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67-453: Samangan province is divided into 7 districts and contains 674 villages. It has a population of about 325,000 [1] which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. The city of Aybak serves as the provincial capital. In 2021, the Taliban gained control of the province during the 2021 Taliban offensive . The earliest known history of the province is linked to the identification of

134-583: A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the province. After getting training by ISAF , the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are providing security for the population of the province. The province has a fairly good security situation, with the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) reporting a calm and stable condition. However, on 15 February 2011 an ISAF peacekeeper from Finland

201-459: A midwifery course. The percentage of households with clean drinking water increased from 7% in 2005 to 18% in 2011. The percentage of births attended to by a skilled birth attendant fell from 29% in 2005 to 20% in 2011. The overall literacy rate (6+ years of age) increased from 19% in 2005 to 27% in 2011. The overall net enrolment rate (6–13 years of age) increased from 37% in 2005 to 47% in 2011. Owing to its relative isolation, Samangan province

268-538: A US-led PRT, this generally included a representative from USAID , the Department of State , the Department of Agriculture , and the Department of Justice . They were assisted by public diplomacy and reporting staff. The PRTs were the primary civil-military relations tool in Afghanistan and Iraq and have been described as "'a means to extend the reach and enhance the legitimacy of the central government'" into

335-421: A literacy rate of only 3%, that too among men only. The province has 159 primary and secondary schools with attendance of 59,915 students; 83% of schools are boys' schools with 68% students. While the village schools are within easy reach, the high schools are generally about 10 km away from the villages. Agriculture and some small scale mining are the main industries of the province. Economic condition of

402-795: A number of districts currently recognized by the Afghan government, and some others that are popularly, but not officially, recognized. Either majority Tajik or majority Pashtun Provincial Reconstruction Team A Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) was a unit introduced by the United States government , consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in early 2002, and were used in Iraq as well. While

469-458: A relationship has largely been anecdotal. Empirical studies on aid worker insecurity in Afghanistan have failed to show a statistically significant relationship between attacks on NGOs and their proximity to the military in general and PRTs specifically. Watts (2004) did not find evidence indicating heightened aid worker insecurity in provinces where the US military was present. Similarly, Mitchell (2015)

536-509: A time. The training took anywhere from six weeks to three months. After returning from an international conference in Munich in mid-February 2011, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused foreign reconstruction teams of undermining efforts to build up the state's institutions, and said they would have to go as Afghan forces take over security. "Afghanistan clearly explained its viewpoint on Provincial Reconstruction Teams and structures parallel to

603-577: A unit prior to deployment. There was no lead agency or department; the US government civilians and the military commander form an executive committee of equals which developed a strategy for the PRT, drawing on the expertise of all contributing agencies. By 2009, the military still dominated the role within PRTs as only three to four civilians were posted to each team of eighty to two hundred and fifty personnel. The lack of civilian personnel civilian executive agencies

670-437: Is a major issue since nearly 12% of the population receive less than the minimum daily caloric intake to sustain good health. Food consumption is poor in both rural and urban areas and as a result food aid has become essential. From the security angle, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) has reported security situation in the province calm and stable. Marble export sustains Afghan economy. The marble

737-479: Is available to 7% of households (falls to a low of 4% in rural areas). However, some drinking water facility is available in some form to about 71% of households. Still many households have to travel for long hours to the nearest source of water. Electricity supply is minimal, limited to only about 5% of the population with 80% supplied from government sources. The transport sector is still underdeveloped. Only 28% of roads are good for use by motorized traffic throughout

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804-552: Is extracted and processed in 21 factories in the country, including the famous brown marble from Samangan province. This adds to the economy of the province. The economy revolves around agriculture, with farmers in Samangan province cultivating grains, fruits, and nuts on the region's fertile river plains. The province of Samangan is second only to the northwestern Afghan province of Badghis in terms of pistachio production. As of 2005, 10 Agricultural cooperatives were functioning in

