With all the negative stories coming out of Afghanistan during the final days of the United States’ troop withdrawal, at least one veteran has chosen to put aside his weapons and focus on the future.
Duffel Blog had the chance to sit down with Mohammed Rasheed, a former squad leader with two combat deployments to Kunduz province, who received one of the first business permits under the new regime and started the Brown Rifle Chai Company.
Wearing a western-style shirt with Death Before Reintegration, and heavily tattooed arms bearing the names of dozens of suicide martyrs, Rasheed looked like your typical vet. He explained that while their primary product is chai, the region’s most popular drink, his organization goes far beyond that.
“It’s really more of a lifestyle brand than a beverage company. As the war winds down, you have a large population of unemployed veterans, many with no identity beyond that of a former soldier. We capitalize on that market with shirts, hats, and traditional wear that has an edgy counter-culture feel while still allowing them to shove their service in everyone’s face,” Rasheed said.
