Soldiers help Afghan farmers.

[SIMPLYB1980]

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-08-22/soldiers_help_afghan_farmers

"When Col. Eric Peck's soldiers teach farmers in Afghanistan how to improve their crops, the uniform of the day is green digital camouflage fatigues, rifles and body armor.

The Kansas National Guard soldiers in Peck's Agribusiness Development Team are on a mission to help farmers in mountainous eastern Afghanistan in Laghman Province. But they are in a combat zone, where the enemy can't tell the difference between American soldiers riding along a road on a combat mission and Peck's unit traveling between farms and the forward operating base his team lives in.

American soldiers in uniform all look the same to the enemy, Peck said."

[SIMPLYB1980]

1. Why the unrec?

[Texasgal]

2. what do you think?

there simply cannot be anything good happening in Afghanistan!!

[SIMPLYB1980]

3. Oh well your opinion.

:shrug:

[Texasgal]

7. I was being faceious...

:shrug:

[SIMPLYB1980]

13. Sorry about that.

:spank:

[wuushew]

4. Stop spamming

There are two good Afghan threads already up before you started and instead of numerous quips and additional pro-Afghanistan justifications I would like you to simply answer what the mission is who the enemy is. You incorrectly critize posters that have big beefs with Amerikan foreign policy. It has been expensive in both blood and treasure.

[SIMPLYB1980]

5. I'll post whatever I want and none of that is spam.

I would say news on what our soldiers are up to is an important topic.

[RetroLounge]

6. Proudly unrec'd

:puke:

RL

[proteus_lives]

10. Why?

[RetroLounge]

12. Because this war is already lost

and helping some farmers does not make it worthwhile.

OP is spamming GD today trying to justify this war.

This does not justify it.

RL

[proteus_lives]

14. OP aside, I don't approve because I want to justify the war.

I approve because I like to see US soldiers helping people.

[Cerridwen]

8. Ya see, this is the kind of thing I think our troops could and should

be the best at.

Members of the unit's agricultural section either have a degree in agribusiness or have worked in their area of expertise.

The team works directly with many Afghan farmers, as well as local elders, provincial and district government officials, and local businesses in agriculture. The ADT mainly is teaching methods of tilling, planting, irrigation and harvesting. Team members also test soil, check water, survey watersheds, work with local veterinarians on animal health, train on plant production techniques and conduct extension courses.

The ADT is developing a research and demonstration farm with the director of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (DAIL), the Afghan equivalent of the state secretary of agriculture, to determine what grows well before introducing it to local farmers. The team also has established demonstration plots where the Afghan farmer does the work using American techniques, supplies and equipment.

Aid to the Afghan farmers also reaches back to Kansas State, which is a "huge resource" for the team, Peck said.

Imagine US troops travelling around the world (and maybe the National Guard in the US) helping to train and educate those populations who could use our experience in education, agriculture, engineering, infrastructure, etc. to build rather than destroy. To help rather than to kill.

I bet the vets wouldn't have such high instances of PTSD and missing body parts.

Oh well. I'm one o' them loony dreamer types.

[SIMPLYB1980]

9. I agree more of this would be a good idea.

:thumbsup:

[proteus_lives]

11. Good!

I'm glad that our soldiers are helping out.