PRT members reflect on accomplishments, future challenges for Nangarhar

After nearly nine months in Afghanistan, the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team began returning to the United States, June 25.

Members of the team expressed pride in the accomplishments they achieved during the deployment, but were quick to point out much work remains unfinished.

Some of the more successful initiatives the PRT worked on include the District Delivery Program, strategic planning efforts with provincial directors, and developing a partnership with Afghanistan’s second largest undergraduate institution, the University of Nangarhar, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander, from Dallas.

The District Delivery Program is an Afghan-led initiative that seeks to increase competency and capability of government officials at the lowest levels, said Mouhsen Habib, Nangarhar PRT provincial governance and development officer, from Lake Forest, Calif. Nine of Nangarhar’s 22 districts currently receive or are scheduled to receive DDP benefits.

Those benefits include greater pay for district officials, funding for operations and maintenance of current facilities, and approval of new facilities, Habib continued. However, beyond simply increasing the monetary flow districts receive, the DDP arguably offers even more value by building relationships between various levels of government, said Habib.

“This program is critical and very important for transition, especially if you want to connect the sub-national government to the national government,” he explained.

Afghan officials who hosted the DDP in their districts are equally optimistic about the program.

“People will trust the government more than they used to because of the DDP,” said former Kuz Kunar District Gov. Hajji Abdul Qayum during his district’s assessment in late April. “Before, there was corruption. Now, there’s order.”

The DDP is less than a year old, but the successes it’s already accrued have made Habib one of its greatest defenders. He said he hopes the Afghan government remains committed to the program and builds on the strong foundation they’ve laid.

“Any time you introduce a program, you’ve got to let it mature,” he said. “If you keep changing strategies, you’ll never succeed.”

Beyond stressing improved service delivery for districts, the PRT also worked in close coordination with government administrators at the provincial level, said U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Palo, Nangarhar PRT civil affairs specialist, from Minneapolis, Minn. They’ve placed special emphasis on building the capacity of line directors, the officials responsible for functional areas of governance in Nangarhar, like infrastructure or electricity.

The two directorates most influenced by the PRT are health and education, Palo continued. The directorates severely lacked strategic planning when the team arrived in country; however, through close coordination with the directors, they developed five-year plans that outlined how the directors will allocate their scarce resources in the future.

“If these plans are adhered to, I believe the health and education sectors of Nangarhar will be incredibly successful,” Palo said.

Beyond planning, though, the PRT also stressed the importance of confronting corruption with some notable successes. During a meeting, May 28, with his subordinates, Dr. Baz Mohammad Sherzad, Nangarhar director of public health, made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate bribery in his directorate.

“If someone offers my doctors a bribe, it’s like they’re offering me a bribe,” he said. “I’m not interested in their dirty money.”

While the PRT’s efforts at ensuring the success of the DDP and provincial line directors focused on increasing competency of the current government, the PRT’s approach to the University of Nangarhar has been aimed at positively influencing tomorrow’s leaders in Afghanistan, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Ryan Ernst, Nangarhar PRT information operations officer, from Hastings, Minn.

“We’ve concentrated on teaching good governance today so we can break the cycle of oppression and corruption,” Ernst said. “We’re fighting yesterday’s kids today, and we don’t want to fight today’s kids tomorrow.”

Operations at the university placed importance on empowering the students to have a say in their undergraduate experience, Ernst explained. For instance: the PRT facilitated the creation of Afghanistan’s first collegiate-level student council. The council polled their fellow students on their needs, and found the most pressing issue was lavatories for the female dorms. The PRT then provided financial aid so the students could build bathrooms themselves, increasing their sense of ownership on their campus.

While empowering the students is a big priority at the university, the PRT recognized that to enact major changes, they would need to enlist outside help, Ernst said. To that end, they approached the University of Arizona about the prospects of collaborating with Nangarhar for the mutual benefit of both colleges.

“The University of Arizona stepped forward to partner with the UoN on a $1 million, three-year program,” he said. “They’ll help build a communications department facility, and then initiate an exchange program to mentor the faculty in the department.”

Even with success on numerous governance fronts, the outgoing PRT recognized the work in Nangarhar is far from complete.

Nangarhar has the potential to be Afghanistan’s premier province, said Anderson. They have government officials who know what they’re doing and where they need to go to be successful.

“The critical elements of governance are here; the pockets of competence and capacity are here,” he said.

However, the government needs to focus on maintenance and sustainment of current facilities to expand service delivery to the people, an effort Anderson said he hopes the next PRT emphasizes.

In the end, the team can look back on its time in Nangarhar and know they contributed significantly to the province’s stability, said Anderson.

“Nangarhar is definitely a better place due to our deployment,” he said. “The team can go home with their heads held high.”

PRT guides Nangarhar districts’ strategic planning

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team visited the Muhmand Dara and Rodat Districts, May 16, to assist local government members with strategic planning initiatives.

The PRT helped the districts set priorities assisted them in fulfilling their constituents’ needs, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, PRT Nangarhar commander, from Dallas.

