Members from the Army Irregular Warfare Center located at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. partnered with five addition agencies to facilitate the seminar and said their main purpose is to support units deploying to Afghanistan.
"We provide a weeklong interactive seminar, tailored to the unit according to their mission, deployment location, level of experience, and commander's intent," said Lt. Col. Mark Ulrich, a native of West Hartford, Conn., and Seminar Chief assigned to AIWFC.
During the first two days, leaders took part in group discussions focusing on the Afghanistan population and causes of instabilities in their environment, discussions gradually shifted into environmental threats.
Ulrich continued to say, "The way we want to attack the problem is to first understand the problem."
Days three through five consisted of small group discussions focusing on solutions to issues this unit may encounter while deployed.
Deploying as a Security Force Assistances Brigade puts 2BCT in an advisory position where mind set is key to success.
"Mind set, not skill, set is key to a more successful advisory deployment, Halo and Scuba will not help you," said Ulrich. "How to interact with the local population, how to advise, how to understand an irregular threat is what will help you accomplish your mission."
Native of Fredericksburg, Va. 1st Lt. Kurt A. Carlson, Fire Directions Officer for Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 15 Field Artillery, said "The seminar really highlights the rewards of being in an advisory position."
Carlson continued to say that it helped him get into the advisory mind set.
"We should be mimicking a lot of what they do, eat, and how they train, really let them take the lead and set the pace."
The seminar ended and Lt. Col. Ulrich closed with, "We are now an annex of your unit, if you need to reach back to us you can."
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