Ribbon Cutting for 205th Corps C-E Maintenance Bldg

This past week has been filled with many high points. For me it was simply exciting to see the ANA take a new and huge step into improving their military capability, knowing that you had a part in that success. Pictured above is the 205th CORP Commander, BG Niebe and the CJ6 for the Ministry of Interior from Kabul. As the ARSIC (S) J-6, I was involved in assisting the ANA in the establishment of this facility. Having a Communications and Electronics Maintenance Facility allows them to work on their own radios without sending them to Kabul and hope they get another one in its place... Honestly, their practice has been this.... if a radio breaks, they just hold on to it and try to replace parts off of it, thus having a lot of broken radios in the corner... because they fear sending it away and not getting one in return. Now they have the ability to actually check out what is wrong with the radio, and fix some of the problems... and only send to Kabul a radio that is beyond their capability to fix....

Above, MG Ali, the CJ6 from the Ministry of Interior in Kabul came down to participate in the Opening Ceremony. This is a big event in the history of the 205th Corp. We all are proud of this. The Afghan army is so much farther along than the police, and continue to make strides to improve. If the US troops are to leave Afghanistan, this organization and their ability to operate independently will be part of the driving force on the decision to withdraw forces.... In my humble opinion, we are not even close to that point yet.

Above the Generals inspect the test equipment and discuss the road ahead. As an officer, I am impressed with the Afghan Army, they understand their limitations but they use the Coalition as a crutch... We have to start to allow them to fail, so that they are comfortable in their ability to lead.... With failure, come lessons, with lessons come experience, with experience come confidence, and with confidence come Freedom!!

Below COL Cory Cannon, the mentor for the 205th CORP Commander assists them in their presentation/briefing for the CSTC-A Commander. The brief was very well put together, detailing their readiness posture and their shortfalls... COL Cannon has really done an excellent job mentoring BG Niebe... I am still waiting to get a picture of them holding hands... (For Afghanistan, it is a sign of friendship to walk, holding hands)... We are not accustomed to that, and personally I am glad we are not....

Finally, I will leave you with words from Dr. Donda C. West, the mother of Musician Kanya West. "To me, the most important thing that we can do as human beings is give". For me, that is what God wants us all to do... soldiers give of their time, their freedom, and sometimes their lives. I too believe that in a world fraught with war and blatant injustice still, individuals MUST find ways to lessen human suffering and impact humanity for the better. None of us want war, but there must be someone to stand in the gap and say "I WILL" I am proud of my service to my country and to the Afghan people. It is MY desire to leave this place, return home and say " I've Done My Part".....