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GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan — In the furthest reaches of Garmsir district, nearly 70 kilometers from the district center, a mixture of local elders and farmers sat quietly around a collection of ornately woven Afghan rugs, awaiting discussion with their district governor and Marine leaders.
Following their recent assumption of security responsibility in Garmsir, the leadership of 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment joined District Governor Mohammad Fahim to visit and interact with citizens throughout the district, Nov. 22 to 24.
Shuffling brightly-colored prayer beads through their fingers, local residents listened to Fahim’s encouragement, intently processing the 25-year-old governor’s words.
Though Fahim is headquartered within the Garmsir bazaar, far from many of the people he serves, he used the visit to ask for their help in continuing the development of the flourishing district. He encouraged the various tribes to unite, saying inter-tribal conflicts prevent further progress toward peace and stability throughout Garmsir.
“With unity, there is prosperity,” Fahim said.
Looking toward the development of Afghanistan as a whole, he stressed the importance of the nation’s school-aged youth.
“If the children don’t get an education in our schools, we’re destroying our foundation for the future,” Fahim said.
He condemned the remnant of insurgent activity here, and explained that these efforts are working against Afghanistan’s development.
“The schools are helping our children, and the bridges are helping our people, but the insurgents are burning them and calling it a holy war,” Fahim said. “Fighting against your own government is not a holy war. It’s ignorance. The government is working to better your lives, but the insurgents are working to destroy your future.”
Fahim asked his older citizens to encourage young men to join the Afghan National Army and Police. He echoed the sentiments of local elders, saying this will provide families an additional income and support from familiar faces within the ANA and ANP in their communities.
“It’s better for us to send our own people here for this training, so once they complete it, they can help us secure our own area,” said Abdullah Khan, an elder with the Nurzai tribe.
Khan described the security progress he has witnessed in southern Garmsir, but said the Afghan Border Police needed to be augmented with ANA and ANP to further improve the security environment.
Major Niamatullah, District Chief of the ANP, told the crowd of local and Marine leaders he was encouraged by the progress made in Garmsir, but stressed the change wasn’t complete. He pleaded for his people to invest their time in helping secure Afghanistan’s future.
“The Marines aren’t going to be able to stay forever,” he told the crowd. “We are the sons of this country. We have to help our own land.”
Between discussions of internal issues, Lt. Col. Matthew Palma, 3/3 commanding officer, applauded local citizens for their wisdom gained over years of experience. He asked them to pass on this knowledge and their faith to their children, whom he called “the future of Afghanistan.”
Though he acknowledged the work left to be done during his battalion’s time here, Palma echoed Fahim’s confidence in the future of Garmsir.
“As a student of history, I can see your country is on the verge of a remarkable breakthrough,” the Bristol, R.I., native said. “At this moment, it’s always the hardest to push through and achieve your goals. By working with the government, ANA and ANP, you will find security. Good things will come — agriculture, education, infrastructure developments. But most importantly, you’ll be able to live your lives apart from fear. Allowing the insurgents to take that away from you is unacceptable. All of Garmsir is stronger than the few insurgents that remain.”
Though the Afghan government is concentrated in Kabul and at the numerous district centers around the country, this visit was an important step toward connecting southern Garmsir to its government..
“We’re bringing governance to ungoverned places,” Palma said. “Now, it’s up to the Afghan people to work with their government to make the changes required to become free.”
Editor’s note: 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 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 the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.25.2011 12:07 |
| Story ID: | 80555 |
| Location: | GARMSIR DISTRICT, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,079 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Bringing governance to ungoverned places: District governor, Marine leaders interact with citizens of southern Garmsir, by SSgt Reece Lodder, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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