Afghan War Blog

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Afghan Daily News Snippets (Jan 10, 2015)

PTSD. The Veterans Alliance has published an infographic about PTSD among veterans. Some of the bits of info provided: 22 U.S. veterans kill themselves every day, the VA has some shortcomings in providing assistance for veterans suffering from PTSD, and 25% of 9/11 veterans are diagnosed with PTSD. U.S. veterans are at risk from PTSD because of war/combat exposure, multiple deployments, and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

http://veteransalliance.com/infographic-america-letting-ptsd-kill-troops/

The new Kabul Chief of Police, LTG Rehemi, visited COMISAF on January 8, 2015 for an office call. Rehemi was the PCoP for Balhk province prior to his current position.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced some major changes in the European infrastructure. There will be a closing of a lot of bases throughout Europe with lots of consolidation going on. The closures will save over $500 million annually. Over 15 sites will be returned to their host nations. Of course, this drastic reduction will not affect our capability (of course DoD would say that). DoD says that the savings will allow for the basing of the F-35 Lighting II joint strike fighter at RAF Lakenheath starting in 2020. From the novice observer looking in it appears we are cutting a lot of programs and infrastructure so we can fund the Air Force's F-35 program. Just saying. Read "DoD Officials Announce European Infrastructure Consolidation", January 8, 2015.

www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123929

The Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law has an ongoing program that examines the U.S. intelligence community. The center believes that the U.S. Intel community is too large, very fractured, and needs better oversight. Read more in "Secretive Private Intelligence Contractors Need Better Oversight", Defense One, January 8, 2015.

The Pentagon is seeking a 20% cut in U.S. war funding - bringing the request down to $51 billion. This is in addition to the $534 billion in the basic defense spend plan. The $51 billion is for the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund. The OCO used to be called the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) fund until President Obama took office and decided we won the war on terrorism and changed GWOT to OCO. Read more in a news report by Bloomberg News published January 8, 2015.

Clive Williams, an adjunct professor at Macquarie University's Centre for Policing, Intelligence, and Counter Terrorism (Australia) provides his thoughts on the future of Afghanistan. Williams spent a few years in Afghanistan working for ISAF. Read "The great game of Afghanistan", Brisbane Times, January 9, 2015.

Reports by the Pajhwok news media indicate that Taliban gunmen kidnapped eight deminers on Friday from an NGO mine clearing operation in Logar province.

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Friday, January 9, 2015

LTG Mulholland to CIA

Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland Jr. has been selected to be the new Associate Director for Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). LTG Mulholland has had a distinguished career in Special Forces. His unit, the 5th Special Forces Group, spear-headed the initial invasion of Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 weeks after the terrorist attack on 9/11. Over 300 of his SF operators along with 100 CIA operators linked up with the Northern Alliance and toppled the Taliban regime. Read more about his new job in a press release by the CIA dated January 7, 2015.

AAF Fly-Away Security Team Training

Eight Afghan Air Force security forces airmen graduated from the first Kabul Air Wing Fly-Away Security training course. The five-day training consisted of six Mi-17 helicopter insertions and extractions. The Mi-17 was operated by Afghan pilots. The training enables the security team to conduct both aerial and ground operations. The training was assisted by advisors from the 439th Air Expeditionary Advising Squadron. Read more in "Kabul Afghan Airmen complete FAST training", U.S. Air Force news release, January 7, 2015.

Video - 789th EOD to Deploy to Afghanistan

The 789th Explosive Ordinance Disposal Company from Fort Benning, GA will deploy to Afghanistan to advise and assist the Afghan EOD units, and also to provide support for US military Soldiers active in the region. A news video depicting their departure is posted on YouTube by the Ledger Enquirer. (2 mins long).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i07qVJKKx8

Sharing Intel and Maps with the ANSF

One of the biggest problems confronting Intelligence Advisors of Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAATs) working in Afghanistan was/is the sharing of intelligence and maps with their Afghan intelligence counterpart. Most Intel was/is classified and as such - cannot be turned over to the ANSF unless it is re-packaged by a Foreign Disclosure Officer (FDO). Using an FDO is a time-consuming event and there are only so many FDOs in theater. The same is true of maps. The maps used by the U.S. and in some cases the Coalition are marked with classifications and are not releasable (in most instances) to the ANSF. An awkward situation at best. Everyone knows that intelligence drives operations in a counterinsurgency effort. ISAF wanted the ANSF to take the lead in the fighting but we didn't want to or couldn't share intelligence or maps with the ANSF.

