ARLINGTON, Va. – John F. Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, today announced that veteran Justice Department lawyer David Schwendiman will join the agency as its Kabul-based Director of Forward Operations.
Mr. Schwendiman has extensive international experience, and most recently served as Justice Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, Kabul, a post he assumed in May 2011. In his new role at SIGAR, he will serve as the agency's senior representative in Afghanistan, responsible for operations, logistics and interactions with other agencies.
“I’m delighted to welcome David Schwendiman to SIGAR’s senior leadership team,” Sopko said. “He brings impeccable credentials and a wealth of experience to the table. We look forward to him becoming a key player in our mission of safeguarding U.S. tax dollars during the critical transition phase of reconstruction.”
Previously, Mr. Schwendiman held various posts in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah; was the Attorney General’s representative to three Olympic Games (Sydney, 2000; Salt Lake City, 2002; Athens, 2004); and completed multiple assignments for the DOJ in Bahrain, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He served as an international prosecutor and head of the Special Department for War Crimes in the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2006 through 2009.
Mr. Schwendiman also managed special projects for the U.S. Embassy, Kabul, in late 2010 and early 2011 at the invitation of then-Ambassador Karl Eikenberry.
Mr. Schwendiman is slated to assume his new responsibilities in January. He replaces Jenniffer Wilson, who joined SIGAR in 2011 and has served as Director of Forward Operations since January 2013. Ms. Wilson will join the SIGAR headquarters team as Strategic Advisor for Agency Operations.
“Jenniffer Wilson has served her country under difficult conditions and I look forward to welcoming her back home as Strategic Advisor for Agency Operations,” Sopko said.