Civilian Surge
During the later part of the Afghan conflict
(starting in 2009) the U.S. government decided to significantly increase
the number of civilians in Afghanistan to aid in the stabilization and
counterinsurgency efforts of the U.S. military. Described as a White
House priority, the whole-of-government mechanism was hailed as an
essential component of the counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan.
Implementation. The Department of State (DoS) and
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had to
quickly recruit, train, and deploy hundreds of civilians to Afghanistan.
This was harder to do than originally thought. The numbers of civilians
deployed were less than needed and not always having a lot of field
experience.
Fielding. Many worked in Kabul at the U.S.
Embassy or in the 'Green Zone'. Some would work in the Provincial
Reconstruction Teams or PRTs located in one of the 34 provinces of
Afghanistan.
Reports and Publications about the Afghan Civilian Surge
Hammink, William, "USAID in Afghanistan: What
Have We Learned?", Foreign Service Journal, July/August 2018.
https://afsa.org/usaid-afghanistan-what-have-we-learned
Princeton, Lessons from the U.S. Civilian
Surge in Afghanistan, 2009-2014, Woodrow Wilson School of Public &
International Affairs, Princeton University, January 2016. This 39-page
report is posted on website of the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
Institute (PKSOI).
www.pksoi.org/index.cfm?disp=cdrview.cfm&cdrid=1641
CAP, Rethinking the Civilian Surge: Lessons
from the Provinicial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan, Center
for American Progress, December 14, 2015.
www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/report/2015/12/14/127188/rethinking-the-civilian-surge/
Parker, Norma et al, Lessons Learned: USAID
Perspectives on the Experience with Provincial Reconstruction Teams
(PRTs) in Afghanistan, USAID, June 2013. (doc no longer available)
http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnaec659.pdf
Brown, Frances Z., The U.S. Surge and Afghan
Local Governance: Lessons for Transition, United States Institute
of Peace (USPI), Special Report 316, September 2012.
www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR316.pdf
Civic, Melanie and Bernard Carreau, "Building a
Civilian Lessons Learned System", Prism 1, No. 2, pages
133-140.
www.ciaonet.org/attachments/19630/uploads
News Reports on the Civilian Surge in Afghanistan
September 8, 2011.
"Cost of civilian 'surge' in Afghanistan: $1.7 billion", The
Washington Post.
August 8, 2011.
"Whatever Happened to the Civilian Surge in Afghanistan?", Time.
November 8, 2010.
"Analysis: How to make civilian 'surge' in Afghanistan work",
CNN News.
October 27, 2010.
"Afghan Civilian Surge Lacks Integration With Military", ABC
News.
March 31, 2010.
"Waiting on a Civilian Surge in Afghanistan", Council on Foreign
Relations.
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