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.”
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