Senator Kaufman and Interagency Team Observe Civilian-Military Training Center
Kaufman Leading Senate Effort to Support Civilian Surge in Afghanistan
September 29, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the United States prepares to send hundreds of additional civilians to Afghanistan, U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) led an interagency delegation Monday to observe joint civilian-military training at southern Indiana’s Camp Atterbury military installation. This visit was part of the Senator’s broader focus on the “civilian surge” in Afghanistan, and demonstrated his strong support for efforts to increase civilian-military unity of mission.
Due to a recent policy shift to a counterinsurgency strategy that incorporates a more unified effort among U.S. civilian and military forces operating in Afghanistan, all civilians working in the field in Afghanistan are now required to have this integrated training. This includes civilians from a host of agencies deploying to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, district support teams, regional commands and provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs), which focus on economic growth and strengthening the local government throughout Afghanistan’s provinces.
Sen. Kaufman’s amendment to the Defense Supplemental Appropriations Bill <http://kaufman.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=9e5b039c-e647-45a6-976d-3147e79163fb> earlier this year was instrumental in boosting the frequency of this integrated civilian-military training — from once every nine months to once every month.
“The civilian role in Afghanistan is absolutely critical to cultivating support among the population and achieving the broader goals of counterinsurgency,” said Sen. Kaufman. “As the number of civilians deploying to Afghanistan from across the interagency continues to increase, I am encouraged to know they have the training to hit the ground running. The skill set acquired at Atterbury would take weeks to achieve in Afghanistan.”
In a town hall-style meeting with the 38 trainees deploying to Kabul immediately following the one-week course at Atterbury, Sen. Kaufman expressed his appreciation for their commitment and contribution to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
“This new approach of integrated civilian training with the military is a great example of the steps being taken to improve our counterinsurgency strategy,” said Sen. Kaufman. “I am grateful to the Indiana National Guard, the Atterbury team, and those who support them from the State and Defense Departments and USAID. Most importantly, I am grateful to the thousands of our brave men and women serving in Afghanistan, both civilian and military.”
Sen. Kaufman was joined by officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Defense and Department of State, including an official from the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (under the leadership of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke) to observe training vignettes simulating experiences in Afghanistan at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, which is part of Camp Atterbury in Butlerville, Ind. The camp setting aims to replicate the real-life environment civilians will encounter in Afghanistan.
Sen. Kaufman, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to Afghanistan earlier this month with Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) – his second trip to the region this year. During his visit he met with General Stanley McChrystal and President Hamid Karzai, among others, and also gained a unique perspective of the critical role civilians are playing in counterinsurgency efforts there.
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