2 August 2010
Pride & Prejudice in Army's Human Terrain System
HTS Convoy Attacked
by John Stanton
"Col Sharon Hamilton [acting HTS program manager], does not know what is
going on here in Iraq because if she was aware of the behavior here, she
would not tolerate the dysfunction that continues within the organization."
"The rules and regulations within the HTS program only apply to minorities
or other people whom the team leaders and management dislike."
Update: While out in the field traveling to visit Human Terrain Teams, Colonel
Hamilton's convoy cam under attack. There were injuries, said sources, but
Colonel Hamilton is "ok".
The US Army's Human Terrain System continues to experience personnel troubles.
"Nothing has really changed", said sources. The reasons for that appear to
be due, in part, from the fallout left behind by tag team Fondacaro &
McFate, and ongoing reports of hostile working environments for both women
and minorities within HTS.
But before getting to that, some updates are in order.
The Center for Naval Analyses has submitted its report to the Undersecretary
of Defense/Intelligence. House Armed Services Committee members will be briefed
soon on the findings. The US Army's Administrative Review findings are unknown
at this time. The National Defense University is conducting a study on HTS
looking into internal performance/interagency matters.
Dr. Max Forte at Zero Anthroplogy
has scoured through the WikiLeaks Afghan War files. He found a number of
entries on HTS/HTT and is currently writing a pro-con series on the subject.
Among other things, the findings raise, yet again, the issue of intelligence
gathering and "interviewing" wounded and suspected insurgents. And there
is also credit given where due for HTT's providing legitimate support to
military personnel.
Mark
Solomon, apparently in HTS program
management
at BAE Systems is also a real estate agent apparently picking up some extra
cash in off-hours. Observers wonder how he finds the time. Solomon did not
respond to questions -- sent by email -- on the matter.
Former HTS graduate Dr. Nancy Kobrin writes for
Family
Security Matters, a well funded neoconservative non-profit. This HTS
graduate recently
wrote
that "Arab Muslim culture is so rife with deprivation and victimhood, nothing
is ever enough...Saudis and other Muslims do not know how to mourn their
losses. They stay glued together like a big enmeshed dysfunctional family
defending their wounds and licking them. They bully to get what they want,
but even then it is never enough. They avenge by the sword."
Rotten Management/Leadership in Field
Prior to Steve Fondacaro departing from the HTS program he apparently setup
one of his friends, Leslie Kayanan, with a program management position in
Iraq. Kayanan
(Asian American) is described by sources as a "weak leader".
"This was not a good decision because Kayanan was part of the original
dysfunction in the program. He was removed from the Human Resources section
of HTS and sent down range where he continues to be disruptive," said observers.
"If you don't kiss up to him and others in management, you are not part of
the clique and may not get comp time."
Job security -- and staying alive -- is tough enough for the best of the
HTS'ers without having to worry about joining an ass-kissing fraternity.
But being part of the clique/fraternity has its rewards. "There are some
Team Leaders in-country that don't do anything and get paid six figures.
There are Team Leaders in the program who have never been outside the wire.
But they will send their teams outside the wire and expect the team to respect
him or her as a Team Leader. There was a father and son team who would just
show up for work and drink coffee and and still bill for comp time."
According to some observers, pushing program diversity is not high on
management's to do list. "The HTS program only has three African Americans
in leadership positions." Observers say that for African Americans to "get
in" they have to have a PhD or be on close terms with Montgomery McFate or
personnel that remain from former tag- team Fondacaro-McFate. Evidently,
another African American was recently moved into a leadership position.
"Minorities and others in the program have been publicly humiliated by
management. Leadership will plot with other HTS personnel to get rid of them
just because of the color of their skin or they just don't like them", said
sources. "The rules and regulations within the HTS program only apply to
minorities or other people whom the Team Leaders and management dislike.
As a result this organization has a lot of disgruntled employees," they said.
"If you check recent statistics you will notice in Iraq that HTS management
puts the white females with no military experience in Team Leader positions
just because they are friends with McFate."
There are reports of personnel vacationing to visit friends and family but
disguising it as program "research". Management appears to encourage this
behavior either through ignorance or acceptance of the practice.
Sources said that some team leaders in the program do not "have a clue as
to what is going on" and will not consult experienced personnel for advice
because they believe they above such practices. Team leaders have the uncanny
ability to remain employed by HTS even when the client tells them to "get
out."
"A team leader at HTAT-C lied to the commanding general and was asked to
leave the area of operations. HTS management put him at an HTAT elsewhere
in-country. What a disgrace."
__________
John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in national security
matters. Reach him at cioran123[at]yahoo.com
John Stanton's Human Terrain System articles:
http://cryptome.org/0001/hts-stanton.htm
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