“Hi, my name is Casey and I’m an AfPaK Hand.” A hand raises in the back of the room, “what’s an AfPak Hand?” I’ve heard this question many times in the last two years. Honestly, before I volunteered for the program, I didn’t know what it was either. Despite the talk that it’s a dead-end or career-ending program, I see it differently. Based on my personal experiences, I feel that the AfPak Hand program is giving me the necessary tools to address the security challenges the military will face in the coming decade.
During his 5 March 2014 testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, the CENTCOM commander used the words ‘partner’ 78 times, ‘engage’ 19 times, and ‘security cooperation’ 14 times. His vision of the future will require our Army to operate in an environment characterized by engagement, partnership, and security cooperation.
Regional alignment along with recent experiences of teams from 2d ABCT, 1st Infantry Division supporting AFRICOM, provide us with multiple examples of missions our military will likely encounter in the near future. These missions require leaders to be able to define problem sets, build consensus, and inform rather than influence. These are the exact skills sets that AfPak Hands develop while in the program.
Who are AfPak Hands?
AfPak Hands are a group of officers and senior NCOs from the joint community who are educated to be subject matter experts (SME) on Afghan and Pakistani culture and language. We are imbedded throughout ISAF (with a few in Pakistan). Our objective is to serve as the connective tissue for different ministries, levels of government, and militaries by connecting and empathizing with our local national counterparts. Upon entering the program, we receive four months of language training in Dari, Pashto, or Urdu. The language is meant to be an ice-breaker with counterparts and not replace interpreters. In order to develop our expertise, we must also conduct a rigorous self-study program outside of language class, to soak-in culture, local politics, current events, history, tribal relations, geography, and more.
During my first deployment I was a liaison between Regional Command East (RC-E) and the 11 Corps, Pakistan Army. My primary task was sharing near-border operations between US, Afghan, and Pakistani units in order prevent cross-border incidents. Our goal was to work ourselves out of a job by developing the Af-Pak military relationship. After redeploying, we complete an out-of-theater (OOT) assignment with CENTCOM, Joint Staff, or Army Staff. Some Hands have the opportunity to attend the National Defense University or request temporary release to attend a service ILE. Following the OOT assignment, Hands return for additional four months of language training before our second deployment.
A Broadening Experience
This is truly a broadening experience and Hands can work on projects ranging from the tactical to strategic. For example, I worked closely with the State Department and CENTCOM’s Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan (ODRP) along with my higher headquarters in RC-E. I’ve also been able to focus my energies on learning a specific culture. This is the first time in twelve years that I’ve been able to concentrate on a single area for any period of time. Normally an Armor officer is a jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none, but I can focus my reading, research, and discussions all in a specific region allowing me to truly understand the culture and recognize their point of view.
Only self-starters need apply. Unfortunately, many units don’t know the best way to use their Hands. My goal was to be the Pakistan specialist for my commander. As a liaison I built a Rolodex of intelligence, current operations, planners, public affairs, adjacent units, and my Pakistani counterparts in order to maximize my job. The job was very independent and mission command driven, at times working with only the commander’s intent.
The Bottom Line
Recent Officer Separation Board statistics show that CPTs and MAJs were hit exceptionally hard. LTC CSL board and OCL promotion rates were also hampered. Without knowing the complete picture, my experience tells me this isn’t related to the program, but to the caliber of officer that was assigned to it. I can’t predict how the rest of my experience will turn out. All I can do is take advantage of this unique experience, work hard in each billet, and take what I learned back to my formation when I get the opportunity to serve as a S3 or XO. While some folks crinkle their nose at the program because it’s different, I appreciate its irreplaceable value and different points of view.