BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (July 17, 2008) — The deputy commanding general (support) of Combined Joint Task Force 101 and Regional Command-East, Afghanistan, Brig. Gen. James McConville, spoke earlier this week on the CJTF-101 mission, and the balance of development and security in the mission approach here.

McConville said that focusing solely on security will hinder changes, and developments for the local people and adversely ignoring security will cause functional damages and area instability. The balanced approach of both development and security is a key part of the mission focus.

“We’re working together with the Afghan people, Afghan government and Afghan Security Forces to improve the overall quality of life of the Afghan people,” McConville said.

To maintain equal attention to both sides, CJTF-101 has two deputy commanding generals, McConville, who is responsible for development, and Brig. Gen. Mark Milley, who’s focus is security. Jointly, the two deputies bring a balance that allows CJTF-101 commanding general, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, the ability to see both sides with more clarity.

“Our command works to be balanced,” McConville said. “We would prefer to spend our money on development, but militants attack the companies that are trying to bring the development. So we have to provide security for them, either military, contractor, or Afghan-hired security. But all this does is deprive the Afghan people from having more money to spend on development.”

Since the beginning of 2008, CJTF-101 has completed 1,300 projects and spent nearly $10 million on the projects, which range from roads and schools, to district centers. In fact, $7 million was just spent to buy more than 13 million text books for schools here in eastern Afghanistan.

“Congress recently passed a supplemental initiative that will allow us to spend an additional $260 million on the Afghan people, in the areas of roads, schools, training centers, medical facilities and agriculture – on all the things the Afghan people need to improve their quality of life,” said McConville.

CJTF-101 works very closely on agricultural business because they believe agriculture is important for the Afghan people, said McConville. The command brought in agriculture-development teams who work side by side with Afghan people to improve the output of their crops so that they can get them to market and store them.

“You have to give the people hope; you have to give them confidence in their country,” said McConville. “When parents see their children going to school, when Afghans can get steady jobs, when people can receive health care: we think they’ll turn away from the [militants] and that they will turn away from the drugs.”