871-428: Is located 3 km to the southwest of Samangan town. It is the location of a stupa-monastery complex which is fully carved into the mountain rock. The monastery of major Buddhist tradition of Theravada Buddhism , has five chambers, two are sanctuaries and one is a domed ceiling with an intricate lotus leaf beautification. In the adjacent hill is the stupa, which has a harmika, with several caves at its base. Above one of

938-512: Is located in northern central Afghanistan, delimited by Baghlan province in the east, Bamyan in the south, Sar-e-Pul in the south-west and Balkh province in the northwest. Samangan encompasses an area of 11218 km2 consisting 59% of mountainous terrain, 21% of semi mountainous terrain, 12% of flat land, 4.8% of semi-flat land and the balance 2.2% is unclassified land. Some parts of the province are characterised by distinctive rolling hills and mountains and rich green valleys. The provincial jurisdiction

1005-538: Is spread over seven administrative districts, with Samangan City as its capital. This town is located on the banks of the Khulm River , in the valley formed below the junction of Hindu Kush mountains and the Central Asian Steppe; the valley has very fertile agricultural land. The highest mountain ranges of the province thus lie to the southwest of the province, southwest of Samangan City. Only 12% of

1072-405: Is underdeveloped with no energy infrastructure and has a high rate of illiteracy, although some students have access to education in neighbouring Mazari Sharif . Educational facilities in the province is at a low level with literacy rate recorded at only 19% for the province as a whole, with 28% literacy rate among men and a low of 10% among women. The Kuchi people are the least literate, recording

1139-860: The International Security Assistance Force . Also, some funding came from USAID; namely under the Community Stabilization Program (CSP); the Local Governance Program (LGP); Community Action Program (CAP); Izdihar Economic Growth Program; and the INMA Agri-business Program. Additional sources were: the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF), the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP)

1206-817: The Iraq War troop surge of 2007 , the number of PRTs was expanded to cover every province in the country. Additionally, ePRTs were rolled out to work with the sub-provincial levels of government. By 2008, there were 31 PRTs, including 13 ePRTs, located throughout Iraq. Beginning in 2008, a PRT including USDA agricultural advisers worked with Iraqi farmers and created the Green Mada'in Association for Agricultural Development , an agricultural cooperative of 800 farmers in Mada'in Qada. The book, We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose

1273-604: The Robotak Pass in Samangan province, approximately 20 miles north of the city of Samangan (100 miles south of Mazar-i-Sharif ) and were executed, later found by local farmers in shallow graves which the Taliban had dug for them. After the removal of the Taliban government in late 2001, the Karzai administration took over control of Afghanistan. In the meantime, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established

1340-654: The 19th and 20th centuries. It remained peaceful for about one hundred years until the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War . After the Afghan Civil War , the town of Darra Souf in Samangan Province was occupied by Ustad Mohammad Mohaqiq and the Taliban in late 1999. The Taliban forces gained control of the area from January to March 2000 including nearby Sar-e-Pol and Baghlan provinces, where they were reported to have massacred an unknown number of civilians. On May 8, 2000, several men from Baghlan were driven up to

1407-610: The 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division provided security in and around the compound. The sole civilian when the PRT became fully operational on February 1, 2003, was Thomas Praster of the State Department. At the end of March, he was joined by US Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Hampton, who worked under contract with the USAID providing overwatch to the rebuilding of schools and medical clinics throughout Paktia , Khost, and Ghazni Provinces . Security

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1474-500: The Afghan government - private security companies and all activities or bodies which are hindering the Afghan government's development and hindering the governance of Afghanistan," he said. Meanwhile, five rocket-propelled grenades hit a newly built South Korean military base in Parwan Province , northern Afghanistan, which housed hundreds of members of Korea's provincial reconstruction team and civilian aid workers. No one

1541-735: The Battle for Iraqi Hearts and Minds , by former PRT Team Leader Peter Van Buren , covers the Green Mada'in and other reconstruction projects in Iraq. PRTs are no longer operative in Iraq. Many NGOs were critical of PRT activity, claiming that the mixture of humanitarian and military operations had "blurred the line" between combatant and civilian. Organizations such as Save the Children, CARE International, and InterAction have all complained that PRTs put aid workers at risk. However, evidence of such

