AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY RECRUITING ACADEMY GRADUATES SECOND CLASS (+)

	NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

August 19, 2004
Release Number: 04-08-61

AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY RECRUITING ACADEMY GRADUATES SECOND CLASS

Kabul, Afghanistan -- One hundred and three Afghan military recruiters graduated from the second class of the Afghan National Army (ANA) Recruiting Academy recently

The academy is planned to serve the source for providing recruiters for the ANA’s Recruiting Command.

The instruction received by the graduates focused on teaching the latest recruiting methods, communication skills and marketing of the ANA.
In addition to these topics the students were also exposed to the benefits of developing a national military built from volunteers versus conscription, which has been the sole source of military personnel for the Afghan military for more than 50 years.

Maj. Gen. Aziz Rahman, the commanding general for the Recruiting Command, addressed the academy and expressed his pleasure and pride in the graduates of the recruiting academy. Rahman also charged them to execute what they have learned from their Afghan and American instructors by providing the Afghan people with quality soldiers to fill the ranks of the ANA.

Maj. Gen. Craig P. Weston, Chief of the Office of Military Cooperation - Afghanistan, reminded the graduates that they will soon be the ones responsible for recruiting approximately 850 new recruits every three weeks in order to meet the Ministry of Defense’s goals of fielding the ANA’s four regional commands by this fall.

Weston also stated that he was confident that the graduates would be able to satisfy the high level of expectation required by the Ministry of Defense and the Afghan people due to the fact that only the best officers earn the distinction of graduating from the academy.

Vermont Guardsmen Train, Mentor Afghan Soldiers

By U.S. Army Sgt. Frank Magni
17th Public Affairs Detachment

QALAT, Afghanistan, Aug. 13, 2004 — As a member of an embedded training team, you live, eat, sleep and train with the soldiers of the Afghan National Army, resulting in a special bond and relationship that expands beyond cultural and national boundaries.

One such embedded training team from the Vermont National Guard is finishing a 10-month deployment with 1st Kandak (Battalion), 2nd Brigade Afghan National Army - a rotation that showed them the many different facets of a developing army.

The 15-man team from 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain) was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix and attached to 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade. Their primary mission was to mentor and advise the Afghan National Army unit as they conducted day-to-day operations.

Sgt. Maj. Stephen Guion, noncommissioned officer in charge of the 1st Kandak embedded training team, said there is a common misconception regarding the exact mission of the embedded training team.

“We aren’t here just to train, but we mentor and advise the leadership of the battalions and company,” he said. “Our task is to show them the military decision-making process.”

The team mentors the unit by assigning a U.S. military officer and NCO to each company. They also assign personnel to each of the functional areas on the battalion staff, like administration, training and supply.

“We focus on the areas that will prepare them for future operations and training,” said Guion. The challenge for the embedded training team is the short amount of time the Afghan National Army has been in existence, he said. “They have a very steep learning curve.”

“Many of the leaders are assessed in basic training and immediately sent to the NCO or officer school,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Barr, training team company-level mentor. “Imagine coming straight into the Army after initial training and being a squad leader. They are very bright individuals, but they need experience to be successful.”

Guion said their development has reached a point where they are self-sufficient.

“They can run qualification ranges, maintain their fleet of trucks and secure a perimeter,” he said. “They have also shown they are very proficient in security, presence and combat patrols.”

As one of the most deployed kandaks in the Afghan National Army, 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade, is quickly gaining experience with each deployment and mission, said Barr. They also interact with the locals like no other unit in the coalition can.

1st Lt. Andrew Booth, company-level mentor for the Afghan National Army’s 1st Kandak embedded training team, discusses the route of a dismounted patrol with the 3rd Company commander just outside Qalat city. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Frank Magni

“When these soldiers go into the community, they are showing the people how much things are progressing in Afghanistan,” he said. “When they enter a town, the people respond to them differently.”

Although the unit has been successful in the traditional role of security, Barr said the Afghan National Army interaction in the communities also supports the mission of recruiting.

“They are the best-selling tool to joining the [Afghan National Army],” he said. “They not only believe in what they do, they also believe in the future of Afghanistan.”

Another company mentor, 1st Lt. Andrew Booth, said he enjoyed the time he got to spend with the unit for many different reasons. “This was a very challenging mission at times,” he said. “There are many barriers in language and culture, but we have learned how to work with them just as much as they have learned how to work with us.”

He said the most redeeming aspect of working as an embedded trainer was being so immersed in the culture.

“We are constantly traveling with them, living off the local economy, eating the local food,” said Booth. “I felt like it was a very rare opportunity many (U.S.) Soldiers will never be able to experience.”

After serving so closely with the Afghan soldiers, Booth said they share a lot of traits universal to soldiers around the world, including American soldiers.