Rodat government officials are focused on largely intangible requests to improve the quality of life for their constituents. According to Hazrat Khan Khaksar, the district’s subgovernor, the top priorities included capacity building initiatives to improve the competency of civil servants, increased communication between rival tribes in the district, and improved documentation on borders to lower instances of land disputes. Overall, the officials present said they believed their population is pleased with its government’s capacity.

“This is truly the people’s government,” said Rodat District Delivery Assembly chairman Malik Rheeulah. “That’s why the people are so happy with it.”

Muhmand Dara, one of the more successful districts in Nangarhar, was already providing a high level of service delivery to its citizenry, said Nor Agha Saranwal, the district’s subgovernor. They produced a prioritized list of their needs including hiring more teachers, expanding clinics and building retaining walls to help protect agricultural land against floods.

“We are implementing our projects, emphasizing both quantity and quality,” Saranwal continued.

The PRT also prepared Muhmand Dara for their upcoming District Delivery Program assessment. The DDP is a national program that involves a visit from a central team from Kabul to discuss local needs with district subgovernors, extension representatives and community leaders, said Ricky Majette, United States Agency for International Development general development officer from Raleigh, N.C.

To present a compelling case to their Kabul-based team, Muhmand Dara must marry its strategic plans and pre-existing infrastructure in a concise format, explained Anderson. The DDP will both provide new resources for the district as well as improve current facilities.

“Just because you have a school doesn’t mean you won’t get money for repairs or supplies the school needs,” said Anderson.

 

Nor Agha Saranwal, Muhmand Dara District subgovernor, discusses his strategic planning initiatives with the Nangarhar PRT at the district center, May 16.

Rodat Subgovernor Hazrat Khan Khaksar, left, describes his vision for his district to Ricky Majette, United States Agency for International Development general development officer from Raleigh, N.C., center, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander, from Dallas, right, at the Rodat District Center May 16.

PRT, GIRoA discuss solution to Jalalabad overcrowding

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Lal Agha Kaker, Jalalabad’s mayor, to discuss the Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Population and revenue generation at the mayor’s office May 9.

RAMP UP will fund a parking lot for the city aimed at easing concerns related to rickshaw vendors, said Dan Ruge, United States Agency for International Development field officer from Denver and the PRT’s lead on Jalalabad development.

The meeting was the first between Kaker and Ruge, who recently arrived in Afghanistan. Kaker outlined a number of issues in his city, most stemming from overcrowding.

"Jalalabad was built for 50,000, but currently has a population of over 200,000," said Kaker.

This situation created unique problems for the city. One of the more pressing issues is related to rickshaw vendors.

Many of the city’s residents use rickshaws to sell their products, Kaker said. The rickshaws are a heavy source of congestion, responsible for traffic jams as well as clogging up the city’s sidewalks.

USAID proposed to build a parking lot for registered rickshaws to operate, said Ruge.

The rickshaw parking lot will operate as a market similar to a flea market, he continued. The rickshaw owners will have to pay a rental fee to the city, thus creating a revenue source for further development.

The RAMP UP program will be the primary source of funding for the parking lot, said Ruge. If successful, this project will allow RAMP UP to invest more heavily in Jalalabad.

"This is only the beginning of what I hope to accomplish during my first two years here," Ruge said. "This project is very important for the future of Jalalabad, and I’m excited to get started working on it."

"I am happy that Dan has been selected as the lead for Jalalabad," said Kaker. "I look forward to doing good work with him."

RAMP UP is a project designed to build the capacity of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials and deliver small service projects to help the municipality generate revenue and provide services to the citizens of Jalalabad.

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with Jalalabad’s mayor and his staff in his office to discuss the Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Population and revenue generation May 9.

PRT, GIRoA partner to increase health service in Nangarhar

Members of the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team met with officials from the province’s Public Health Directorate at the Behsood District Center May 7 to discuss health issues across Nangarhar and ways to better connect provincial officials with their district counterparts.

Nangarhar’s Public Health Directorate created a strategic plan aimed at improving healthcare over the next five years, said Dr. Gul Abi Norwal.

The plan focuses on key service delivery shortfalls, such as limited access to healthcare, the poor quality of the available care, and determining the role of the private sector in healthcare issues.

However, even with their relatively sophisticated strategy, the Public Health Directorate said they feel disconnected from other levels of government.

Members of the directorate often expressed frustration about the information flow between the provincial and district levels.

During the Provincial Development Council Feb. 27, Dr. Bas Mohammad Shirzad, Nangarhar’s director of Public Health, complained about organizations building health clinics in Nangarhar without his knowledge or supervision. According to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas, the May 7 meeting was a substantial step toward solving these communication barriers.

The root of the issue is the province and its subordinate districts often create plans and submit them to the national government without synchronizing their efforts, said Anderson. This is a systemic issue across Nangarhar, not a concern isolated to healthcare.

“We think that one of the main weaknesses within the government is communication,” Anderson explained.

In response to this shortcoming, the PRT created a strategy for connecting the province with its districts through a series of focused meetings, said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Fee, Nangarhar PRT civil military operations officer from Virginia Beach, Va.

