Marines (hopefully) learn more than "hello" in Pashto

North Carolina military school teaches rudimentary language skills to troops going to Afghanistan.

By Sara Schonhardt
Published: June 14, 2009 09:29 ET
Page 3 of 3

“We’re going back to the ways we won wars before,” said Paz, speaking about a shift in training that focused on fighting in cities in Iraq to the more open warfare tactics needed in Afghanistan.

Helping to train the Afghan army and police and sharing information with local leaders is also part of the counterinsurgency strategy.

“We’re providing security so other organizations can come in and build roads and build up the economy,” said Maj. Thomas Garnett, part of 2/8’s central leadership. He believes access to jobs and improved infrastructure will boost support for the government, which will lead long-term stability.

Many of the soldiers at Lejeune recognize the difficulty of protecting hard to reach pockets of the country.

“The American people want to see success, and there’s no way to make that happen without the added personnel to see it through,” said Harris, one of the few men in Echo Company 2/8 who has already served in the country. While most of the troops have undergone two or three deployments already, Afghanistan is new territory for nearly 85 percent of the battalion.

The Marines receive general combat training regardless of where they will be fighting, but unlike Harris’ first mission, the troops have had more time to prepare and focus on drills geared specifically toward conditions in Afghanistan.

Pashto lessons are at the heart of the longer training period, but one week of language instruction is not enough to teach the Marines more than the most basic phrases. Petty Officer 2nd Class Dennis Kadel said Pashto was a difficult language and the class was disorganized, which made it hard to stay focused.

Adding to that difficulty is the anxiety most Marines feel about their deployment. Few are used to having so much time on base after receiving their assignments. Petty Officer Kadel had only two weeks to prepare for his first deployment to Iraq, and even after arriving in Afghanistan Harris said he remembers feeling isolated and cut off from what was happening with other units stationed in the country.

 Garnett hopes the emphasis on language, improved leadership and communication will not only benefit the troops, but also the Afghan people’s understanding of why more soldiers are entering their villages. With Afghanistan growing increasingly volatile, he understands the anxiety among the troops but said success comes from knowing you’ve been adequately prepared.

“It’s not a natural thing to ask anybody to go do this, and we try not to make light of it ever,” Garnett said. “Trust in your training and those around you. The better we’re prepared the more success we’ll have.”

More GlobalPost dispatches about Afghanistan:

Afghanistan's presidential contenders

Spurned by the US, Karzai eyes Russia

Last call in Kabul

 


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