R 060929Z OCT 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 0599/09
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MM//
SUBJ/AFGHAN PAKISTAN HANDS PROGRAM (APH)//
REF/A/MSGID:LTR/CJCS/YMD:20090828//
AMPN/REF A IS A LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DIRECTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE APH PROGRAM.//
POC/R. GOVONI/LTCOL/UNIT:MMOA-5/-/TEL:DSN 278-9436//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. BACKGROUND. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF (CJCS) HAS DIRECTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE APH PROGRAM. THE APH PROGRAM SUPPORTS OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) KEY JOINT MANNING REQUIREMENTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE APH PROGRAM IS TO IDENTIFY, SELECT, TRAIN, AND MANAGE A COHORT OF EXPERTS TO BRING GREATER UNITY AND COHESION TO THE FIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN. AFPAK HANDS WILL BE PLACED IN POSITIONS OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE TO ENSURE PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING U.S. GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVES IN THE AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN REGION. THE END-STATE IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL SUPPORT CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY WHILE PRESERVING THE MEMBER'S CAREER PROGRESSION. USCENTCOM AND USFOR-A ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING APH POSITIONS WITH THE GOAL OF ESTABLISHING A DEDICATED COHORT OF APPROXIMATELY 600 MEMBERS -- OFFICER, SENIOR ENLISTED, AND CIVILIANS FROM ALL SERVICES. OF THESE, 22 ARE CURRENTLY DESIGNATED AS MARINE FILLS. AFPAK HANDS WILL BE DRAWN FROM A MIX OF MOS'S AND PAY GRADES, AND WILL BE SPECIALLY SELECTED TO CAPITALIZE ON, OR FURTHER DEVELOP, PROFICIENCIES IN COUNTER-INSURGENCY (COIN) DOCTRINE, REGIONAL LANGUAGES, AND CULTURE. EACH HAND WILL HAVE A MATCHED COUNTERPART, AND WILL ROTATE BETWEEN A CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES (CONUS) HOME BASE AND POSITIONS IN THEATER THAT DIRECTLY INFLUENCE U.S. GOVERNMENT STRATEGY IN THE REGION. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED SO PERSONNEL WILL BE IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF JOINT REQUIREMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN. DEPLOYED TOUR LENGTH IS 12 MONTHS BOOTS-ON-GROUND POST APH TRAINING.
2. SITUATION. CJSC HAS DIRECTED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF APH TO BEGIN IN TWO PHASES. THE FIRST IS COMMENCING 19 OCT 2009 AND HAS ALREADY BEEN SOURCED. THE SECOND INCREMENT IS TO COMMENCE 2 NOVEMBER AND WILL BE TASKED ACCORDINGLY. THE IMMEDIACY OF THE REQUIREMENT TO SELECT PERSONNEL FOR PHASE TWO WILL RESULT IN UTILIZING OF NON-STANDARD TASKINGS TO COMMANDS PRIMARILY IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION (NCR).
3. MISSION. NO LATER THAN 13 OCTOBER MRA WILL IDENTIFY AND SOURCE 16 OFFICERS TO CJCS FOR ASSIGNMENT TO LANGUAGE TRAINING TO COMMENCE 2 NOVEMBER IN SUPPORT OF THE APH INITIATIVE.
4. EXECUTION. MRA (MMOA) WILL IDENTIFY PERSONNEL TO BE IMMEDIATELY REASSIGNED TO THE APH PROGRAM. AS THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO DEVELOP, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED VIA SEPCOR. SELECTED COMMANDS IN MOST CASES WILL ALREADY HAVE OVERSTAFFED PERSONNEL, CURRENT MOVERS, OR BE BACKFILLED DURING THE SUMMER OF 2010.
5. COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS. OFFICERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO SELF-NOMINATE VIA THE EXPERIENCE BASED JOINT DUTY ASSIGNMENT PROCESS FOR JOINT TOUR CREDIT FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THEIR APH TOUR. JOINT SERVICE WITHIN THE AFPAK REGION SHOULD RECEIVE THREE-POINTS PER MONTH THROUGH THE SELF-NOMINATION PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, OFFICERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO SELF-NOMINATE FOR ONE-POINT PER MONTH OF JOINT TOUR CREDIT FOR THEIR CONUS JOINT SERVICE. APH PERSONNEL WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR JOINT QUALIFIED OFFICER (JQO) NOMINATION FOLLOWING ACCRUAL OF 36 JOINT DUTY POINTS AND COMPLETION OF JPME PHASES I AND II.
6. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS. MMOA WILL IDENTIFY MARINES FOR THE PROGRAM. THE MARINE CORPS HAS BEGUN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WITH THE RIGHT MIX OF SKILLS TO SUPPORT THIS MISSION. TOUR LENGTHS WILL BE A MINIMUM OF 3-YEARS, TAILORABLE TO THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE OR THE MEMBER'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WHILE PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN THE REGION, LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY, OR A COIN BACKGROUND IS DESIRED, THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED. APH INDOCTRINATION INCLUDES HIGH LEVEL ECHELON STAFF, LANGUAGE (PASHTU, DARI, URDU), AND CULTURE TRAINING. THE KEY CRITERIA FOR SELECTION WILL BE AN APTITUDE FOR THE SKILLS REQUIRED BY THE MISSION AND THE MOTIVATION TO FACE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROFESSIONALLY DEMANDING TOUR OF DUTY.
7. RELEASE AUTHORIZED BY MR. C. F. SWAIN, DIRECTOR, MANPOWER MANAGEMENT DIVISION, (ACTING).//