First cadets report to Afghan military academy

ARNEWS ^ | 02/07/05 | Lt. Col. Susan H Meisner

[SandRat]

Cadets at the National Military Academy Afghanistan form up to march to their first meal.
Lt. Col. Raymond Nelson

First cadets report to Afghan military academy

By Lt. Col. Susan H Meisner
February 7, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Feb. 7, 2005) -- On a snowy day in February, Afghanistan’s first class of cadets reported for duty at the new National Military Academy Afghanistan.

The academy is located on the grounds of a former flight technology school in Kabul.

Modeled after West Point, the academy is a four-year, degree-granting institution that will commission second lieutenants for the Afghan National Army.

Cadets will earn an engineering degree with an emphasis on civil, mechanical, systems or electrical engineering.

They will incur a 25-year service commitment upon graduation.

Assistant Minister for Personnel and Education Homayun Fawzi welcomed the first class, telling them to “be proud of their enlistment in this academy.”

Planning for the academy began more than a year ago, when then-Office of Military Cooperation - Afghanistan Chief Army Maj. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry and senior Afghan Ministry of Defense leaders decided to establish an academy that would be the “crown jewel” of Afghan education.

Military Academy Study Team Chief Col. Barney Forsythe, OMC-A, and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Juma Nassar, MOD General Staff Working Group director, submitted their initial plan for the academy to the MOD and Chief, OMC-A in November 2003.

West Point deans and department heads then began the planning process, deploying to Afghanistan for several months at a time to write policy, develop admission standards and determine the curriculum. They completed all steps hand in hand with their MOD counterparts, to ensure programs were adapted to meet Afghan standards and culture.

Academy Superintendent Maj. Gen. Mohammed Sharif said “Our environments (U.S. and Afghan) are different. Planners considered all cultural aspects and did not impose anything on us. While the academy will be similar to West Point,” said Sharif, “It will not be the same.”

The MOD identified 1,023 potential professors with the necessary advanced degrees. OMC-A Academy Team Chief Col. James Wilhite and West Point faculty and OMC-A members Col. Ray Winkle, Col. Gary Krahn and Dr. Larry Butler winnowed the list, selecting 200 candidates with special criteria for teaching everything from world history to physics to chemistry to psychology.

The team eventually hired 30 professors to form the academic faculty.

By the end of November 2004, 353 cadet candidates had completed the competitive entrance exam. The MOD, in conjunction with OMC-A staff, then conducted personal interviews and selected the top 120 young men to join the first class.

Future classes will have between 250 to 300 students each, and upperclassmen will take on leadership rules in guiding the underclassmen.

Sharif of the academy said, “It represents all the ethnicities of this country.”

The curriculum focuses on engineering because, “Our country is war-struck and devastated,” said Sharif. “We are in the process of rehabilitating it. We need more engineers because we need reconstruction.”

Cadets, who are between the ages of 18 and 23, will earn $80 a month as well as receive free books, supplies, housing and food, in addition to their education.

After seven weeks of basic combat training, graduates will begin their academic studies. In addition to their engineering curriculum, they will study military leadership, ethics and psychology, among other topics.

“Our objective is to make a very strong and reliable army for Afghanistan,” said 1st Lt. Abdul Haq, 2nd Platoon leader and a military instructor at the academy. “It should be accepted by all people. I was waiting to see the wars ended and see people take part in educational programs.

“I am thankful for your (U.S.) part in helping,” said Haq.

Sixteen officers and noncommissioned officers are staffing cadet basic training. Eight of them will remain on site during the academic year.

Platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st. Class Asadullah Nawabi, echoed Haq’s sentiments, saying “I would like to thank the U.S. military in helping us get things done.” He was looking forward to teaching the cadets.

Some cadets had spent a lifetime planning for this day. Abdul Saboor from Baghlan Province said “Ever since I was a child I wanted to join the army. I left Kabul University and changed my major to come here.”

