Ind. Guard Unit To Help Afghan Farmers

[livvy]

Ind. Guard Unit To Help Afghan Farmers

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Dec 11, 2008 18:21:26 EST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A 60-soldier Indiana National Guard unit is preparing for a mission to Afghanistan — not to keep the peace, but to help Afghan farmers boost production.

Members of the 1-19th Agribusiness Development Team visited Purdue University last month to learn the finer points of irrigation, crop production, pest management, soils, livestock management and agribusiness techniques.

This week, they’re in Bloomington, wrapping up language and culture training sessions hosted by Indiana University’s Center for Languages of the Central Asian Region.

They’re also learning Pashto, one of two languages spoken in Khowst Province in far eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.

The unit will deploy early next year to Khowst Province on a mission that unit member Col. Brian Copes calls “the best of both worlds as a soldier.”

more...


http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_indguard_afghanfarm_121108/%2e

[jwirr]

1. Hopefully they will be using sustainable methods or it is a waste of time. nt

[Posteritatis]

2. See, this sounds too much like an idea that makes sense

Clearly the entire story is a fabrication! ;)