MREs - Changes in Future

New styles of MREs are currently being tested by the Army and will likely be fielded in 2015 and 2016. White-meat chicken chunks are on the way in 2015 along with hash brown potatoes with bacon and applesauce pound cake. "What's new in your MRE - 2105 and beyond", Army Times, November 1, 2014.

Criminal Probe on SEAL Book

The former Navy SEAL who wrote a first hand account of the 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden is under investigation for possibly disclosing classified information. Read more in "Author of Bin Laden book is under criminal probe", Stars and Stripes, October 31, 2014.

European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan

A major part of the professionalization of the Afghan National Police (ANP) is due in part to the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan or EUPOL Afghanistan.

"The aim of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL Afghanistan), launched in summer 2007, is to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable and effective civilian police, which works together with the Afghan justice system to improve the local population's safety. The mission monitors, mentors, advises and trains at the level of senior management of the Afghan Ministry of Interior, Afghan Ministry of Justice, Afghan Attorney General's Office, in Kabul and in several regions." 

Learn more about EUPOL Afghanistan at this link:
www.eupol-afg.eu

Resolute Support and Troop Withdrawal Timeline

Jonathan Foreman provides us with a very comprehensive description of the Resolute Support mission and the problems associated with the stated "Obama timeline" for withdrawal of U.S. troops through 2015 and 2016. He says it is not too late for the president to rethink his arbitrary end date for the Afghan mission. U.S. troop levels will drop to 9,800 beginning in January 2015. In January 2016 the troop levels will be about 5,000. By the end of 2016 all troops (advisors really) should be out except for the military who will be working at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Read more in "The Afghan Handover", The Weekly Standard, November 2014.

Afghanistan Ski Challenge

At an altitude of 11,000 feet the Afghanistan Ski Challenge is held once a year. It is somewhat austere in support and amenities and there is no ski lift. You have to ascend the mountain slope with your skis on your back in order to ski down. The ski challenge was started in 2010 and has grown to attract over 50 western competitors. There is also a "locals" race with homemade Afghan skis and a women's race held discreetly at a nearby location. Read more - "Inside the World's Most Dangerous Ski Race in Afghanistan", The Huffington Post, November 7, 2014.

IWPR Project Helps Afghans Work Towards Peace

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) has launched a program of events and training courses to inform young people about what they can do to promote peace-building and reconciliation in Afghanistan. The IWPR project, started in September 2014, is called Afghan Reconciliation: Promoting Peace and Building Trust by Engaging Civil Society. The project involves setting up citizen groups across the country to drive peace initiatives and work with the local branches of the High Peace Council. The High Peace Council is the Afghan governmental body tasked with negotiating with the Taliban. Read more in "Helping Afghans Work Towards Peace", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, October 21, 2014.

Pakistan Offers Army Training

Pakistan, a neighboring country of Afghanistan that supports the Taliban through its intelligence service, has offered to train Afghan officers in Pakistan. Interesting. Read more in "Pakistan offers to train Afghan National Army officers", Central Asia Online, November 7, 2014.

Marines Arrive at Pendleton

Marines and Sailors have returned to Camp Pendleton after their deployment to Helmand province, Afghanistan. Camp Leatherneck has been transferred to the Afghan National Army (ANA).
Read more in "Camp Pendleton: Last Marines Return from Afghanistan", The Press Enterprise, November 6, 2014.

NATO Chief Says Afghanistan Will Not Be Abandoned

The new chief of NATO - Jens Stoltenberg - says that Afghanistan will not be abandoned by NATO after its combat mission ends. Although NATO will finish the ISAF mission at the end of 2014 it will continue to support Afghanistan with the Resolute Support mission providing support and training. In addition, many countries will continue their financial support of Afghanistan; although at a lower level. About 12,500 troops will remain in Afghanistan after December 2014. Read more in "NATO Chief Vows Afghan Support as Combat Mission Ends", Defense News, November 6, 2014.

10th Mountain Returns from Afghanistan

The 10th Mountain Division has returned from Afghanistan where it fielded the Regional Command East (RC East) hqs. RC East has transitioned to Train Advise and Assist Command East or TACC East. Learn more in "10th Mountain Division headquarters returns from Afghanistan", Watertown Daily News, November 7, 2014.