The meeting established a schedule and plan of attack for the Public Health Directorate, Fee continued. Future discussions will involve provincial officials explaining their plan to the various districts, followed by discussion regarding shortfalls and needs at the district level.

The strategy was met with enthusiasm by the government officials involved in the plan.

“On behalf of the public health department, I am very glad that we’re having this meeting so we can sit down and talk face to face and solve our problems,” said Norwal.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas, discusses healthcare issues with representatives from the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from Nangarhar at the Behsood District Center May 7.

Behsood District Development Assembly Chairman Malik Nehmat Halimi discusses healthcare issues at his district center May 7.

Two Nangarhar districts undergo national-level assessment

Representatives from Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate of Local Governance performed a field assessment at Nangarhar Bati Kot and Kuz Kunar District Centers to implement the District Delivery Program April 23 -27.

The DDP is a national program that involves an IDLG team from Kabul who travel to districts across Afghanistan and discusses local needs with district sub-governors, extension representatives and community leaders, said Ricky Majette, United States Agency for International Development general development officer from Raleigh, N.C.

The purpose of the DDP isn’t necessarily to construct new buildings, but rather to optimize service delivery to the people, said Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, IDLG team lead.

“We want to effectively utilize the resources that are available,” he said.

Bati Kot and Kuz Kunar are the sixth and seventh districts in Nangarhar to undergo the DDP. Majette saidboth districts have unique circumstances which make them particularly receptive to the benefits a program like the DDP offers.

Bati Kot’s outgoing district sub-governor, Hajji Niamatullah Noorzai, has created a 15-year plan outlining his vision for development and growth in Bati Kot. His ambitious strategy includes building the district’s infrastructure, particularly roads and electricity. Then, once a strong economic foundation is established, he plans on attracting investors to create at least five food-production factories in the district, capitalizing on the district’s strong agricultural foundation.

As for Kuz Kunar, the local provincial reconstruction team has assisted them in their preparation for their DDP since early January, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas.

“Kuz Kunar has many of the elements that we want to empower, many of the elements that we want to encourage among other districts,” Anderson said. “It has a strong (District Development Assembly) under a respected leader, a district sub-governor who’s willing to work and get out of his office and meet with constituents, and the right level of engagement between the people and the government.”

Even considering the two districts’ advanced capabilities, they still face problems.

Security issues in Bati Kot are the main concern driving down economic growth, Noorzai said.

“Security is a very big problem for us,” he said. “Most of the residents in this part of Afghanistan go to other countries to start businesses or find job opportunities.”

The main issue facing Kuz Kunar is the lack of improved roads, said outgoing Sub-Gov. Hajji Abdul Qayum. Beyond that, the district mainly needs renovation of old structures to effectively meet the needs of the people.

While still a relatively new process, the DDP is already producing benefits for the people of Afghanistan and connecting them to their government, said Majette.

“The DDP is working, and hopefully other districts are paying attention and want to be a part of such a process,” Majetter said.

“People will trust the government more than they used to because of the DDP,” said Qayum. “Before, there was corruption. Now, there’s order.”

Hajji Niamatullah Noorzai, Bati Kot's outgoing district sub-governor, left, and Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, Independent Directorate of Local Governance District Delivery Program team lead, right, discuss the district's strategic goals during their DDP field assessment at the district center April 25.

Government officials and tribal elders gather at the Bati Kot District Center, Afghanistan, April 25 to discuss their District Delivery Program assessment.

A Kuz Kunar elder voices his concerns with Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, Independent Directorate of Local Governance District Delivery Program team lead, center, and Mohammad Naim, Kuz Kunar's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development extension representative, right, during the district's DDP field assessment April 27.

District Delivery Program fills gaps in Kama government institutions

Representatives from Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate of Local Governance performed a field assessment of Nangarhar’s Kama District in order to implement the District Delivery Program there, April 10-12.

The DDP is a relatively new process by which Kabul conducts an in-depth examination of a district’s needs and creates a plan to ensure local government institutions receive the funding and manning they need to fulfill the needs of their people, said Mouhsen Habib, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team provincial governance and development officer from Lake Forest, Calif.

The DDP process consists of five steps, said Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, the IDLG team lead sent to Kama. As part of the first step, the IDLG contingent conducted their ground assessment with Kama representatives.

“We don’t know what problems you have,” Safiq told district representatives as he explained the DDP process. “You are running this program. You are at the forefront.”

With the ground assessment complete, the team now has 10 business days to compile a report of their findings. After the report is completed, they will fill any vacancies the government has, engage in capacity building sessions to increase government competency, and fund both small projects, such as buying furniture and office supplies, and large projects, like building schools and other structures a district identifies as a need.

Kama is the fifth district in Nangarhar to undergo a DDP. However, it IDLG ranked it as the most advanced district in all of Nangarhar. Their current service delivery and advanced agriculture infrastructure both make it uniquely suited to the types of services a DDP can provide said Shafiq.

The district’s subgovernor, Engineer Muhamman Turav, wasn’t surprised to hear Kama ranked so high on IDLG’s scale. He related an anecdote about former Afghan President Mohammad Daoud Khan dubbing the district “Little America” in the 70s, a title they proudly embrace to this day.