Top scorer on the entrance exam was Jamshiud Dehzad of Laghman Province. Top graduate of Shaheed Mohammed Arif High School in Jalalabad, Dehzad said he was not only happy to be there, but “proud.”

“We came to do our best to make our country successful,” said cadet Abudul Ghafar from Mazar-e-Sharif of his attendance at the school.

“It is my country,” said Platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st. Class Ghazi Ahmad, of Paktia Province, as if puzzled by the question about why he would serve at the academy.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineer personnel prowled the campus on opening day, completing punch lists of work to be done and fine-tuning adjustments to the heat and lighting.

“We want to make sure our contractors understand the needs,” said Mike Rosales.

 

[SandRat]

Plebes for first Afghani West Point Class report in for Beast Barracks.

[MEG33]

Good news!

[USNBandit]

They will incur a 25-year service commitment upon graduation.

That's a long time.

[B-Cause]

Bump

BEAT NAVY!

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[SandRat]

uh I don't think they have a navy.

[Calpernia]

On a snowy day in February, Afghanistan’s first class of cadets reported for duty at the new National Military Academy Afghanistan.

[SandRat]

Talk about shipping over! No that's a cruise from he**.

[cake_crumb]

Enduring Freedom BUMP!!

I'm sure glad the locals are surviving the Brutal Afghan Winters. Hopefully, they'll be able to withstand the Bloody, House to House Fighting in the Streets of Kabul and survive their Next Vietnam.

I hate the media.

[SAJ]

Curious echoes (and I am NOT criticising the Afghanis) of the old Russian empire, pre-1917. On many occasions, under one or another of the tsars, peasant serfs were granted their freedom after 20 years of military service. IF they survived, which possibility, given most of the Tsarist generals' competence, was -- sadly -- quite remote.

[bruin66]

They will incur a 25-year service commitment upon graduation.

That's a long time.

I've always thought our academies should do the same (maybe 20 years).

[B-Cause]

Bump

The average life expectancy for the people in Afghanistan is 46.24 years. A man's life expectancy is 46.97 years, while a woman's is 45.47 years.

Let's see 46.7 - 25 = 1.7 years in retirement!

[speekinout]

The average life expectancy for the people in Afghanistan is 46.24 years.

That number will shoot up rapidly. 46 is a typical number for a Third World country, and Afghanistan is rapidly becoming a Developed Country. The men who are cadets will no doubt live in Developed Country circumstances, even if all of their country-mates don't.

[USNBandit]

I think that would drive enrollment down quite a bit. You are already asking guys to give up the next 9-13 years of their lives depending on type of service upon graduation.

USNA class of 90....and still on active duty.

[U S Army EOD]

Well no big deal, we have a navy but they don't have a football team. Basically the same thing.

[CT]

Well, after over 100 years of faithful naval service, our Marine Corps tradition has been broken. Our son was just given his formal acceptance to USMA at West Point. Class of 2009.

This results in a bitter-sweet feeling. The lad, an all-state football player, all-state javelin thrower, and honor roll student, first applied to Navy. Actually, only applied to Navy, wanting to become a Marine officer.

West Point and Air Force pursued him. Navy didn't.

So, with a great-great uncle, that upon landing here from Germany, decided to sign up for the Union Army in 1862, a German-American unit, our family now sends off this aspiring young man off to West Point. Our family's second member of the US Army.

Proud? Hell yes.

After a good deal of soul seraching, this old Marine finally has found the words to inspire him on to greater things: GO ARMY-BEAT NAVY!

It wasn't easy. But we all fight the same war, and are members of the same team.

[U S Army EOD]

Well, if I remember right, Audie Murphy had the same problem with only the Army wanting him. I have always wondered if you need a Green Card to move UP from the Marine Corp to the army. I am puzzled, since your son is an all-state javelin thrower, I figured the Marines would be interested (they are still armed with spears aren't they?) since he could qualify with the Marine Corp basic weapon.

We welcome him aboard and I know you are really proud of him.