uh DLI and then they sent me to um uh IBOC, uh, infantry basic officer leadership uh leadership course. That was my actual course to go to. And then I had uh had good result for they select me for ranger school. It was 2015, uh class 17, but I'm not 100% sure about a class that forgot, and I know I see my document.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's okay. The point I wanted to to make everyone understand is that you you didn't have to roll back again. That was what I was kind of getting at. You you managed to go through without having to repeat any of the any of the steps, which there are lots and lots of United States uh army rangers who did not get all the way through once. They had to go back a couple of times. So that's impressive. So now you get you get through the ranger school, then you go to airborne school, and then obviously you're back to Afghanistan. Where were you uh in August of 21 when the Abbey Gate event happened in Afghanistan and we started pulling everybody out? Were you there in Cabal at the time?
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah, this is um this is a question that uh everybody will have uh from every Afghan Afghan. Uh I was not there in Kabul when the collapse happened, but I realized that collapse is gonna be happening eight months before it happened.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you saw the writing on the wall.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I'm I'm uh writing it and it will be coming and uh uh I will be proving that why I was thinking it's gonna be happening.
SPEAKER_01So now um are you in the United States now? I'm assuming you are here in the States now.
SPEAKER_00Uh I am in Canada. Uh yeah, Alberta.
SPEAKER_01Because I know um I'm I'm assuming you saw uh Lieutenant Commander Scott Mann said he would like to get you down to one of the uh 11 day showings. So I wanted to see if you were interested in meet maybe meeting me uh at the one that's either in North Carolina or Virginia. Um that would be great.
SPEAKER_00I would love Shannon. Um I'm working on that. Um I'm in the process to prepare my paperwork and everything, get it ready. Uh and have not confirmed with uh uh uh Scottman as well, but I as soon as I find out that I will be able to get there, I will be texting you and letting you know.
SPEAKER_01That'd be great, yeah, because uh I think um you know Scott has done so much work for veterans and particularly for Afghan veterans, um, and you know, obviously the Pineapple Express that he put forward to get some of our uh Americans and allies out of Afghanistan at that time when everything was falling apart and and our government was not holding up its end of the deal. Um now your book is called Unsabotage because you you felt like, you know, uh if if I understand correctly, growing up there were a lot of obstacles, obviously. I mean, you just you know, I can't even imagine. But yet you managed to overcome all of those things. Um and so those moments. That do, as you said, rewire who you think you are. Those are critical. And I think your statements really parallel what Scott has said about things like the generosity of scars, which is his newest book, where these experiences aren't meant to uh be obstacles you can't overcome, but they're meant to be obstacles that once you climb on top, you're at the top of the mountain. And so um with this book finished, now you've you've finished writing it, what are what are the left obstacles left for you to get it published?
SPEAKER_00Uh well right now it is uh with a professional uh developer, um uh develop uh developmental uh editor. He's working on it. Uh it will be finished by 22 uh May, uh, and I'm gonna uh review it and send it back. I'm gonna uh finalize it uh by uh uh June 15 or something like that. And then uh it will be going to a couple more editing uh editing, uh like uh copy editing and then color design. Uh I will be deleting it in uh uh January 2027 for sure.
SPEAKER_01I am so excited for you, and and I know folks may be listening and thinking, that's such a long time, but listen folks, I I know that he's not telling you everything because honestly, uh anytime you're military officer or or even enlisted and you write a book about any kind of experiences in that, trust me, the government, in this case for you, it's both the Afghan government and the US government, and I'm sure even the Canadian government saying you can't say that. You can't say that. You can't reveal the information. So I know that you're going through a process of what you're allowed to say and share. Um so while the that you're gonna have this book ready to go by by January is phenomenal. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. And of course, obviously, I'm gonna, if if I if able, I want to have a signed copy from you. Um but just as I said, folks, if you want to go to his Substack and check out some of the information, we're gonna include that link uh to his Substack so you can kind of get a little bit of an insight into what this book is gonna be about. And please, you know, as soon as the book comes out, support Yasser. Go on there and follow him, subscribe to his Substack. Um we need to do a better job of lifting up our veterans and absolutely, yeah. Yasser, I'm so I'm so thankful that you were able to survive that whole ordeal. Is your family are they also there in Canada with you? Are they still back in Afghanistan?
SPEAKER_00I uh I'm very careful with uh um uh this information situation. Understood. Yeah, I do have my uh uh uh what they call the uh my kid and my wife uh here uh and sibling not here yet.
SPEAKER_01I understand. I know, and for those that don't understand, uh sometimes the current regime in Afghanistan is not very friendly to families and friends who are behind while others are abroad. Um so I completely understand and I hope I didn't say anything that would in any way draw uh attention unwarranted uh for the folks you have back home in Afghanistan. Yeah, so I I deeply appreciate your taking the time uh to share this information. And I tell you what, hopefully come January we'll and I've had a chance to read through your book, we'll do another one and we'll update everybody on hey, now it's out, and here's a link to go purchase your own copy. But um, I just want to wish you all the best. I look forward to hearing again from you via text when you find out if you're gonna get to come to this. Um I'd love to be able to support you in that if you have an opportunity to come down and meet Scott and uh attend it. Um any any final words of encouragement you want to send out to folks who are listening?
SPEAKER_00Uh thank you for um all the kind words that you did uh and uh for your audience already about my book. Um I will be just uh uh waiting to make sure that it is ready uh for January 1st, and uh I will let you know when I'm coming uh to uh Tartman and I will uh let you know that I'm coming and I will definitely feel in uh Florida if you're living in Florida, right?
SPEAKER_01Well I'm actually in South Carolina um for just a few more uh for a few more weeks, if you will, and then we'll be uh PCSing permanent changes station to Hawaii. My husband's already there. Our son's graduating high school at the end of this month.
SPEAKER_02We feel so sorry for you.
SPEAKER_01Right, they're really sad about that. Um so yeah, I'm trying to get Scott to bring his production of uh of 11 Days out to Hawaii, so I may be able to coax him out there. And if that's the case, maybe we get you to Hawaii. You can come out there and and see the uh the tropical isles. But um, yeah, so again, thank you so much. Deeply appreciate you and folks, um hang on to your hats. January's coming before you know it. You'll get your hands on this book. But again, like I said, we're gonna leave the link in the the podcast. You can actually go to a substack, read some more information, and kind of whet your appetite for the book that's coming out. Um coming up in June. Speaking of Scott Mann, we have him scheduled to do an interview with us the first part of June. He's very, very busy. He's out, you know, he's got uh the 11 days uh play that he's doing himself, plus he has um eulogy of a marine that's already out, and that's touring around the country, and then he's written so many books, and this is, I believe, is his second or third book in this trilogy that he's doing. The Generosity of Scars. That book will be available to everybody come May 12th. Yeah, uh, there's a few copies out already. So he'll be interviewing here with us on the Bookworm Mom. I'm very excited about that. And we have a few other authors that'll be coming in as well. So exciting times for the podcast. But thank you all for tuning in. Please like us, uh, subscribe. It's free. We don't charge you. Um send any comments, uh, any suggestions for books or authors you'd like to see us read or review here on the The Bookworm Mom. And um, as always, have a great day.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, everybody, and that's another episode of the Bookworm Mom. And if Yasser's book is even a tenth of interesting as his life story, we can't wait for it to come out in 2027. Thank you and have a great day.
