Army National Guard Director visits Agribusiness Development Teams

Story by Air Force Capt. Peter Shinn

734th Agribusiness Development Team

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FINLEY-SHIELDS, Afghanistan (2/1/11) – Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, the acting director of the Army National Guard, discussed the future of the National Guard’s Agribusiness Development Team initiative during a visit here Jan. 21.

Carpenter met with members of Missouri ADT IV, which is based at FOB Finley-Shields, and the Iowa National Guard’s 734th ADT, which is based in Kunar Province.

“The ADT's are doing important work here,” Carpenter said. “I’m pleased to be able to visit these teams and get a first-hand look at what the Missouri ADT has accomplished.”

The Missouri National Guard sent the first ADT to Afghanistan in 2007, and has sent follow-on ADTs to Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province each year since.

Currently, eight ADTs, each from a different state, are deployed to various Afghan provinces. The National Guard has committed to deploying ADTs to Afghanistan through at least 2013.

Army Lt. Col. North Charles, executive officer for Missouri ADT IV, briefed Carpenter on current ADT operations in Nangarhar.

According to Charles, Carpenter saw for himself how the Missouri ADT “is accomplishing counterinsurgency and stability operations” in the province. Charles also noted that Carpenter discussed the future of the ADT concept.

“General Carpenter shared senior-leader vision that ADT's should work toward transitioning portions of their mission from military-led to civilian-led before eventual transition to Afghan-led,” Charles said.

Carpenter began his visit to FOB Finley-Shields by dining with Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Missouri and Iowa ADTs. He resented his personal coin for excellence to four members of the Iowa ADT and presided over a promotion ceremony for a Missouri ADT Soldier.