In this interview, MAJ Stefan Hutnik, US Army, Field Artillery (FA); discusses his deployment to Afghanistan as a battery commander in 3-6 FA, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). MAJ Hutnik talks about his missions of locating and accepting equipment, organizing Soldiers and his overall maneuver missions of the Ghormash district. He describes how he traveled to his Soldiers and talks about working with Afghan Police. He discusses some life support challenges they faced and shares how he was able to boost morale for his Soldiers. He shares a specific memory of the bond he developed with is Soldiers and discusses the handoff to the incoming brigade. MAJ Hutnik closes his interview by stating, "Overall, the biggest lesson that applies is the importance of really understanding the culture of the area that you're going in to. We probably didn't spend enough time before we went in, understanding the dynamics of Tajiks and Uzbeks versus Pashtu, and -- to kind of caveat that a little bit more -- I guess the key lesson learned would be just to reiterate how you've got to -- particularly in counterinsurgency (COIN) work, you've got to understand the environment you're operating in."

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited