Article “Boots on the ground” state-building: Using Action Research to improve local governance in Afghanistan Richard Ledet Troy University, Troy, AL, USA Pete Turner Independent Cultural Consultant, Orange County, CA, USA Abstract This paper explains how the authors applied Action Research during Operation Enduring Freedom in the course of U.S. Department of Defense operations intended to improve local governance in Afghanistan. Serving as civilian field researchers in 2011– 2012, we were tasked, in part, with observing how informal custom and authority interacted with the functioning of local government. Assisted greatly by Action Research’s participatory nature, we were able to systematically develop a crucial rela- tionship with an influential government official in a rural area. The partnership that resulted ultimately led to the implementation of planning procedures that were well suited to meet the needs of the district and more transparent to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and entities working with the U.S. Department of Defense. We argue that adopting and training for Action Research would increase the probability of success for current and future “non-lethal” U.S. Department of Defense activities. Keywords Afghanistan, military operations, political development, state-building, local governance Corresponding author: Richard Ledet, Troy University, 331 MSCX, Troy, AL 36082, USA. Email: rledet@troy.edu Action Research 0(0) 1–18 ! The Author(s) 2019 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1476750319859643 journals.sagepub.com/home/arj