Winning hearts and changing minds in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Robert Hughes
  • 5th Kandak, 2nd Battalion, 201st Corps
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Afghanistan --  Winning Hearts and Changing Minds in Afghanistan With a literacy rate of only 28 percent, Afghanistan is one of the most under educated countries in the world. 

Armed with this knowledge, Senior Master Sgt. Robert Hughes, deployed from the 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Maj. John Matthews, deployed from Peterson AFB, Colo., embarked upon a letter and e-mail writing campaign that would eventually reach out to more than 400 individuals, charity organizations and major companies. 

As members of an Embedded Transition Team, Major Matthews and Sergeant Hughes train, coach and mentor Afghan National Army personnel helping them develop self-sustaining operations and allowing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to achieve stability and security. 

In this case, the duo was out to change the minds of Afghan youth through education.
"Winning hearts is easy," Sergeant Hughes said. "Just let someone know you are here to help, show them you care and develop a professional as well as personal relationship with them and you can win their heart. However, changing minds is an unbelievable challenge." 

"Our goal has been to support the most basic of human wants, a desire to learn and understand," Major Matthews said. "And there is no better way to fill this gap then with education." 

Sergeant Hughes and Major Matthews made a single request for school supply items that they could deliver to schools throughout their area of operation.

"With all the news about the economy, I think we expected a very limited response" Sergeant Hughes said. "However, as is usually the case, the desire of people to help others less fortunate is a major motivator and in this case that motivation has been overwhelming."

In fact, Sergeant Hughes and Major Matthews have received more than 900 boxes of school supplies to date.

"We conducted some small visits over the winter, but now that the mountain passes are starting to clear we can really get to the places that have the greatest needs' Sergeant Hughes said.

"So in the end, I hope we look back and see that we weren't just marking time," he continued. "We, with the assistance of a lot of other people, made a difference. We made the youth of Afghanistan stronger and we made the people of Afghanistan a little freer."