I recently worked with the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in DC and we discussed the early days after the invasion of Afghanistan.  Specifically the year after the Taliban regime was overthrown by the U.S. Led coalition and we began the Security Sector Reform (SSR) process that was decided at Bonn.  Coalition members from… Read More Building the Afghan Army: SSR 2002-03

The party boarded a variety of U.S. and Afghan aircraft as we started the journey from Kabul over 3 provinces to arrive in dusty and hot Ghor province.  The mission was to explain the new security units in Afghanistan, talk about new Afghan governance concepts, and to hear from the people of Ghor.  Along with… Read More Number 5. Ghor Province, September 5th 2003

Into the Scrum: I stood on the edge of the 8-foot tall concrete wall that held the grandstand seats of the VIP guests at the National Buzkashi Matches.  The horses and riders crashed again and again into the wall as the scrum compacted and stretched.  Somewhere beneath the hooves was a brown calf carcass. My… Read More Number 4. Valentine’s Day, Kabul Buzkashi Stadium

Many of my early travels around Afghanistan were part of an effort to understand the infrastructure problems that the Afghan National Army (ANA) would face to see how the U.S. and its allies could help them deal with their future problems.  This journey in November from Kabul, the Capital city tucked in the mountains, across… Read More Number 2. Up the Salang Valley, November 2002

I accompanied MG Karl Eikenberry on our usual weekly ANA recruiting trip and central government awareness campaign.  On this visit Afghan Minister Nuristani and American Charge de Affairs David Sedney were in attendance. The mountains rose up below us and the typical shades of brown common in Afghanistan transformed to an evergreen green.  Three Russian… Read More Number 1. Into Nuristan, September 2003