“They have a great sense of humor, love to laugh and participate in competition,” he said. “Most of all, they have great camaraderie with each other.”

Among all his experiences with 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade, Guion said the response he gets from unit leaders is the most rewarding aspect of his job.

“Every unit commander that comes in contact with the [Afghan National Army] has nothing but praise for the job they do,” he said. “We are always hearing that we trained them well and the future of Afghanistan looks promising because of them.”

Of all the positive feedback the team receives, each of them agreed that it is hard for them to take any credit.

“It is their army,” said Guion. “I’m just honored I was here to see the beginning phases of it.”

- http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/aug2004/a081304b.html

Afghan Army Maneuvers
With Task Force Bronco

By U.S. Army Sgt. Frank Magni
17th Public Affairs Detachment

QALAT, Afghanistan, Aug. 13, 2004 — As Combined Task Force Bronco continues its mission to stabilize Regional Command South for the Afghan presidential election, it looked to the Afghan National Army to lead the charge into Zabul province.

During the mission, the 1st Kandak (Battalion), 2nd Brigade of the Afghan National Army assumed command and control of stabilization and presence efforts - a move that signifies the remarkable growth the organization has undergone in a short amount of time.

As the kandak moved out from their firebase in Qalat into Speenbodak, Badghis and Shabarughan districts, they traded their normal operational support role for running command and control of the entire mission.

The mission combined the 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade, with elements from the U.S. Army’s 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, to provide stability for voter registration.

“In past missions the (kandak) would attach companies to coalition units,” said Sgt. Maj. Stephen Guion, embedded training team noncommissioned officer in charge. “This is the first mission (where) our battalion headquarters assumed command and control for the entire mission.”

Working with Combined Task Force Bronco, the kandak also participated in its first air assault operation.

Based out of Pole-e-Charki, 1st Kandak is one of the first infantry units established under the Central Corps of the Afghan National Army. Made up of all the ethnic groups from Afghanistan, soldiers in the Afghan Army enlist much like U.S. service members.

In their two-and-a-half-year history, they have deployed eight times in support of a variety of missions, leaving their families and homes.

The most notable of their deployments were to Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, where they served as peacekeepers to settle tribal disputes.

Guion said the unit grows and learns from each of the missions they participate in, but their mission in Zabul is where he saw a lot of service and support elements become relevant to the unit’s mission.

“They have really come a long way in the time we have worked with them,” said Guion. The embedded training team from the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Vermont National Guard, has been working with 1st Kandak for 10 months and has helped lay the groundwork to get them to where they are today.

“They never lacked in soldier skills,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery Barr, training team company-level mentor. “It was the organization we had to work on in our time here.”

“When we first arrived here, they weren’t using their functional areas like administration, training and supply in the right way,” said Guion.

If a truck went down eight months ago, said 1st Lt. Andrew Booth, training team company-level mentor, the company commander would take the problem to the battalion commander to solve it. Now they will take the problem through the proper channels so their leadership can focus on their roles.

Afghan National Army soldier provides overwatch above a vehicle checkpoint outside the city of Qalat. U.S. Army photo
by Sgt. Frank Magni

Members of 1st Kandak, 2nd Brigade, depart on a dismounted patrol through Qalat city. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Frank Magni

“Their biggest accomplishment is knowing and establishing the lanes each of them work from,” said Booth. “From battalion commander to team leader, each knows the job they have to do.”

This concept was put to the test in Qalat, where much of their organizational skills had to be used in planning and executing the mission. The mission in Qalat was also the first time the kandak established its own dining facility to feed the troops within the firebase.

“This mission tied together so many concepts they have been working on,” said Guion. “The primary challenge with this mission was the level of planning involved.”

By assuming command and control, the kandak also had to plan troop movements, as well as forecast supply needs and arrange for resupply in the field.

“They had to forecast for how much medicine, food, water, ammunition, fuel and repair parts they would need on this mission,” said Guion. “Basically think long range.”

He said the battalion and company staffs already use this long-range thinking by developing training schedules and maintaining supply records in garrison.

“From organization maintenance to communication, it has all come together for them during this mission,” he said.

The kandak’s commander, Afghan National Army Lt. Col. Nezamuddin Choopan, said he and his staff have been very successful during their recent mission, and failure was not an option for his unit.

“The future of the [Afghan National Army] is tied very closely to successful elections,” he said. “If the elections fail, then the government has a chance to fail and eventually our army (will fail).”

When the unit returns from this mission they will remain in Qalat for a few more months to continue their role in stabilizing the region for the upcoming presidential election. Choopan said his troops are very honored to be a part of the election process.

Last year the Afghan Army expanded from seven to 12,000 troops with the eventual goal of 70,000 in the distant future. Using the lessons learned from the pioneers of the 1st Kandak, the Afghan National Army is growing into a self-sufficient organization able to lead Afghanistan in the future.

