Quiet Demise of the Human Terrain System

The Human Terrain Teams or HTTs deployed to Afghanistan did some great work; at least in my view - having spent parts of every year from 2010-2014 in Afghanistan. Like all new programs rapidly put together (funding, organization, recruitment, training, and employment) there were some early problems. In addition, anthropologists went into a huge panic causing a lack of support in the public arena. However, the HTTs soon proved their worth to brigade and battalion commanders in the fight. While some critics point out the errors of the HTS they seem to recognize the need for an organization that fulfills the function of the HTS. Read more in "The Quiet Demise of the Army's Plan to Understand Afghanistan and Iraq", by Vanessa Gezari, The New York Times Magazine, August 18, 2015.