TF Bastogne holds commanders’ conference

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The room quieted as the commander of Task Force Bastogne sat down July 3 to give the area of operation’s key leaders his plans for helping the Afghan locals.

The once-a-month meeting at the brigade headquarters in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province came as no surprise to the TF Bastogne leaders under Col. Andrew P. Poppas, giving his staff a chance to focus solely on the battle space.

The members of TF Bastogne trained for nearly a year and a half at Fort Campbell, Ky., to prepare for the Afghanistan deployment. Soldiers and their leaders worked long hours to execute the plans to create a better Afghan future.

“The commanders’ conference was set up to bring all the commanders together, share lessons learned and best practices while also providing Col. Poppas each commander’s 30-day assessment and way ahead for each battle space owner,” said Maj. Andrew P. McCormick of Fountain, Colo., plans officer in charge, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, TF Bastogne.

During the conference, several leaders presented informative briefings to the commanders. The conference also brought the opportunity to practice a team-building social.

“It is rare for all the TF Bastogne leaders to be in one location,” said Poppas, the TF Bastogne Commander. “This gave them the opportunity to see and interact with different battle space owners who they often plan operations or accompany in operations with but do not get the opportunity to discuss things in a face-to-face environment.

Poppas also stressed the importance of Task Force Bastogne’s role in Afghanistan.

“We have got one year to make a marked difference,” he said. “If we don’t set the conditions for a long term, stable Afghanistan; (if) we don’t take the problem sets that face us now – reducing doubts, (problems) that can be taken care of by the Afghans alone – the long-term future is a dismal one,” he said.