NG to help Afghan farmers

**ABN5-0** · 09-14-2008, 11:17 AM

It'll be intersting to see how this works out.

Indiana National Guard to Help Afghan Farmers
New Guard unit will try to nudge farmers to crops other than opium poppies
By Eric Berman
9/12/2008

64 Indiana National Guard members head for Afghanistan in December to help Afghan farmers grow something instead of opium poppies.

Afghanistan's poppy fields are a cornerstone of both the country's economy and the international drug trade. Indiana is one of five states assembling Guard units with agricultural experience to help wean farmers off poppies and help them find alternatives.

"Going in there and eradicating poppies (means) they can't feed their families, and we create an enemy while we're trying to create a friend," says Indiana Adjutant General Martin Umbarger.

Instead, he says, "agribusiness development teams" from Indiana, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee and Missouri will assist farmers with tasks from soil science to pest management.

Umbarger says Afghanistan had productive farms until the Soviet invasion nearly 30 years ago. He says the Indiana team will stay for a year, then give way to a fresh group of Indiana Guard members.

The Indiana troops will be stationed in Khost province, just across the border from Pakistan. 35 of the 64 troops will be in charge of security for the rest of the unit.

**Jumpmaster_AJ** · 09-14-2008, 12:57 PM

This isn't the first element to go over to A-stan with this mission. We trained a group last year.

italyjumper · 09-14-2008, 01:24 PM

Just hope these guys coordinate well with the parent unit that owns their battlespace. There is nothing like people rolling through your battlespace without prior coordinations...