WEBVTT 00:01.040 --> 00:03.151 joining me today is Brigadier General 00:03.240 --> 00:05.462 Stephen Governor , he is the commanding 00:05.462 --> 00:08.470 officer of Joint Task force phoenix 00:08.480 --> 00:11.250 eight station now in Afghanistan 00:11.940 --> 00:14.107 General . Good morning . Thank you for 00:14.107 --> 00:16.107 joining us on around the services . 00:17.740 --> 00:19.851 Good morning to you . Thanks for this 00:19.851 --> 00:23.700 opportunity to talk to you . Now . I 00:23.700 --> 00:25.760 understand that right now your task 00:25.760 --> 00:28.980 force is composed of about 3000 Marines , 00:28.990 --> 00:31.720 soldiers , sailors , airmen , um what 00:31.720 --> 00:33.750 portion of the country are you 00:33.750 --> 00:36.440 primarily concerned with ? And are 00:36.440 --> 00:38.980 there any significant special security 00:38.980 --> 00:41.710 issues that that that portion of the 00:41.710 --> 00:42.710 country brings ? 00:46.040 --> 00:48.262 Well actually our numbers a little more 00:48.262 --> 00:50.540 than that task force Phoenix is 00:50.540 --> 00:53.680 comprised of a little over 7000 people . 00:54.310 --> 00:56.670 It comes from basically the Illinois 00:56.670 --> 00:58.940 National Guard , which is the 33rd 00:58.950 --> 01:01.840 Brigade combat team and then added to 01:01.840 --> 01:04.118 that are our sister services , marines , 01:04.118 --> 01:07.140 sailors , Air Force personnel along 01:07.140 --> 01:09.710 with coalition partners and contract 01:09.710 --> 01:11.821 civilians . For example , I have over 01:11.821 --> 01:14.580 1000 interpreters , local nationals 01:14.580 --> 01:17.010 that are part of this task force and 01:17.010 --> 01:19.330 task force phoenix having the mentoring 01:19.330 --> 01:21.950 mission is literally spread out all 01:21.950 --> 01:24.006 over the country of Afghanistan . So 01:24.006 --> 01:26.061 we're in almost every corner of this 01:26.061 --> 01:29.390 country doing the training and 01:29.390 --> 01:31.223 mentoring of the Afghan National 01:31.223 --> 01:32.223 Security forces . 01:34.840 --> 01:38.350 Okay , so then your unit isn't 01:38.360 --> 01:41.270 actually um geographically located , 01:41.270 --> 01:43.437 you're not concerned with the security 01:43.437 --> 01:45.437 or anything like that in the area . 01:45.437 --> 01:47.270 You're able to just focus on the 01:47.270 --> 01:49.492 mission of training the Afghan security 01:49.492 --> 01:52.870 forces . Exactly right . I'm not a 01:52.870 --> 01:55.700 battle space owner and we are not in 01:55.700 --> 01:57.590 any one particular place of this 01:57.590 --> 01:59.812 country . Were literally spread out all 01:59.812 --> 02:03.200 over . Uh so we go about the business 02:03.200 --> 02:04.978 of partnering and mentoring and 02:04.978 --> 02:07.590 training the Afghan National Army as 02:07.590 --> 02:09.590 well as standing up and helping the 02:09.590 --> 02:12.070 Afghan national police in uh districts 02:12.080 --> 02:13.413 all over this country . 02:16.240 --> 02:18.462 Now , general , it was my understanding 02:18.462 --> 02:20.407 that and and this may be incorrect 02:20.407 --> 02:22.462 because my numbers were wrong at the 02:22.462 --> 02:26.010 beginning , but from april to september 02:26.010 --> 02:28.560 of this year , task force phoenix is 02:28.570 --> 02:32.060 looking to double in size um due to the 02:32.060 --> 02:34.140 President's increase in troops in 02:34.140 --> 02:36.410 Afghanistan . Is that the case ? And if 02:36.420 --> 02:38.630 so , what are the plans for those 02:38.640 --> 02:42.540 troops ? That is 02:42.540 --> 02:44.960 true , Task force phoenix will not 02:44.960 --> 02:47.016 quite double , but it certainly will 02:47.016 --> 02:50.020 increase in size . We are going to get 02:50.020 --> 02:52.740 resourced with two brigades , whereas 02:52.780 --> 02:56.120 currently were resourced with one . So 02:56.120 --> 02:58.440 we will have the 48th coming out of the 02:58.440 --> 03:01.520 state of Georgia to take over the task 03:01.520 --> 03:03.480 force headquarters and mentoring 03:03.480 --> 03:05.560 missions in the east and the north , 03:05.940 --> 03:08.107 and then the fourth brigade out of the 03:08.107 --> 03:10.560 82nd Airborne will come over and take 03:10.560 --> 03:13.590 the same mission uh for phoenix in the 03:13.590 --> 03:15.640 west and the southern parts of this 03:15.640 --> 03:19.400 country . Do you feel 03:19.400 --> 03:21.511 like the preparations are in place to 03:21.511 --> 03:23.678 receive those troops logistical ? What 03:23.678 --> 03:26.350 sort of problems is that going to cause 03:26.350 --> 03:27.350 you ? 03:29.840 --> 03:33.210 Well , the they're not in place yet , 03:33.220 --> 03:35.760 but we are working very hard to get 03:35.760 --> 03:37.816 them in place . We certainly will be 03:37.816 --> 03:39.816 able to house them and receive them 03:39.816 --> 03:42.350 when they do come in later this fall , 03:42.740 --> 03:44.770 but it is a struggle , There's the 03:44.770 --> 03:48.310 infrastructure is pretty minimal here . 03:48.310 --> 03:50.900 So we're building up a lot of places , 03:50.900 --> 03:54.420 Kandahar , Herat as well as Kabul 03:54.630 --> 03:56.797 to receive these additional soldiers . 03:56.797 --> 03:59.019 Quite frankly that's happening all over 03:59.019 --> 04:01.130 even outside the task force phoenix , 04:01.130 --> 04:03.352 as as you mentioned , the president has 04:03.352 --> 04:05.574 authorized more soldiers to come here . 04:05.574 --> 04:07.519 So there is a major effort here to 04:07.519 --> 04:09.686 build up infrastructure to receive all 04:09.686 --> 04:11.852 the soldiers that are coming in . Well 04:11.852 --> 04:13.852 actually , all the forces coming in 04:13.852 --> 04:16.110 here into this country by probably by 04:16.110 --> 04:17.277 the end of this year 04:19.640 --> 04:22.120 and the bulk of your forces primarily 04:22.120 --> 04:24.710 made up of national Guardsmen as I 04:24.710 --> 04:27.800 understand it . Um Generally the 04:27.800 --> 04:30.080 National Guard traditionally has dealt 04:30.080 --> 04:33.370 with domestic missions , disaster 04:33.370 --> 04:35.240 relief , dealing with emergency 04:35.240 --> 04:37.240 services within the United States , 04:37.340 --> 04:40.970 protection of the U . S . Borders . How 04:40.980 --> 04:43.800 what is the process bend for training 04:43.800 --> 04:46.960 your men um to adapt to this security 04:46.960 --> 04:50.850 training mission ? Well , I 04:50.850 --> 04:53.220 think the training that goes for anyone 04:53.220 --> 04:55.276 that's part of task force phoenix is 04:55.276 --> 04:57.276 the same whether they come from the 04:57.276 --> 04:59.442 Guard of the Active duty or whether or 04:59.442 --> 05:01.498 not they come from one of our sister 05:01.498 --> 05:03.780 components , Marines , Air force or 05:03.790 --> 05:06.640 navy as well as the training received 05:06.650 --> 05:09.540 are given to our coalition partners and 05:09.540 --> 05:12.130 that is how to be a mentor and trainer 05:12.140 --> 05:15.680 uh in this environment . So I I really 05:15.680 --> 05:17.860 make no distinction for the , with the 05:17.860 --> 05:20.240 preparation of any of the reserve 05:20.240 --> 05:22.510 component . Soldiers with the active 05:22.510 --> 05:25.160 duty soldiers from any component . 