The military offensive in Marjah in southern Afghanistan is a crucial test of the US president's new strategy in the country.<br /><br />It is also the first major ground operation since Barack Obama ordered 30,000 additional troops to the country.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds went to the US state of Vermont, which has been hit hard by continued troop deployments, for a war already into its eighth year (24 Feb 2010).
