By AF Master Sgt. Sarah Webb
From left to right; Jim Story, State Dept Regional Rep to TF Yukon; Navy Cmdr. Wilson Marks, cmdr of Ghazni PRT; Qara Baugh, PRT interpreter; Mohad Ulla, district sub-gov. and Mark Flemming, Dept of State Rep, assess a room at the District Center of Qara Baugh district, Ghazni prov., Sept. 12.
GHAZNI PROVINCE - The Ghazni PRT conducted a mission to the Qara Baugh district to examine and determine the possible increase of presence and assistance from the PRT.
Ghazni PRT will partner with and mentor the district line directors and local community development councils. The PRT with support of the line directors and sub-gov. will hold shuras, and local meetings to build stronger links between the communities and local, district, provincial and national governmental leaders.
Community development councils were created to empower local leaders to propose development projects based on the needs of their communities and increase coordination between the people and their district govt. "We spoke with the sub-gov. about the idea of increasing GoA and CF presence, and what would be necessary from both parties in order to take the next step" said Jim Story. "Previously, we've looked at things from the top down. The last couple of years we've focused on the provincial structure. Now, we realize the need to focus more on the district levels."
An item of interest for the PRT will be working with the sub-gov. on rule of law and civic education programs. "We want to partner with the people and attack the sources of instability with the hope that we'll gain more support from the local populace," he said. "We want to know what the community really needs, as well as their sources of instability."
Reps from the U.S. State Dept and U.S. Agency for Int'l Development are looking to increase their ground presence in districts across Afghanistan.
Blackanthem Military News
Provincial government helps Asadabad residents
By AF Capt. Tony Wickman
A young Afghan girl and her mother enter the Kunar Provincial Gov. compound to receive material aid. More than 500 widows, orphans and disabled local Afghans from Asadabad district came to the gov's compound and received material assistance, Sept. 17, from the Kunar provincial govt, via aid received and organized by the Kunar PRT. The locals received items like blankets, pots and pans, tarps, hygiene and dentals kits, sandals, and backpacks. The donations were made by private citizens, nongovernmental agencies and corps.
CAMP WRIGHT - According to Spc. John Nelson, Kunar PRT civil-military ops/humanitarian assistance NCO-in-charge, the distributed goods were received from the humanitarian assistance yard at Bagram Air Field and sent to Camp Wright for distribution. He said the op is the largest coordinated effort the PRT has done to date with regard to the number of people they helped. "We're expecting to provide assistance to 250 orphans, 250 widows and 100 disabled people today. We're delivering things that aren't food items," Nelson said prior to the op. "We're delivering about 4,400 pounds of assistance. The local govt is coordinating the unloading, setting up and distributing the supplies. They'll be the ones actually handing out the items to their people," he said. "We're here to assist the local govt in their efforts."
One grateful person was a young boy named Hammed, clutching a backpack and soccer ball. "I'm happy to have something just for me; it's very nice," Hammed said as he walked to the street with his new items.
According to Nelson, these kinds of missions are helping establish the legitimacy of the provincial govt.
Several Afghan women and young girls line up to receive material aid from their village elders.
Spc. John Nelson and an Afghan worker unloads 4,400 pounds of material assistance from a Kunar PRT vehicle to give to locals of Asadabad district.
Marhaba Karimi, Kunar provincial dir. of women's affairs, speaks to all who came for assistance.
(AF photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert)
A young Afghan girl walks away with a smile on her face after receiving humanitarian assistance items from an Asadabad village elder, while under the watchful eye of a Kunar PRT member.
Staff Sgt. George Condos, Kunar PRT SECFOR member, assists a disabled Afghan regain his balance after falling when he received his material assistance items from his village elders.
An ANP officer gives socks to young girls.
(photo by Tech. Sgt. Brian Boisvert)
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CJTF-82 in Afghanistan, Bagram Media Center
Texas Agri-business Development Team-02 helps meat-processors
By AF Master Sgt. Sarah Webb
GHAZNI PROVINCE – The Texas ADT-02 at FOB Ghazni recently conducted a mission to finalize projects outside of Ghazni city. The ADT traveled to Shams Village Complex to inspect the slaughter facility, and met with contractors for both the Ghazni Livestock Sale Barn Facility and the solar and wind power system.
“There are several slaughter facilities being contracted throughout the prov.,” said Army Sgt. Todd Plybon, Texas ADT-02 soil scientist from 143rd Inf Regt, Det 9. “These facilities are being built so that the butchers in the prov. will have a suitable location to conduct business.”
“Prior to the building of the slaughter facility, butchers were processing the animals in their shops and in the streets,” said Maj. John Plouch, a Guardsmen from Texas assigned to Texas ADT-02. “Often times, the blood would drain into the streets, causing a sanitation issue. The current slaughter facility that the Ghazni butchers are using is not as efficient as it could be,” Plybon said. A second, more complex facility specifically designed to handle cattle was proposed and submitted for approval.
The new slaughter facility allows the GoA to monitor the quality of meat and regulate health concerns by having a registered veterinarian on location to evaluate the animal prior to and after slaughter.
The ADT looks into supplying other items to assist butchers with slaughtering the animals, such as tip tables, chain winches, cold storage and other meat processing tools, Plybon said. The projects being worked through the Texas ADT are requested by the Ghazni Dir. of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, or through the local village elders.
Army Col. Harlan Harris, cmdr, Texas ADT-02, observes the processing of a sheep at the Ghazni Slaughter Facility.
Sgt. Maj. Harlan Hardy, discusses the completion of the wind and solar power system for the Ghazni Livestock Sale Barn with the contractor’s rep. The system is designed to provide electical power for the barn.
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DoD Imagery