State Department officials visit Guard training site

By T.D. Jackson
Indiana National Guard

Ted Jasik of the U.S. Department of State shows Christine Danton of the U.S. Agency for International Development how to properly insert ear plugs prior to "hot loading" or getting into a running helicopter. Jasik and Danton are part of Provincial Reconstruction Teams currently training at Muscatatuck Center for Complex Operations prior to deployment to Afghanistan. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew observed the team's training Nov. 19, 2009. (U.S. Army photo by T.D. Jackson, Indiana National Guard)
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BUTLERVILLE, Ind., (11/20/09) - While a land dispute might be settled in court over months or years of litigation in America, it might be talked about over tea in Afghanistan.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew witnessed such a conversation Nov. 19 during a training scenario devised by the Indiana National Guard here at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center.

Over steaming cups of "chai," civilians with one of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams participating in the Civilian-Military Training program here met with Afghan "leaders," who were concerned about the team's impending construction of a dam and a reservoir on their land.

The role-players, who are actually from Afghanistan, admonished the team for not seeking permission to carry out such a project.

"The issues were laid out in a very credible and authentic way," Lew said, adding that he was glad to see the scenario taught the PRT members how to converse and negotiate with the Afghan leaders. "It's very important that the lessons learned for this session be something that they can generalize from and understand how to conduct themselves over a course of what would undoubtedly be a series of meetings over an extended period of time.

"There is something unnatural about thinking that an issue like that will get resolved in a single one-hour setting."

Lew, along with other key leaders from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the departments of State, Defense and Agriculture and special representatives from Afghanistan and Pakistan visited Muscatatuck to see first-hand the process of civilian-military training.

"I've been wanting to come to Atterbury and Muscatatuck for some time, because we talk about the training here almost every day," Lew said.

As part of a broader focus of operations in Afghanistan designed to include both military and civilian assets, deploying civilians undergo a week-long intensive training regiment at Muscatatuck to include combat lifesaving, cultural awareness, weapons and equipment familiarization and tactics training.

Currently, Muscatatuck is the only training center for civilians deploying to Afghanistan.

"Just as you can't really understand what's going on in Afghanistan without visiting Afghanistan, you can't really understand training unless you come and see it," he said.

For Kathy Gunderman, a deploying civilian with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the training has been insightful, if not eventful.

"It's been a heck of a week!" she said, during a question-and-answer session between Lew and the PRTs. "I've got mud in places that I don't even want to discuss," she said, laughing.

Gunderman went on to say she thought the Guard trainers at Muscatatuck did an excellent job in training the PRT members.

"I cannot say enough about the military and the Afghan role players," she said. "The skills that they have given us this week and the opportunity to fail or do good in a safe setting I feel is setting us up for success to help the Afghans."

Lt. Col. Chester Guyer, commander of the Observer Controller Battalion at Muscatatuck, said the Civilian-Military Training participants are always appreciative when what they're doing is recognized by visits from key leaders.

"From what I have heard, the visit was very well-received by the students," he said. "I believe the civ-mil participants appreciate whenever senior leadership is interested in what they're doing."

Lew said he found the visit very useful and it served as another reminder that there is no substitute for direct contact with the people, who are doing the "tough work in the field."

The PRT members are currently wrapping up their training at Muscatatuck and Camp Atterbury and are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in about 12 teams this month.

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