Afghan War Blog

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Advisor Selection and HRC

"The decisive point of any SFA mission may very well be the selection, training, and education of personnel in preparation for deployment."

SFA Handbook, JCISFA, June 2012

The United States military has had extensive experience in performing advising duties over the past decade in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, the United States Military has had poor results in selecting advisors to important advisory positions. This is true of all services but especially the U.S. Army. Quite simply - the personnel management system of the U.S. Army has operated in a peacetime mode while the nation was at war for over 13 years. The personnel management system is not flexible and it is not adaptable. The fault lies at Human Resources Command, FORSCOM, and the units selected to provide advisors. A recent article in Military Review entitled "Misunderstanding the Officer Personnel Management System", January 2015 defends the current system in place. However, there are many observers familiar with the SFA mission in Afghanistan that believe FORSCOM and Human Resources Command have failed in providing the right advisors for the Security Force Assistance mission in Afghanistan. This writer has personally embedded with over 120 Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams (SFAATs) in Afghanistan over the past three years. The number one problem with the SFA mission is poor advisor selection and pre-deployment training. Changes need to be made.

DCGS-A in the Spotlight . . . Again

The Army's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) continues to attract the attention of members of Congress. DCGS has a long history of inoperability, dissatisfaction among intelligence analysts who had to use it during their Afghan deployments, and expensive cost overruns. So . . . the Air Force has the J-35 and the Army has DCGS. Read a letter of discontent by Representative Duncan Hunter addressed to the Secretary of the Army about DCGS.

British Afghan Troop Med Records Lost

A UK newspaper is reporting that the medical records of up to 1,300 soldiers were lost after two laptops were sent to Afghanistan. Read more in "British Afghanistan troops' medical records lost", The Telegraph, January 12, 2015.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 13, 2015)

The Pakistani school where the Taliban massacred over 100 students has reopened. Read more in "Pakistani School Reopens After Taliban Massacre", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, January 12, 2015.

The coach of the Afghanistan national soccer team has been stabbed and injured by unknown attackers in Kabul. Some news reports on Twitter say he is enroute to India for advanced medical treatment. (Gandara Blog - Radio Free Europe, Jan 11, 2015).

For all you underwater Combat Divers out there. The Center for a New American Security has published a report entitled "Between Iron Man and Aqua Man: Exosuit Opportunities in Maritime Operations", CNAS Report, January 12, 2015.
www.cnas.org/iron-man-and-aqua-man

An Afghan policeman in southern Helmand province opened fire on senior government officials late on Monday afternoon (Jan 12, 2015). The incident took place in the office of the district governor of Nawzad district. Preliminary reports indicate that the DCoP and DGov were killed. An ANA officer and the district intelligence police officer were wounded. (Khaama Press, Jan 12, 2015).

Shafiq Hamdam writes in an article that Afghanistan's best asset is its youthful optimism. (Atlantic-Community.org, January 6, 2015).

Uniform Name Confusion. It seems the Army's top general is a bit confused about the name of the new camouflage uniform. Read more in "Army Chief Adds to Confusion over New Camouflage Pattern", Kit Up at Military.com, January 7, 2015.

Afghan refugees in Turkey find themselves in a strange world without resources. One Afghan migrant is helping out. Read "In Turkey, Afghan migrant gives new arrivals a reality check", LA Times, January 11, 2015.

It seems that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan are improving. Read more in "Pakistan intelligence chief meets Afghan leader as relations thaw", Yahoo! News, January 12, 2015.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces are sending a contingent of troops (39 pax) to serve under the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Read more in "Azerbaijan sends peacekeeping force to Afghanistan", Azer Tac, January 11, 2015.

News reports say that Central Commands' social media accounts were taken over by ISIS just as President Obama was delivering a speech on cyber-security. Read "The Hacking of Central Command", The Atlantic, January 12, 2015.

