Mass Exodus from 'Human Terrain' Program; At Least One-Third Quits??

[JJ_BPK]

I don't have a lot of warm fuzz's about the HTT program. It seem to me to be a kinda Ad-hoc "I'm OK,, You'r' OK" liberal feel good intel collection program run by academics with little practical use.

Now it looks like the academics just wanted the money...

Anyone with 1st hand knowledge want to explain the HTT hi-points??

Inquiring minds want to know???

Mass Exodus from 'Human Terrain' Program; At Least One-Third Quits, By Noah Shachtman April 06, 2009, Wired.com

According to the Boston Globe, the Obama administration's new war plan for Afghanistan includes an expansion of the Human Terrain System, the Army's controversial program to embed social scientists. If true, it would be an ironic twist for the program -- since up to two-thirds of the Human Terrain personnel serving abroad just quit.

In February, the program's managers gave everyone in the 27 Human Terrain Teams (HTT) stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan a choice. Either they could choose to be converted from a generously-paid contractor to a less-well-compensated government employee. Or they could step down.

So far, 82 overseas Human Terrain employees have agreed to make the switch. Many others did not. As of February, there were between 135 and 243 HTT members. (Military officials won't give an exact number -- "for reasons of operational security," according to Army spokesman Gregory Mueller.) Which means at least one-third of the program's deployed workforce is now gone. Maybe as much as two-thirds.

That would be a problem for any military project. But the Human Terrain System has had all sorts of recruiting woes. Many in the academic social science community has been hostile to the effort. So have others working on cultural competency, within the military. "There are not enough Afghan experts in the entire United States to staff more than one or two human terrain teams, which have been the Achilles' heel of the program from the start," Chris Mason, a former State Department specialist on Afghanistan, tells the Globe.

It's not the only problem facing the Human Terrain effort. Three of the program's social scientists have been killed on duty. One former employee has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, for a revenge slaying in Afghanistan. Another is awaiting trial on espionage charges. Most recently, a sexual harrassment investigation found that one of the Human Terrain groups in Afghanistan had become a "hostile environment" to female employees. Which probably won't help recruit new social scientists to the program.

[Richard]

FAOs/CMOCs by any other name. Try this one:

HTS Mission

Background

• HTS was developed in response to identified gaps in commanders’ and staffs’ understanding of the local population and culture, and its impact on operational decisions; and poor transfer of specific socio-cultural knowledge to follow-on units.

• The HTS approach is to place the expertise and experience of social scientists and regional experts, coupled with reach-back (historical???), open-source research, directly in support of deployed units engaging in full-spectrum operations.

• HTS informs decision making at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

• The HTS program is the first time that social science research, analysis, and advising has been done systematically, on a large scale, and at the operational level. We advise brigades on economic development, political systems, tribal structures, etc; provide training to brigades as requested; and conduct research on topics of interest to the brigade staff. HTS does not conduct lethal targeting, manage infrastructure projects, or provide schoolhouse pre-deployment cultural training.

HTS Values and Beliefs

• HTS believes that achieving national security objectives is dependent on understanding the societies and cultures in which we are engaged.

• HTS also believes that the use of social science is necessary to and legitimate in military operations.

• By developing an understanding of the societies and cultures in which we are engaged, HTS believes that the U.S. military can reduce the need for and negative repercussions of lethal force.

HTS Mission Statement

• The HTS Mission is to provide commanders in the field with relevant socio-cultural understanding necessary to meet their operational requirements.

http://humanterrainsystem.army.mil/

Richard's $.02

[uboat509]

Lots of good discussion about this over at the Small Wars Journal.

SFC W

[ZonieDiver]

There was an article in The Arizona Republic in the past few weeks about an HHT anthropologist who was killed.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...erous0308.html

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...linePART2.html


The possibility of death may have something to do with the drop-outs, as well as the money aspect.

[Sigaba]

From ZonieDriver's post <<SOURCE>>

The Pentagon's interest in social science renewed suspicions among academics. Those misgivings date to at least World War I and deepened during the Vietnam War, when the military combed through anthropologists' writings for insights to help counter insurgents.

When the Central Intelligence Agency began advertising in the American Anthropology Association's newsletter in 2005, skepticism increased.

"If anthropology is to collectively figure out its role in building a more just world, it needs to act fast," AAA President Alan Goodman told the group's convention the following fall.

