Gene Williams is taking his John Deere skills international by serving as an agricultural advisor in Iraq with the U.S. Army. As a John Deere TECH instructor at Central Arizona College, Williams spends his days helping students learn and dealers find solutions in irrigated, desert communities. Williams says he sees the same types of problems in Iraq.
“I use my training as a service technician and a TECH instructor every day,” Williams says. “I know that
John Deere can really help this country recover what it has lost over the past 30 years.”
As an Ag Advisor, what are some of your responsibilities?
My job is the U.S. State Department provincial reconstruction team agricultural advisor for Wasit Province, Iraq. I work with a team of U.S. State Department civilians, Iraqi-American advisors, U.S. military personnel, and our Iraqi government and civilian counterparts. Our common goal is the revitalization of Iraq and the restoration of government services and private businesses.
I am the subject-matter expert on agricultural issues, especially farm equipment. I manage several agricultural projects and am responsible for the agricultural program for the province. I also answer machinery related questions, helping design curriculum and courses on agricultural subjects, and conduct classroom and hands-on training for Iraqi farmers and extension personnel.
How does your training as a John Deere TECH instructor help you with your responsibilities in Iraq?
My background as an agricultural educator and John Deere TECH instructor is key to my day-to-day work here in Iraq. I spend most of my time in front of groups presenting material and working with others to deliver knowledge, same as at Central Arizona College. My technical knowledge and communication skills are in constant use, seven days a week.
Wasit province is southeast of Baghdad, and consists of more than two million acres of irrigated farm ground. Production is currently very low, due to a variety of issues, especially lack of water. The area is very similar to Coolidge, AZ, and the farmland around CAC, so what applies to agriculture at home has direct applications here.
The number one shortage for Iraqi agricultural professionals is training in modern ag methods and equipment. Years of damage done to agriculture by the previous regime and the out-and-out looting that occurred in 2003, left the Iraqi farmer with little or no modern equipment or knowledge. So training is the key. They are starving for education. There is a huge shortage of factory-skilled technicians regardless of the make, but a lot of shade tree mechanics, who perform the best repairs that they can.
Tell us about the John Deere equipment you have seen in Iraq. What special problems are encountered and how does this translate to TECH stateside?
John Deere equipment was purchased in bulk by the previous regime, but no thought was given to parts and service. In fact, most Iraqi farmers are on their own when it comes to parts and service. The biggest problem here is the lack of any kind of dealer support. However, new equipment is available through numerous trading companies who can bring in anything from the kitchen sink to 9700 series combines. But again, they don’t provide service or parts.
Most of the equipment in this province is in bad shape, but amazingly enough the John Deere equipment is still operational. This is the same vintage of equipment I worked on in the late ’80s. These are all 4450 MFWD tractors with quad-range transmissions...and nothing else. Some of the smaller 5000 series tractors have been sold in this province, but I have yet to see one in the field.
Tell us more about your background. How did you find out about the TECH Program? What got you interested in joining the military?
I started my career as a John Deere technician at a dealer in Iowa after completing my diesel tech program at Des Moines Area Community College. That beginning—similar to what my students are experiencing today—is what led me to the TECH Program. We didn’t have a TECH Program back in the day, but it would have been very useful.
My career began about the time of the farm crisis in the early ’80s. I decided to go back to school and get my bachelor’s  degree with the intent of going to work for John Deere. The farm crisis changed all that. I ended up teaching community college diesel tech in Bettendorf, Iowa. Some of my colleagues in the diesel field were in the National Guard. Initially, it appealed to my sense of adventure. So I enlisted. This was the beginning of my dual-track career, which has now lasted 24 years. I am on my third deployment overseas, second as a Civil Affairs officer. Any kind of agricultural background is at a premium now.
Does your experience with agriculture and John Deere help you forge relationships with local farmers in Iraq?
Absolutely and immediately. Of course, they want me to stay permanently!