At the time an instructor in the Department of Military Instruction at West Point, Major Mark Winkler assisted the National Military Academy of Afghanistan in developing their military science program in Kabul, Afghanistan, from August through September 2006 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In this interview, he talks about the training he received at the CONUS Replacement Center, his initial reception in Afghanistan and the organizational structure that he worked in. He also discusses the Afghanis' reluctance to make decisions without first consulting with the Americans, the similarities and differences between West Point and the National Military Academy of Afghanistan, the fantastic interpreter support they had, and the short period of time in which they had to help the Afghanis rework their military science program. Winkler closes the interview by questioning West Point's balance between an academic program and a military training program.

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