RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND THE U.S. ARMY: EFFORTS AT IMPROVING COUNTERINSURGENCY OPERATIONS

Recent evaluation of the US and coalition counterinsurgency (COIN) efforts in Afghanistan were rated marginally positive. In order to improve these operations and help guarantee formal, lasting success once military forces (and money) leave, military-driven, grassroots development efforts need to be fully included in COIN operations. Small, specialized teams like the US Army Agriculture Development Teams helped make the coalition mission more successful; however, there is still a need for the implementation of “Resource Development Teams” (RDT). These military RDTs would help in the development of geological, hydrological, ecological and environmental resources and needs, which are usually lacking in beleaguered nations. These RDT teams would be small, specialized, egalitarian US Army teams staffed by “volunteer” National Guard soldiers who are civilian experts in these fields: physical sciences, engineering, economics and resource-development. These soldier-experts would work in strategic and insecure locations, building resource capabilities and knowledge with the local communities. For autonomy, these teams would mirror the ADT structure and would be led by a colonel with the appropriate staff and security, which would provide full access to both specialized equipment and to maneuverability. The need for these RDTs is manifold, but strategically they could provide an understanding of a country’s resources in a dangerous environment where civilian government and non-governmental organizations cannot or will not work. Some examples of RDT project sectors could be water-, mineral-, ecological-, and environmental-resources. Within these sectors, geoscientists would be able to not only provide instrumental support to maintaining or refurbishing existing infrastructure, but could also begin developing the knowledge necessary to start larger projects through educational efforts and cataloging/preserving/developing baseline data. These new or continued baseline data are critical to providing the context necessary for longer term resource planning. RDT efforts would support COIN efforts through education, technical support and sustainable, resource-development planning and projects, which will help stabilize a government’s economy and help it prosper when support dwindles.