Interviews conducted by Lieutenant Hugh Blethyn Royal Navy, Officer Commanding, Combat Camera Team, Task Force Helmand

HB: Richard, could you describe your role here in Musa Qaleh?

RJ: ‘I am a Stabilisation Officer and I work for the Stabilisation Unit, which is a cross government unit made up of elements from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.

HB: What does that role involve?
RJ: ‘There are three things that the PRT have brought to MSQ, the first is what we call the ‘tangible impact’ of projects on the ground, the reconstruction projects, we have refurbished the District Governors Residence, the Civil Secretariat and the ANP HQ and the bazaar road which is currently under construction and also a health clinic.  So that’s what we call the tangible impact which is one element of stabilisation the other being to encourage the national government, particularly the government in Kabul to become part of the process of stabilisation to encourage their ministries to set up shop here and then the third element, which is really the most difficult element, is to encourage local people to take ownership of the stabilisation process, particularly in terms of working with the governor, working with the civil secretariat and working with the executive shura so that they themselves see that there are part of this whole process’

HB: So Richard, your presence here in Musa Qaleh is a major step forward for Helmand, I wonder if you could tell us a little about the comprehensive approach and how the project for Musa Qaleh was planned even before the first bullet was fired.

RJ:  ‘The comprehensive approach is really all about ensuring that all the elements of government necessary to rebuild and stabilise an area like Musa Qaleh fall in to place and it is really a reflection of the complexity of conflict nowadays that you have to have the involvement of, of course not just the military, but also of the Foreign Office and also of the Department of Foreign and International Development because conflict now is a lot more complex and I guess it is no more complex than here at the moment so you need those critical elements of ministries involvement here.

HB: Now one of the things that has changed significantly since December is the case for children.  I wonder if you could tell me a little about the education here and the opening of the school.

RJ: ‘Well the school reopened here in the middle of February and has certainly been one of the most successful stories in terms of reconstruction and development here in Musa Qaleh, not just for the fact the building was refurbished by a contractor that we appointed through our own process but also because though a joined up approach, we refurbishment the school and were able to work with the ministry of education.  We ensured that were teachers there, we ensured that the teachers had special payment to work in Musa Qaleh as its no good just rebuilding the school and then just hoping that teachers will come along, so we had to do it, as we are espousing, in a joined up manner for a joined up government approach to work in Musa Qaleh.  We also had to the same in terms of what the Afghan Government are doing as well so that the children, there are now 500 (850) at the school and around 30 teachers and the children would learn everything that you would expect, English, mathematics and Pashtu and they are working to an Afghan Curriculum so this a very positive point that we are very proud of’.

HB:  And what has it been like, firstly as a civilian working with the military and then in Musa Qaleh, quite an austere environment for you to be working in.

RJ: Yes it is quite an austere environment, I am a Conflict Advisor by trade so I am used to austere environments but I have to say that the cold in January and February tested my limits of tolerance – it was about minus 8 or minus 9 and there was no heating.