iken berry ' s ▁assumption ▁of ▁command ▁from ▁Bar no , ▁Font es ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁Provin cial ▁Re const ruction ▁Team ▁( PR T ) ▁in ▁Tar ink ot . ▁Daniel ▁Green , ▁the ▁political ▁advis er ▁for ▁the ▁PR T , ▁reported ▁that ▁though ▁some ▁Sold iers ▁at ▁the ▁PR T ▁had ▁initial ▁concerns ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁gender , ▁those ▁wor ries ▁were ▁shortly ▁put ▁to ▁rest . ▁She ▁had ▁been ▁active ▁in ▁eng aging ▁with ▁the ▁Afghan ▁people . ▁Green ▁said ▁that ▁Font es , ▁then ▁a ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel , ▁pitch ed ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁dollars ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁money ▁to ▁host ▁a ▁l unch ▁on ▁the ▁PR T ▁for ▁local ▁Afghan ▁leaders . ▁An ▁article ▁in ▁Van ity ▁Fair ▁rel ates ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁she ▁once ▁refused ▁to ▁depart ▁a ▁meeting ▁with ▁Afghan ▁el ders ▁in ▁Ch ora ▁District ▁under ▁threat ▁of ▁small ▁arms ▁fire , ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁appearing ▁weak ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁Tal ib an . ▁Green ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁she ▁surv ived ▁the ▁first ▁suic ide ▁vehicle - bor ne ▁impro vised ▁explos ive ▁device ▁attack ▁in ▁U roz gan ▁Province ▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁the ▁device ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁det on ate ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁mort ar ▁shell s ▁of ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁compr ised . ▁She ▁depart ed ▁Afghan istan ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁US ▁War ▁College , ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 2