I have learned that there are two key moments for an Advisor
in Afghanistan. The first is when your
partner brings you into his circle of trust.
You can tell that when you both walk and he holds your hand for the
first time in public. It’s an outward symbol
to others, especially to his guardians who are from his clan, that I have
earned the trust of the leader. This is
good as you never know when an extra gun barrel down range will be needed. It took me about a month and a half of
face-to-face meetings, and keeping my word on a few key promises to earn that
status. It was an incredible high for me
when it happened.
The second is when you first discover that this same person
is lying to your face. At the end of the
day, no matter your intentions, you are the outsider. Once you realize these two situations can,
and do, coexist, you can better meet your mission. The boss said on our first introduction that
you will find yourself bouncing between going too native or too cold. You need to operate in the middle to be
effective. Afghanistan is the place for
the pragmatist.
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