Subscribe
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FINLEY-SHIELDS, Afghanistan—With a brilliant blue sky overhead and birds singing in the trees around the courtyard, members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Nangarhar celebrated nearly a decade of collaboration and hard work between coalition forces and the Afghan government at Forward Operating Base Finley Shields, April 17.
“It is worth noting that, in many respects, the Afghanistan in which PRT Nangarhar opened bears little resemblance to today’s Afghanistan,” said David Donohue, director of interagency provincial affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Since its inception a decade ago, the PRT has been comprised of U.S. service members from all branches and has partnered with a variety of U.S. government agencies, as well as international coalition and Afghan forces.
The current PRT in Nangarhar is made up of active-duty U.S. Army and Air Force personnel, Reservists and Guardsmen, and works closely with the U.S. Dept. of State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Over the years, the PRT in Nangarhar has focused on building or revamping clinics, schools and roads, tackling gender issues, and developing the economy, as well as agricultural and legal programs.
Since the PRT concept came to Afghanistan, the gross domestic product has quadrupled. The average life expectancy of Afghan children has increased by 50 percent, and 8.4 million children and young adults (nearly a third of which are female) currently attend school.
“We have much to be proud of, not just in terms of measurable statistics, such as roads paved and schools built, but also in terms of putting the Afghan people in a position to chart a course for their future,” Donohue said.
Mohammad Hanif “Gardiwal,” the deputy governor of Nangarhar province, expressed gratitude for the cooperative work in which the Afghans and the PRT have engaged over the years.
“On behalf of the Nangarhar officials and the Nangarhar people, I would like to thank you for all of what the PRT has done in Nangarhar province,” Gardiwal said with the assistance of an interpreter. “We are looking forward to continuing our relationship and continuing our friendship in the future.”
This friendship is promised to endure as the Afghan government continues to assume the lead role in economic and social development in Nangarhar province.
“We’ve been highly encouraging, advising and mentoring the Afghan government to do just that: to govern,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Drew Taylor, the commander of PRT Nangarhar and a native of Manheim, Penn.
Taylor said in an address he gave at the ceremony, the Afghan people are ready to take the helm.
“While we were the enabler in many cases, you, the Afghans, were and are the implementers,” he said. “You are on your way to success. The future is in your hands and you will truly be successful.”
| Date Taken: | 04.17.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2013 05:38 |
| Story ID: | 105551 |
| Location: | NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ceremony celebrates decade of achievements, by ENS Margaret Taylor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT