Day 23 - Visit from the Boss

(Post for 7 Jun 10) Our Boss came to visit NMAA today. Lieutenant General Caldwell is the Commander of NTM-A (NATO Training Mission Afghanistan). In addition to lunch with the NMAA Superintendent, he met with all the US mentors, and then received a sabre in appreciation from NMAA. LTG Caldwell has been a significant supporter of NMAA and its mission. From what I've been able to discern, the ANA (Afghan National Army) is one of the institutions here that is making the most process rising above the endemic corruption. The ANP (Afghan National Police) on the other hand are still having significant problems. This article is enlightening and discouraging.

We currently have about eight cadets from the Kandahar Province at NMAA. They had a meeting yesterday with some of the planners that are working on how to best execute operations during the troop surge. Most of the surge is focused in their home province since it is the traditional stronghold of the Taliban. They all overwhelming emphasized that increased ANA presence would be much more favorable with the local population than increased ANP presence. The attitudes toward increased US and NATO troop presence was mixed, but not overwhelmingly positive or negative.


Here's a picture of me with my favorite of the Afghan guards at NMAA. He is usually at the entry to our building when we get here, and he is still there when we leave. His disposition is one of the most positive of all the guards and he always has a smile when he greets us. I make it a point to shake his hand and wish him peace (As-Salamu Alaykum) whenever we pass. As you can see in the photo, I'm still working on teaching him the bump.

We started the day with a quick trip to Camp Eggers for a meeting to ensure the construction and IT infrastructure at the new Air Defense University site are on track. They aren't, but we've got a plan to help get things caught up. In the past, all the building and logistics requirements have been totally dictated by the US staff here and the Afghans just kind of get what they get. We've made it a point to include the NMAA IT director and all the department heads as we validate the current requirements and design. As a result, what is planned is not what they would have asked for. We're working the mid-course corrections now and there should still be time and funding to meet somewhere in the middle. At least they had already planned a mosque at the new site.

Mid-term exams end on Wednesday of this week, and then we'll be ready to jump back into work with the CompSci instructors and students. We've got a lot planned.