By Rachel Muir
In the southern Afghan province of Zabul, there is rarely electricity, no plumbing and one paved road. The ultra-conservative region, which shares a border with Pakistan, is the birthplace of Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. More than 85 percent of the population is illiterate.
Raymond Gobberg has been stationed here since last October. He’s a public affairs officer with the U.S. Air Force. He’s also earning a master’s degree in strategic public relations from GW’s Graduate School of Political Management.
Lt. Gobberg says adjusting to life in one of the poorest and most remote regions of Afghanistan has been both challenging and incredibly eye-opening. “The abject poverty is unbelievable,” he says. “All of the reading and pictures at training or in the media cannot prepare you for what you encounter on the ground.”
He says children as young as two roam outdoors with no shoes or jackets in below freezing temperatures. Women are completely shut out from politics or government. People travel five or six hours on dirt roads to receive the most basic medical care. The dry landscape is riddled with landmines, relics of decades of war.
“We were taught to harden our hearts before we came here, but nothing can prepare you for the reality besides seeing it firsthand,” he says.
A native of Cary, Ill., Lt.Gobberg attended Washington University on a U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. He has been on active duty in the Air Force since earning his bachelor’s degree in 2008 but also found time to co-found MovingOffCampus.com and Off Campus Media, a marketing company aimed at college students. He still serves as adviser to the company from Afghanistan.
In Zabul, Lt.Gobberg’s role is helping Afghan government officials develop sustainable communications practices. “I connect communicators across numerous government departments with the people of Zabul province, helping them tell the story of the government’s efforts to improve life for all Afghans,” he says.
It’s not an easy task in an area where the majority of the population is illiterate. Lt.Gobberg says engaging the population is requiring a lot of ingenuity—including tapping radio and Islamic scholars—and a complete rethinking of audience and messaging that reflects Afghan culture and values.
He’s helping build these skills through his coursework and learning at GW.
Lt. Gobberg enrolled in the university in 2009. He has completed three courses so far, and this semester is taking Advanced Writing for Communications Professionals. He expects to earn his degree next year and says the distance learning experience has been great.
“The professors are veteran professionals and academics who offer real-world experiences and examples of how to excel in the ever-evolving arenas of public relations and communications,” he says. “What’s more impressive is the accessibility of the professors. They genuinely care about giving students the time they need to fully understand the concepts covered in the weekly lectures.
He says that GSPM’s distance learning program helps bring together experienced students that would otherwise not be able to share best practices'
“Even though I am in Afghanistan I feel tied to the coursework, professors and students as if I were attending class in the District,” he says.