members will be disbursed to different
units throughout Afghanistan, with a
few stationed in Pakistan.
The newcomers are leading the way
for the next two Af-Pak Hands cohorts,
one currently in language training
and one now in the process of being
selected. Once all three cohorts are fully
trained and functioning, they will rotate
through Afghanistan and Pakistan.
They will deploy for 12 months
before rotating back to the United
States for a period of time before
returning, ideally to the same area and
position in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
While in the United States, they will
mentor other Af-Pak Hands. They will
stay involved in Af-Pak issues at one of
four major hub locations and further
develop their language and culture skills
with DLI instructors.
“I think it’s a phenomenal program,”
said Air Force Maj. Christy Barry, a
lawyer, who is part of the initial cohort.
“I wish we’d done it sooner. I think this
will turn the tide and bring peace and
stability to Afghanistan. I’m honored to
be part of it.”
Army Lt. Col. Ken Scheidt, an
Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran,
was the commander of a mobilization
training unit at Fort Lewis, Wash.,
before he was selected for Af-Pak
Hands. He said he’ll be working in a
joint position in Nangahar province.
“I would recommend it to the right
person,” Scheidt said. “You have to want
to do it.”
Another 125 Af-Pak personnel
are scheduled to arrive by the end
of June, with another group arriving
in September and one more around
November. Of the 281 billets for the
program, 253 will be stationed in
Afghanistan, with 28 in Pakistan. It is
equally important for ISAF to develop
the relationships with the Pakistani
military as it is with the Afghan people
and army, Kent said.
At the most basic level, Mason,
an Afghanistan veteran who will be
stationed in an engineer office in Tarin
Kowt, said she wanted to help make the
Af-Pak Hands program better for the
next group. She said she expects to use
her engineer background in the field
and to interact with local woman.
“I’m hoping that I can go beyond
my normal job if I were to just deploy
with the Air Force -- the normal dayto-day tasks,” Mason said. “I’d like to
have a little more interaction with the
local population and see how using my
talents -- in the engineering field, and
now language skills – may be tailored to
what we can do for them based on what
[the Afghan people] want from us.”
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