When Made-in-the-USA isn’t Afghan-Good-Enough

In a recent New York Times article, Andrew Kramer details one of the many critical tactical limitations of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) - a lack of Night-Vision Devices (NVDs). In my year in Kandahar, one of the singularly consistent issues facing the ANDSF was the dearth of NVDs. This seemingly obvious enabler was conspicuously absent from ANDSF equipment, begging the question: When one can literally buy a decent pair of NVDs at Walmart for $200 (or less from China) and the USG is pumping $4+ billion in appropriated dollars annually towards the Afghan Security Forces Fund, why is it that a $200 piece of equipment has created a substantial tactical disadvantage? The answer is fairly straight forward. A nexus of policy guidance meant to protect the defense industry, reduce weapons proliferation and improve financial accountability has unwittingly hamstrung ANDSF materiel procurement.