Center for South Asia Noon Lecture Series

Commanding a combat battalion in northern Kunar and eastern Nuristan in 2007-2008, Kolenda and his unit defied the conventional wisdom of the day and focused on armed diplomacy, conflict resolution, and both violent and non-violent leverage to break apart the insurgency and turn the population against the insurgency. Since then Kolenda has been deeply involved in shaping every major strategic effort in the war in Afghanistan. He is now involved in prosecuting and winning America’s longest war.