1608-754: The Districts of Samangan (as linked to on the Districts of Afghanistan page) According to Afghanistan's Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development , the province has 674 villages. Districts of Afghanistan The districts of Afghanistan , known as wuleswali ( Pashto : ولسوالۍ , wuləswāləi ; Persian : ولسوالی , wuləswālī ), are secondary-level administrative units, one level below provinces . The Afghan government issued its first district map in 1973. It recognized 325 districts, counting wuleswalis (districts), alaqadaries (sub-districts), and markaz-e-wulaiyat (provincial center districts). In

1675-540: The NATO-led ISAF mission beginning on October 5, 2006 . The training for the majority of the American PRTs took place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina , and was later moved to Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The training was overseen by the 189th Infantry Brigade , which specialized in training PRTs. Other units, including the 158th Infantry Brigade , supported the 189th as it trained the PRTs in groups of twelve at

1742-448: The PRTs was to "enhance their popular legitimacy of the provincial government by developing their capacity to conduct reconstruction and provide effective governance." In order for the civilian population to feel secure the PRTs needed to enhance effectiveness and strength of the provincial government in the area. In order to support the counterinsurgency efforts PRTs built government legitimacy by reconstruction and development to separate

1809-479: The Richter scale, claiming some 6,000 lives along the border with Tajikistan . A series of earthquakes struck nearby Baghlan province on March 3, 2002, killing roughly 1,000 people. In April 2010 at least 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured when a 5.7 magnitude quake at a depth of 10 km struck the province. It damaged some 300 houses and killed hundreds of cattle, causing landslides which blocks some of

1876-669: The Samangan by Aoros Ptolemy as the place of the Varni or Uarni and the fortified city of Samangan on the banks of the Khulm River identical to the Bhaktria regi on the Dargydus river south east of Zariaspa. The ruins found here established the city's founding by Eukratides, the King of Bactria. It was then known as Edrisi the size of the Khulm city. Historicity of the Samangan town dates to

1943-453: The U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. Projects supported by PRTs were created and approved by the ranks of the entire provincial government in Afghanistan. The ability of PRTS to conduct Public diplomacy and their ability to work with the provincial government made counterinsurgency objectives obtainable. The PRT's civil affairs line of operation exerted a large amount of public diplomacy. CA operations were responsible, along with

2010-428: The U.S. military. Information operations associated with PRTs are also a vital aspect to conducting public diplomacy in order to defeat insurgencies . It is imperative that all actors in the counterinsurgency effort coordinate what they are relaying to the public that they are operating in. These operations can include psychological operations , operational security , and military deception operations to deceive

2077-640: The caves, there is square building in which there are two conference halls; one is 22 metres square and the other is circular. In one of these caves, Archaeological excavations have revealed a cache of Ghaznavid coins. The Buddhist temples near the Takht are 10 numbers known locally as Kie Tehe. Malek Cave Yar Mohammad Malek cave in Roy Doaab district is a small canyon that consists of a big historical cave, believed to be endless. Many bones, silk clothes, and Islamic symbols were found in this district, but due to

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2144-406: The concepts are similar, PRTs in Afghanistan and Iraq had separate compositions and missions. Their common purpose, however, was to empower local governments to govern their constituents more effectively. A PRT included a military component ( Civil Affairs /Force Protection, etc.), civilian police advisors, and civilian representatives of US (or other national) government foreign affairs agencies. In

2211-447: The contractors failed the performance work standard, the engineer could recommend that the PRT withhold funds until project deficiencies were corrected. The project could also be cancelled. One of the issues that held up a project was sustainability. If the project was not self-sustaining, such as an electric utility in a small village or town, it would not be approved by higher headquarters. Mandated 'Terms of Use' contracts were signed by

2278-711: The creation of new districts. The latest announced set includes 421 districts. The country's Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) came up with a joint, consolidated list of Afghan districts. It has handed this list over to the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which has used it in preparing the elections. The set contains 387 "districts" and 34 "provincial center districts" for 412 districts in total. This article does not correspond with any particular district set; it lacks

