- One of the easiest to use and understand interactive timelines on the war in Afghanistan is from the Associated Press. Just click anywhere from 2000 to 2010 and a popup will explain what happened for that time span.
- CNN's interactive chart lets you easily see which of America's allies have committed the most troops to the war.
- Check this to see the benefits and salary inducements to join the Army. As the Army says, "Total Compensation - It's more than just a salary." Here you can compare salaries for enlisted soldiers and officers, special pay, housing supplements, medical coverage, and military discounts for everything from DVDs to family vacations. Police officer salaries and benefits are compared to an Army position as a military police officer. Guess which one has the better benefits?
- Click here to see the mood about the war in Afghanistan in the latest polls from Gallup, New York Times, CBS, USA Today and others.
- Ever wonder if you are fit enough to qualify for the Army? Check out this interactive Physical Training Guide to see what the Army uses for conditioning and movement drills, stretching, and nutrition tips.
- Interested in adventure travel? While the State Department has a warning for U.S. citizens heading to Afghanistan, and some countries ban it outright, there are travel agencies, mostly run by former trekkers and backpackers, that arrange trips there. Read about one writer's birthday holiday to "one of the safest places in Afghanistan." Here is an interactive travel guide.
- Have a son or daughter serving in Afghanistan and do they ever send you anything from a local paper or brochure in the native language Pashtu? Here's a handy online Pashtu-to-English translator.
- Interested in doing business in Afghanistan? Better check out the customs and etiquette so you don't unwittingly make any embarrassing mistakes - such as handing someone a business card with your left hand or making too much eye contact with anyone you're talking to.
- The death toll in Afghanistan for U.S. soldiers recently passed 1,000. The New York Times has a remarkable interactive "Faces of the Dead." At first glance, it appears to be a photo of one of the deceased soldiers, 29-year-old Zarian Wood. But when you drag your cursor over the picture, you instantly realize it's composed of thousands of small squares, each one of which provides some personal information about one of the deceased soldiers. The squares are ordered by date of death, with the most recent ones starting in the upper left hand corner. There is also a separate chart that separately lists the dead from Iraq and Afghanistan; you can search by state or hometown or last name.
- Click here to see an interactive chart about the recent Afghan presidential election, complete with easy to read graphics showing the percentages of invalidated votes, how many were discarded, and recent developments.
- How much is the Afghan war costing you personally? It might not be possible to figure that out to the penny, but for 2009, out of every dollar collected in taxes, 26.5 cents went to the military. The Department of Defense took more in taxes than any other single area (healthcare was second at 20.1 cents). In comparison, only 2 cents of every dollar goes to education. This interactive tax chart lets you enter the amount you paid in federal taxes in 2009 and see how the government spent your money.