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Monday, January 12, 2015

TAAC-E Visit to Pak Border - Torkham Gate

A high level VIP visit to the Torkham Gate border was conducted by Afghan and Coalition members. The Afghan National Army Chief of Staff Sher Mohammad Karimi, RS Commander General John Campbell, and members of the TAAC East visited the Khyber Border Coordination Center (KBCC) near the Torkham Gate area of the Afghan-Pak border in eastern Nangarhar in early January 2015. In addition, key leaders from the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uniform Police, and the Afghan Border Police were in attendance. The KBCC is run by the Afghan Border Police and is located on the former U.S. Forward Operating Base Torkham. The base was transferred to the Afghans in July 2014. The visit by coalition personnel was the first since last summer - six months ago. There are a host of issues that need to be resolved concerning the border. Some issues have to do with the immense corruption that takes place among the Afghan Border Police and the Afghan customs officials. Other issues concern the relations with Pakistan, cross-border incidents of insurgent groups, insurgents firing adjacent to Pakistan border patrol locations, and Pakistani artillery firing across the border into Afghanistan. Read more in "TAAC-E troops advise Afghans on Pakistan military border coordination", RS News, January 9, 2015.

Drug Abuse in Afghanistan

A news article provides background information on the huge drug addiction problem in Afghanistan. High unemployment, drugs that are easily available, and other factors contribute to the high rate of addiction. Read more in "Drug abuse proliferates, ravages Afghanistan", Trib Live, January 10, 2015.

Georgia Military Chief Has Meetings in Afghanistan

Georgia's top military official has paid an official visit to Afghanistan to meet with Georgian troops and also have discussions about Georgia's future military participation in the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "Georgia's military chief holds top meetings in Afghanistan", Agenda.ge, January 10, 2015.

Afghanistan to Continue Anti-Corruption Efforts

President Ghani has made much of his campaign promise to root out corruption. Of course, all Afghan politicians make the same proclamations, but some believe that Ghani actually means it and his verbal assertions are backed up with his recent actions. Read more in "Afghanistan shows will to root out corruption", Central Asia Online, January 9, 2015.

U.S. Airman helps Afghan Interpreter in U.S.

Afghan interpreters are a key part of the Coalition's success in Afghanistan. It is difficult to conduct combat operations, civil affairs projects, training or advising because of the language barrier. However, because of a few thousand brave Afghan interpreters this task became easier. It addition to the interpretation, Afghan interpreters functioned as cultural advisors and were an important part of the Force Protection plan for Coalition members. Now that the war for the U.S. and Coalition is winding down many of the interpreters employed for years by the U.S. military are in search of employment. In addition, some are at risk of retribution by the Taliban. Some Afghan interpreters have been fortunate enough to receive a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) from the U.S. State Department. A few of these interpreters have also benefited from the assistance of an American sponsor. Read the story of one interpreter and his family who are being helped out by a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant in "Academy Airman helps Afghan interpreter start new life in US", U.S. Air Force, January 10, 2015.

MEB Afghanistan Deactivates

A deactivation ceremony for Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Afghanistan (MEB-A) was held at Camp Pendleton, California on January 9, 2015. The MEB-A officially took authority of Regional Command Southwest from II MEF (Forward) on February 5, 2014 and assumed the responsibility to lead coalition operations in Helmand and Nimroz provinces. The coalition departed RC Southwest in early fall of 2014. Read more in "MEB-Afghanistan deactivates, cases colors", RS News, January 9, 2015.

Afghan Retrograde - Hazardous Waste Material

The retrograde operation in Afghanistan is, for the most part, complete. By the end of 2014 the Coalition force was down to approximately 13,000 personnel and very few bases. Most of the attention on the retrograde of ISAF over the past two years has been on the movement of MRAPs, equipment, and personnel out of Afghanistan; the closing of bases; and ability of the Afghan National Security Forces to take on the Taliban without significant assistance from ISAF. There is one aspect of the retrograde process that, while perhaps not as newsworthy as the previously mentioned topics, is equally important. Over the past 13 years there has been an accumulation of hazardous waste material building up on the many small outposts and large forwarding operation bases. As each base closes provisions have to be made for the responsible disposition of the hazardous waste material. The European Commission and the United States has some pertinent directives and regulations that have to be followed and one firm - EcoLog International - is assisting in this task. Read more in "Cleaning NATO's EcoWaste in Afghanistan", by K. Aisha Abdelhamid posted on The Inspired Economist on January 7, 2015.

