I've been doing some reading on the 'net, and wanted to see if anyone had any first hand experience with them.  They seem (correct me if I am wrong) kind of like a farming-oriented civil affairs type gig.  My state doesn't have them, but apparently they might take out of state volunteers.

http://kentuckyguard.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/media-embed-story/

http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-releases/agribusiness-development-team-travels-to-eastern-paktiya.html

They are centered around the Guard and Reserve units that come from rural areas because they have the most knowledge about the agrarian ways of many Afghans. Kind of like a "we're all the same so let's help each other" kind of deal. They do great work in helping the COIN fight in establishing a sustainable non-narcotic based economy in areas where poppy is the only crop. I met a guy last year who actually was working on bringing over evergreen trees from the Pacific Northwest and working to plant them in tree farms and basically wipe out poppy fields with timber and turning portions of the country into a lumber mill.

Frankly, I think they're worth more than what they get invested into them. But you can only do so much when you're getting shot at and you can't do something for these people for free and without them buying into the crops. If you're a Reservist or Guardsman you could probably talk to your operations guys and volunteer that way. I don't know anyone on the active side who's with them though.

kudzu said it right, I was with a PRT (SECFOR) and there was a ADT team on our FOB, great folks, they had some 11B's attached to them for security and they did a lot of good in our province. Many were high end Agriculture folks (college level understanding of farming and irrigation) they helped the locals a lot and the locals like their presence.

The biggest problem Afghanni's had with the concept of food crops is that when food crops would fail one year because of weather or whatever..they didn't make money and they would revert back to poppy which has always been a money maker for them..Afghani's are pragmatic when it comes to "paying the bills"

If you look around there are states deploying these teams and I know from an 11B perspective they are asking for volunteers to go with them.

I know that the Missouri Guard has these guys...

Oklahoma Guard recently sent one of these teams over to AFG. You can google it.

That was actually one of the first ones I found when I looked.

I'm a 88M in the Guard, but was a 0311 (=11B) and 1371 (=21B I think) in the USMCR my first time around.  I have bachelor's in botany and worked in the plant nursery and commercial fruit production industries for a couple years before I got into law enforcement.  I came back in specifically to deploy, but I have no idea if my company is even in in the on-deck circle so as much as I would like to go with guys I know and have trained with, I am starting to look at other options.  Call me idealistic or altruistic, but the ADT's sound like a good way to do some good over there.

You're neither... you're right. They are ultimately the way forward. We can't jump start their society into the industrial age since they only understand the agrarian society that man developed when he learned how to domesticate animals. You probably stand a good chance of going there you just have to talk to someone in the Guard units that run them. They can probably clue you in on how to get to them

funny you ask...I am at ALC (BNCOC) in MS and doing staff duty tonight..on the bulletin board is a flier seeking people with agri experience to go to AFG...I sent you an email with the email and phone for the contact...

best to you..

Got it, thanks.  I'll call today.

Our units did a lot of this stuff, the hard part is convincing the locals that they need to switch. Pushing for local area co-ops and education programs that teach farming basics and more advanced techniques did a lot of good. Whatever you dodo t let the area commanders and out shit like equipment, fertilizer etc. It creates a depenancy on the system. You want autonomy and cooperation. Oh and don't trust the DOS or usaid agriteams but you must know what they are up too. They will fuck things up I promise you that.