During her March 2003 to March 2004 deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM as part of Combined Joint Task Force-76, Major Deitra Korando - an intelligence officer with the 25th Infantry Division - served initially as a battle major in the Bagram, Afghanistan-based Joint Operations Center. She later transitioned to chief of the Joint Intelligence Support Element and, in this capacity, was responsible for the management and dissemination of "every piece of intelligence collected in theater." Then, as the liaison to all U.S. national intelligence agencies in theater, Korando established weekly interagency coordination meetings designed to facilitate better battlespace cooperation and communication. "Some liked it; some hated it," she said. "But where we really succeeded was in them understanding that you cannot wander around the battlefield and not have us know you're there - because bad things happen when you do that." Stressing how information sharing between intelligence agencies and the military “just has got to be better,” Korando also discusses the intelligence support provided to combat terrorist and Taliban elements; to ensure the Afghan national elections were not disrupted; to help the new government extend its authoritative reach within the country; and to reduce the power and influence of Afghan warlords. Additionally, she talks about a wide variety of Afghan-specific cultural issues, the challenges of operating in a joint and multi-national coalition environment, as well as those associated with being a female officer in a traditional Muslim country.

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