T-6 pilot makes new map

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Agneta Murnan
  • 71st Flying Training Wing
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  In unfamiliar territory, a topographical map is a good tool for understanding the environment, but a good map of the political landscape might prove to be even more useful.

Air Force Reservist Maj. Homer Nesmith, a T-6 instructor pilot with the 5th Flying Training Squadron at Vance Air Force Base, returned from his six-month deployment to Afghanistan this month.

Major Nesmith served as a political regional adviser to the Regional Command North, in the political office for the International Security Assistance Force. His responsibilities eventually expanded to include political advisement in southern Afghanistan.

The major summed up his job in one word-- communications. He described his primary duties as meeting, greeting and corresponding with governors, village elders, coalition partners, and non-governmental organizations.

"There was no one we didn't talk to," he said. "Our goal was to facilitate communications among all of the different parties operating in the region."

This isn't an easy task when considering the language barriers of multi-national coalition partners and local populations. There are the interpersonal communication considerations, but also reporting specifications and translations.

With the number of parties and political interests involved, "a little coordination goes a long way," the major said.

Major Nesmith worked with other "polads," short for political advisers, to compile a database of reports on the political conditions in the region for leadership briefings and engagements. He likened the process to peeling an onion.

"You try to get down to the layer, peel it back and see what's under it. When you peel it back, there is another layer, and another..." he said.

Part of understanding the political landscape included understanding political ties, such as family or tribal relationships. Adding communication to understanding, Major Nesmith explained that ISAF helped move information from one organization to another as a check against corruption and a productive match of resources with problems.

Major Nesmith brought back a new understanding of how various political cultures work as well as an understanding of information warfare, in which people interested in spreading both truth and untruth battle for news coverage, international outcry and community beliefs.

When reflecting on his experiences in Afghanistan, the major recalled a quote by President Reagan: "You can get a lot done if you don't mind who gets the credit."