- http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/aug2004/a081304a.html

Afghan National Army Brings Security, Sets Example

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Aug. 13, 2004 – The Afghan National Army is more than just a security force for the nation; it is an example.

The army is one of the few unifying forces in this diverse nation that does not have many such forces. The country has many different ethnic backgrounds: Pashtun, Uzbek, Turkic and Tajik, among others.

Tribal loyalties also are strong, officials in Kabul said. Loyalty to family, tribe or clan and ethnic group has priority over national loyalty. "People here think of themselves as a Pashtu before they think of themselves as an Afghan," said an official. "In many cases, it is the only loyalty that they may have."

Developing capabilities that cross tribal and ethnic boundaries – while maintaining peace – is key to the success of the Afghan National Army and ultimately Afghanistan, officials said.

The country is not used to working together. In the past, the Afghan army was raised in various provinces and kept there. The units were made up of one ethnic entity and remained in that area.

During the Soviet invasion, the mujahedeen, or warriors, who fought against the occupation were ethnic or tribal based. Few groups worked together except under the direst need.

During the civil war that followed the Soviet pullout, militias for the ethnic groups destroyed whatever infrastructure was left.

When the Taliban fell, coalition officials were determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

From the start, the Afghan National Army has been integrated with all ethnic and tribal backgrounds. "We have people from all areas of the country and of all ethnic groups in each battalion," said Army Capt. Stephen Robinson, who is helping to train an ANA battalion. "People don't realize how important that is to all the population."

Another U.S. soldier agreed. "This is the one institution in the nation where your ethnic makeup is not paramount," he said. "It's like the U.S. Army in that regard: it's not what you are, but what you know and what you can do."

The soldier, who asked not to be identified, said it is a very interesting dynamic as he watches the various ethnic groups from the beginning of training to the end. "At the beginning, they are very suspicious of each other," he said. "Pashtu (recruits) watch Uzbeks, who watch Tajiks, and so on. Little by little, they gain respect for each other. What's more, they come to trust one another."

The units can be a Tower of Babel, however. Different ethnicities speak different languages and dialects. Pashtu, Dari, Uzbek and Urdu are the main languages the recruits speak. Few American trainers speak those languages. Good "terps," as the American soldiers call the interpreters, are employed to help bridge the linguistic gorge, Robinson said.

After months of training, the ANA units begin deploying to various parts of the country. The difference between the ANA and local militias is the first thing that stands out, said Army Sgt. 1st Class Brian Bedington, another trainer, who is from the Oklahoma National Guard.

Even the best-trained militia does not have the discipline of the ANA, Bedington said, and often the militias are the biggest criminals in the area. "We get a lot of complaints about the militias shaking down people," Bedington said. "That does not happen with the ANA. The ANA soldiers are even-handed. They don't have a dog in the fight at these places they are deployed to, and the people soon realize that."

The sergeant noted the people enjoy seeing the ANA soldiers arrive. "They know they will be protected," he said.

The ANA soldiers enjoy deploying. "They get two bucks extra a day," Bedington said with a laugh. "But what really pleases them is the respect the people show as they go to various parts of the country. I mean, the Afghans like to see American troops in areas because they know they will be protected. But when they see Afghan troops acting with the same professionalism as the Americans, their appreciation goes through the roof."

Americans accompany the ANA units on missions and say that the Afghans are cool under fire and capitalize on their training.

The biggest problem with the Afghan National Army right now is there are too few trained members. There are currently 15,000 fully trained soldiers in the ANA, said President Hamid Karzai recently. Officials at Combined Forces Command Afghanistan said the country needs 70,000 soldiers in the ANA.

"The long pole in the tent," said an American officer who would not release his name for security reasons, "is the leadership. It takes years to develop officers to command companies or battalions, and it takes years to develop a professional NCO corps." This officer said it didn't make sense to him to train soldiers if the officers and NCOs weren't ready to command them.

But Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, who visited Afghanistan Aug. 11 and said he understood the officer's concern, didn't think it was any time to slow down training. "In fact, most people agree it needs to be speeded up," Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in an interview. "What this means is that the ANA must be mentored by coalition units."

Myers said the training is important, but so is the equipment the units receive, the transportation, the pay and so forth. "You can do all that, but the government has to sustain it," he said.

The chairman said the ANA soldiers "continue to be respected wherever they go. They continue to do a good job operationally when asked to participate."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld spoke to members of the ANA undergoing training at a provincial reconstruction center in Jalalabad on Aug. 11. "From all the reports I have been receiving, the Afghan National Army has been doing a tremendous job," the secretary said through a translator. "Keep up the good work. Your country is worth fighting for."

- http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2004/n08132004_2004081301.html

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