05:27.840 --> 05:30.062 Well , I would imagine , sir , that you 05:30.062 --> 05:32.720 have a significant cadre of personnel 05:32.730 --> 05:35.060 who have been deployed to Iraq bent , 05:35.070 --> 05:37.920 uh Afghanistan , does that help the new 05:37.920 --> 05:41.840 guys as they come in ? Oh , 05:41.840 --> 05:45.220 sure . I think any experience helps 05:45.220 --> 05:47.870 anybody . The majority of the people 05:47.870 --> 05:49.900 that are in this task force have 05:49.900 --> 05:52.860 deployed once uh sometimes more 05:53.340 --> 05:56.460 mostly in Iraq , but some of them also 05:56.460 --> 05:59.890 have been here before as early as 2003 , 05:59.890 --> 06:02.800 2004 . And certainly that that adds to 06:02.800 --> 06:04.633 their experience level and their 06:04.633 --> 06:06.633 ability to adapt to the climate and 06:06.633 --> 06:10.060 culture and uh and relate to the job 06:10.060 --> 06:12.171 that they're doing here as trainers , 06:12.171 --> 06:14.004 mentors and building up forces . 06:15.940 --> 06:17.884 Now , obviously , sir , a critical 06:17.884 --> 06:20.480 component of being able to perform your 06:20.480 --> 06:23.940 mission in training the Afghan Afghani 06:23.950 --> 06:26.380 security forces is the security 06:26.380 --> 06:28.491 situation around your troops . What's 06:28.491 --> 06:30.269 your impression of the security 06:30.269 --> 06:33.850 situation right now ? Well , I think 06:33.850 --> 06:37.080 there's threat everywhere you go in 06:37.080 --> 06:38.858 this environment for any of the 06:38.858 --> 06:41.090 soldiers that are here , uh sailors , 06:41.090 --> 06:43.470 marines , airmen and our coalition 06:43.470 --> 06:47.410 partners . Um I think overall we're 06:47.420 --> 06:49.587 allowed to do our job , we are trained 06:49.587 --> 06:52.960 to handle any situation uh trained to 06:53.340 --> 06:56.580 deal with things like IEDs and other 06:56.590 --> 07:00.310 other items from the insurgents . So 07:00.310 --> 07:02.280 I think as far as the security 07:02.280 --> 07:05.660 situation , we are able to handle um 07:05.670 --> 07:08.660 the situation and is and perform our 07:08.660 --> 07:10.860 job as we're trying to do it . 07:13.640 --> 07:15.807 So the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 07:15.807 --> 07:18.029 Staff along with several other military 07:18.029 --> 07:20.084 officials have said they expect that 07:20.084 --> 07:22.251 violence in Afghanistan to increase as 07:22.251 --> 07:24.362 more troops deploy into that area . I 07:24.362 --> 07:26.529 guess , given the taliban more targets 07:26.529 --> 07:29.890 of opportunity um how for someone 07:29.890 --> 07:32.050 leading soldiers into a combat zone , 07:32.640 --> 07:35.020 how do you prepare your troops for that 07:35.030 --> 07:37.060 possibility ? Even that eventuality 07:37.060 --> 07:39.171 that they're going to see an increase 07:39.171 --> 07:42.750 in violence ? I think the 07:42.750 --> 07:45.190 training we received before we get here 07:45.200 --> 07:49.040 is paramount . Um We personally , 07:49.040 --> 07:50.929 we went through fort Bragg as our 07:50.929 --> 07:53.420 mobile station . We receive full 07:53.420 --> 07:56.060 spectrum training there as well as 07:56.060 --> 07:58.393 specific training on dealing with I . E . 07:58.393 --> 08:01.360 Ds and insurgents and based defense . 