AFGHANISTAN - U.S. Navy Cmdr. Thomas Sheppard, commanding officer of Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Farah, turned over authority of the PRT to U.S. Navy Cmdr. Louis McCray during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Farah in Farah province Afghanistan, Oct. 31. The ceremony was attended by Commander, Regional Command West, Italian Brigadier General Dario Ranieri.
Sheppard and his team have spent the past year training and executing their mission in western Afghanistan to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels. The team’s leadership made a significant impact in the province, working directly with provincial level officials as line liaisons to work through budgetary issues and support development within the province.
“I’ve been continually impressed by the level of engagement of each member of our team during deployment,” said Sheppard. “They were tasked with a challenging and important job and they have executed their mission well.”
Ranieri, who recently took over responsibility as the regional commander, was also impressed with the work of the PRT. “I know that during the last nine months you have been resourceful and tenacious in achieving our common goals,” said Ranieri. “Your willingness and dedication to working with security forces was an indispensable pillar of our mission here in Farah.”
McCray, a career Naval officer, looks forward to the opportunity to build on the foundation and successes of the outgoing team. “Our team has worked diligently to prepare for our mission, and we couldn’t ask for a better foundation to work from than the one that Tom’s team laid for us. All of us are looking forward to learning the culture in Farah and working hand-in-hand with local Afghans to be a positive influence.”
Ranieri looks forward to working with the incoming PRT. “I wish you all the best in your mission and I look forward to the same close working relationship we had with your predecessors,” said Ranieri.
PRT Farah’s mission is to train, advise, and assist Afghan government leaders at the municipal, district, and provincial levels in Farah Province, Afghanistan. Their civil-military team is comprised of members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). For more information about the PRT follow their page on Defense Video and Information Distribution System (DVIDS) at www.dvidshub.net/unit/PRTF.