In this second of three interviews, Major Mark Christensen talks about serving as a civil affairs team leader in Delta Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion in Chamkani, Afghanistan, from February through August 2005 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He discusses the need for high-altitude training, developing a better picture of the civil environment and how the local operational detachment alpha would introduce the civil affairs team to the tribal leaders. Christensen also talks about the semi-permissive environment they operated in, the difficulties dealing with a tribal society present and working with other members of the US government. He closes this interview by saying that the deployments of civil affairs teams could go up to seven months in length but would depend upon the environment.

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