Richard
09-27-2009, 11:44
Special Forces On Neighbor Duty In Afghan Village
Kevin Maurer, AP, 27 Sep 2009
NILI, Afghanistan – The soldiers hesitated as the mullah preached, unsure if they would be welcome at the celebration of one of Islam's highest holidays.
But when the sermon ended, the Afghans draped bright scarves over the soldiers' tanned necks. Then they pushed Chief Warrant Officer Chaka, a Puerto Rican with a thick black beard and a deep tan – who could easily pass for Afghan – up front to speak. Chaka thanked the elders and showed them his hands stained orange for the Eid celebration.
"This is our home away from home," Chaka said. "We wanted to come over and be with our neighbors."
The event showed how these dozen Special Forces soldiers have joined in the lives of the town's 95,000 residents since they moved in a month ago.
The team is among only a few U.S. troops to live in the midst of Afghans, but there are likely to be more. The hope is to push Special Forces teams into villages throughout Afghanistan, giving them the mission of rebuilding and training Afghan police and soldiers.
The village of Nili, the provincial capital of Day Kundi in central Afghanistan, had built a living compound in hopes of attracting Western aid workers. It stood empty for two years, until Day Kundi's governor, Sultan Ali Uruzgani, lobbied international forces for help.
The request dovetailed with a plan by the top commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to forge closer ties between the U.S. military and Afghans.
"We are enthusiastic about this initiative and believe that it will go a long way to increasing security and enabling villagers to defend themselves," said Col. James Kraft, commander of the 7th Special Forces Group.
Day Kundi is one of Afghanistan's most peaceful regions, dominated by ethnic Hazaras with longstanding grievances against the mostly Pashtun Taliban insurgents.
Nili sits in a valley surrounded by towering peaks. Between the biscuit-colored compounds and houses that make up the town are acres of almond trees, which the locals harvest. There is little industry.
Day Kundi is a perfect testing ground in many ways, because it is so peaceful and progressive – it is home to one of Afghanistan's few female mayors – and so poor. Overlooked by development projects and the military alike, its streets are dirt, its schools are in shambles, and it faces a shortage of water for crops.
The Special Forces soldiers spend their days in and around Nili meeting with local leaders, visiting schools and helping the doctors at the province's two hospitals. Everywhere they go, they bring soccer balls and backpacks for the children and radios and food for the adults.
After a month, the Afghans are anxious for some of the building projects to start. But the team is still in the assessment phase and is trying to figure out the needs of the province so it can target the best projects.
"Day Kundi is a role model for the other provinces," the provincial governor said. The Special Forces team "is working very hard, and the future of this province is very bright."
Picture: A Special Forces medic examines a boy's broken arm in Day Kundi, Afghanistan, after he fell from a tree. The soldiers help doctors at the province's two hospitals.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-forces_27int.ART.State.Edition1.4bdf9a9.html
Kevin Maurer, AP, 27 Sep 2009
NILI, Afghanistan – The soldiers hesitated as the mullah preached, unsure if they would be welcome at the celebration of one of Islam's highest holidays.
But when the sermon ended, the Afghans draped bright scarves over the soldiers' tanned necks. Then they pushed Chief Warrant Officer Chaka, a Puerto Rican with a thick black beard and a deep tan – who could easily pass for Afghan – up front to speak. Chaka thanked the elders and showed them his hands stained orange for the Eid celebration.
"This is our home away from home," Chaka said. "We wanted to come over and be with our neighbors."
The event showed how these dozen Special Forces soldiers have joined in the lives of the town's 95,000 residents since they moved in a month ago.
The team is among only a few U.S. troops to live in the midst of Afghans, but there are likely to be more. The hope is to push Special Forces teams into villages throughout Afghanistan, giving them the mission of rebuilding and training Afghan police and soldiers.
The village of Nili, the provincial capital of Day Kundi in central Afghanistan, had built a living compound in hopes of attracting Western aid workers. It stood empty for two years, until Day Kundi's governor, Sultan Ali Uruzgani, lobbied international forces for help.
The request dovetailed with a plan by the top commander in Afghanistan, U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to forge closer ties between the U.S. military and Afghans.
"We are enthusiastic about this initiative and believe that it will go a long way to increasing security and enabling villagers to defend themselves," said Col. James Kraft, commander of the 7th Special Forces Group.
Day Kundi is one of Afghanistan's most peaceful regions, dominated by ethnic Hazaras with longstanding grievances against the mostly Pashtun Taliban insurgents.
Nili sits in a valley surrounded by towering peaks. Between the biscuit-colored compounds and houses that make up the town are acres of almond trees, which the locals harvest. There is little industry.
Day Kundi is a perfect testing ground in many ways, because it is so peaceful and progressive – it is home to one of Afghanistan's few female mayors – and so poor. Overlooked by development projects and the military alike, its streets are dirt, its schools are in shambles, and it faces a shortage of water for crops.
The Special Forces soldiers spend their days in and around Nili meeting with local leaders, visiting schools and helping the doctors at the province's two hospitals. Everywhere they go, they bring soccer balls and backpacks for the children and radios and food for the adults.
After a month, the Afghans are anxious for some of the building projects to start. But the team is still in the assessment phase and is trying to figure out the needs of the province so it can target the best projects.
"Day Kundi is a role model for the other provinces," the provincial governor said. The Special Forces team "is working very hard, and the future of this province is very bright."
Picture: A Special Forces medic examines a boy's broken arm in Day Kundi, Afghanistan, after he fell from a tree. The soldiers help doctors at the province's two hospitals.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/DN-forces_27int.ART.State.Edition1.4bdf9a9.html