Human Terrain Team - Afghanistan
Human Terrain Team - Afghanistan
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Human Terrain Teams (HTT) are part of a US Army, Training and Doctrine Command support program employing personnel from the social science disciplines – such as anthropology, sociology, political science, regional studies and linguistics – to provide military commanders and staff with an understanding of the local population (i.e. the "human terrain") in the regions in which they are deployed.
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Near the porch of my hut, I meet a team of three burly, geared-up men. They introduce themselves as Peter; an Afghan-American translator, Joseph; and Peter's partner, who introduces himself as "Paris." "Paris Hilton," to be exact. The trio are heading out on a midnight mission, and we chat with them as they snap on and check their night-vision goggles, extra magazines, pistols, and other tools.
I ask Paris what they do. "We are the HTT," he says. Confused, I ask him if his HTT is deployed with Human Terrain Team. "No, no, we are HUMINT tactical collection teams." HUMINT is mil-speak for "human intelligence." So what's the distinction? Peter purse's his helmeted brow. "I s'pose we are the shooty-shooty guys rather than the talky-talky guys," he says.
Excerpt from Men's Journal Afghanistan: The New War for Hearts and Minds words by Robert Young Pelton / photographs by Jason Florio