Proxy Wars in Afghanistan

Tamim Asey, a fellow at the Asia Society and a Fulbright scholar at Columbia University has penned an article about the history of proxy wars in Afghanistan and the fear that with the withdrawal of ISAF Afghanistan may once again see itself being the centerpiece of "The Great Game". Read more in "A Game as Old as Empire: Return of Proxy Wars in Afghanistan - Analysis", Eurasia Review, January 10, 2015.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 12, 2015)

Andrew Drwiega writes that the rise of ISIL in Syria and Afghanistan may force the Obama administration to scrap plans for a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces at the end of 2016. Read more in "Has ISIL Rise Triggered Rethink in Afghan Strategy?", Aviation Today, January 9, 2015.

The Afghan telecommunications industry has seen tremendous growth over the past decade. This growth continues - read about some advances that the Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) has planned for Kabul in "Pioneering 3.75G+ Mobile Broadband Services Launched in Afghanistan", Khaama Press, January 10, 2015.

General Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, has come out in favor of closing Guantanamo Bay prison. Read more in "Dempsey: Gitmo a 'psychological scar on our national values'", The Hill Blog, January 11, 2015.

And some more on General Dempsey. According to one news report the general is distancing himself from the Obama promise on Afghanistan. Obama made some bold statements on Afghanistan - saying that the country would never again be a base from which terrorists could launch attacks against the United States. Read more in a news report by The Washington Times (Jan 11, 2015).

The Herat marble industry was once held up as a sign of economic promise for Afghanistan. Marble stone can be found in abundance in the Herat region and several marble manufacturing firms began to refine the marble for export to foreign nations. Unfortunately, it seems that Iranian marble manufacturers are paying a higher price for the raw marble. Read more in "40 Marble Factories Stop Operations in Herat", Tolo News, January 11, 2015.

An interesting article by Franz-Stefan Gady about how other nations view the United States military. It isn't exactly the same as how the American serviceman thinks he is thought of! Read more in "International Perceptions of the U.S. Military, Revisited", The Diplomat, January 7, 2015.

The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) assisted in providing over 200,000 doses of influenza immunizations for the Afghan National Army. Read more in "Fighting the Flu", DLA, January 2015.

The Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) discusses the possibility that the Ghani administration is willing to offer the Taleban some positions in the new Afghan cabinet. Read "Taleban for the Ghani Cabinet? A look at a BBC report", AAN, January 11, 2015.

A news article discussing President Ghani's scheduled trip to the United States. Read more in "Afghan president to visit U.S. as Taliban tension flares", The Washington Times, January 8, 2015.

The United States Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has issued a report entitled "Military Construction in a Contingency Environment: Summary of Weaknesses Identified in Reports Issued from January 1, 2008 through March 31, 2014." Available here.

Members of the North Carolina Army National Guard's 1450th Transportation Company are headed to Afghanistan. Read more in a news release by DVIDS (January 10, 2015).

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Afghan War News Newsletter

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Tajikistan Worried about its Afghan Border

Tajikistan's armed forces are setting up a new base very close to the Afghan border. The country has some concerns about armed groups operating just south of its border that are not under the control of the Kabul government. Armed groups could be the Taliban, warlord groups, or local militias. Or . . . it could be a catch all phrase for any or all terrorist or insurgent groups (like ISIS or the IMU) that may be operating in the area. With the departure of the Coalition forces from Afghanistan there is little punch remaining in the international forces to conduct combat operations. There still remains a small counter-terrorism capability within the current U.S. force structure in Afghanistan but this is likely reserved for high-value al-Qaeda and Taliban targets. Some U.S. and international SOF forces are continuing to work with the ANA Special Operations Forces and the MoI Special Police Units but their presence in the north of Afghanistan has diminished significantly. Read more in "Eyeing Taliban, Tajikistan Sets Up New Military Base on Afghan Border", Bug Pit Eurasia Net, January 8, 2015.

