DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: Afghan Hands Program

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with Navy Capt. Russell McLachlan, program manager, The United States Forces-Afghanistan. Capt. McLachlan will discuss the Afghan Hands program and discuss some of the missions that Hands are performing. He will also provide updates on what is happening in Afghanistan. The Afghan Hands program is vital to the success of the overall counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan. The mission is to build long-lasting, positive partnerships with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan , Afghan entities, and civilians, in order to demonstrate the long-term commitment of the International Security Assistance Force to build capacity and capability within Afghanistan and deny support among the Afghan people to insurgents. Afghan Hands receive sixteen weeks of intensive language training prior to deploying to Afghanistan and are committed to the program for two to five years. Like other military forces, Afghan Hands have other important job-related skills, but the language skills allow them to make inroads where others cannot.Read Transcript