Showing posts with label 203rdCorps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 203rdCorps. Show all posts

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Task Force Southeast Advising Mission

A convoy of the 203rd Afghan National Army Corps readies for an
operation in southeast Afghanistan. (Photo 203rd PAO, May 25, 2017)

Advising Platform Lightning in Gardez, Afghanistan is the home of Task Force Southeast. The advisors at Task Force Southeast have the Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission for the 203rd Afghan National Army Corps and the 303rd Afghanistan National Police Zone Headquarters.

Task Force Southeast is a subordinate command of Resolute Support Headquarters based in Kabul. The forces (203rd and 303rd) it advises is responsible for the security of an area the size of South Carolina in southeastern Afghanistan.

The 203rd Corps is comprised of four brigades with a total of 34 kandaks (battalions). It has over 20,000 personnel assigned in the provinces of Wardak, Logar, Khost, Paktiya, Paktika, Ghazni, and Bamyan.

The 303rd Police Zone Headquarters oversees the activities and operations of the Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan Border Police (ABP), Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP), and Afghan Local Police (ALP). The Police Zone has over 25,000 personnel assigned.

Read more about the mission of Task Force Southeast in "Task Force Southeast - Who We TAA, 203rd Corps and 303rd Police Zone", DVIDS, July 3, 2017.


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Level II Advising Explained - 203rd Corps

With the drawdown of Coalition forces and closure of a significant number of small and large bases the reach of  U.S. and other troop contributing nations has diminished. Two of the six ANA corps and corresponding police units no longer have advisors on a permanent, persistent (daily face-to-face contact). Instead, advisors travel on a periodic basis to the 'uncovered corps' (203rd and 215th) to check in with the ANA leadership and staff. This is called "Level II Advising". Train, Advise, Assist Command - East is responsible for two corps - the 201st and 203rd. While TAAC-East gets to see the 201st everyday (as it is co-located with the 201st at FOB Gamberi) it has to travel to visit the 203rd,  Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Police, and the Operational Coordination Center (OCC).

In October, with the closure of the U.S. FOB Lightning in Gardez, the advising effort in southeastern Afghanistan transitioned to "Level II Advising". This type of advising is conducted by email, phone calls, and occasional visits. The infrequent advising trips, called Expeditionary Advisory Packages (EAPs), are planned and coordinated with Afghan counterparts. The EAPs are conducted just a couple of times a month.

Soon, the 203rd Corps - because it is doing so well in defeating the Taliban in contested districts like Azra, Nerkh, Chak, Mohammad Agha, and others - will progress to "Level III" advising. Level III advising for the 203rd Corps will begin in January 2015 and will be conducted by an "Advise and Assist Cell" or ACC based in Kabul. As other Afghan army corps and regional security forces continue to progress in 2015, the AAC will assume Level III advisory responsibility from each of the five TAACs currently partnered with Afghan security forces. By 2016, the AAC will conduct advising of all Afghan security forces from Kabul.

Information for this post taken from "Army, USMC generals talk Afghanistan transition on advisory trip", ISAF News, December 20, 2014.

Monday, February 17, 2014

203rd Corps SFAAT Provides Assistance In SoK Area

Security Force Assistance advisers provide advice and assistance to a variety of organizations within the Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan military and police institutions at the regional and national level, and to the Afghan ministries (principally MoI and MoD). At left is a picture of U.S. Army Captain Jeffery Burgett advising a LTC and COL; of the 203rd Corps in the corps tactical operations center. (U.S. Army photo by PFC Dixie Rae Liwanag Feb 13, 2014).