As a Marine, Lou Hamilton was trained to destroy things. Now, as a civilian advisor to the Afghan Ministry of Interior, his mission is to build--specifically to build the Afghans' capacity for self-governance, in preparation for the eventual drawdown of U.S. forces from their country. Hamilton is on a year-long assignment as the Senior Civilian Advisor to the Finance Chief of the Afghan Uniform Police in the Ministry of Interior, through the Ministry of Defense Advisors (MoDA) program. MoDA, which aims to guide and advise the Afghan Ministries of Defense and Interior to self-sufficiency, was developed
in response to operational requirements in Afghanistan and Iraq, where defense capacity-building efforts focused heavily on improving the tactical proficiency of security forces. MoDA, by contrast, provides ministerial capacity building to sustain Coalition Forces' hard-won tactical gains.
The MoDA program deployed its first group of advisors to Afghanistan in July 2010.
Hamilton has been in the capital city of Kabul since June 2011. The 41-yearold, a native of Orange City, FL, is the youngest member of his MoDA advisory team. He brings to the job 16 years in the Marines--six years on active duty and 10 in the Marine Corps Reserve--and 15 years as a DoD civilian, the past seven working for the Army; his parent command is Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). As a Marine, Hamilton deployed to Iraq for Operation Desert Storm, but this is the first time he has deployed to Afghanistan and his first deployment as a civilian.
ANSWERING THE CALL
It took only one phone call to persuade Hamilton that he wanted to be working in theater, supporting the U.S. military operations. "I was listening to a conference call with Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Robert [F.] Hale in 2010, when he said there was a shortage of acquisition types in theater, specifically contract specialists and financial analysts. I knew then I wanted to get involved. I was tired of sitting at my desk and hearing about things 'over there.' I thought my time as a Marine and my experience as an acquisition professional could do a lot of good. Plus, I wasn't getting any younger." Of the 114 résumés, including Hamilton's, that the MoDA program received for its third class, only 40 people were
selected to participate in the preparation activities, and 25 were chosen for deployment.
Hamilton brought to the assignment an understanding of Afghan tactics and language. The intensive, seven-week MoDA training course expanded on his knowledge with classroom briefings from top military, diplomatic, political, and industry experts on topics such as insurgency and counterinsurgency; role-playing exercises in negotiating, advising, and mentoring; practice in using a weapon and responding to roadside bombs; and an introduction to Afghan culture and customs. "It wasn't easy transitioning into 'civilian mode' when I got here," Hamilton said. "I am and always will be a Marine, so I had to make the conscious effort to dial things down a bit. Instead of taking the hill myself, I have to ensure my Afghan counterpart understands the strategic importance of the hill: why the hill has to be taken, figuring out how to properly request the resources to take the hill, and assessing the risk associated with taking the hill."
'SHOULDER TO SHOULDER'
Living conditions in Kabul are "very, very austere," Hamilton said, with equally harsh summers and winters. "But even in our conditions, we are living way better than some of the Marines and Soldiers
out there. At least I sleep with a roof over my head every night, and not in a fighting hole somewhere."
The advisors travel in armored SUVs, he said, and "we are constantly monitoring the threats to us. We are targeted constantly by the Taliban, al-Qaida, and the Haqqani [insurgent network], so we are very, very careful when we conduct movements around the city." Tensions escalated in late February in the
wake of the accidental burning of Qurans by NATO personnel on Feb. 20. On Feb. 25, an Afghan policeman shot and killed Lt Col John D. Loftis and MAJ Robert J. Marchanti II, who were working at the Ministry of Interior. As a result, the daily routine fundamentally changed for advisors, who were prohibited from being alone with the Afghans they are advising.
The biggest challenge of Hamilton's new assignment isn't physical, however. It is bureaucratic, he said. "We impose so many rules and restrictions on ourselves that it sometimes hinders our progress with the Afghans. The 'good idea fairy' is rampant, and most of the people implementing policy aren't on the ground with us. It's frustrating because once you build rapport with your Afghan counterpart, and you see the struggles they go through every day, it's hard to tell them you can't meet with them because of a piece of paper." Hamilton invoked the Dari phrase "Shohna ba shohna"--shoulder to shoulder--which the NATO Training Mission -- Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command -- Afghanistan has adopted as a motto. "Sometimes I think we forget that," he said. There are tremendous rewards in supporting the Afghans' progress toward self-sufficiency, he said, and camaraderie among the advisors is strong. "The Afghans truly want a better country. They don't want the Taliban back in power; they just don't have the means to keep them out. Hopefully with our mentoring, advising, and training, they will gain the self-sufficiency needed to ensure the Taliban stays out forever, and they can progress as a country and live in peace."
His advisory team, composed of U.S. and Canadian military personnel, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and a variety of contractors, works well together, Hamilton said. "It has truly been an honor working with, and getting to know, these professionals."
MOTIVATED FOR MORE
For Hamilton, the rewards of advising the Afghans outweigh the obstacles, and now he is hoping to extend his assignment beyond his scheduled departure in June. "PEO STRI has been nothing but
supportive of my deployment and possible extension. It's great working for a command with leadership that supports their employees 100 percent," he said. There is simply more work to be done, he said. "This is a marathon, not a sprint. This mission will continue long after I have departed. My goal is to carry the baton as far as I can, so I can hand it off to the next advisor who replaces me." Having formed strong friendships with his Afghan counterparts, Hamilton said, "I will not leave this country unless I feel I've done everything in my power to help them get them ready for a full transition, ensuring they have the enduring institutional capacity to enable accountable, Afghan-led security."
To others who might want to join the MoDA program, he had these words of advice: "You need to be in relatively good health and understand that, regardless of your rank and position back home, you will be an advisor on the ground out here." Of the many different ages, types, and backgrounds represented in the MoDA program, "what unites us all is that we are strong willed and truly want to make a difference. … They are true patriots who are sacrificing their safety to help others." Heightened tensions in Afghanistan will make it harder for the capacity-building efforts to move forward, Hamilton said. "But we won't be scared off by the threats and attacks by the Taliban. We will stay and complete the mission. … The more civilians who answer the call, the quicker the military can get home to their families."
The MoDA program has trained five classes of advisors to date, with two more classes scheduled for training and deployment in 2012. Currently there are more than 60 civilians on the ground in Afghanistan. Deployments are for a year, with the possibility of extending for another year. Participants are in grades GS-13 and higher and bring with them 20 years of experience, on average. They receive Post Differential Pay and Danger Pay. For more information,
go to http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2011/0211_moda and http://modatraining.com
MARGARET C. ROTH is the Senior Editor of Army AL&T Magazine. She holds a B.A. in Russian language and linguistics from the University of Virginia. Roth has more than a decade of experience in writing about the Army and more than two decades' experience in journalism and public relations.
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