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George, nice post!
I fully agree with you, we are looking for effects, and you've laid out nicely how effects can most effectively be provided, including cognizance of the ever-present requirement to make the personal link with those you are trying to assist. Last Eid (al-Fitr), I and a couple of other guys did a little tour around the outskirts of Kabul in the Cruiser...came through many little villages to the South and North. You'd me amazed at the smiles, greetings and the impression I believed that we left using just a few words of greeting in Dari that we gleaned from liaising with AFG gov't folks during regular ops. Nothing can replace the face to face interaction and experiences built with a respectful meeting between folks. The most lasting impression for me was having a small Corolla wagon stuffed with about 8-10 young Afghan teens drive by during Eid...they were probably wondering what was up coming around the corner of the little track in the Wahdi and almost (well not quite) scraping bumpers with a few 6'+ Canadian soldiers in PPE dismounted taking pics of the local area. About 20 minutes after our initial Dari greetings, "Eid mubarak! Che thourastee? Khub khubastee?" and the wide smiles that cracked over the fellows' faces, both groups were on their way with, I'd like to think, a greater appreciation of each other. This is something that no helicopter (eek, dare I actually say this as an aviator ) could achieve, nor racing through streets in a HUMVEE, LAV, RG-31, etc.... I'm one air force officer who fully agrees that there is absolutely no replacement for boots (said respectfully) on the ground!!! BV-206 (optimized for taking rocks in the tracks, etc...) would very nicely fit in as a patrol vehicle in many theatres.
2 more ¢...
Cheers,
Duey
I fully agree with you, we are looking for effects, and you've laid out nicely how effects can most effectively be provided, including cognizance of the ever-present requirement to make the personal link with those you are trying to assist. Last Eid (al-Fitr), I and a couple of other guys did a little tour around the outskirts of Kabul in the Cruiser...came through many little villages to the South and North. You'd me amazed at the smiles, greetings and the impression I believed that we left using just a few words of greeting in Dari that we gleaned from liaising with AFG gov't folks during regular ops. Nothing can replace the face to face interaction and experiences built with a respectful meeting between folks. The most lasting impression for me was having a small Corolla wagon stuffed with about 8-10 young Afghan teens drive by during Eid...they were probably wondering what was up coming around the corner of the little track in the Wahdi and almost (well not quite) scraping bumpers with a few 6'+ Canadian soldiers in PPE dismounted taking pics of the local area. About 20 minutes after our initial Dari greetings, "Eid mubarak! Che thourastee? Khub khubastee?" and the wide smiles that cracked over the fellows' faces, both groups were on their way with, I'd like to think, a greater appreciation of each other. This is something that no helicopter (eek, dare I actually say this as an aviator ) could achieve, nor racing through streets in a HUMVEE, LAV, RG-31, etc.... I'm one air force officer who fully agrees that there is absolutely no replacement for boots (said respectfully) on the ground!!! BV-206 (optimized for taking rocks in the tracks, etc...) would very nicely fit in as a patrol vehicle in many theatres.
2 more ¢...
Cheers,
Duey