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Iowa ADT intern program in Afghanistan

U.S. Air Force Captain Peter Shinn, Forward Operating Base Wright, Afghanistan has our story:

Members of the Iowa National Guard’s 734th Agribusiness Development Team in Kunar Province Afghanistan are planning an upcoming field day with their agricultural interns, young Afghan ag professionals who are carrying the Iowa ADT’s message to rank-and-file farmers here. U.S. Army Maj. Dwayne Eden of Wesley, Iowa runs the ag internship program for the ADT.

“It is working out excellent. They know agriculture and the Afghan way, and they can speak with the local farmers.”

The ag interns, Abdul Wali and Said Obaidullah, both speak passable English as well, and have undergraduate degrees in agriculture from Nangarhar University in Jalalabad. But Obaidullah says working with the ADT has given him invaluable practical agricultural experience.

“I am very happy, sir, because I get more experience from the ADT team. I can able to learn more than.”

For Abdul Wali, working with the ADT means working for the future of his country.

“I like agriculture for to development of Afghanistan. This is main point: when the country have agriculture land, this country is very development.”

The ADT’s project manager for the Chowkay District is U.S. Army 1st Lt. Scott Shirk of Emmetsburg, Iowa. He says the ag internship program has no downside.

“It’s a win-win for both the ADT and the interns. And then also it’s a win for the Afghan farmers, you know, able to increase their knowledge from the training that we’re conducting.”

Another major upside of the ag internship program is how it has changed the opinion of the interns about Americans. Abdul Wali says that change has been dramatic.

“I say when I don’t work with the ADT team and American people, I think, ‘He’s very liar, not honest.’ When I come here, this is for my surprise, he’s a very honest man.”

The opinion of young Afghan men like Abdul Wali and Said Obaidullah about the U.S. is vitally important, says U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Don Kuehl of Jackson, Minnesota, the ADT’s project manager for the Sarkani District.

“The future of Afghanistan is actually in these young men’s hands right now. If this country is to succeed, it’s going to be because of young men like Said and Abdul.”