Despite its advanced capacity to govern, Kama still faces many diverse, difficult challenges.

“Of course, you have many problems,” Shafiq told Kama officials. “I can’t promise we’ll solve 100 percent of them; however, we will try. I can promise to bring all of your issues back to Kabul with me.”

Issues identified by the Kama officials included building eight schools, improving three roads and holding a capacity-building workshop for members of the government, among other requests all coupled with the number of citizens who would be affected by the improvements.

Provincial Governor Gul Agha Sherzai and his deputy governor, Mohammad Gardewal, both expressed their commitment to ensuring the DDP helps their people out. Sherzai said he was dissatisfied with government officials who weren’t connected to the people of Nangarhar, and that he would hold his officials accountable.
With the support provided by the DDP, Sherzai continued, there was no reason for members of the government to fail at providing services.

“I’ll fire directors who can’t do their work and bring in people who can,” he warned.

The biggest success of the DDP is it connects the people to their district, provincial and national governments to a level rarely seen in Afghanistan, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas.

“I am thrilled at the commitment shown by government representatives at all levels throughout the DDP process,” Anderson said. “The district officials were well-prepared with their facts and figures, the provincial administration threw its full weight behind it, and the team from Kabul was incredibly receptive and professional. The government in Kabul is truly listening to the needs of the farmers and merchants.

"When we arrived in country, DDP had more skeptics than champions, yet the government has made it into a functioning process,” Anderson continued. “It's programs like this that demonstrate the small steps through which the Afghan government is building itself."

Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, left, Independent Directorate of Local Governance team lead, discusses the District Delivery Program with Kama District Subgovernor Engineer Muhamman Turav, right, at the district center, April 11. Shafiq's team will take Turav's concerns back to Kabul to procure funding required to solve his district's issues.

Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai, center, briefs administration officials on his expectations for the Kama District Delivery Program at his palace, April 10. The DDP is a relatively new program aimed at connecting the national government of Afghanistan to constituents at the lowest level.

Dr. Mohammad Shafiq, Independent Directorate of Local Governance team lead, briefs Kama officials on the priority lists they assembled at the district center, April 12. These priority lists will be used to create a comprehensive strategy for Kama's future service delivery.

Nangarhar's Newly-appointed deputy governor, Mohammad Gardewal chairs his first provincial administrative.

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Nangarhar's newly-appointed deputy

governor, Mohammad Gardewal, chaired his first provincial administrative

meeting at the governor's house March 31.

Some of the topics raised included the need for a strategic plan in the

province, currency issues and proposed government contracts.

The weekly meeting is nominally designed to discuss contracts, explained

Lt. Col. Brian Panton, from Silver Spring, Md., lead civil affairs

officer, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team.

The most pressing matter is the provincial government still lacked a

comprehensive plan for the next budgetary year.

"We don't have a plan, so we're confused and lost," said Dr. Allah Dad,

Nangarhar's education line director. "This is a big problem. We need to

fix it."

Sayed Qayas, the economic line director, said one of the difficulties

preventing the province from creating a unified plan was a lack of

communication between government officials and outside donors.

"We need to create better coordination between international

organizations, non-governmental organizations and the government," Qayas

said.

Gardewal signalled his commitment to tackling the strategic plan head-on

by instructing his line directors to compile all their documentation

relevant to a provincial plan, then he scheduled a meeting in April to

begin debate and discussion solely on the province's resources and

goals.

Another topic of contention was the unwillingness of citizens in the

province, particularly in the capital city of Jalalabad, to using the

official currency of the country, the Afghani. The assembled

representatives all agreed that this reluctance by their constituents

undermined economic prosperity in the region.

Proposed solutions to the currency problem ranged from better messaging

to the people of Nangarhar to potential criminal penalties for using

other nations' money. Gardewal tasked officials to draft solutions prior

to the next administrative meeting to increase use of the Afghani.

Finally, the group voted on government contracts. Panton said, Officials

were particularly cautious about being good stewards of their limited

budget, outright denying one of the five contracts discussed for being

too costly and necessitating lower prices on two contracts before

approving them.

While many aspects of the government in Nangarhar still need work, the

administrative meeting is an area that has seen encouraging strides

toward proficiency, Panton said.

"There has been significant improvement over the years, and I can see

improvements continuing to take place," said Panton.

The newly-appointed deputy governor of Nangarhar, Mohammad Gardewal, addresses his line directors during his first administrative meeting at the governor's house March 31. The administrative meeting gives government representatives an opportunity to discuss the issues they face and vote on pending government contracts.

Nangarhar province's line directors and deputy governor met at the governor's house March 31 for their weekly administrative meeting.

 

State Department leadership visits team Nangarhar

Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and Ambassador William Todd, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs for the Afghan Embassy, visited Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields, March 16, to review progress made in Nangarhar and assess the state of civil-military relationships within the units stationed here.

“We’re just trying to be informed on what you all do here,” Nides said. “Your civ-mil relationship makes me very proud.”

