AIWFC conducted a webcast on 17 December presented by Major Fernando Lujan, currently assigned as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) with a focus on counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense and counterterrorism. He is an Army Special Forces officer and is serving in the Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands program where he rotates between duty in Afghanistan and assignments teaching, writing, and informing policy. During the presentation, MAJ Lujan described the AfPak Hands program and the reasons it was developed, first of which was to improve continuity of US/Coalition forces with Afghan partners. ISAF was also seeking to fix the lack of truth about the situation “on the ground” with US/coalition units and in the Afghan military/civil government. ISAF created the Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team – Afghanistan to act as a directed telescope for the ISAF Commander. CAAT-A members would also act as coaches/mentors/facilitators for US and Afghan units. MAJ Lujan discussed other topics to include a phenomenon he described as “the resource curse;” reasons for increased green-on-blue incidents; Afghans in the Lead; and the success of the Village Stability Operations/Afghan Local Police program. MAJ Lujan concluded the webcast with a robust question and answer period.
Download the summary, slideshow and other webcast products here.
