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FALL 2011 . ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 23
L A U R E N T I A N P O R T R A I T
Julius Johnson ’89:
Behind the Scenes in Afghanistan
We hear a lot about American
soldiers serving in Afghanistan,
and justly so. But not every American
there is bearing arms. An example is Julius
Johnson ’89.
Johnson is a political ofcer with the
U.S. State Department of State. He
explains what that means: “I serve in
Helmand province, and am responsible
for providing political analysis of politics
at the provincial level to the American
Embassy in Kabul. I have served in this
role since October of 2010. Prior to this
assignment I was the only civilian on a
District Stabilization Team (DST) in Khas
Kunar, eastern province. Tere I engaged
in good governance initiatives, men-
tored several district-level governors and
provided English language training to 200
internally displaced children.”
Not exactly the kinds of things most
Laurentians end up doing, or the place
where most end up doing them. But
Johnson says his SLU education prepared
him well.
St. Lawrence gave him the opportunity
to study in Kenya, Johnson says, explaining
that “there I was exposed to a diferent cul-
ture, which instantly internationalized my
thinking.” Another SLU attribute that he
mentions is “small classes, which allowed
me to be heard and challenged.
“Te safety of the campus, the sports
program and the theme cottages all pro-
vided a context for me to grow, to explore
and to challenge my assumptions,” he
continues. “Te resources in the library,
funding for outreach programming and
my participation in the Black Student
Union and other student organizations
such as my service fraternity, Alpha Phi
Omega, helped me think critically and
nurtured in me a desire for service.”
And just what is Johnson’s analysis of
the situation in Afghanistan? In an e-mail
last spring, he described it as “difcult,”
adding, “It requires a concerted efort on
the part of coalition forces and civilians
to stay the course and complete our work.
Looking ahead, 2014—the year that our
president has marked for our troops to
return home—remains a year of transition
that both Afghans and coalition forces
and civilians are anticipating. Te Afghan
people are strong and resilient, and ulti-
mately they will determine their future.”
He concluded, “My sense being on the
ground is that tremendous progress is be-
ing made in the rule of law, good gover-
nance, development and education. Our
troops and civilians continue to perform
extremely well under very arduous circum-
stances. I am proud to serve.”
By Neal Burdick ’72
On foot patrol with American soldiers in Kunar province, Julius Johnson ’89 conducts an
assessment of education in the province by getting acquainted with some of its students.