The visit began with a briefing on operations in Nangarhar led by U.S. Army Col. Andrew Poppas, Task Force Bastogne commander from Janesville, Wis.; Kate Byrnes, TF Bastogne senior civilian representative from Sarasota, Fla.; and David Gallalee, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team civilian team lead from Washington, D.C.

The topics of the briefing ranged from standard military operations aimed against insurgent forces to the state of governance and development in the region.

“I think the delegation was very pleased with our operations,” Gallalee said. “We were able to articulate the successes we’ve had here in eastern Afghanistan and received a lot of helpful feedback from the deputy secretary and his team.”

Following a tour of the base, the deputy secretary and his staff gathered the civilian personnel from across Nangarhar to discuss challenges they face in a largely military-run environment.

“As far as I’m concerned, the military and civilians here in Nangarhar work incredible well together,” said Gallalee. “Both of our cultures offer a unique perspective on this fight and bring a different set of tools to the table. Only by working together can our vital mission here in Afghanistan succeed.”

Nangarhar PRT visits licensed rickshaw factory

(From left to right) Dr. Rodney Stubina, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team senior field program officer from Gainesville, Fla.; Mouhsen Habib, Nangarhar PRT provincial governance and development officer from Lake Forest, Calif.; and Laiq Shah, Nangarhar PRT senior deputy field program officer, talk with Halliem Gul, owner of the only licensed rickshaw factory in the Nangarhar Province March 2.



U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas, watches two of the 30 employees at the rickshaw factory in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province attach an engine onto its frame March 2.



Halliem Gul (left), owner of the only licensed rickshaw factory in the Nangarhar Province of eastern Afghanistan, explains the process to fabricate some of the parts used during assembly to Laiq Shah (right), Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team senior deputy field program officer, and Dr. Rodney Stubina, Nangarhar PRT senior field program officer from Gainesville, Fla., March 2.

During a tour March 2 at the only licensed rickshaw factory in Nangarhar, vehicle bodies are stacked to the ceiling waiting to be placed on a frame. The factory generally produces about 30 rickshaws a month.

Nangarhar PRT connects with Zangoui

The Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team conducted a dismounted patrol March 7 to Zangoui to get to know local residents and discuss challenges faced by the village.

“We’re out here trying to connect to the people and show them that we have a vested interest in, not only our security but theirs as well,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Kevin Peterson, Nangarhar PRT security advisor from Littleton, Colo.

According to one villager, one of the most prominent issues in Zangoui is a lack of power.

“We don’t have electricity from the government, so we use personal generators, which cost 70 rupees (about 80 cents) per kilowatt,” said Dawo Jan, painter and resident of Zangoui.

Other villagers cited concerns ranging from security to agricultural challenges.

The unit also engaged with the local children. According to Peterson, the PRT often acts as friendly representatives for the coalition in Nangarhar, and Afghan children are normally the first to engage the unit to discuss their lives.

At one point, Peterson found himself surrounded by a crowd of kids near a school. He learned from them how to count to 10 in Pashto and showed the children how to count in English.

“You guys have to tell me if I’m doing it wrong,” Peterson said to the children after struggling to say eight in Pashto. “You guys are my teachers.”

Given the close proximity of Zangoui, the PRT often makes these missions on foot.   In addition, dismounted patrols traditionally include multiple groups of personnel interested in talking with the villagers. At one time during the visit, the PRT had four separate conversations going on along a relatively lengthy stretch of road. All the moving pieces and lack of armored vehicles make keeping everyone safe a difficult task, but U.S. Army 1st Lt. Rico Piatelli, Nangarhar PRT infantry platoon leader and resident of Danvers, Mass., thinks it’s worthwhile all the same.

“I love getting out here and talking to kids,” Piatelli said. “A lot of times, you go on missions and everything moves quickly. This gives you a chance to get out here and talk to these kids and the adults. You get to have a good time and relax a little bit, even though it is a heightened security risk.”

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Rico Piatelli, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team infantry platoon leader from Danvers, Mass., plays catch with Afghan children during a mission to Zangoui Village March 7.

Kuz Kunar, Nangarhar PRT discuss dispute resolution

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Members of Kuz Kunar’s district government met with Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team leadership to discuss their unique, effective method of dispute resolution at their district center Feb. 24.


Noor Sitar, Kuz Kunar’s Afghan Social Outreach Program chairman, noted the ASOP shura, a district-wide elected committee, served as a conflict resolution body for 44 cases in the past eight months.

“Our shura involves a lot of judiciary activities,” Sitar said. “We’re an informal judicial system that provides for the people. If there’s a case, we try and solve them through a judicial jirga before it goes to court and a prosecutor.”

Jirgas, a Pashto concept similar to shuras, are a traditional Afghan means of conflict resolution, said Shane Kelbley, Nangarhar PRT senior rule of law advisor from Philadelphia. They involve both sides of an argument coming together and discussing their issues before a select committee of elders. While Kuz Kunar has a functioning justice system, it is common for disputes to be resolved by jirgas rather than official courts.

Some of the cases heard by the district’s ASOP shura have involved serious issues and could have created bloodshed if not addressed by the jirga, said Sitar.