2345-455: The death toll was likely to rise. Health services provided by the Ministry of Health are fairly basic with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with 60 beds. They are reasonably well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses. To cater to the pharmaceutical needs of the patients, there are 24 pharmacies, two are run by the government and the rest are privately owned. In 2006, two dozen women completed

2412-761: The early 16th century and the mid-18th century, the Province was ruled by the Khanate of Bukhara . It was given to Ahmad Shah Durrani by Murad Beg of Bukhara after a treaty of friendship was reached in or about 1750, and became part of the Durrani Empire . It was ruled by the Durranis followed by the Barakzai dynasty , and was untouched by the British during the three Anglo-Afghan wars that were fought in

2479-419: The economy of the province as it caters particularly for the popular sport of buzkashi in Afghanistan. Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian team sport played on horseback in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Kyrgyzstan , northern Pakistan and Kazakhstan . The agricultural economy of the province is further enhanced with irrigation facility provided to 21,242 ha. The irrigated areas deciphered from

2546-626: The end user of the projects to insure PRTs were providing a self-sufficient resource and would not be responsible for its upkeep. One year guarantee on contractor workmanship was standard. Other funds that were not used by the Civil Affairs Section: the Development Fund for Iraq. (DFI) and funding targeted specifically for USAID Focused Stabilization, Community Action and Local Governance Program (LGP) as well as PRT development funding. The overall PRT concept in Afghanistan

2613-512: The enemy. Information operations assist civil affairs, medical outreach, and agricultural projects by providing information to the local Afghani's about counterinsurgency projects and illustrating beneficial effects of them to the community. These operations, as a part of PRTs, enabled to the civilians to see how the U.S. military-civilian efforts work secure their society and defeat the insurgents influence. Information operations must be consistent between civilian and military operations. The goal of

2680-421: The ensuing years, additional districts have been added through splits, and some eliminated through merges. In June 2005, the Afghan government issued a map of 398 districts. It was widely adopted by many information management systems, though usually with the addition of Sharak-e-Hayratan for 399 districts in total. It remains the de facto standard as of late 2018, despite a string of government announcements of

2747-467: The environment, including the people, places, and culture of their section of the province. In addition to the military cooperation with the provincial government, civilian agencies like the U.S. department of Agriculture and the U.S. Agency for International Development, had a strong hand in the projects structured by the PRTs. For example, these agencies worked together to improve farming techniques and introduce ways to bring goods to local markets to meet

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2814-497: The erosion and landslide, the entrance of these places has disappeared. During the civil war, many of the artifacts were found by people who were displaced and lived in those caves. [2] Archived 2021-04-19 at the Wayback Machine Hazar Sum is another ancient Buddhist centre in north central Afghanistan where several caves have been found and in one of these caves a Buddhist stupa has been carved. Samangan

2881-832: The form of a mound, located on the hilltop, represents the earliest link to the evolution of Buddhist architecture in Afghanistan The area was conquered by the Hephthalites followed by the Saffarids who brought Islam . The Samanids took it and controlled it until the Ghaznavids rose to power in the 10th century, they were replaced by the Ghorids . After the Mongol invasion the Timurids took possession. Between

2948-554: The increasing demand rather than taking them into Pakistan. PRTs' interaction with the Afghan people enhanced U.S. public relations and allow the civilians of Afghanistan to trust the American presence in their domain. The only way that the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan can achieve victory is through long-term patience and keeping the people's political will through the Provincial Reconstruction Teams in

3015-517: The insurgents from the people and to instill trust in U.S. COIN operations. In order for these Provincial Reconstruction Teams to be successful at building the populations trust and security in the provincial government and not in the insurgents, the PRTs needed to utilize a large amount of public diplomacy to reach out to the civilians of these Afghan provinces. The main funding for Afghan PRTs came from Provincial Reconstruction and Development Committee (PRDC) and Quick Response Fund (QRF) programs under

3082-625: The land-cover maps, under a collaborative project of FAO, the United Nations Development Programme and the Afghan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office , Kabul are in Aybak, Samangan - 5 426ha, Dara-I-Suf, Samangan - 4 149ha, Hazrati Sult, Samangan -6 884 ha, Khuram Wa Sa, Samangan - 1 733 ha and Ruyi Du Ab, Samangan -3,049 ha. The historical cultural heritage in the province which is mainly at Samangan City,

