GATEKEEPER:

The Afghan guard who stops suicide bombers: A gatekeeper's resolve has earned him the nickname 'Rambo' at a US base in Kabul (Mark Sappenfield, 3/08/07, The Christian Science Monitor)

The name tag on his broad chest says "Rambo," and though he wears US Army fatigues, he speaks in perfect Dari, ordering the crowd to leave. It reluctantly disperses.

This is a normal day for Rambo, an Afghan who has stood guard here for more than four years, pledging his life to the American soldiers that rid his land of the Taliban. But on Jan. 16, Rambo's gatekeeping made him a bona fide hero.