Agricultural Development Teams deploy farming experts to help rebuild Afghanistan's war torn food system. When most National Guard units prepare to deploy to Afghanistan, they focus on tactical training--land navigation, weapons skills, working with interpreters, counter-IED techniques, basic first aid. But Colonel Eric Ahlness, commander of the Minnesota National Guard's Zabul Agribusiness Development Team, or ADT, brought his unit to an Amish farm.

Last week, field water experts from the Minnesota Army National Guard and U.S. European Command traveled to Zagreb, Croatia to conduct a Field Water Treatment Workshop with partners from the Croatian Armed Forces from May 7-9, 2013. The visit was very timely well timed as Croatia anticipates being fully operational within NATO's Capability of field water treatment by January 2017, and is currently in the process of developing a field water team. They were therefore very interested in information provided by their state partners, Minnesota, and EUCOM. During the two-and-a-half day workshop, the US field water experts shared expertise with their Croatian counterparts on a spectrum of topics including reconnaissance, water source selection, environmental health, NATO water quality standards, technologies, planning, maintenance and other considerations.

A turkey hunt is one of various sporting outings held annually at Camp Ripley for veterans and active service members. CAMP RIPLEY - Great things happen every day in this country, sometimes in not-so-obvious places. In a blind on this expansive military training center on a recent early morning, Samantha "Sam" Hunter issued hen turkey yelps to what she hoped was a love-struck gobbler perched in a near-distant tree.