Dartblog
Est. 2004
Special Feature: Give a Rouse
Whither the College on the Hill? Dartblog brings you news and commentary from Hanover and the world at large, including deep coverage of the maturing tenure of Dr. Kim.
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A Note from Afghanistan
Jared Smith, a trainer at the Army’s Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, Vermont, sends this report from Afghanistan, where he and team is training and mentoring a regional group of Afghan National Police:
Hey to you Joe from Afghanistan. Last year it was the Fan Mountains in Tajikistan. This year, it’s a year in Afghanistan! Oh boy! My current mission is in support of the Afghan National Police. This 40k man force has been neglected in the resorcing and mentoring department. We have spent 1 billion on them over the past 5 years, but we can’t really discern where the money has gone. So with my team of 12 guys we have the task of assessing 120 ANP Police Stations and 7000 Police Soldiers in 4 Afghan provinces in an area the size of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The answer is easy; they have nothing and need everything. They are intelligent and committed but have no real mission status. We were rocketed the other day, and a nearby ANP checkpoint were attacked, (checkout Jihad Unspun under Konduz) and they just hunkered down and took it with no response, even though they pretty much know locally who plays that game. Just south of here the police chief has his own 200 man army and controls opium, guns and money in his world much like a Mafia Don. Only he’s the law too! This is typical. Strong men rule. So we are working this thing daily to attempt to get the ANP from where it is now, to a place where they can function as a true national security force. It’ll take another billion (or so) and a heck of a lot of U.S. soldiers daily mentoring these dudes before that happens.Jared adds:
Best of luck with your exams Joe. You know how fortunate you are, you think about it. But you can’t imagine the reality of the blessings you and your classmate experience daily in the U.S.A. Beautiful Afghan children beg me for pencils, and the Talib’s burn new schools and murder Principals. Don’t experience guilt or remorse. Only the Afghans themselves can change this reality. Pray for the courage and fortitude they need to bring this change.Please do pray for Jared and his men and women, too.
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