Kauffman Foundation funds a mission to Afghanistan

by Bob Ulin
CGSC Foundation CEO

From left to right, Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, Bob Ulin, Gen. David Petraeus, Montel Williams and Mark “Ranger” Jones, eat dinner in Gen. Petraeus’ office in ISAF Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan. Courtesy photo

Left to right, Bob Ulin, CGSC Foundation CEO, Montel Williams, popular television personality, Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, ISAF CSM, and Mark “Ranger” Jones, CGSC Foundation VP for Development, stand geared up before boarding a Blackhawk to conduct troop visits with Hill. Courtesy photo

Back in 2006 when we established the Foundation one of our earliest supporters was then Lt. Gen. David Petraeus the Commandant of the College. He understood how important a supporting foundation would be to the College. General Petraeus is a 1983 graduate of CGSC and the Marshall Award recipient, the top graduate in his class. Following General Petraeus as commandant was Lt. Gen. Bill Caldwell, another great supporter of the Foundation. Both are currently serving in Afghanistan— Gen. Petraeus is the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander while Lt. Gen. Caldwell commands the NATO Transition Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A).

When I had an opportunity to visit Afghanistan in February, I jumped at the chance to pay my respects to these two magnificent leader warriors who are serving their country in harm’s way. Our Vice President for Development, Mark “Ranger” Jones made it possible for me to go along with him and Montel Williams, a former enlisted Marine, Naval Academy graduate, Naval officer, and actor. The mission was to document the service of Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, General Petraeus’ top enlisted Soldier in Afghanistan. Montel is developing a profile of Command Sgt. Maj. Hill for Black History Month.

We arrived in Kabul at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, Feb. 19, and were met by a personal security detail that provided armored vests and helmets for the drive to ISAF headquarters. We checked into the rather austere guest quarters, a room about 8 x 20 feet complete with shower, toilet, bed desk and chair. At 10:30 a.m. we suited up in body armor, boarded a Blackhawk helicopter with Hill as our escort and flew to Bagram Air Force Base, a very large logistics base about 30 minutes north of Kabul. We spent about three hours on the ground having lunch with troops, visiting a hospital run by the Air Force and meeting a few patients. We also visited the headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division. Montel posed for photographs at every turn. The troops were delighted to have visitors and share their stories.

On Sunday, we were slated to visit a Forward Operating Base but the weather between Kabul and the FOB prevented us from making the trip. Instead we walked around ISAF HQ and then drove to Camp Eggers in the green zone to visit Lt. Gen. Caldwell’s headquarters. Unfortunately, General Caldwell departed Kabul for Brussels, just before we arrived, where he was meeting with NATO officials. Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Beam, Caldwell’s CSM, was our host. That afternoon, back at ISAF headquarters we watched as Gen. Petraeus re-enlisted two Sailors from his personal security detail and presented awards to departing Sailors. That evening we dined with Gen. Petraeus in his office inside ISAF headquarters.

Monday, we flew in a C-12, twin-engine turbo prop aircraft, to Kandahar in the south, a 90-minute flight over some fairly rugged mountains. We met with some support troops over lunch, visited the Combat Aviation Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division and then toured a beautifully equipped hospital run by the Navy.

Tuesday, our last day, we suited up in body armor for a road trip to the NATO Training area. We were transported in a Mine Resistant Ambush Protested (MRAP) three-vehicle convoy through Kabul to the north of town just beyond the King and Queens’ palaces previously destroyed by the Soviets in the late 1970s. We observed some training, ate lunch with the troops—many from other allied nations including Germany, Macedonia, Australia, the U.K., among others. After lunch we visited the Counterinsurgency Center and were briefed by an Australian warrant officer. We then departed by convoy to Kabul International Airport where we departed for home.

It was a tremendous experience for me. I realized while flying to Kandahar that it had been 44 years since I entered combat in Vietnam as a 24-year-old second lieutenant. To have the opportunity to return to an active combat zone to meet with Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen was very fulfilling. I was struck by how many female troops there are in country—they were everywhere, armed to the teeth, just like the guys. My, how times have changed.

A big thank you to Ranger Jones for making this trip possible, to General Petraeus for his hospitality and support, to Command Sgt. Maj. Hill for allowing us to join him on his battlefield rotation to visit the troops, to Command Sgt. Maj. Beam for the exciting ride around town, and to Montel for sharing his time to visit our service members, pose for photos and bring a smile to the faces of those who serve us so well.

And finally, another thank you to the Kauffman Foundation for their support in making this trip happen.