n this April 2012 interview, Major General (MG) Joseph “Lonnie” Culver relates his experiences as a Brigadier General (BG) in command of Task Force (TF) Cyclone deployed in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from August 2009 to July 2010. After completion of pre-mobilization training, BG Culver deployed his team into Bagram Airbase during August 2009 “just in time to prep for the national elections.” Culver describes the complex mission he was to inherit as battle space owner over four provinces, control of mayor cell at Bagram Airbase as well as five other Forward Operating Bases (FOB). After eight months of working closely with his task force members to support reconstruction efforts and build good working relationships with Afghan officials, BG Culver’s task force received a major change of mission. TF Cyclone subsequently expanded to control eleven FOBs as part of the surge of forces into Afghanistan. Simultaneously, his team worked to standardize logistics and contracting support among the bases while refurbishing the dilapidated Kabul base facilities. After an intense ninety day stay at Kabul, BG Culver conducted his relief in place on 30 June and returned to the United States to demobilize. MG Culver relates the importance of developing good intelligence across different services and agencies, which enabled his task force to destroy one major insurgent network, and disrupt two others. MG Culver also keyed in on the importance of cultivating friendships with Afghans before any work gets done as the “three tea rule.” In closing, MG Culver relates some of his insights on command and leadership. MG Culver shares his long experience as a National Guard leader and voices concern with his new leaders – so used to operating in times of unconstrained resources – lacking the ability to train, plan and execute training in a resource constrained environment. Lastly, MG Culver shares his observations on doctrine, believing it best as “short and 15 pages or less…with references to be a 100 pages. Make it broad brush, and easy…to understand what it is we expect them to do.”
