By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

FRANKFORT, Ky. — As another Kentucky National Guard Agribusiness Team (AGT) readied for deployment to Afghanistan, state FFA members once again stepped up to raise money for goods to donate to unit members.

A ceremony marking the event took place in late January as members of the Oneida Baptist Institute (OBI) chapter and Kentucky FFA President Logan Goggin made the presentation of gifts to members of the AGT. This marks the second year the FFA has raised funds for care packages and also the second year OBI has led the way.

Goggin, a student at the University of Kentucky, said his job was to spread the word about the project to FFA members across the state.

“It has a real competitive spirit about it, and the chapters like that friendly competition between each other to raise the most money,” he said of the fundraising. “Not only has OBI been the leader for the last two years, they have increased the amount of money they raised from last year.”

Many of the goods purchased for the unit are food items which will not only be enjoyed by guard members but by Afghanis, as well. Goggin said it is the knowledge of raising food and the plentiful, affordable food enjoyed by Americans that makes the project more meaningful.

“When we can take our efforts and the luxuries we enjoy here and we can combine members across the state to help other people enjoy the things we do, that’s special to be a part of that,” he said.

Major Gen. Edward Tonini, Kentucky’s Adjutant General, told the gathering it has been a great partnership between state FFA members and the men and women serving on the ADT. “I can tell you for a fact that the ADT knows about what (FFA members) do and they appreciate what they do,” he said.

Tonini added other companies and entities have also worked as partners to help ADT members gain knowledge in their efforts to help Afghani farmers.

The ADT has been an ongoing project conducted by the Kentucky National Guard and composed of personnel from both Army and Air National Guard members with varying backgrounds in agriculture, engineering and marketing, to name a few.

They serve a year in Afghanistan to lend their knowledge to universities and local provincial officials and farmers in hopes of creating a sustainable agricultural environment in a country that is already largely agricultural by nature.

Tonini said the unit is special in its endeavor to help Afghani farmers and has been well-received, having never encountered enemy fire.

“The reason for that is they develop relationships with the towns and tribal leaders and those people, because they know (ADT members) are helping them and providing incredible services to them, are actually protecting them,” he said.

Col. Neil Mullaney will lead this third ADT and is the first Air Force officer to command the team.

He said although he does not have experience in agriculture, he has always been the kind of person to step outside of the box and discover new things, and that guided him in his decision to accept the mission.

“I definitely didn’t know anything about agriculture, and so I was excited to get involved and learn something new,” he said.

“Knowing I would find within the state some very smart people on the subject and surround myself with those folks, I was excited to do it.”

The team has learned everything from marketing to livestock care from universities and companies across the state, including primitive farming techniques from Amish groups.

“Within the team there are 58 personnel and 12 of them are specifically the agricultural specialists. I have everything from an officer with a PhD in biochemistry to a young soldier whose experience is that he grew up and worked on the family farm,” said Mullaney.

“We have civil engineers who have experience with irrigation and construction projects.

“So all of the specialties that are required in order to help facilitate the Afghanis’ growing agriculture economy, we have in place and it’s all by volunteers.”

He said there were hundreds of volunteers asking to be a part of this team. “I think this is indicative of the people within the Commonwealth of Kentucky, not only for their love and knowledge of agriculture but their sense of duty and self sacrifice; that they are willing to give up a year with their families to go help the Afghan people,” said Mullaney.

Tonini said there are other states that have sent ag development teams to Afghanistan, but Kentucky has been the leader in sustaining the effort. “Kentucky is recognized nationally and internationally as the leader for ag development,” he said.

“We believe the legacy and the continuity from one ag team to the other coming from one state and having the reach-back capability to the universities and the partners we depend on, is incredibly valuable. This is the reason why we have made the commitment to continue on the way, now into our fourth unit.”