US Army’s Human Terrain System: From Super Concept to Absolute Farce
By John Stanton
Continued. Read Part I of the article here
“Let’s just put the program on the ground and see if it works…” That statement from a high-level US Army official sums up the ongoing ad hoc, mercenary approach of the leaders of the US Army’s (TRADOC) Human Terrain System (HTS) program. As a result, multiple sources say that the HTS program is in the crash and burn phase. One source wondered, “Why did Intelligence, Civil Affairs, PSYOP and Special Forces allow their turf to be trampled on by TRADOC DCSINT? Why allow so much money to be wasted when those elements could have used it better?” HTS program management and other principals in the Pentagon/US Army became aware of many of the program’s shortcomings, including overlap with other operations, very early in 2007.
According to sources, “The West Point Trinity,” along with Mr. Maxie McFarland (TRADOC, DCSINT), were primarily responsible for the ruinous turn of events in the HTS program. The West Point Trinity consisted of three USMA graduates: Ms. Karen Clark (an L3-MPRI contractor), Mr. Steve Fondacaro (Program Manager), and Mr. James Greer (Deputy Program Manager—now leaving the HTS program for the Department of Homeland Security).
The West Point Trinity and McFarland have mismanaged, or more accurately not managed at all, a program that sought to bring in the best and brightest field-qualified ethnographers to enhance US military capabilities in Afghanistan and Iraq. Advising them along the way was Mrs./Dr. Montgomery McFate/Sapone (HTS Senior Social Scientist), one of the program’s creators and star marketer for the HTS program.
As reported by Mother Jones http://www.motherjones.com (There’s Something About Mary published on July 30, 2008), Mrs./Dr. McFate/Sapone is now embroiled in an ethics controversy over her participation in anti-gun control efforts here in the USA. Other controversies involving Mrs./Dr. Montgomery McFate/Sapone, already widely reported in the press, should raise concerns with the appropriate HTS program officials responsible for security matters, particularly if she has been awarded Secret clearances. The HTS Program Public Affairs Office (US Army TRADOC), indicated that “since she’s been with the HTS program she has been a dedicated and committed professional.”
Jurassic Park
Exceptionally qualified individuals were forced out of the HTS program for questioning management’s approach, ethics and decision making. Because of that, Fondacaro had them removed from the HTS program because they were “dinosaurs” and “too set in their ways.” Unable to find PhD or Masters Degree candidates with field-grade ethnographic qualifications, HTS program management now has BAE Systems seeking civilian lawyers and journalists to fill Human Terrain Team (HTT) vacancies to offset the shortage of qualified social scientists. HTT deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq are not taking place on schedule or on budget. Those that have been “trained,” including native-Arabic language specialists, await assignment while being paid full salary, daily per diem, and lodging expenses stateside. It is reported that some individuals refuse to deploy. Others are being sent throughout the USA and overseas to attend conferences.
All sources reported that leadership, recruitment and training were critical to the HTS program’s success. Failure in any of these areas would lead to disaster. “As pointed out from the start, the weak points were and remain training and recruitment for anthropologists and military team members…There is a heavy price tag of $110,000 [and upwards of $200,000 for HTT leaders] per deployment but lots of academia’s best will not be swayed by dollars. Where are the assets for recruitment?” commented one source.
Another source, commenting on the HTS leadership said, “As usual, the FOBBITs [Forward Operating Base personnel who never leave the base] and REMFs [rear echelon mother f*%#@$’*] are in charge and the guys on the line are ignored. Who needs a combat veteran when you’ve got Google. Looks like we got out at the right time.”
“I think we do need an HTS program, albeit better managed…” said one civilian source who advised a US military unit in Iraq on protocol—the proper way to eat, use gestures, and appropriate meal time conversation--to observe at a Ramadan feast hosted by local Iraqi leaders. “All in all it was quite enjoyable for me to observe Iraqis and soldiers enjoying each other’s company. Unfortunately, the HTS program managers never asked me to brief them on any successes I had while deployed. It may not have been on the grand scale of building a soccer field in a remote village, but it was an important step to building trusting relationships.”
Program oversight, discipline and accountability have been virtually non-existent from the beginning, according to multiple sources. One former participant in the HTS program believed that HTS management went way beyond acceptable legal and ethical boundaries. “I didn’t want to get Bubba for a cellmate,” said the source and so left the program. Another stated, “There is a complete lack of oversight and leadership. Leadership is the problem. Other sources said some HTS program personnel describe management as “war profiteers” who simply want to see the program continue no matter what the cost in lives or money.
