Photo By Sgt. Richard Daniels Jr. | Mayor John Piper explains to Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment,...... read more read more
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CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Officers of the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division have plans to create a stable and more secure Afghanistan. To accomplish this, "No Slack" leaders met with Clarksville's mayor, Mayor John Piper, and the city council at Clarksville City Hall to discuss ways to improve a government of an oppressed people March 17.
"We want the people to eventually trust in their government. We hope to establish this by asking the experts in Clarksville's city council and the mayor, what they each do to prioritize allocating resources and budgeting to projects, and how they address the citizens of the area," said Lt. Col. Joel Vowell, battalion commander.
"No Slack" leaders understand the dire need to establish a working government within Afghan communities so they didn't hold back any questions.
"Afghanistan has an established government in which we are trying to help legitimize, and one of the biggest things we can do is connecting the people with the government," said Capt. Juan Garcia, Charlie Company commander. "We've come out to this seminar to see what Clarksville's government provides its people. We're taking Clarksville as a functioning and organized model, and we are trying to apply that to Afghanistan."
These infantry officers knew nearly nothing about building a stable government, so they asked the council where to start.
"It's always going to be difficult," said Capt. Jeffrey Hinds, Alpha Company commander. "Just like when you train other Soldiers from other countries, soldiers are soldiers, no matter if they are throwing rocks or using AK-47s, it doesn't matter they are still soldiers. Same thing with cities, people still need the same things. People still need safety, security and economic development," he said. "The best way to compare the two is think about everything you ever wanted or needed in life, that's the same thing they are going to need. Even though they are not same developmentally, they are going to be the same as far as what people want and need."
Bastogne Soldiers ultimately wish to help make Afghanistan a functioning governed nation, allowing its people to create a future for them.
"I have, over the last eight years, transitioned from kinetic fighting, during the early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom, to helping communities reach a level where we can finally leave, come home, and concentrate on other things," said Hinds.
The mayor and the city council concluded the meeting after answering each of the officers' questions.
"Part of the education process is learning a construction piece and how to ask the councils to get together, listen to the needs of the people, prioritize those things and then help with some of the money the coalition has along with Afghan resources and put them together for their priorities so that they provide what their people need with their leadership. That's a form of democracy," said Vowell.
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2010 14:19 |
| Story ID: | 47093 |
| Location: | CLARKSVILLE, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 262 |
| Downloads: | 251 |
This work, City Council educates No Slack leaders on assisting government, by SGT Richard Daniels Jr., identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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