The 734th conducted Women’s Animal training at the Chowkay girls school as well as a class on personal hygiene. The class included information on rabies and care of livestock as well as information on fleas and lice. The women were eager to learn about ways to prevent these common issues and excited to receive the care packages of hygiene products that many of our supporters have donated. Afterwards, the women ate lunch together and received their diplomas.

The Iowa National Guard's 734th Agribusiness Development Team got some extensive agricultural training. Agricultural specialists with the 734th ADT got intensive classroom and hands-on training from Iowa State University Extension specialists in everything from small-scale chicken farming to basic crop production. 

About 50 years ago, Afghanistan was one of the more rapidly developing nations in Central Asia. But beginning in the mid-1970s, civil unrest and warfare destroyed much of Afghanistan's agricultural infrastructure. Today, the majority of Afghan farmers use draft animals instead of farm machinery for their fieldwork.

Basic livestock disease prevention protocols are not widely practiced. Foot and mouth disease is endemic, which is why much of the training ISU provided to the Iowa ADT hearkened back to practices a hundred years old or more.

Not only was the ISU training specific to the conditions the ADT was likely to find in Afghanistan, it was also extremely broad-based.

I would describe the training's wide scope as an advantage. We've all learned a little bit about everything. That certainly made us much more ready to handle the mission in front of us.  

I feel almost at times as i have felt

In happy childhood; pets and flowers and trees and brooks,

Which do remember me of where i dwelt

Ere my young mind was sacrified to books.

Come as of yore upon me, and can melt

My heart with recognition of their looks;

And even at moments i could think i know

Some living things to love - but none like you.

According to reports, Washington has extended the deadline for the signing of the bilateral security agreement with Afghanistan

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The US Secretary of State John Kerry insisted that bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Washington should be signed as soon as possible, however he said pact did not have to be concluded by January.

While speaking during an interview with the ABC television, Kerry said that the security pact could even be inked by the successor of president Hamid Karzai, who will be chosen in April next year.

Kerry said, “If American forces were not there, I think there would be serious challenges with respect to Afghanistan’s security.”
“But … I believe that Hamid Karzai, either he or his successor, will sign this,” he said, before adding “I think he needs to sign this,” Kerry added.

In response to a question on whether Karzai had to sign the deal by January, as had been agreed when the two sides launched negotiations a year ago, Kerry replied “no”.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has said he will not sign the agreement with Washington unless United States promises to end airstrikes and raids on homes, in addition to helping broker peace talks with the Taliban group in a bid to end the violence in the country.

In the meantime, US officials have indicated President Obama is prepared to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan if its government does not agree to the existing security proposal.

The ADT and the Kunar Provincial Veterinarian hosted the largest veterinary conference in Kunar in, well, maybe forever. We brought in a veterinarian and vet tech from Bagram to help out, and nearly every veterinarian in Kunar came to learn. But before any of that happened, we got ready to go!

Several of us went to a conference of the Agri-Business Development Teams in eastern Afghanistan, where we met, talked with and learned from our military colleagues, but also from USDA and USAID officials and partners. The bottom line is there are many folks here in Afghanistan working to improve agriculture here.