Afghan Hand Describes His Job Advising Kabul Chief of Police

LTC Steve Heffington, an Air Force officer and Afghan Hand, describes in this short video his job as an advisor to the Kabul former Police Chief General Salangi. Heffington spent the past year working alongside General Salangi, helping him on ways to modernize his police force. The relationship they built up extended far beyond work. View the video here at "The Afghan Hand", NATO TV, February 10, 2014.

Afghan Hand Advises Director of Kandahar International Airport

Photo by 1SG Mary Williams

Over the past three years the Afghan Hands program has provided culturally skilled advisors to a variety of organizations within the Afghan military. However, this program works beyond just the Afghan National Security Forces. For example, one Afghan Hand provides training, advice, and assistance to the director of the Kandahar International Airport. Read the story of how this advisor does his job and helps the airport in Kandahar improve its capability and performance. See "Afghan Hand formed partnership works for Kandahar airport", DVIDS, December 24, 2013.

RSOI for Afghan Hands in Afghanistan

The military has an excellent program that has been around for a couple of years which provides Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for deployment to key positions in Afghanistan. These Afghan Hands receive language and cultural training in the United States prior to their deployment. Their training does not stop there - it continues upon their arrival in country (Afghanistan). This training is called RSOI for Reception Staging Onward-movement and Integration. Part of the RSOI training for the Afghan Hands is use of firearms on the range. View a DVIDS video that explains this in greater detail at the link below.

www.dvidshub.net/video/282973/afghan-hands-part-2-long-version

Afghan Hands Program Receive Months of Language and Specialized Training

The Afghan Hands program has proven itself to be one of the most successful endeavors in Afghanistan. Selected members of the U.S. military forces are entered into an intensive language and cultural training program in the U.S. and then deploy to Afghanistan for one-year to work with Afghan counterparts. View a recent video (Feb 13) about the Afghan Hands who are selected to work with the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan (SOJTF-A) at the link below:

www.dvidshub.net/video/282499/afghan-hands-part-1-full-story

Afghan Hands Program - Doing Something Right, Although Way too Late!

One of the programs the Department of Defense has started is called the Afghan Hands Program.  This is an attempt to identify, train, and deploy a select group of officers and NCOs to Afghanistan on a recurring basis.  The Soldiers commit to a five-year program and become Afghan subject matter experts (SMEs).  The individuals in the program study culture, language, and counterinsurgency in D.C before their deployment.  Upon the completion of their deployment they return to D.C to continue their studies and work with a focus on Afghanistan.  Unfortunately, the program was started about eight years too late.  Read a couple of articles that explain a little bit about this program at the links below:

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=61087

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125479517717366539.html

Afghan Hands Program

A select number of service members are learning how to become experts in Afghan culture through the Afghan Hands Program.  The one-year old program selects personnel to study language, culture and counterinsurgency and then go to Afghanistan for a one-year tour.  Personnel are in the program for five years and will likely serve at least two of the five years in Afghanistan.

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=61087