MoI 96.5 FM Radio

It appears that Afghanistan will have a new radio station. According to Twitter tweets by the MoI spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi @moispokesman, the radio station will be run by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and used to engage and inform the Afghan public in anti-terrorism and anti-crime efforts.
www.afghanwarnews.info/police/FM-96-5-MoI-radio.htm

Ambassador P. Michael McKinley

Ambassador P. Michael McKinley recently presented his diplomatic credentials to President Ghani in early January 2015. McKinley is no stranger to Afghanistan. His biography is posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy of Afghanistan at the link below.

http://kabul.usembassy.gov/ambassador4.html

Video - "Afghan Faces: The Engineer"

NATO Channel has posted (Jan 3, 2015) a video on YouTube profiling the work and life of a young Afghan engineer who is working for the Afghan government. The video, 2 minutes long, is available for viewing at the link below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN41FC8PQok

Still No Afghan Cabinet

The National Unity Government (NUG) of President Ghani and CEO Abdullah has still not appointed a cabinet. Several ministries remain vacant at the top position. The Afghan public and international community is getting impatient. Read more in "104 Days Without a Government and Counting: The national mood sours", Afghanistan Analysts Network, January 9, 2015.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 11, 2015)

Tolo News reports that the Sangcharak district police chief was killed in a Taliban ambush in northern Sar-e-Pol province on Saturday, January 10, 2015.

Six3 Intelligence Solutions, Inc. of McLean, Virginia was awarded a $12 million multi-year contract for intelligence support services in Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of July 9, 2016. Six3 Sytems is now a part of CACI.

The rebuilding of the Bamiyan Buddhas is not happening anytime soon. In 2001 the Taliban destroyed these centuries old statues. There are plans afoot to restore the giant Buddhist symbols but experts are having difficulty moving the project forward. Read more in "Disputes damage hopes of rebuilding Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhas", The Guardian, January 10, 2015.

The White House has canceled the next pay review by the Pentagon. DoD does a review of the military compensation system every four years. The high-level review of military compensation is called the Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation or QRMC. Obama has decided that it is not needed as Congress is just now completing its Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) study - a report which is due in the next few weeks. Read more in "White House cancels next pay review", Army Times, January 9, 2015.

President Ghani is rumored to be ready to sign a security agreement with Iran soon. He is scheduled for a visit to Iran with the intent to conclude a bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Tehran. The agreement will center on mutual cooperation to reduce terrorism and drug trafficking. Lots of work to be done there! Read more in a news report by Khaama Press, January 10, 2015.

The demining workers who were kidnapped earlier this week in Logar province have been released. The workers were part of the HALO demining operation.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 3rd Infantry Division located at Fort Stewart, Georgian will be deactivated. It is part of a U.S. Army cut of 11 BCTs as it works to an end-strength of 490,000 Soldiers by the end of 2015. Read more in "BCT deactivates as Army draws down", Army Times, January 9, 2015.

Hundreds of Afghan protesters in Chora district staged a rally to hail the two attackers of a French newspaper office as "heroes". The rally took place just after worshipers left Friday prayers. Read more in a news report by Reuters, January 10, 2015.

The Army has released new assignments for some of its one- and two-star general officers. Those receiving new assignments include MG Heidi Brown, MG Clarence Chinn, MG Theodore Martin, MG Walter Piatt, BG William Gaylor, BG James Iacocca, BG Donald Jackson, BG Michael Kurilla, BG Joseph Martin, BG Timothy McGuire, BG Mark O'Neill, and BG Mark Stammer. Read a news release by Army Times, January 9, 2015.

MG Chinn, is the former commander of JRTC where the Security Force Assistance Advisor's course was taught for several years. He then went on to Afghanistan where he served as a Deputy Commander for Regional Command East (RC East) - double-hatted as the commander of TAC 2 at FOB Lightning and senior advisor to the 203rd Corps. His next assignment will be Commanding General of U.S. Army South at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

The U.S. Army has ordered additional AN/TSQ-135 Mobile Tower Systems (MOTS) from Sierra Nevada Corporation. The tower provides air traffic services during the initial phases of a deployment. The AN/TSQ-135 was first used by the 3rd Infantry Division in Afghanistan. Read more in a UPI news report dated January 8, 2015.