One notable case was over a land dispute, a pivotal issue for Afghanistan’s largely agriculture-based society, he continued. Two families in a Kuz Kunar village had a feud over where their property line was drawn. One of the families left the village and went to a nearby mountainside to arm themselves in preparation to attack their rivals.

“We found out about it and the district governor found out about it,” Sitar said. “We thought if we were to hand the case over to the formal judicial system, it would take too long to resolve. We thought a jirga would be the quickest, easiest way to resolve the issue. The jirga got involved and was able to convince the people to come down off the mountain and talk. We created a safe environment and talked and talked and talked, and now both families live in peace. Now, everybody’s happy and there are no hard feelings.”

The PRT has recently taken an interest in helping Kuz Kunar’s development along, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas.

“When we go to some of the other districts in Nangarhar, we spend all of our time trying to help them resolve their disputes,” Anderson said. “With Kuz Kunar, they’ve already got the processes in place necessary to mediate disagreements. Because of this, we’re able to focus on strategic planning and budgeting with them. With their advanced state of governance, they’ll start getting schools and clinics and other services out to their constituents, consolidating the stability they’ve already achieved and constantly improving conditions in their district.”

Nangarhar leaders stress the importance of maintenance

The Nangarhar Provincial Development Council met at the governor’s compound Feb. 23 to discuss the importance of maintaining their structures to increase the government’s service delivery capability.

Deputy Gov. Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai appointed a special delegation consisting of representatives from the departments of economics, urban development, health and women’s affairs, as well as the Provincial Council, to present a report at next month’s PDC illustrating how the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan can better sustain their current facilities.

Coalition forces in Nangarhar have recently begun stressing the importance of operations and maintenance budgets to GIRoA, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas. Today’s meeting represented a positive step towards them embracing that mentality.

Ishaqzai listed a number of areas the government controls that have fallen into disrepair, including roads, parks, schools, courthouses and clinics.

“There are so many things we have built, but we don’t maintain them,” Ishaqzai said. “We have schools with broken windows. We have clinics that cost American tax dollars we don’t use.”

Ishaqzai noted that GIRoA often forgets the buildings they already have once they’re constructed, preferring to look forward to the next project rather than safeguarding the one they just completed. He said he was “ashamed” of the state some of the government’s buildings.

“We need to start improvements ourselves,” he said. “We need to take practical steps or this country will go nowhere.” 

The Provincial Council representative at the meeting, Lal Mohammad Durni, echoed Ishaqzai’s words, asserting that the council was equally disappointed with the current state of affairs.

“The PC wants quality, we do not want quantity,” Durni said. “We will only invest in quality projects in the future.”

Ishaqzai stressed to the council that by not treating their facilities with respect, the government as a whole was failing the citizens of Afghanistan.

“This government was earned with the blood of the people,” said Ishaqzai. “We cannot waste that.”



Nangarhar's Provincial Development Council met at the governor's compound Feb. 23 to discuss how to better sustain their facilities.




Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai, Nangarhar's deputy governor, appointed a delegation to travel the province and determine how to better sustain their buildings during the Provincial Development Council meeting Feb. 23 at the governor's compound.



Nangarhar Provincial Council member Lal Mohammad Durni briefed the Provincial Development Council at the governor's compound Feb. 23. Durni asserted the PC would demand quality over quantity for all future projects in the province. 

Training, teamwork prove vital during overnight mission

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – It started off like any other mission. Members of Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team were heading out to perform quality assurance checks on four sites in the Khogyani District Feb. 16. They finished three objectives and were heading for the fourth when the trip quickly took an unexpected turn.

“One of the trucks got stuck at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon,” said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. James Elliott, Nangarhar PRT civil engineer and mission commander from Richburg, S.C.

While attempting to back up the mine resistant ambush-protected vehicle, the truck’s front left wheel went off the road and hung suspended over a steep slope.

“You could step on the side of the road and the loose dirt would crumble under the weight of your own feet,” said Elliott. “We figured a 35,000 pound MRAP would not fare well on that.”

What followed was an overnight stay outside the wire, a situation few units care for. Fortunately, Nangarhar PRT received training prior to the deployment that helped prepare them for the situation.

Prior to their deployment, the PRT underwent two months of combat skills training at Camp Atterbury, Ind.

The first action the team took was clearing everyone from the vehicle before it had a chance to slip, said U.S. Army Sgt. David Tyo, Nangarhar PRT infantryman from Pepperell, Mass.

While at Camp Atterbury, everyone attended MRAP egress training. The training demonstrates how to evacuate a vehicle on its side or upside down. Luckily for the team, their MRAP hadn’t flipped.

Once everyone was out of the danger zone, the unit’s infantrymen began setting up security, said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Billy Smith, Nangarhar PRT senior enlisted advisor from Blythewood, S.C.

“Hell, they dug in like ticks on a dog up on the hills,” Smith commented. “They took rocks and pretty much made their own little fighting positions out of the resources they had.”

After calling for reinforcements to help get them out, the team settled in for the long haul, said Elliott. Unfortunately, the extra unit wouldn’t arrive until the middle of the night leaving the PRT to fend for itself for the better part of a day.

