In this September 2014 interview, CPT (P) Andrew Boissonneau, US Army, Civil Affairs (CA); discusses his deployment to Afghanistan as a CA officer for Echo Company, 91st Civil Affairs Battalion in 2012 through 2013. CPT (P) Boissonneau talks about his village stability operation (VSO) missions, working with local Shuras, and assisting with development projects. He describes how he worked to help connect local leaders with district and provincial government to gain support for the local school. He discusses some logistical support challenges he faced regarding humanitarian assistance and shares his experiences working with the Afghan Local Police (ALP). He shares a specific memory of a community event and discusses the handoff to the incoming unit. CPT (P) Boissonneau closes his interview by stating, "I think the VSO project, while sound, is not as successful as it could have been. I think the lesson we need to take if we as a nation are involved in this again, is that we have a tactic that works; we need to provide it enough time to be successful."

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