Courtesy Photo | Afghan Hands member, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Michael Motley of Spring Lake, N.J., and...... read more read more
PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Members of an innovative Afghan advising program known as Afghan Hands recently arrived at Forward Operating Base Lightning.
“Afghan Hands members will leave Afghanistan and often re-deploy to the same duty position,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Kelley, senior Afghan Hands adviser from Newnan, Ga.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ernest Chambers, Afghan Hand logistics adviser from Richland, Va., agreed with Kelley’s sentiments.
“Not only will these Hands be coming back to same positions in another year, they will come back with all the experience they gained from their previous deployment,” said Chambers. “They will be able to build on previous relationships with a partner who already knows them.”
What makes the Afghan Hands unique is not only its commitment to multiple deployments, but its focus on language and culture studies as well. Members undergo advanced language and cultural training in either Dari or Pashto prior to deploying to Afghanistan, where they train and advise Afghan forces.
Advanced language and culture skills are the key to developing the relationships that Kelley insists are, “the key to victory in Afghanistan.”
Chambers credited the program as being instrumental to his success.
“Culture drives everything in Afghanistan, and if you don’t understand it, you fail to do so to the detriment of your mission,” said Chambers. “Learning the language helped me to understand the subtleties of Afghan culture. [Afghan Hands] has helped me to build a strong relationship with my Afghan counterpart.”
The Afghan Hands program was born out of a desire to provide continuity and understanding. Afghan Hands members are committed to a long-term approach to training their Afghans partners. According to Kelley, the role of the Afghan Hands program goes beyond that of traditional forces.
“The Afghan Hands program is the future of the coalition in Afghanistan,” said Kelley. “We may be advising Afghans long after the conventional military is gone.”
Because Afghan Hands members operate with the understanding that they will be returning repeatedly, they are able to look forward and set the conditions for future success.
“We are not here for a year and then leaving,” said Kelley. “We will be back.”
The Afghan Hands program is not limited to the Army. Members are recruited from across the Department of Defense. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Michael Motley, senior operations adviser from Spring Lake, N.J., is the sole Marine representative at FOB Lightning.
“It’s great to be in an environment where all the services and coalition partners are working for a common goal,” said Motley. “We are the first wave of hands to reach Afghanistan. The relationships we build now will make us even more effective in the future.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. Vince Littrell of Homer, Alaska, is the senior Air Force hand at FOB Lightning. He works as the senior deputy adviser to the Operational Coordination Center-East and advises Afghan leaders as they coordinate Afghan security agencies during times of crisis or national disaster.
Littrell’s background and personal interests made him a perfect candidate for the program.
“I have a deep respect for Islam and the many variations of Muslim culture,” said Littrell. “I see myself as a bridge between the occident and the orient.”
Littrell grew up among members of the Persian expatriate community in the U.S. His experiences with the Persian community eventually led him to the military where he served as a Farsi linguist for several years.
Previous language training has served Littrell well. He is often heard speaking Pashto or Dari with his Afghan partners at the OCCR-E. His unique background has made him a valuable team member.
Applying the knowledge they learned through their advanced cultural and language training helps the Afghan Hands develop deep personal relationships with their Afghan partners. Whether or not the Afghan Hands program is “the coalition future in Afghanistan” remains to be seen, but the affects of language and culture-enabled service members are already apparent.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2011 11:55 |
| Story ID: | 66413 |
| Location: | PAKTYA PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 366 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Afghan Hands bring unique skills to Afghan fight, by Kenneth Stewart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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