Behzad worked in Afghanistan building community resistance to violent extremist groups like the Taliban. The US military commander, General Scott Miller, saw Behzad in action and called him a real American hero for his work in the difficult environment. After returning from Afghanistan, Behzad joined USAID's CVE (countering violent extremism) team in Africa where he is an outstanding practitioner because of his deep understanding of USAID and inspiring commitment to work. The former USAID Assistant Administrator said he learned a lot from Behzad and would gladly work with him again.