In this interview geared towards analyzing and better understanding the battlefield relationships between US conventional and special operations forces, Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Logan shares his deep insights, drawing upon not only his civil affairs-related Global War on Terrorism experiences in Afghanistan but on his Persian Gulf War service in Iraq with 3rd Special Forces Group as well. With respect to the GWOT, Logan was assigned to the 360th Civil Affairs Brigade and, in March 2002, flew along with one other soldier to Uzbekistan, then to Kabul, and linked up with the joint civil-military operations task force (JCMOTF). There, he began working with coalition humanitarian liaison cells. "Those were the CA individuals who were in most of the major population centers. I acted as an interface between them and the SF folks when it came to getting any type of logistics or administrative support for our folks," he explained. "If there ever were any issues as far as any command and control, they could bring them to me." Later, he became a JCMOTF liaison officer to Combined Joint Task Force-180, "so now most of my coordination was with conventional units and I found it to be a very good experience." In detail, Logan recounts his dealings with 82nd Airborne Division personnel, with a variety of civil affairs and SF units, and also discusses his efforts to secure the cooperation and coordination necessary to ensure that humanitarian assistance work could proceed, unhindered either by logistical constraints or enemy activity. In this vein, he explains the emergence and growth of the provincial reconstruction teams. As far as overarching assessments, Logan said that he's "always had good experiences with conventional units. I understand there may have been hiccups, but I've never had what I would call a negative experience working on either side. A lot of times, it's just a willingness to sit down and talk and understand each other." As for advice as to how conventional and special ops forces can more effectively work together in the future, he insists that breaking down mutual "stereotypes and misconceptions" is key - and towards this end, expanded professional education on the capabilities (and limitations) of both types of forces is crucial.

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