The team was prepared for this contingency as well, once again thanks to training received at Camp Atterbury. During training, they participated in an exercise that involved setting their trucks up in the middle of a field and repelling attacks from mock insurgents. This forced the team to consider concepts often overlooked, such as how to institute a rest plan while maintaining 24-hour operations.

“During the patrol base exercise we did, a lot of us, including myself, were complaining about it, saying ‘This isn’t really realistic, when will we ever do this,’” Elliott said. “Well, it happened last night. We got in a situation where we had to use it. We automatically fell back to the training at Atterbury where everyone has to throw on their night vision goggles, work shifts and pull security for an area during night time to hold security until we could continue with the mission.”

“Our Soldiers reverted to training, to scan their sector and just keep an eye out for anything suspicious and really just did their jobs,” said Tyo.

Smith was particularly pleased with the outside-the-box thinking some of his junior service members provided.

“The guys were helping out the leadership,” said Smith. “‘Before we move that vehicle, maybe we should prepare a nine-line medical evacuation card.’ That came from a pfc. ‘Hey, maybe we should have (the Nangarhar PRT medic) down here just in case the truck flips.’ That came from a private. ‘The guys are freezing on top of the hill. Maybe we should use the space blankets from the hypothermia kits, because we don’t have anything else.’ That came from a senior airman.”

Around midnight, a team from Task Force Panther arrived on scene to assist the PRT, said U.S. Army 1st Lt. John Palmer, 3rd Platoon, Bayonet Troop platoon leader from Berkley, Mich. The team integrated with the PRT’s security force while they helped free the truck.

The truck was recovered at about 2:45 a.m., said Palmer. To avoid trying to move in the night and possibly getting the truck stuck again, the combined PRT/task force team bedded down for the night. They left for their respective home bases at 6:30 a.m. without further incident.

“This incident highlights the team mentality of members of TF Panther and other coalition forces in western Nangarhar,” Palmer said. “The Nangarhar PRT patrol was helping to build schools and other projects in our area of operations that are very important to continuing to win the support of the local nationals and improving their quality of life.”

For PRT Nangarhar’s S-6 shop, flexibility is the key to success

By U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Casey Osborne

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Napoleon Bonaparte is often quoted as saying “The secret of war lies in the communications.” U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Miller, Provincial Reconstruction Team Nangarhar tactical communications crew chief from Chicago, shares Napoleons sentiment: “I don’t want to sound cocky, but pretty much everything revolves around comm. People don’t know what you do until you don’t do it.”

In today’s high-tech world, computers and electronics dominate our lives to an astonishing extent, especially in the military. It is nearly impossible to accomplish anything for the U.S. military without functioning communications equipment. Reports units send to their headquarters, radio transmissions Soldiers outside the wire send back to their home base, even correspondence service members send home to their loved ones all rely on communications equipment, and all of PRT Nangarhar’s communications equipment relies on their seven-man comm., or S-6, office.

The S-6 shop has two main sections, said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Rich, PRT Nangarhar chief of communications systems from Lebam, Wash: radio and network. The radio side’s function is fairly self-evident: they keep the unit’s personal and vehicle radios up and running. The network side keeps the team’s multitude of computer equipment functioning. While both of these aspects of comm. sound relatively straightforward and simple, they actually represent some of the most challenging and critical aspects of the PRT’s mission.

The radio personnel accompany the PRT on every mission as radio transmission operators, said Miller. While they’re out, they ensure the PRT can communicate within its ranks and with the tactical operations center back on Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields.

 

“When we go on certain missions and we dismount and the different dismounted personnel are not within yelling distant or eyesight of another individual, they can just hop on that (multiband inter/intra team radio) and just get in contact with that person without even seeing them,” Miller said. “Or, if anything goes down, you can use (tactical satellite) to call in a bird if you need (medical evacuation) or anything.”

The network shops main duties revolve around simply keeping the three different computer systems operating, said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jennifer Aranas, PRT Nangarhar communications network crew chief from San Antonio. This involves generating user accounts, installing software the team needs to accomplish its goals and troubleshooting computer issues whenever they occur.

These summaries of S-6 duties belie one pertinent mitigating factor: the PRT’s communications staff is working in positions or with equipment they’ve had practically no experience with. For the network shop, only one of the three service members is a client systems administrator, said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Mathieu Bargas, PRT Nangarhar communications network crew chief from Roseville, Calif. A CSA is trained at “putting out fires;” in other words, they solve individual users’ problems as they arise. The vast majority of the network shop’s current workload is centered on CSA work; as such, two of the three network Airmen have had to get up to snuff rather quickly.

As bad as the network shop’s ratio of one-to-two trained personnel sounds, the radio shop has it even worse: none of their service members are radio technicians by trade.

“With the lack of a radio troop, we had to learn almost from scratch how to use these radios, how to program them, how to fill them and how to troubleshoot them,” Bargas said.

Despite these considerable challenges, the S-6 office has performed admirably. Their response time to user complaints is near-instantaneous and radio issues on missions are almost unheard of.

