>> reporter: matt gallagher served in iraq. adrian barn berger did too, in afghanistan. another group of volunteers. he served two tours in iraq as a marine. >> there's suspected patrol in the area, we're not sure. any questions? >> reporter: ben, matt, and adrian are not working for the u.s. military or government. they're not being paid by anyone. they bought their own tickets here and are doing this for free. why did you want to be here? >> i came to this country for the first time in 2015. i fell in love with the country. i met my wife here. so it was a personal connection. >> and our personal connection was to him and to the overall effort of a democracy fighting to be a democracy. >> i kind of landed on an old line from "for whom the bell tolls." "for what are we born if not to aid one another?" looking at my two young sons and thinking of that line, i felt this was a unique opportunity to help show them how to be the men, the grown-up aadults i aspire for them to be. >> reporter: two weeks ago, the volunteers they train had no idea how to clear a building or move