3149-456: The main roads. As of 2021, the total population of the province is about 438,000, which is predominately rural with only 7% living in urban centres. "Samangan like most of Afghanistan is ethnically diverse with Tajiks , Uzbeks , Hazara , Turkomen and even a minority of Pashtuns living throughout the province." Roughly 72.5% people of the province speak Persian and 22.1% people speak Uzbek as their native language. Current Map of

3216-539: The medieval period, caravans used to stop here. Afghanistan has various archaeological sites where caves were hewn out of rocks and inhabited by Buddhists . "One of the most spectacular sites is that of Takth i Raustam, near Samangan (Haybak), north of Hindu Kush passes. It includes a complex of stupa with monastery, hewn out of the rock. Other caves have been found near Jalalabad and at the site of Humay Qal'a southwest of Ghazni . The Buddhist in Takth i Raustam here in

3283-504: The people is very hard with nearly 12% households finding it difficult to meet the food requirements to sustain. This has resulted in allocations of food aid to the province. In October 2010, the first dish-making factory run by women began operations. The women were trained for several months and now work in two shifts. During the last few years, thousands of other women have worked on a variety of different projects such as tailoring and carpet knitting. As of 2005, safe drinking water access

3350-498: The province with 665 enrolled members controlling an area of 5532 ha which brought prosperity to its members. The staple food crops grown in the province are wheat, barley and potato and flax. The horticultural or garden crops grown are grapes , pomegranates and other fruit and nut trees. Cash crops grown in a few villages were sesame, cotton and tobacco; and they are mostly in Dara-i-Soofi-Payin and Aybek districts; cotton

3417-495: The province with enrolment of 59,915 students. However, travelling distance to the schools varies, with primary schools being most accessible while High Schools involve about 10 km of travel. As of 2005, basic health services maintained by the Ministry of Health were fairly developed with 6 health centres and 3 hospitals with a total of 60 beds. The health centres were well staffed with 21 doctors and 33 nurses. Food security

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3484-475: The provinces of Afghanistan. A PRT in Afghanistan was commanded by a military officer, generally of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (USAF) or Commander (USN). The officer was supported by a team of various specialties including civil affairs, engineers, medical staff, public affairs, information operations, logistics and a platoon of National Guard soldiers for security. The staff generally numbered between sixty and one hundred persons and trained together as

3551-499: The provincial area consists of flat land. The city of Samangan lies in the Khulm River valley, with mountains to the west and east. It is located to the northwest of the city of Baghlan and about is 190 km (120 mi) north-west of the capital Kabul and the same distance south-east of Mazar-i-Sharif city. Samangan Province has a long history of earthquakes which has led to the loss of thousands of people and their homes. In 1998, two earthquakes struck measuring 5.9 and 6.6 on

3618-405: The provincial government, for implementation and supervision of projects in the province. These projects included public affairs like humanitarian supply distribution, like school and medical supplies. Civil affairs operations were responsible for reaching out to the population to determine what is needed to make society stable and secure from the insurgent ideology. To do this they had to get to know

3685-607: The provincial headquarters of Samangan are the Takt-e Rostam and the adjacent Buddhist caves and stupas on a top of hill. Takht-i Rustam (Haibak), literal meaning the throne of Rustam, named after Rustam , a king in Persian mythology , is a hilltop settlement. It is dated to the 4th and 5th centuries of the Kushano-Sassanian period, which is corroborated by archaeological, architectural and numismatic evidence. It

3752-482: The team. Functional areas included rule of law, reconstruction and development, agriculture, and governance. Some Iraq PRTs were embedded into the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) with which they are colocated (ePRT). The BCT retained responsibility for providing security for the civilian team members. While PRTs in Afghanistan focused on short-term effects and ensuring an attractive alternative to the insurgency

3819-528: The time of the Kushan Empire during the 4th and 5th centuries when it was a famous Buddhist centre. Witness to this period is seen now in the form of ruins at a place called the Takht-e Rostam , which is located 3 km from the town on a hilltop. Arabs and Mongols came to this place when it was already famous as a Buddhist religious centre. Aibak was the name given to this place when, during