Hagel to Stay as Secretary

Rumors that Secretary of Defense Hagel is on the way out to be replaced by Michelle Flournoy are not true (according to the DoD). Read more in "Pentagon Denies Rumors Hagel On His Way Out", DoD Buzz, November 8, 2014.

Congressional Oversight of Afghan War

The corruption with the Afghan government and national security forces (especially the police) is just as bad now as it has been since Karzai's "reign of corruption". President Ghani has an uphill battle to wage in trying to fix the corrupt Afghan government. In addition, the U.S. military and the civilian governmental agencies lack the will and (in some cases) the ability to perform oversight on the billions of dollars that will be provided to the Afghan government over the next ten years. There seems to be little interest in Congress in the tightening up of oversight procedures; their attention is diverted elsewhere. Read more in "As Afghanistan War Ends, Congressional Appetite for Oversight Wanes", Defense One, October 31, 2014.

Some Open Source Intel is Fake

Much is being made about the utility and importance of "open source intel". However, some of it can be misleading, not based on facts, and out-right deception. Governments and insurgent groups have been known to plant propaganda in social media. Read more in "Be Very Skeptical - A Lot of Your Open-Source Intel Is Fake", War is Boring, November 1, 2014.

Defense Clandestine Service (DFS)

Little is known about the Defense Clandestine Service (DFS) outside of the intelligence community. This newly established entity of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was set up a few years back. Some in Congress saw it as a redundant intelligence service and scaled back its funding; but to this day the DFS survives. The Pentagon's overseas spy service is a complimentary organization (some say potential rival) to the CIA and will deploy up to 500 undercover operatives to work alongside agents from the CIA and intelligence operatives from the special operations forces. The DFS agents receive the same training as CIA agents (at The Farm). Learn more about the DFS in "Pentagon's plans for a spy service to rival the CIA have been pared back", The Washington Post, November 1, 2014.

Fanged Deer of Nuristan

The province of Nuristan - located in northeastern Afghanistan - is home to the "fanged deer". Another name for this deer is the Kashmir musk deer. It was believed the deer was extinct but several sightings indicate that some of the species still exist - primarily in Nuristan. Read more in "Thought to be extinct, the fanged deer of Afghanistan lives on", Digital Journal, November 1, 2014.

VAMPIRE Tactical Forensic Device

Booz Allen Hamilton has released a video about its new VAMPIRE Tactical Forensic Device. It has applications for law enforcement, homeland security, and sensitive site exploitation. Watch a one minute long video about the VAMPIRE on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzGQTBS2vlg

U.S. Praises China's Role in Afghanistan

The United States is saying nice things about China's increasing role in Afghanistan. Apparently the security interests of both nations (China and the U.S.) converge when talking about Afghanistan. The U.S. is pulling out and China is ready to reap the benefits of Afghanistan's rich mineral resources. Read more in "United States praises China's growing role in Afghanistan", Reuters, October 30, 2014.

Investigation into DCGS-A Called For

A Congressman from California is calling for an investigation into a Defense Department employee who made millions of dollars and miss-represented his academic achievements while working on the DCGS-A intelligence system. The complicated computer system has cost the Army over $5 billion and it has been described as "broke" and an "under performer". Read more in "Congressman Wants Probe of Former Army Official", ABC News, November 7, 2014.

Georgian Battalion Serves at Bagram

The 51st Battalion of the 5th Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces is now stationed at Bagram Air Field (BAF) located just north of Kabul, Afghanistan. Read more in "Georgian battalion joins ISAF mission in Afghanistan", TREND, November 3, 2014. See also "1st Battalion, 320th FA Regiment transfers security of BAF to the Georgian 51st Light Infantry", DVIDS, November 3, 2014. The 51st Battalion will provide security for Bagram Air Field.

Video - Interview of UK SFAAT Team Leader

Major Bev Allen, a Security Force Assistance Advisory Team (SFAAT) commander from 1 Royal Anglian, explains about the work he does in Afghanistan in a 1 minute long video. Watch "My Job in Afghanistan: Advisory Team Commander", UK Defence Headquarters (posted on YouTube), June 13, 2012.