Also from here.

The program is controversial: the American Anthropological Association denounced it in October, saying it could lead to ethics being compromised, the profession's reputation damaged, and worst of all, research subjects becoming military targets.

Matsuda says the concern is based on a misunderstanding of what he has signed on to do.

"There's been a knee-jerk reaction in the anthropology community, that you've been co-opted, that you're a warmonger, like you're clubbing baby seals or something," he said. "I came here to save lives, to make friends out of enemies."

These passages under-states the severity of these suspicions and the penetration of federal agencies into the social sciences--especially anthropology.

Out of nowhere, Laura Nader offered cryptic and seething remarks about the CIA's penetration of cultural anthropology during a lecture in 1985. We undergrads in the audience, already stymied by the nuances of Trobriand cricket, sat in stunned silence as her graduate students offered knowing nods of agreement.

I can easily imagine participants getting home and finding themselves on the outs, and faced with the daunting task of trying to find a way to come in from the cold.

The compensation could be viewed as a professional no no. It is one thing to receive funding to do independent research. If that research is in service of the private sector or the government the activity could be considered unethical. (These concerns speak volumes of the confidence academics place in their own professional training.)

In a drastically different circumstance, about ten years ago, I was offered work doing research for a private company that sold historical artifacts and documents. Something seemed off so I called a mentor. He politely but firmly suggested that I decline the opportunity if I wanted to work as an academic. I also got the hunch that taking such work would test our friendship.

I declined the work as soon as he and I rang off. Job opportunities come and go. Friends like him come but rarely in a civilian's lifetime.

[Richard]

I can see it now - Krippendorf's Tribe with a GS-12 rating.

Let's see... we've had the backyard circumcision, we've danced with the pigs to assure my fertility - that one really changed my life. What's the next step? Cannibalism? Hey, Mrs. O'Brien, you doing anything tonight? We're having a barbecue...wear some hot sauce!

Richard's $.02

[Box]

i got a few HTT reports while downrange...

...the program was a joke.

Unfortunately the joke was on us, the taxpayers.

[JJ_BPK]

In the 60-70 time frame, each SF(A) GP had an area of responsibility. With-in that context, we collected information that we thought would be useful if we were to be inserted for either UW, COIN, FID. Although we didn't have all the current acronyms, the game was pretty much the same as today.

Be prepared to integrate into the indigenous populations.

There were areas in the world, that presented ethnic, social, and religious nuances that we could not properly prepare for. For these topics, specialist were brought in.

Jump forward to 2006, and we introduce HTT,, as after the fact contingency planners?? I'm gonna guess they arn't inserted before the boots..

Did we throw out all that work.. Is the NIH crowd to vain to think someone already did some good work??

HTS is starting to sound like one of Richards CADD LIFE clips..

Mister,, What'll it take to be a HTS writer??

HTS's a man's game, soni..

Interview obscure indigenous people,, re-Write obscure history,, Collect obscene pay checks,,

Thats so cool!!

Oh Yeah,, HTS writers always get the hot student chicks!!

My $00.0002

[smp52]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

There was an article in The Arizona Republic in the past few weeks about an HHT anthropologist who was killed.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepu...erous0308.html

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...linePART2.html


The possibility of death may have something to do with the drop-outs, as well as the money aspect.

There have been three deaths of civilians associated with this program.

Michael Bhatia

Nicole Suveges

Paula Loyd

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by smp52

There have been three deaths of civilians associated with this program.

Michael Bhatia

Nicole Suveges

Paula Loyd

I request we read the obituaries. These individuals are deserving of our respect and admiration regardless of the programs validity or lack of. Rest in Peace; Thank you for your efforts.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by smp52

There have been three deaths of civilians associated with this program.

Michael Bhatia
Nicole Suveges

Paula Loyd

SMP--

Thank you for providing this information. The additional details about Ms. Loyd's grim humor amid her agony made for a difficult read.

Originally Posted by Dozer523

I request we read the obituaries. These individuals are deserving of our respect and admiration regardless of the programs validity or lack of. Rest in Peace; Thank you for your efforts.

Well put.

It seems that Mr. Bhatia's and Ms. Suveges's contributions made a difference in the eyes of the soldiers with whom they served. Hopefully, Ms. Loyd's field notes will be put to the uses she intended.

May they rest in peace.