Photo By Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Kujanpaa | Regimental Combat Team 5 hosts civilian and military leaders from each district in...... read more read more
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CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Regimental Combat Team 5 hosted civilian and military leaders from each district in southern Helmand during a quarterly governance conference here, Oct. 28.
The conference provided a forum for civilian and military leaders to discuss the progress and future challenges that remain in Marjah, Nawa, Garmsir and Khan-Neshin districts.
“We want to make sure everyone’s efforts were complementary,” said Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Craparotta, the commanding general of Task Force Leatherneck. “We designed this conference to establish milestones we think we can achieve in 90-day blocks, so we can come back together and measure our progress.”
The coordination and synchronization of efforts by the civilian-led District Stability Teams and RCT-5 is essential to further development of the Afghan government and security forces.
“We hope to capture some of the key lessons here,” said James Reid, the Regional Platform South West Senior Representative. “We try to establish where the key problems are and focus the unity of our efforts.”
The Regional Platform South West and Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team spearhead the civilian effort for growth and stability in Helmand province.
“We take our responsibility to support the governance teams very seriously,” said Col. Roger Turner, RCT-5 commanding officer. “We recognize the importance of reconstruction, governance and economic development.”
“We consider this vital to the overall success of our mission, and we will continue to support these teams for as long as we can,” Turner said.
The dialogue focused on several key objectives, such as establishing governance, growing the Afghan people’s trust in the ability of local military and creating a stable and sustainable economy.
“This is pulling together the civilian and military team at the lower level, to make sure we’re doing our job and providing the resources,” said Craparotta.
At the conclusion of the conference, the assembly set down new milestones for the next quarter.
“We look at these opportunities and we see that they involve a genuine transition and hand-over to the Afghan people,” said Reid. “I think it’s really valuable to sit down and talk about the future as we draw down, and look at what the most useful things are that we can hand over to the people.
“I see it as a real opportunity and real indication of [progress] moving forward,” Reid said.
Editor’s note: RCT-5 is assigned to 2nd Marine Division (Forward), which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.01.2011 10:32 |
| Story ID: | 79378 |
| Location: | CAMP DWYER, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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