An exchange of cultures and ideas took place on Fort Stewart when two Afghan generals and one Afghan border police officer visited with soldiers and officers on post Wednesday.
The trio traveled by helicopter from Fort Bragg, N.C., at the request of the 3rd Infantry Division’s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo.
When Cucolo recently visited members of the 82nd Airborne Division as they trained to deploy to Afghanistan, he met the three Middle-Eastern men.
“I found them and I said, ‘OK, you’ve seen Fort Bragg, I think you need to see Fort Stewart,’ ” Cucolo said.
The generals, who are visiting the United States for the first time, have been training with Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division during a 20-day exercise.
On Wednesday, the Afghan soldiers were given a five-hour tour of Fort Stewart. They toured Building 1, ate lunch at the Marne dining facility and visited several maintenance facilities where they climbed in and out of tanks and Bradleys before heading back to Fort Bragg.
“It’s been a very good experience, and we’re happy to be here,” Afghan Gen. Roshangar Mashhodullah said through his interpreter, U.S. Army Spc. Farshad Emani. “If they don’t pull me out, I will stay here.”
Cucolo said he does not foresee any immediate deployments to Afghanistan in the division’s future. However, he did say the potential for future deployments always exists.
The trio traveled by helicopter from Fort Bragg, N.C., at the request of the 3rd Infantry Division’s commanding officer, Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo.
When Cucolo recently visited members of the 82nd Airborne Division as they trained to deploy to Afghanistan, he met the three Middle-Eastern men.
“I found them and I said, ‘OK, you’ve seen Fort Bragg, I think you need to see Fort Stewart,’ ” Cucolo said.
The generals, who are visiting the United States for the first time, have been training with Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division during a 20-day exercise.
On Wednesday, the Afghan soldiers were given a five-hour tour of Fort Stewart. They toured Building 1, ate lunch at the Marne dining facility and visited several maintenance facilities where they climbed in and out of tanks and Bradleys before heading back to Fort Bragg.
“It’s been a very good experience, and we’re happy to be here,” Afghan Gen. Roshangar Mashhodullah said through his interpreter, U.S. Army Spc. Farshad Emani. “If they don’t pull me out, I will stay here.”
Cucolo said he does not foresee any immediate deployments to Afghanistan in the division’s future. However, he did say the potential for future deployments always exists.