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Conference - Future of USG Advising Missions

Conference - "The Future of USG Advising Missions"

by United States Institute of Peace

Washington, D.C. January 15, 2015

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) will host a conference on the future of U.S. government advising missions. This is a policy-level discussion about mission mandates for long-term, locally-owned solutions on advising. Learn more about this conference at the link below:

www.usip.org/events/the-future-of-usg-advising-missions

Paper - The Future of the Afghan Security Forces

The Center for a New American Security, an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, has released a recently published (January 8, 2015) paper entitled Defend, Defect, or Desert?: The Future of the Afghan Security Forces. The author, Mr. Tyler Jost, is a former U.S. Army Company Commander who served two tours in Afghanistan and is currently a PhD Candidate in International Relations at Harvard University. Jost lays out how the United States can most effectively support the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). He argues that in the coming months, Afghanistan will depend on increasingly independent Afghan security forces to fight a tough insurgency; an insurgency that is as strong today as it was four years ago during the height of the Coalition surge in Afghanistan. The paper starts off with a good historical review of the previous Afghan military organizations and then proceeds to examine the current state of the ANSF and what needs to be done for the future in order to sustain the ANSF. At the end of the paper Jost provides a conclusion and some recommendations.

www.cnas.org/future-of-aghan-security-forces

History of AFSOC in Afghanistan

There is not a lot of information about the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) role in Afghanistan in the open source world. A recent news article provides some interesting information on the role that AFSOC played in Afghanistan and specifically how far the personnel and airframes were taxed over the last four years. Read "In 2010, America's Commandos Unleashed Aerial Hell on the Taliban", War is Boring, January 8, 2015.

Book - "The Valley"

A new book is coming out about Afghanistan. It is a work of fiction that takes place on a small outpost in the Korengal Valley in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The book, by John Renehan, is named "The Valley" and will be published in March 2015. The book's story is told through a Lieutenant Black - a staff officer visiting the small outpost conducting an after-action report. Read a book review entitled "Renehan's 'The Valley': A fine new novel about one outpost in the Afghanistan War", posted on The Best Defense Blog - Foreign Policy, January 8, 2015.

Deal with Taliban?

BBC news is reporting that a possible peace deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban was in the works but fell through. According to the BBC news report the Taliban were offered posts in the new Afghan government. There were hopes to bring in three former high-ranking members of the Taliban into the government. Three ministries were offered as well as the governor posts for three provincial provinces. Read more in "Taliban 'reject offer of Afghan government posts'", BBC News Asia, January 9, 2015.

Fighting Extremism Through Education

Sharif Fayez, an Afghan scholar, is the founder of the American University of Afghanistan and a former higher education minister. In a recently published article he states that ". . . Kabul needs to reform the education sector so it can meet contemporary challenges and help prevent violence and instability fomented by extremist ideologies". He reviews the role of education in Afghanistan and the influence of ideology and religion under the Communist regime, the Taliban, and the current political structure. He believes that public education has been used in the past as a political tool. He has some worries about the madrasah system which works as a socialization mechanism for religious groups and a recruiting ground for the Taliban. Of great concern are the unregistered and unmonitored madrasahs located in Afghanistan. Read his article in "Fighting Extremism Through Education in Afghanistan", Gandhara Blog - Radio Free Europe, January 9, 2015.

DynCorp Gets Afghan Training Support Contract

DynCorp International has been contracted by the U.S. Army to provide advisory and other support services to Afghanistan in the training of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. There are two separate contracts - one for the police and one for the army. The contracts are for a nine-month base period of performance with two three-month options. The two contracts have a total value in excess of $100 million. Read more in "DynCorp International selected for training support in Afghanistan", UPI, January 9, 2015.

News - The War Isn't Really Over

Every military man's favorite news media outlet - Rolling Stone - provides us with an article discussing the use of drones and informs us that, despite White House pronouncements - the war in Afghanistan is not over. Read "Drone Rules in Afghanistan Go Unchanged, And Other Reasons the War Isn't Really Over", Rolling Stone, January 7, 2015 by John Knefel.

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.