Thanks Bill !
I should have your book soon. We receive APO but once a week here.
Glad your transition went smoothly. Of the 9 embassies I've been in, the US Military were considered little more than a necessary evil. It would only be later with knowledge of culture and 2 languages, that my reputation in Sub-Sahara took me out of the "necessary evil column". Even then, I would still be ignored on matters Congolese.

I think those Americans who gave aid and comfort to the Sandinistas and the Salvadoran communists should feel guilty. They were on the wrong side in the Cold War.” These were, he said, what Lenin called “useful idiots”.
Tom and I were often wondering about the other folks "helping" in Zäire and Rwanda during the civil wars and subsequent refugee crisis. There were moments when the cause seemed to be the same, but agendas were like night and day.

“Cultural factors really are the equivalent of a terrain feature that cannot be ignored [in surrogate wars].” And: “Fluency in foreign languages is the indispensable key to understanding.” “Regional expertise and experience are crucial. People working on insurgencies shouldn’t be doing so on their first trip to the region.”
Nothing more to add here....Extremely well put !

Regards, Stan