Oklahoma Man Leads Afghanistan National Military Academy

By Dan Bewley and Scott Thompson, The News On 6

UNDATED -- An Oklahoma man continues to help shape Afghanistan's future by training soldiers. Retired Colonel Jim Wilhite has been a driving force behind a new military academy in the war-torn country.

Jim Wilhite, a retired Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserves, never expected to be in charge of building a military academy in Afghanistan, but says he couldn't be prouder of its success.

He tells the story in his new book, "We Answered the Call." Wilhite lays out in detail how he helped build a new military academy in Afghanistan.

"The selfish side of me says I wanted to play Toby Keith's song, 'How Do You Like Me Now?!' because nobody thought this would actually happen," said Ret. Colonel Jim Wilhite. "I was given very little support at the beginning."

Colonel Wilhite jokes he didn't even have a paper clip when plans for the National Military Academy were first drawn. Last spring the academy's first class graduated with 85 proud soldiers and students.

The Afghanistan academy is modeled after West Point and teaches Afghans how to be soldiers. It also helps them earn a degree in political science, foreign language or civil engineering.

It's the degree that Wilhite says will make the biggest difference.

"I don't care if you're in the United States, Afghanistan or Iraq, education is paramount to the future of any country," Wilhite said.

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In 2006, The News On 6 went to West Point and met the Afghan military academy's superintendent. Wilhite spoke about his dream to build a training center based on his beloved West Point.

"I almost pinch myself daily saying,'How could I have gotten such an assignment?' It's almost divine intervention," he said then.

Wilhite expects the academy to graduate another 3,000 Afghans in the next two years and wants the world to know about some of the positive steps being made in the Middle East.

The hospitals that are over there very rarely get reported. The roads that are built very rarely get reported, so it's important that this information be shared," said Retired U.S. Army Reserves Colonel Jim Wilhite, now the head of the National Military Academy in Afghanistan.

Wilhite says he is also proud that the academy accepted its first female students this semester. There are already plans to build another military academy in Afghanistan."