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As the evacuation of Afghanistan unfolded on television, Army veteran Ross Berkoff returned to notebooks he had kept during two tours on the front lines.

Those journals became “Beyond the Outpost: An Army Cavalry Officer’s War Diary on the Frontlines of Afghanistan, 2003–2007,” a firsthand account of the daily events that shaped Berkoff’s life long after his deployments ended.

“That’s when I dusted off my notebooks,” Berkoff said of watching the airport evacuation coverage.

The death by suicide of a friend also weighed heavily on his decision to tell the story. Berkoff said the loss “really broke me.”

He did not want the war’s legacy defined solely by its outcome or compared only with the military loss associated with the Vietnam War. Berkoff believed the experiences of those who served deserved a place alongside the negative images seen on the evening news.

“The legacy should be more than just the outcome,” he said.

Berkoff served with the 10th Mountain Division during two Afghanistan tours between 2003 and 2007. His assignments took him across Kandahar’s sand dunes and into the Hindu Kush, where he conducted intelligence missions.

Before deploying from his Chantilly home, he packed writing supplies and planned to document the entire experience. His approach drew inspiration from Ken Burns’ documentaries, particularly the filmmaker’s treatment of difficult personal stories in his Civil War series.

Another Civil War book, built around firsthand accounts, helped Berkoff move toward publication. He sent his manuscript to its author, who responded positively and brought the work to his publisher.

The project later led Berkoff to advise a filmmaker involved with the 2019 movie “Outpost.” The film depicts the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, in which a small 10th Mountain Division element defended Outpost Keating against a deadly Taliban attack.

Berkoff is now promoting his book through media appearances and public events. He has been featured on CNN and NPR, has an appearance planned with a Richmond war museum and is awaiting word from the New Orleans Book Festival.

Raised in New Jersey, Berkoff graduated from Tulane University and participated in ROTC before beginning a career in military intelligence. The Sept. 11 attacks changed his expectations for that career.

“That’s when I knew my military career would be different,” he said.

After returning from overseas, Berkoff lived in Chantilly and later in Kingstowne.