08:01.740 --> 08:03.962 So all of that wrapped together as well 08:03.962 --> 08:06.184 as some of the coin training we receive 08:06.184 --> 08:08.184 here while in country , all of that 08:08.184 --> 08:10.240 wrapped together I think serves well 08:10.240 --> 08:12.351 for any soldier whether they're doing 08:12.351 --> 08:14.573 the mentoring mission or other missions 08:14.573 --> 08:16.760 here in Afghanistan to deal with the 08:17.540 --> 08:19.762 different security situations that they 08:19.762 --> 08:23.650 may run across . Now . 08:23.650 --> 08:27.550 Sir , I was in Iraq in 2007 and um I 08:27.550 --> 08:29.440 dealt with some of the the police 08:29.440 --> 08:31.218 training teams and the military 08:31.218 --> 08:34.000 training , the army training team . Um 08:34.010 --> 08:36.730 The culture was so different for us . 08:36.740 --> 08:38.970 It really there was a significant 08:38.980 --> 08:41.690 learning curve before we learned to 08:41.690 --> 08:44.600 connect with the Iraqis well enough to 08:44.600 --> 08:47.540 effectively train them . Um as security 08:47.540 --> 08:50.440 forces . What sort of issues are you 08:50.450 --> 08:53.360 facing with the people of Afghanistan , 08:56.940 --> 08:59.218 I'm not sure I could really compare it , 08:59.218 --> 09:03.000 this certainly isn't Iraq , but it all 09:03.000 --> 09:05.820 bailed . It boils down to basic trust 09:05.830 --> 09:08.710 uh , and understanding between the two 09:08.710 --> 09:11.660 different peoples . I think if you 09:12.440 --> 09:14.440 you work with them , you understand 09:14.440 --> 09:16.273 their culture , understand where 09:16.273 --> 09:18.384 they're coming from . Goes a long way 09:18.384 --> 09:20.329 to building that kind of trust and 09:20.329 --> 09:22.760 camaraderie , which goes towards 09:23.340 --> 09:25.860 allowing someone to teach and train . 09:26.340 --> 09:28.970 They certainly know how to fight . It's 09:28.970 --> 09:31.026 the other systems that they struggle 09:31.026 --> 09:32.914 with , that . They're not used to 09:32.914 --> 09:35.026 supporting themselves logistics . For 09:35.026 --> 09:37.640 example , administration pay is 09:37.650 --> 09:41.290 sometimes a problem . Uh and and once 09:41.290 --> 09:43.512 we overcome those things , I think this 09:43.512 --> 09:46.380 country will go a long way to really 09:46.380 --> 09:48.602 standing up and providing for their own 09:48.602 --> 09:50.491 security and supporting their own 09:50.491 --> 09:54.040 government . And just one more 09:54.040 --> 09:56.151 question . General , what do you have 09:56.151 --> 09:58.318 to say about the performance of your , 10:00.740 --> 10:03.880 I think they've been spectacular . We 10:03.880 --> 10:06.230 have been well trained as I travel 10:06.230 --> 10:09.420 around and visit my soldiers out on the 10:09.430 --> 10:11.541 different areas of this country . I'm 10:11.541 --> 10:13.597 I'm really struck by the high morale 10:13.720 --> 10:15.831 and the dedication they have to doing 10:15.831 --> 10:18.850 their job as mentors . Uh they stay 10:18.850 --> 10:21.260 focused , They watch each other , They 10:21.260 --> 10:23.640 watched their battle buddies . Uh 10:23.650 --> 10:25.483 they're really proud of the work 10:25.483 --> 10:27.650 they're doing . Uh and looking forward 10:27.650 --> 10:29.594 to , obviously to get back home to 10:29.594 --> 10:31.817 their families when their job is done . 10:33.440 --> 10:35.662 Well , once again , general , thank you 10:35.662 --> 10:37.829 very much for joining us on around the 10:37.829 --> 10:39.940 service and uh third police stay safe 10:39.940 --> 10:43.320 out there . Okay , thanks for this 10:43.320 --> 10:44.660 opportunity . Nice talking to you .