3886-619: The use of funding for the salaries of government officials. The monies could not be used by police or security forces. CERP projects from up to $ 200,000 had to be approved by the Task Force Commander. The contracts were written in US Engineering standards. The Army usually paid by electronic funds transfer as pay agents are discouraged from paying cash to contractors in Afghanistan. The projects were paid in phases. Engineers worked through project details with contractors. If

3953-473: The year with this percentage rising to 41% in some seasons. However roads are non-existent in 28% of the province. Education is still in a nascent state of development with only 19% being literate, as of 2005, with literacy among men limited to 28% and literacy among women limited to a mere 10%; literacy among the Kuchis population is the least at about 3% of men only. There are 59 primary and secondary schools in

4020-529: Was a serious concern of CENTCOM commanders. Activities in Afghanistan focused on extending the reach of the central government into the provinces. In an Iraq PRT, the Team Leader was a civilian who reports to the US Department of State; the deputy team leader was generally a military officer. While civil affairs members were present on the team, there were more civilians than military personnel on

4087-411: Was always an issue as the 100 by 125 foot mud-walled compound was attacked over 35 times by 105 mm rockets and RPGs . The PRT initiative expanded throughout most of the provinces for the purpose of reconstruction and reconciliation programs throughout Afghanistan. The 1st Provincial Reconstruction Team laid the critical cornerstones to future PRT initiatives throughout Afghanistan. PRTs were part of

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4154-435: Was available, Iraq PRTs focused on building the governance capacity at the local levels of government. Public diplomacy was an essential element to successful Provincial Reconstruction Team projects. PRTs, in Afghanistan, were tasked with a specific area of a province and coordinate, develop, and fund local projects with the aid of the government. These projects enabled the local population to become familiar with and trust

4221-597: Was injured in the attack, but it came hours after a visit by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin , raising suspicions of Taliban involvement. The opening ceremony of the base was postponed indefinitely. PRTs ceased operations by 2013 and are no longer operative in Afghanistan. The PRT concept was imported from Afghanistan into Iraq in 2005. That year, 10 PRTs were established in Nineveh , at-Ta'Mim , Saladin , Diyala , Basra (UK), Dhi Qar (Italy), Erbil (South Korea), Baghdad , Anbar , and Babil . As part of

4288-621: Was killed in a roadside bombing near Samangan City, and on 14 July 2012, Ahmed Khan Samangani, a member of the National Assembly of Afghanistan , was killed when a suicide bomber infiltrated his daughter's wedding party in the city of Samangan. The bomb also killed the provincial head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and 13 other guests, and 60 were injured, including senior police and army commanders. The deputy provincial governor, Ghulam Sarkhi, claimed that

4355-544: Was major crop in Hazrat-i-Sultan district while tobacco was produced on a large scale in the Roi-Do-Ab district. Use of fertilizers is also common among 60% of the on both field and garden crops Industries are almost non existent in the province, except for minor leather industry producing the karakul skin and a few small scale handicrafts producing rugs, shawls, jewellery and carpets. Horse breeding also sustains

4422-720: Was the main fund used by the United States Army or USMC Civil Affairs Teams in both Iraq and Afghanistan. By the new regulations that came out in early 2009, the Iraqi Government has to pay half (50%) of projects above $ 750,000. CERP Officers had authority to sign agreements with contractors up to $ 200,000. The Pay Agent disbursed cash or paid by electronic transfer (EFT) in Afghanistan. The PRT Commander (LTC or CDR) could approve projects up to $ 25,000. CERP guidelines required that development projects be coordinated through and sustained by local governments and prohibit

4489-552: Was to use relatively small joint civil-military units to achieve three objectives. PRT objectives were to improve security, to extend the authority of the Afghan central government, and finally to facilitate reconstruction. The first PRT was located in Gardez in Paktia Province , co-located with US Special Forces "A" team members. A Civil Affairs team provided the daily contact with locals and tribal leaders. A contingent of

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