Missouri Soldier Helping to Nation Build in Afghanistan

A Missouri soldier in the often-overlooked part of the war on terror says significant progress in nation-building is being made, but it’s slow work. National Guard Colonel Todd Higgins of Jefferson City is the chief engineer for the combined security transition command in Kabul, Afghanistan. His unit is helping build the facilities the Afghan army and police need to bring and maintain order to a country at war with somebody for 30 years and more. Higgins says Afghanistan is rebuilding itself a day at a time. He says there are big differences between Afghanistan and Iraq. For one thing, the police did not disappear, while the army did when the Taliban seized power. He says the search for Osama bin Lauden contines as a partnership between American forces and the Afghan security units. The message for the folks at home: Success is building, but it’s going to be a long time before the nation, its security, and its economy are strong enough for American troops to come home.