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Cablegate: Logistical Support Requested for Civilian Uplift and The

VZCZCXRO0322
RR RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #2522/01 2370800
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250800Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1076
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002522

DEPARTMENT FOR SRAP, SCA/FO, SCA/A, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA
USFOR-A FOR POLAD, USDA FAS FOR MICHENER

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT PGOV AF
SUBJECT: LOGISTICAL SUPPORT REQUESTED FOR CIVILIAN UPLIFT AND THE
NEW INTERAGENCY PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS OFFICE

1. This is an action request. See sections 5,8,9,10 and 11.

2. As Embassy Kabul prepares to quintuple the number of U.S.
civilians working in the field with the military at the cutting edge
of our stabilization, governance and development efforts, we would
like to streamline and synchronize our management processes in
Washington and Kabul. We want to ensure that our new colleagues -
many of whom are coming from outside the U.S. government - are
trained and processed through the system in the most efficient and
customer-service oriented way, so they arrive ready to contribute.

3. In order to deploy the required number of personnel in the
limited time available, Embassy Kabul will need interagency support
from Washington. Currently, there appear to be four pre-deployment
systems in place: 1) State FSOs; 2) the State Department
Orientation and In-Processing (OIP) office in-processing of the
State Department's 3161, TDY, and LNA personnel destined for field
positions; 3) USAID ; and 4)USDA. This cable outlines our request
to integrate the process in Washington and in Kabul.

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Required services for in-processing
--------------------
4. There are a number of key required services that need to be
completed in Washington before new civilian employees depart for
Kabul to allow them to function quickly without administrative
delays:
-- Complete training, consultation and travel schedule prior to
departure from Washington
-- One-year Afghan visas for all civilians
-- Establish uGov.gov email account
-- An on-line time and attendance reporting system for 3161s,
similar to what exists for State FSOs
-- Issuance and completion of Embassy Kabul in-processing forms
prior to departure
--Transfer of OpenNet and (if needed) ClassNet accounts from
previous post and verification of Cyber Security Awareness course
completion
-- Military Common Access Cards (CAC) to all personnel deploying to
the field outside Kabul
-- Diplomatic Security clearance verification letter for USG
civilians (Note: USAID will send security verification
electronically through their security office)
-- DOD's Information Awareness (IA) test and print the IA
certificates for civilians.

5. We understand that currently OIP processes only State department
employees and new hires. Given the common needs and high priority
of getting civilians to the field quickly and efficiently, we ask
Washington to consider having the OIP office provide interagency
in-processing services to all USAID and USDA incoming personnel as
well as State employees, to unify the process and make sure all
employees receive the right information and complete the
requirements before arriving in Afghanistan. Action requested: we
ask that OIP work with USAID and USDA to ensure they direct their
employees to complete in-processing through OIP before arriving at
Post or to assign additional staff in Embassy Kabul's IPA office to
assist with in-processing here.

6. In Kabul, we have already completed an analysis of our
in-processing procedures and have initiated a reorganization of our
dedicated management office to streamline the process and integrate
the support for all civilian personnel in the field, including
officers from State, USAID and USDA. We have subdivided the
management section into: 1) a Personnel / Information Unit that
tracks the in-flow of personnel headed to the field and their
progress through pre-deployment in-processing, 2) a Logistics Unit
responsible for equipment and transportation support, and 3) a
Forward Support Unit that works with the military units to ensure
they are ready to receive the assigned civilian personnel.

Staffing needs
--------------
7. We also analyzed the workload the IPA Management Division will
face while supporting 365 civilian personnel in the field. This is
a greater number of personnel than are currently working in the
majority of U.S. embassies around the world, and these employees
will be living and working in remote locations scattered throughout
Afghanistan. As just one example of the workload, the management
division will need to coordinate more than 3650 flights each year to
support air transport between Kabul and field locations. The
increased workload will not be short-term. In fact, next year we
will again face a near doubling of the workload, as the 365 officers
deployed this summer rotate out of Afghanistan while another 365
replacements arrive and deploy. Further, we plan to add another 52
field positions through summer 2011, bringing the total number in
the field to 417.

KABUL 00002522 002 OF 002

8. In Kabul, we currently have an IPA management section of three
State FSOs, two EFM, and two local staff. A USAID FSO will be
joining the team shortly. USAID does not currently have any
additional administrative staff to second to the management section.
USAID has requested two (2) EFM and two (2) LES positions to
support the increased workload caused by the up-lift. These
positions would join the IPA management team and are critical to our
ability to support the mission in the field. Action request: we
request Washington's support in authorizing and filling these four
positions as soon as possible.

9. To enable Post to meet our critical manpower shortages, we have
also requested from the Department the authority to bring in LES
from other posts for long-term TDY. Action request: we urge the
Department to expedite the approval process for the establishment of
this LES TDY authority for Embassy Kabul. The integrated IPA
Management Section will need at least 5 LES/EFM positions to manage
the increased workload through the State Department, even if all the
requested measures in para 3 are implemented.

10. Action request: we also request the Department's assistance in
establishing a consolidated web-based database that will track a
wide range of work-related data about personnel, including arrival
and departure dates, position, location, experience, skills,
training, and educational background. This information will assist
Embassy IPA in planning for staff training and placement. We have
identified approximately forty-five (45)fields of information we
would like to include in the database and can provide this
information to Washington.

New arrival procedures
----------------------
11. To increase efficiency, IPA Management will begin in-processing
personnel in groups of up to 15. Action request: we request that
all field personnel arrive in Kabul on Fridays, Sundays, and
Tuesdays, rather than individually and randomly, and we ask that
Washington tailor their training schedules (to the extent possible)
and travel plans to ensure personnel arrive as requested by Post.
Upon arrival in Kabul, IPA will:
-- Complete internal embassy administrative in-processing (HR, FMO,
Medical unit, RSO)
-- Conduct orientation on field work and responsibilities, best
practices, and arrange consultations with relevant agencies
-- Issue equipment necessary for the field
-- Arrange in country travel to assignment sites
-- Communicate staffing and personnel decisions back to Washington
in a timely fashion to keep the personnel pipeline flowing.

12. Embassy Kabul recognizes that greatly increasing the number of
civilians in the field will create strain on Washington as well as
the Embassy. We would like to thank Washington in advance for
securing the necessary resources to minimize this stress and enable
us to achieve our civilian uplift targets in partnership with the
Afghan government. Getting talented civilians to the field as
quickly as possible will help us meet the key U.S. foreign policy
objective of building a successful civilian-military
counterinsurgency effort.

EIKENBERRY

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