Interpreters

It makes you wonder how military and governance operations overseas costing Billions of dollars, can hinge on the education and passion of a young local national.  The vast majority of interpreters helping the coalition are not pedigreed academics, but rather local young folks with a High School education and knows basic English.  They bring not only a translation of the language, but are the MoDA’s primary tool for understanding cultural implications, assessing the vibe of the setting and of course providing any INTEL of the folks you are meeting with. 

Afghanistan is a High Context setting.  Everything from the spoken word to body language is nuanced.  Teasing out the real message is difficult and the Interpreter (IT) is key.  These kids take tremendous risk doing what they do.  They gather outside the fence line to await us, all the while likely being watched by Taliban sympathizers.  We spent a few sessions getting to understand how to work with a translator, how to send signals and how best to influence the pace.  Fatah grew up in Afghanistan, survived the Soviets, Civil War and the Taliban.  Fatah is savvy and has since immigrated to the US to pursue a life free of war.  

Fatah and the others teach us to show just how much they appreciate the contributions we are making for the future of the Afghan people.  But Yoda John reminds us that they have a job to do and you must always test them.  Your success depends on their dedication and competency.  We have to establish a real partnership with them and should be part of our planning before we meet with host nationals.  In a culture of honor, respect and competency, understanding nuance is key. 

Fatah is also our cultural lead, teaching us basic language skills, cultural and religious norms and some history.  These are good guys.

I hope mine are half as good