U.S. Army Special Forces are used to working with NATO and non-NATO partners around the world. To be effective the SF teams need to be able to share intelligence with their partnered units. One work around was to use mapping software (such as iSpatial by Thermopylae) that was commercially available. A retired SF officer, Stuart Bradin, was one person who encountered this problem and helped to find a work-around. Read more on this topic in "How US Special Forces Uses Google Maps", Defense One, January 7, 2015.

SIGAR Report on ANA Camp Commando

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has issued a report on construction projects undertaking to provide power and facilities to Camp Commando. This camp, located on the outskirts of Kabul, used to be called Camp Morehead when it was run by the U.S. Special Forces. (The camp was named after MSG Kevin Morehead). It seems that the generators do not function properly, fueling points are unused, and a dining facility is drastically overcrowded.

Read a news report entitled "Watchdog: Afghan commando camp plagued with electricity and refueling problems", The Washington Post, January 8, 2015. You can view the SIGAR report online at the link below. See ANA Camp Commando Phase II: Power Plant and Fuel Point Not Fully Operational Nearly Two Years after Project Completion, SIGAR 15-25 Inspection Report, January 2015. www.sigar.mil/pdf/inspections/SIGAR-15-25-IP.pdf

AAN: What comes in 2015 for Afghanistan?

An author, observer of Afghanistan, and co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) - Martine van Bijlert - provides us with a review of the past year (2014) in Afghanistan and a glimpse of the future. Read After the Rollercoaster Comes What? Afghanistan in 2015?, Afghanistan Analysts Network, January 7, 2015.

SACEUR Visits Afghanistan

General Phil Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, visited Kabul and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan on January 6-8, 2015 to speak with senior Afghan officials and troops to get a firsthand look at NATO's new Resolute Support mission. Breedlove met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah as well as NATO and Afghan National Security Force leaders. Read more in "SACEUR Visits Resolute Support", NATO Allied Command Operations, January 8, 2015.

North Waziristan: A Reading List

Alex Strick Van Linschoten has posted a reading list for North Waziristan. A very comprehensive listing of books, reports, news articles, and websites.

www.alexstrick.com/a-different-place/2014/12/north-waziristan-a-reading-list

Daily News Snippets (Jan 8, 2015)

Candace Karp and Michael O'Hanlon have penned an article about the future of Afghanistan. They believe that the mission is on the verge of being successful. But it could easily fail if the international community proceeds on its current plan of complete withdrawal by the end of 2016. Read their article entitled "Protecting the Gains in Afghanistan", The Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2015.

A story in a German newspaper examines the past year in Afghanistan and looks at what can be accomplished over the next two years in the newly started Resolute Support mission. Read "What can NATO's new Afghanistan mission achieve?", Deutsche Welle (DW), January 6, 2015.

The new Army Operating Concept (AOC) rolled out this year helps the Army to assess the current threat climate and then to help the Army plan for the future. The commanding general for Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), General David G. Perkins, has an article in Army AL&T Magazine (January-March 2015) explaining the AOC. Read "Win in a Complex World - But How?", pages 106 to 115.

http://usaascinfo.info/docs/armyalt-jan-mar-2015.pdf

Michael Kugelman writes for Foreign Policy that four big items will need to be addressed in Afghanistan in 2015. They are the Kabul Bank scandal, Uzbek militancy, abandoned U.S. military hardware, and unexploded devices. Read his article published on January 7, 2015.

Jim Fallows recently wrote a long article in The Atlantic about the U.S. military and it was well-received by some and raised eyebrows with others. Read one critique in "Not so Chickenhawk: Pushing Back Against Fallows", War on the Rocks, January 7, 2015.

A roadside bomb killed a Uruzgan policeman on January 8, 2015.

General Philip Breedlove, Supreme Allied Commander - Europe, says that the U.S. must be prepared for more casualties in the new Resolute Support mission. (Stars and Stripes, Jan 8, 2015).

The government of Afghanistan has approved special military operations in and effort to tackle the terrorist activities of insurgents. The approval came during a meeting of the Afghan National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani. (Khaama Press, Jan 8, 2015).

The Institute of Land Warfare has published an article entitled "Terrorists, Insurgents and the Lessons of History" by Richard Lee dated 22 Dec 2014. Available here.

An argument against a military draft of U.S. citizens is made by Harvey Sapolsky - a Professor of Public Policy and Administration at MIT. He says that our current military is better than a draft military. What the U.S. needs to do - he says - is to start paying a higher percentage of its GNP for the military. Read more in "The One Percent Problem", E-International Relations, January 5, 2015.

The 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron was inactivated on January 1, 2015 on Bagram Airfield. The men and women of the 455th EAPS were charged with the responsibility of coordinating the bi-directional movement of assets from the U.S. to Bagram and Bagram to nearby forward operating bases. It also, most recently, assisted in the huge retrograde operation over the past 18 months. Read more in a news release by the U.S. Air Force (Jan 7, 2015).