When discussing his Airmen, Rich is justifiably proud of their accomplishments.

“I think they’ve done a wonderful job being able to adapt,” he said. “They’re not going to let anything stop them. They’re just going to push through to figure something out and I think that’s the reason why they’ve been so successful: their mentality and their approach to the whole thing.”

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Miller, Provincial Reconstruction Team Nangarhar tactical communications crew chief from Chicago, sets up a tactical satellite radio on Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields Feb. 13. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Scottie T. McCord, PRT Nangarhar public affairs)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jennifer Aranas, Provincial Reconstruction Team Nangarhar communications network crew chief from San Antonio, installs new network cable at Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields Feb. 14. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Casey Osborne, PRT Nangarhar public affairs)

PRT Nangarhar public affairs

Nangarhar PRT discusses accomplishments, sets goals

By U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Casey Osborne

PRT Nangarhar public affairs

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – After over three months in Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander from Dallas, and U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Billy Smith, Nangarhar PRT senior enlisted advisor from Blythewood, S.C., took time at Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields Feb. 13 to reflect on the successes they’ve had and the long road ahead of them before they can declare “mission accomplished.”

Both men agree that the largest hurdle they’ve faced so far, and the focus of future operations for the unit, is the transition of the PRT from focusing on building infrastructure for the Afghans to advising officials in the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

“We’ve kind of taken a step back from the development side of the house and been pushing forward in the foxhole where it comes to governance,” said Smith. “I think that that has been the real focus of this team: governance.”

The PRT adopted a two-pronged approach to increasing governance capacity, said Anderson.

The first prong is centered around district-level officials. A district, roughly equivalent to an American county, represents the lowest level of GIRoA representation in an Afghan’s life, with the district subgovernor being their main avenue to air frustrations with the government.

One district that has seen major success is Kuz Kunar, said Anderson. The PRT has taken a special interest in helping the Kuz Kunar GIRoA officials expand their capacity.

“Kuz Kunar’s plan is moving ahead well. Just last week, they gave us a series of goals, and a lot of those goals are not infrastructure projects. They’re associated with service delivery,” said Anderson. “They want more kids in school, better water management to prevent floods and drought, improved quality and availability of seeds and fertilizer, an expanded cheese production economy, expanding fish markets, other expanded economic opportunities for their people. They are really focusing on service delivery, which was one of our goals when we set out to work with them.”

The second prong focuses on provincial line directorates. The line directorates are agencies that deal with a particular subject, like education or healthcare. They have significant control over where to allocate funds in the province and, as such, are influential players on the provincial level.

However, the concept of long-term planning and budgeting is largely foreign to Afghan culture. The PRT has made it a top priority to educate GIRoA officials on how to successfully budget.

“With the change in the way the budget is being worked, we’re probably at the crawl phase if you put things in the perspective of crawl, walk, run,” Smith said. “We’re at the crawl phase with the Afghans and how a budget works and how they get money from Kabul. By the time we leave here, I’d like to see us at least walking. I think we’ll make it.”

Of course, mentoring the Afghans on how to properly provide for their constituents presents a number of problems. One obstacle to success is the corruption common in Afghan politics. However, Nangarhar has made significant progress combating rampant corruption recently, and signs point toward future success on that front.

“You’ve got pockets of individuals in the government who are idealistic in moving forward, and you’ve got pockets of people that are largely sinless, but we recognize have their flaws,” said Anderson. “We’re trying to give government room to expand while the rule of law or transparency or some of the bureaucratic processes mature. We’re trying to empower those people that are doing the right thing.”

“We just have to keep after it and keep after it with the corruption,” Smith added. “That may be the key that’s slowing everything down.”

Closer to home, the plodding progress associated with governance capacity building can potentially breed exasperation in the result-driven culture of the U.S. military. Anderson and Smith both recognize these concerns, but are pleased in their team’s performance thus far and confident the PRT’s hard work is making headway for the Afghan people.

“We’re not going to be the ones that are in place to solve all the problems,” said Anderson. “That can be frustrating for the people on the ground who see the children who need clothes or need medicine and knowing that we’ve got money that we can spend that way. As soon as we spend it, there’s no money behind it,”

“It’s only giving somebody that short-term handout without a long-term solution,” Anderson continued. “That really energizes us to work more on the governance side, so we’re taking pictures and stories as tangible motivation for GIRoA to have more urgency in what they’re doing, to put aside the corruption, to put aside the selfishness and the bickering and focus on the needs of the Afghan people. Hopefully, that will work and we can move this forward.”

Rather than stagnate and become bored and complacent with the day-to-day routine of the PRT’s mission, Smith sees his service members stepping out of their traditional roles and working to serve multiple functions while they’re out on mission.

“There’s a few of our security force Soldiers I saw during our first missions that really, really like to talk to the people and still talk to the people and are a really good tool as far as (civil affairs) goes,” he said.

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Billy Smith (front), Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team senior enlisted advisor from Blythewood, S.C., and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson, Nangarhar PRT commander from Dallas, preside over the unit's daily update brief Feb. 14 at Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Casey Osborne, PRT Nangarhar public affairs)