USAID provides JHOC for select members at Afghanistan District

USACE Afghanistan District Deputy Commander Lieutenant Col Rachel Honderd, Chief of Plans & Operations Lieutenant Col. Ramon Mejia, and Chief Counsel Dan McConnell participated in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Joint Humanitarian Operations Course (JHOC) at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, as they share a partnership with USAID members John VanSandt, far left, and Nicholas Kaufman.
USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) created the JHOC in 2004 to establish a formal learning environment for select U.S. military leaders and planners; to discuss the relationship between USAID/OFDA, its partners, and the U.S. military; and to prepare participants to work collaboratively during humanitarian assistance/disaster response (HA/DR) operations.
The JHOC course allows DoD personnel to become familiar with USG international disaster response structures, relevant offices, policies, mandates, and roles and responsibilities, the international disaster response system, including the role of the host nation, international and non- governmental organizations (NGOs), and U.N. agencies, and to understand their unique roles and responsibilities as they relate to U.S. policy objectives.
During the course, DoD and USAID identified areas of mutual coordination and cooperation between USG civilian agencies and the U.S. military, including best practices and lessons learned. The two day training utilized interactive presentations, participant discussion groups, and case study methodology, highlighting international disaster response best practices and the U.S. military's role when supporting foreign HA/DR operations as provided for under DOD Directive 5100.46, Foreign Disaster Relief.