“That's why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant, extroverts. And helicopter pilots are brooders, introspective anticipators of trouble.”
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USAF HH-60G in Afghanistan |
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Maj Gen Peter N Fuller |
How best to do that? The general said they do it by considering the following three concepts: Is it Afghan “Right”, Afghan “First” and Afghan “Like”
Afghan “Right”: Everything should be designed and built for Afghan requirements. A simple example he spoke about was when the Corps of Engineers built restrooms with very nice porcelain sinks and the Afghans were using them to wash their feet for prayers. Not right for Afghans. More complex capability requirements such as jet fighters, tanks, not Right, they can not afford them. They are not like NATO or the US and so it must be right for Afghanistan before we spend money on it!
Afghan “First”. Projects should generate home grown industry for the Afghans. He cited another example, this one done correctly, of switching from US procured uniforms, boots, equipment bags, to an Afghan female owned and female operated company. The company is growing, building quality into their products! It has health care, child care and food on site for its employees!
Afghan “Like” Maintain the equipment, vehicles and infrastructure that has been provided to help Afghans! Remember the old adage that if something is yours, you take better care of it? The Afghan mentality needs to recognize that the resources must be taken care of and that they are not limitless. He spoke of examples of vehicles that needed to be turned in for maintenance to get fuel credit which had been stopped to develop discipline among the leadership.
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Afghan children at school |
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Middle School students reading |
This Roundtable was very interesting and covered so much it is not possible to cover it all in this blog! If you would like to listen to an audio transcript or read the transcript go to DoDLive. To follow General Fuller’s Blog go here. To find more DoD Blogger Roundtables from Col K go here. Thank you DoD New Media for another great Roundtable!
Photo Credits:
Just another day at work
Airmen assigned to the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron fly an HH-60 Pave Hawk Feb. 9, 2011, over Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Erick Saks)
Maj. Gen. Peter N. Fuller, Deputy Commander for Programs, NTM-A DoDLive
Afghan children wait to receive school supplies outside a school in Marjeh, Afghanistan, April 20, 2011. U.S. military and U.S. representatives traveled to Marjeh to meet with U.S. Marines, visit children, and deliver school supplies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory VanderSchans/Released)
Balish Kalay Middle School students read from Dari textbooks May 3, 2011, in Paktika province, Afghanistan. The provincial education department distributed the books to Afghan schoolchildren in five districts in Paktika province with the help of the development team from Task Force Currahee, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Emily Chilson/Released)
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