By Leon G. Russ staff writer lruss@hometown-news.com Colonel Gregory W. Batts, Deputy Commander for the South Carolina Army National Guard contingent that is now returning from a deployment to Afghanistan spoke to Wofford College ROTC cadets and a few others at a Symposium on Citizenship and Leadership on Thursday, April 24 in Leonard Auditorium. Batts graduated from Wofford in 1979 at a time he said when “no one ever thought the South Carolina National Guard would ever be involved in a shooting war.” He told the cadets that Afghanistan was “a hotbed of terrorist activity” and gave a brief overview of his time spent there as Deputy Commander of Task Force Phoenix. His address was designed to enlighten the cadets, some of whom will be gaining their officers’ commissions upon graduation next month, on what it takes to be a leader. He told of having to deal with “shortages in manpower, equipment and funding” while attempting to carry out Task Force Phoenix’s mission of “standing up the Afghan Army and police forces.” He stated, “It was an exercise in frustration over there.” I had to make “tough personnel decisions with the organizational goal in mind,” he said. The most difficult thing he had to do was “firing longtime friends” from their positions. It had to be done, he said, because “a combat zone it no place for the second string.” He noted it didn’t make those folks less patriotic, “some just weren’t right for the mission.” He stated, “We had the best equipment and vehicles in the world – if you use it right.” He spoke of RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) rounds bouncing off their Humvees, “all it does is chip the paint,” and of soldiers not wearing their protective equipment properly. He spoke of training for the mission and said, “You had to convince people this was the real deal.” He noted it was easier to convince them and have them properly don their equipment “after the first casualties came.” And the casualties did come. “Our achievements came at a cost,” Batts said. “We were the most engaged of any task force and we lost 22 men, 19 U.S. and three coalition, but it was a price that had to be paid.” Batts called Afghanistan a “surreal mix of the modern and pre-historic.” The difficulties encountered in Afghanistan were numerous, from 32 different languages being spoken to a topography that varies from harsh desert conditions to rugged mountainous ranges to lush green valleys. Task Force Phoenix members lived and fought in them all “during the most violent year in Afghanistan,” said Batts. He praised Task Force Phoenix for doing a good job while being undermanned. He spoke of having clerk typists manning security towers due to the fact that the force was operating at 53% of standard manpower. “The Army is spread so thin these days,” he said. Batts noted Task Force Phoenix was supposed to have 3,400 additional people but the Iraq War surge began and that led to being undermanned. Batts explained he felt the National Guard was better suited to “nation building” than the regular Army. “We have plumbers and electricians and the like…and we thought we’re a better fit than the regular Army” for this task in Afghanistan. Batts feels the War on Terror will continue unabated for five to 10 years. He believes any reduction in troops from Iraq will lead to an increase in troop strength in Afghanistan.