A better life in Afghanistan: Part 2 in 3 part series

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Steven Wilson
  • 28th Bomb Wing public affairs
Master Sgt. Dewane Brown, Medical Embedded Training Team mentor at a forward operating base in Afghanistan said in a March interview, "The Afghani people want a better life in Afghanistan. They want a life without war and a reason to live." 

Sergeant Brown is normally assigned as the NCO-in-charge of medical logistics at the 28th Medical Group here. Currently, he's embedded with an Army unit operating a few miles from the Pakistan border. His duties there involve the storage and distribution of medical supplies and equipment to his host nation counterparts, as well as serving as a combat advisor to the Afghan National Army. 

He said the anticipated yearly spring offensive has begun. 

"A couple of my teammates received a mortar round on a base exchange run," Sergeant Brown said. "But, thank God, it was a dud on impact." 

While the region is still dangerous, Sergeant Brown said intelligence helps monitor enemy activities. 

He also noticed the forces are literally swelling. 

We will increase this summer so much that there will not be enough latrines and laundry facilities to accommodate the population, he said. 

While the additional build-up in personnel and spring offensive are significant events in Sergeant Brown's deployment, he said the bottom line is that he's helping to make a better life for Afghani's so they can control their own destiny. 

He said he has seen major progress in the short time he and his team have been deployed. 

"The Afghan National Army is becoming more independent in their specialties," said Sergeant Brown. "We've helped them implement many new processes, but they're still in need of legitimate certification and funding for new technology." 

Technology is slowly finding its way to the region. During his deployment, Sergeant Brown started a new computer lab to help new interpreters assigned to assist the U.S. forces there learn basic computer operations. 

In addition to providing the expertise for bringing modern medical logistics to Afghanistan, Sergeant Brown said he teaches English three times a week to soldiers in the Afghan National Army. 

He's also bettering daily life for his fellow deployed servicemembers. 

"One of my biggest initiatives for the enlisted folks was to establish the 'Top 3' here at our FOB," he said. "We had our first meeting last week." 

Sergeant Brown said he and his fellow Airmen are committed to nation-building in Afghanistan, and ensuring the suffering the people felt at the hands of the Taliban is swept away. 

"This is a war we hope to win by ensuring the people of Afghanistan are able to maintain a better life for this country; one without war (and) a reason to live," he said. 

Ellsworth's senior enlisted leader said he's proud of NCOs like Sergeant Brown.

"Our junior and senior enlisted corps like Sergeant Brown are leading Airmen in, quite literally, rebuilding an entire nation one step at a time," said Chief Master Sgt. Clifton Cole, Ellsworth's Command Chief Master Sergeant. "He's a great testament to the chief of staff's 'all in' mindset.

"I wish him and all our deployed forces from Ellsworth success in their endeavors and look forward to them coming home."

Sergeant Brown hasn't forgot his loved ones at Ellsworth. 

"Kristara, Darian and Briana ... Daddy will be home real soon," he said. 

He is scheduled to return home from his deployment sometime in July.