U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Gary Tossing, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, may be uniquely positioned to speak about "Life Behind the Lines," the topic of a Tuesday event at the Bluffton Branch of the Beaufort County Library.

As part of the library's "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" program, Tossing spoke about his time in Afghanistan and soldiers' reception by the Afghan people. He stressed the need for female health practitioners and remarked on the future of military operations there: "We are trying to make the Afghans more independent ... so they can carry on on their own."