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Civil Affairs Soldiers Assist Afghan Students, Leaders
Friday, October 18, 2002
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

Afghans in the Orgun Valley teach classes of children in private homes because their villages don't have schools yet.
(High Resolution Image)
Image Credit: SFC Victor Andersen -- U.S. Army.

"We established positions for minister of education, minister of health, (and) minister of finance," CPT London said. "We tried to teach them how to vote, how to build their own communities. It was something I never thought I would be doing." He said it was strange to be in a room with men old enough to be his grandfather who all looked to him for advice and guidance. "We were just trying to do the best we could," London said. "I learned a lot about myself and about people in general."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
A civil affairs soldier recently returned from Afghanistan said education is the most important issue in improving that country's future.

"All facets of life over there need help," Army Capt. Britton London said. "But personally, I think education is most important because it's going to help Afghanistan's young."

London is a civil affairs team leader from the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C. During a recent interview in the Pentagon, he described the role of civil affairs as establishing relationships between the U.S. military and local populations.

"Our job is to win the hearts and minds of the people, to make the job easier for the people who are shooting to do their jobs," London said. "We ... let them know we're here for genial purposes. We want to help them."

One way London's team helped was by providing school supplies for students in the Orgun Valley region of Afghanistan.

The captain explained his team began visiting schools to help UNICEF and the U.S. Agency for International Development estimate how many children were attending. The aid organizations were surprised by the high attendance rates reported, he said.
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2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

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