Emerging Missions Na t i o n a l G u a r d s m e n h a v e a unique blend of civilian and military skills. It is this dual, CitizenSoldier nature and temperament of Guardsmen which allows them to be so effective when conducting missions. A Guardsman not only provides combatant commanders with a trained military professional but, as a bonus, Guardsmen bring a myriad of civilian skills and experiences to the battlefield. The National Guard has conducted missions in Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, and Central America for over two decades and is heavily involved in the warfight in Afghanistan.
Agribusiness Development Teams Agribusiness Development Teams (ADTs) are a collaborative effort of the Network Science Center at West Point (NSC), and the National Guard Bureau’s ADT Mission. The Army National Guard has employed the ADT concept successfully in Central America for approximately 20 years. The National Guard Bureau has completed significant planning to provide the Coalition Joint Task Force (CJTF) commander with a resource to favorably impact the agribusiness sector, and the ADT so far has been ver y well received and has been very busy passing along agricultural knowledge, providing security forces (SECFOR), and hard work as well. The Georgia ADTs are composed of Army National Guard Soldiers and Airmen with backgrounds and expertise in various sectors of the
The State Partnership Program, agribusiness development teams and training and reconstruction teams are excellent examples of the National Guard using civilian skills to support the geographical combatant commanders’ theater campaign plans. Helping civilian populations through noncombat initiatives is nothing new to the Georgia National Gu ard. In t he War on Te r ror, Guardsmen have helped Iraqis and Afghans improve infrastructure, advance law enforcement, bring utilities to towns and villages, and enhance relationships with local leaders. For example, as 2013 came to a close, Georgia Guard engineers used their military and engineering skills to make the roads safer in Afghanistan. The 1230th Transportation Company was one of the last Coalition units
in Kunduz, Afghanistan prior to the transfer of authority to the civil authorities in the region. Last year, Guardsmen with the 560th BFSB traveled literally halfway around the world to mentor the Malaysian Army in peacekeeping operations. Three agribusiness development teams have deployed to Afghanistan to teach the farmers t h e re s u s t ai n ab l e a g r i c u ltu r a l techniques. Our 18- year State Partnership Program with the nation of Georgia continues, as that country became the largest non-NATO contributor to the fight in Afghanistan. Georgia’s Guardsmen have proven themselves repeatedly in combat as well as in humanitarian and domestic response missions. They consistently perform at the professional level that the state and nation expects.
agribusiness field and have been formed to provide training and advice to Afghan universities, provincial ministries, and local farmers. ADT members also bring personal ties and relationships that allow them to leverage the assets and expertise of Land Grant Universities (LGUs) and Cooperative Extension Services within their home state. The ADT undertook and completed projects to improve the expertise of Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) employees and the general knowledge of farmers in the area. Specific areas of expertise and experience for the ADT members include agriculture (traditional farming), horticulture (orchards and v i ne yards) , p e st management, irrigation, animal h u s b a n d r y, f o o d p r o c e s s i n g , marketing, agricultural engineering, soil science, ice production, and storage. The Georgia National Guard committed to a three-year obligation
to provide ADTs in Afghanistan. The first of these deployed for southeastern Afghanistan in the spring of 2011. The majority of the service members come from the 201st Regional Support Group and t he 2 6 5 t h R eg i ona l Support Group. In preparation for that deployment, the Georgia Guardsmen have used the new language lab at Clay National Guard center to improve their understanding of the Pashto and Dari languages used in Afghanistan. The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences provided additional agriculture training and technical expertise at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. The Ga. ADT III completed the last ADT mission for Georgia in November 2013. They conducted 211 missions across northern Helmand Province to include agriculture, pest management, and veterinary training with district and provincial staff, plus developed an agricultural radio program to reach remote communities.
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