U.S. Army War College >> Strategic Studies Institute >> Publications >> Details

Provincial Reconstruction Teams: How Do We Know They Work?

Authored by Dr. Carter Malkasian, Dr. Gerald Meyerle.

Brief Synopsis

Over the past 6 years, provincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) have played a growing role in the U.S. counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan. PRTs are one of several organizations working on reconstruction there, along with civilian development agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, numerous nongovernmental organizations, and the Afghan government’s National Solidarity Program. Perhaps unsurprisingly, something of a debate has emerged over whether PRTs are needed. The authors argue that civilian reconstruction agencies cannot do the same job as the PRTs. While these agencies remain essential for long-term economic and political development, the PRTs conduct reconstruction in ways that help create stability in the short term. Absent the PRTs, the “build” in clear-hold-build efforts deemed essential to effective counterinsurgency would fall flat. Based on over 2 months of field research in 2007 and 2 months in 2008 by a CNA team with 4 different PRTs—Khost, Kunar, Ghazni, and Nuristan—plus interviews with the leadership of 10 others, the authors recommend that the United States give the PRTs the lead role in reconstruction activities that accompany any surge of military forces into Afghanistan.

You may also be interested in the following titles:

• 
  Strategic Landscape, 2050: Preparing the U.S. Military for New Era Dynamics

• 
  Building Partner Capacity in Africa: Keys to Success

• 
  Rotational Deployments vs. Forward Stationing: How Can the Army Achieve Assurance and Deterrence Eff...

• 
  What Should the U.S. Army Learn From History? Recovery From a Strategy Deficit

• 
  Ends, Means, Ideology, and Pride: Why the Axis Lost and What We Can Learn from Its Defeat

• 
  U.S. Landpower in the South China Sea

• 
  At Our Own Peril: DoD Risk Assessment in a Post-Primacy World

• 
  Transforming the Force: The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) from 1963 to 1965

Survey: Provincial Reconstruction Teams: How Do We Know They Work?

1. How would you rate the writing and overall quality? (5 best - 1 Worst)

12345

N/A

2. Is the content relevant for influencing present and future debates?

YesNoNo Opinion

Your Comments (No URLs Allowed):

If you'd like a reply to your comments, provide your email:
(optional)

View other pubs in the following categories:

Central Asia
Landpower Employment & Sustainment
Afghanistan