How do you feel working alongside an Afghan?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 21:10:35 -0500

I know this may be controversial; however, what is your honest thoughts about working with someone who you do not consider an American? I have had my clearance suspended on such grounds, treated differently, and called names? Can we work objectively on common grounds without our way of life barging in? Can the military really institutionalize?

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2014 9:30 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 21:30:30 -0500

SSG Jackson A.

With all due respect, I would feel the same way that I feel about any "friendly" troops. If they are properly vetted, technically competent, keep their weapons pointed in the right direction, communicate properly, treat our troops with respect, and fight our mutual enemies with honor and bravery, we should have absolutely no questions or issues of any kind.

You may want to get your CSM's input about your questions and issues. Your CSM may be able to provide much broader perspective about the most appropriate answers.

Warmest Regards, Sandy

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 18 at 2014 1:57 AM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 01:57:13 -0500

Some of the greatest times I had in the Corps were with the Marines that were part of our Police Advisor Team and the Afghan National Police we served along side with.  It was very challenging but rewarding at the same time.  The insider attacks at the time of the surge were increasing, we had a couple ANP try to detonate suicide vests at our police station but failed and were apprehended by our ANP at the ECP.  This type of threat can make you uneasy considering the ANP you trust to fight along side you could easily be the one to fight against you.  Being the type of asian I am, I was mistaken for an interpreter for looking like I was part of the Uzbek tribe and speaking Pashtun for the first couple exchanges of words.  Many of my ANP who were Uzbeks called me brother, you definitely bond with these men when you operate with them. 

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 18 at 2014 9:52 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 09:52:47 -0500

I worked alongside Katusas in Korea for the 2 years I was there. Loved working with those guys. Much of their training was OJT and they were eager to learn. They would hang out with us during the week, and take us around Korea on the weekends. It was an overall good relationship. I've also worked closely with Afghanis. My experiences with them vary greatly. On one hand you have the Afghani SF/CMRG. They're hard workers, love killing Taliban, and are eager to interact with us. On the other hand, we had an ANA CPT come with us on an op. As soon as we set into place he pulled out his sleeping bag and went to sleep. This happened early morning and he slept throughout most of the day. Of course many of his men followed suit. It wasn't out of the ordinary for something like this to happen with their conventional forces either.<br>

Response by LTC John Czarnecki made Feb 18 at 2014 10:30 AM

LTC John Czarnecki — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 10:30:17 -0500

I'm surprised you put an "EO" tag on this.  There's no such animal as EO on a battlefield.  I worked with hundreds of different Iraqis during OIF-1, being out the gate as a CA bubba on a daily basis.  I worked very well with them, and they worked very well for me.  BUT... I always had a weapon at the ready, and wouldn't hesitate a moment to drop any or all of them should they decide that I, or any other American, was going to suddenly be the object of their personal jihad.<br><br>Like the old axe goes... "Smile and be friendly, but always have a plan to kill everybody in the room..."  For those who worked out in Hadjiville, this needs no explanation.  For those who remained in the camps as Fobbits, it may be a bit harder to fathom.<br>

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made May 6 at 2014 10:24 PM

SSG V. Michelle Woods — Tue, 06 May 2014 22:24:10 -0400

As long as they're not proposing to me, I'm ok with it.
Then again...it's nice to get proposed to every once in a while...

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 6 at 2014 10:56 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 May 2014 22:56:57 -0400

I was on an escort detail in Bagram. I had anywhere from 5-7 afghani guys with me, to escort to and from their place of work. They were difficult, and I was constantly telling them to not wander off. I had no real issue with them, they acted like children with selective hearing honestly. The only time I took serious issue is when one of them had a bad habit of getting too close to me and constantly touching my IOTV. It was more than curiosity, he was attempting to be confrontational and difficult. I made sure he stopped doing that, it only took one corrective action and a few words and he stayed his distance from then on.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made May 6 at 2014 11:58 PM

1SG Michael Blount — Tue, 06 May 2014 23:58:59 -0400

SSG - how did you get the situation resolved? Hopefully, your chain of command intervened and put a halt to that crap. We have enough problems without inventing them.

Response by Maj Chris Nelson made May 7 at 2014 9:16 AM

Maj Chris Nelson — Wed, 07 May 2014 09:16:22 -0400

I was deployed to Afghanistan from July 2010 to Apr 2011. the second 1/2 to 2/3 of my deployment was acting as an instructor/mentor to the Afghan Army School of Nursing. We had 36 students. The first ever Physician Assistant program had 100 students (to start). I also worked extensively with an interpreter and some of the Afghan nurses and med techs that were also learning how to be teachers. Their way of life is different. If they have a willingness to learn, they can be engaged quite easily. Herding cats can also happen, but with a good stern lecture explaining the expectations, this can be corrected. This was probably one of my BEST deployments in my military career.

Response by CPT Marc Serrá made May 7 at 2014 10:51 AM

CPT Marc Serrá — Wed, 07 May 2014 10:51:46 -0400

I worked as a contractor in the Stan for a while supervising numerous Host Country Nationals. Most were good workers (considering the pay differential they were getting compared to normal local salary...they didn't last long if they weren't), but you did have to watch out for the cultural differences....

We had one local who had worked for various contractors on FOB for about seven years, was in a supervisory role, acted as our translator for all briefings..in other words, he'd had a spectacular career so far. Then he stabbed a co-worker in the face with his pen for accidentally running into him. S2, obviously, removed his post privileges, and we were trying to explain to him what he did wrong as we escorted him off FOB. His culture had no problem with stabbing someone in retribution and he simply couldn't understand why he was in trouble. His response to our explanation....'but I didn't use a knife!'

Response by SGT Donald Croswhite made Mar 3 at 2019 3:11 AM

SGT Donald Croswhite — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 03:11:28 -0500

My supply sergeant was in the Iraqi army before he immigrating. He was one of the best guys I met in the service. Actions are more important than a bias of birth place.