NFTF - Advising at the Ministerial Level in Afghanistan: Insights from Major General Willard M. Burleson III

CALL's Strategic Analysis Branch conducted an interview on 9 July 2018, with MG Burleson, 7th Infantry Division Commander, to collect insights into his activities while he was serving as the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Defense, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, OPERATION FREEDOM’S SENTINEL (Resolute Support), May 2016 – June 2017. The purpose of the interview was to get MG Burleson’s perspective on the requirements for successful advising at the Ministry of Defense and institutional levels for potential use in a Senior Advisor Reference Guide that CALL is developing in coordination with the Ministry of Defense Advisor Program and the Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance. MG Burleson emphasized continuous contact with the Minister of Defense (MinDef) and that understanding the context of the MinDef’s priorities equates to greater appreciation of the MinDef’s overall institutional and operational goals. He also noted that contact builds context which in turn builds trust; and, the Partner Nation Minister's priorities should be the center of gravity in terms of building unity of effort for advising activities.