Soldiers of the Oklahoma Army National Guard's Battery B, 1st Battalion, 158th Field Artillery, 45th Field Artillery Brigade has returned home after duty in Afghanistan. Read more in a news release (Edmonsun.com, Jan 7, 2015).

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

ANP & AAF Conduct MEDEVAC Training

Rotary wing air evacuation training was recently conducted for members of the Afghan Border Police (ABP) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Nangarhar province. The one-day training event held in December 2014 covered aircraft familiarization, ambulance procedures around the aircraft, movement of patients and loading and unloading litters. The Afghan Air Force (AAF) had a Mi-17 on hand for the training. U.S. aviation and medical advisors were on hand to observe the training and provide insight with their training and experience. Read more in "Police Advisory Team, Afghan National Police, and Afghan Air Force complete air evacuation training", DVIDS, January 1, 2015. (Photo by Capt Matthew Kukta, 3d Cavalry Regiment Public Affairs Office).

4 Airmen Disciplined after Friendly Fire Incident

Four U.S. Air Force airmen were disciplined through administrative means for their role in a friendly fire incident last June in Afghanistan where five U.S. Army Soldiers and one Afghan Soldier died during a Special Forces operation in Zabul province. The incident took place on June 9, 2014 when a B-1B Lancer dropped two bombs on the Special Forces position. The aircrew incorrectly thought the bomber's Sniper pod could detect the infrared strobes carried by the Soldiers on the ground. This, as well as other miscues, caused the six deaths. Read more in "4 airmen disciplined after June friendly fire incident in Afghanistan", Air Force Times, January 7, 2015.

But wait . . . there is more. It seems that the "discipline through administrative means" is not quite as harsh as it seems. Another news report says that "Air Force clears crew in 'friendly fire' deaths", The Washington Times, January 7, 2015. According to the Air Force the mistakes by its B1-B air crew when they targeted the American Soldiers did not directly cause the Afghan Wars's worst case of 'friendly fire' casualties. A CENTCOM investigation conducted by a two-star Air Force general place the blame on the SF team. Meanwhile, the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Commander, LTG Charles Cleveland, has cleared the team leader and team sergeant of the SF team of wrongdoing - attributing the blame on the Air Force JTAC attached to the team and the B-1B air crew. Supporters of the A-10 point to this incident as an example of why the Air Force needs to keep the Warthog as the primary close air support aircraft.

Pakistan: Waiver or Certification?

In order for the United States to provide financial aid to Pakistan the State Department has to certify that Pakistan is doing what is mandated by US law. Certification means that Pakistan is combating terrorism and is going after the Haqqani Network, the Quetta Shura and other terrorist or insurgent groups found within its borders. If "certification" is not provided then the State Department can provide a "waiver". Either way, the U.S. provides the financial aid and Pakistan can continue to support the insurgent groups conducting operations against the Coalition (including U.S. troops) and the Afghan National Security Forces. Since 9/11 the U.S. has provided Pakistan with $28 billion. Read more in "Money for nothing & weapons for free", Economic Times (India), January 7, 2015.

Dismantling of Bagram Air Base

The retrograde of U.S. personnel, vehicles, and equipment has been ongoing for the last few years. Hundreds of small and large Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) have been closed or transferred to the Afghan security forces. Those remaining bases - Herat, Camp Marmal at Mezar-e-Sharif, Kandahar Air Base, and Bagram Air Field are collapsing their perimeters and demolishing living and work areas. Read about the transformation of Bagram Air Field in "What Afghanistan's Largest Military Base Looks Like Now", Business Insider,, January 6, 2015.

EUPOL and Rule of Law

EUPOL has posted an explanation of their Line of Operation 3 (LO3) for training up the Afghan National Police. LO3 is the Rule of Law Component and it is further sub-divided into the Police-Justice Linkages Unit and the Legal Reform Unit. Read more in "EUPOL's new Lines of Operation explained: Rule of Law", January 6, 2015.

Assessment of ANSF

Franz-Stefan Gady, an Associate Editor with The Diplomat, provides us with his assessment of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). For all their flaws, he believes there is reason to think Afghanistan's security forces can hold their ground. They will likely be successful in maintaining control of the major population areas and the major lines of communication. Some districts will remain in control of the Taliban. Some ANSF units will come to an accommodation with the insurgents. But the Taliban cannot take over the country. Read more in "Can the Afghan Army Prevail on the Battlefield?", The Diplomat, January 7, 2015.