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.

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Afghan War News Snippets

More Visas for Interpreters. A U.S. Senate committee has approved 4,000 more Visas for Afghans who worked for the U.S. military as interpreters or support staff. The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program is designed to help Afghans who assisted the U.S. in the Afghan conflict to immigrate to the United States. See "U.S. Senate Committee Approves 4,000 More Special Visas for Afghans", Gandhara, June 29, 2017.

Key Leader Training for RS HQs Advisors. The Resolute Support Headquarters conducts a 4-day training course for those military personnel who are assigned to be advisors to the MoD or MoI. One day the 'newcomer's briefing day' - learning the aspects of living and working in Afghanistan on Camp RS in Kabul. A second day is Guardian Angel training - ensuring that you are aware of and know how to respond to an insider threat or green-on-blue incident. Two days is spent on learning how RS HQs conducts its Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission and how the RS HQs staff works within the 8 Essential Functions framework. Read more in "Resolute Support trains its people, improving advisor training", U.S. Central Command, June 26, 2017.

Logistics Advising in Afghanistan. The current coalition mission in Afghanistan is to train, advise, and assist (TAA) the Afghan police and military. From a logistics standpoint, creating a self-sustaining afghan military is an important step forward to ensure the Afghans can independently secure their borders and provide for internal security. A logistics advisor, to be effective, must understand that the Western military logistics framework and culture is not a good fit for Afghanistan's military or culture. Read more in "Moving forward with logistics advising in Afghanistan", Army.mil, May 1, 2017.

Report: Islamic State in Afghanistan. Abdul Basit has penned a 21-page article entitled "IS Penetration in Afghanistan-Pakistan: Assessment, Impact and Implications", Perspectives on Terrorism, Volume 11, No 3, June 2017. IS is now competing with al-Qaeda and the Taliban over recruitment, resources, and the loyalties of local militant groups. This has complicated the militant landscape, contributed to the Sunni-Shia conflict, and adds complexity to the effort of the Afghan government and its coalition partners.

Air Force Cross Awarded. An airman was awarded the Air Force Cross for heroism during the 2002 Operation Anaconda that took place in the Takur Gar area of Afghanistan. TSgt Keary Miller provided critical medical care to 10 wounded U.S. service members under dangerous conditions. Read more in "Survival on Takur Gar", Air Force Magazine, August 2017.

Bowe Bergdahl Trial Update. Bergdahl's long, drawn-out trial is proceeding ahead. A military judge made a key ruling saying that prosecutors can try the soldier on the charge of endangering his comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. See "Bowe Bergdahl case: Judge lets rare misbehavior charge proceed", Army Times, June 30, 2107.

BBC Podcast on Silk Road. This 40-minute long podcast is entitled "Silk Routes: Two Thousand Years of Trading". The economic highway from China, across Central Asia and Afghanistan, to Iran.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p056srhv

China's Silk Road in Afghanistan is a Bumpy Ride. The Chinese have made some important steps forward in providing investments in some key sectors of the Afghan - most notable is the mining sector. However, the return on investment is disappointing due to the deteriorating security situation. Read more in "Difficult Trek on Silk Road in Afghanistan", Asia Sentinel, June 29, 2017.

Afghans Fighting for Assad in Syria. Iran, over the past several years, has pressed into service citizens of Afghanistan to fight for the Assad regime in Syria. There are an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 Afghans fighting in the Syrian conflict. Read "How Iran Recruited Afghan Refugees to Fight Assad's War", The New York Times, June 30, 2017.

General Dunford Visits Afghanistan. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (and former ISAF commander) visited Kabul and Helmand province to gain ground truth on the Afghan conflict. See "Dunford arrives in Afghanistan as Marines work to rekindle relations in Helmand", Military Times, June 26,2017.

Video of Guardian Angel Training. Australian troops in Afghanistan are conducting the train, advise, and assist mission. This entails advisors and trainers visiting Afghan police and Army installations and garrisons. With the constant threat of insurgent attacks as well as the insider threat the need exists for a force protection element to accompany the advisors on their missions. Watch a short video about Australian soldiers assigned the "Guardian Angel" task of keeping their fellow Aussie soldiers safe in Guardian Angels Protecting Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan, Perth Now, June 27, 2017.

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Advising and Training the Afghan Air Force

A female air advisor and trainer, Maj Mary Clark, recently completed a one-year tour at Shindand Air Base, in western Afghanistan training and advising students learning to fly Mi-17 helicopters. Read her thoughts about her experience, the value of a female instructor/advisor, and on the Afghan Air Force in "Female aviator makes difference training Afghan AF", U.S. Air Force News, December 26, 2014.

Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable Mission in Afghanistan

A Marine advisor with Task Force Southwest (TFSW) battle tracks

with a soldier from the 215th Corps at Camp Shorabak, Afghanistan.

(photo Jan 22, 2018 by SGT Conner Robbins, USMC)

Reporting on the 'Train, Advise, and Assist' Mission. The renewed emphasis and modest increase in the advisory effort with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) will not win the war; however, it is an important component of the U.S. and NATO strategy for Afghanistan. For that reason, the Afghan War Blog will continue to report on Security Force Assistance efforts by NATO and other Coalition / Partner nations.

Upcoming CoC for TAAC-Air. Brig. Gen. Phillip A. Stewart, commanding general, Train, Advise, Assist Command-Air; and commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Kabul, Afghanistan, will be the commander, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Alliance Ground Surveillance Force, Allied Command Operations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Sigonella, Italy. He will be replaced by Col. Joel L. Carey, who has been selected for the grade of brigadier general. Carey is currently the commander, 12th Flying Training Wing, Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, to commanding general, Train, Advise,Assist Command-Air; and commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Air Combat Command, Kabul, Afghanistan.

New DCoS Ops for RS. BG (P) Dan Walrath will soon be back in Afghanistan. He did a great job as cdr of 2/101st in RC East. The Strike BCT was one of the first SFABs to deploy to Afghanistan in 2012.

The Afghan military attache at the Afghan Embassy in D.C. meets with

two U.S. Army officers to discuss the training of the ANDSF.

Paper: "Afghanistan Army Development: What Went Wrong", Interagency Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 1, Winter 2015, LTC Tommy J. Tracy.

Marines to Lease Reaper Drone for Helmand. The Marines assigned to Task Force Southwest are looking to use an armed drone to keep an eye on things in Helmand province while they conduct their 'advise and assist' mission. Read "Marine Corps Wants Reaper Drone to Provide Overwatch for Helmand", Defense Tech,  January 29, 2018.

Increased Risk of U.S. Casualties. As advisors work closer to the front lines (at Afghan kandak level) the probability of casualties rises. See "US troops at greater risk in Afghanistan under Pentagon's new approach, top official says", Fox News, February 2, 2018.

Advising - Lessons Observed: Not Actually Learned

Some Familiar Themes Here - Vietnam and Afghanistan. Read "US Combat Advisors in Vietnam Knew the Score and Got Ignored", by James A. Warren, The Daily Beast, February 2, 2018.

USMC's CAP in Vietnam. The US SOF's Village Stability Operations (VSO) program in Afghanistan bore a resemblance to the U.S. Marine's Combined Action Program (CAP) - advisors living in small Vietnamese communities. "Preventing the Barbarization of Warfare: The USMC CAP Program in Vietnam", Small Wars Journal, February 2, 2018.

Want to Read more Papers on Advising? Take a look Afghanistan: Annotated Bibliography for Resolute Support, over 200 pages referencing documents and publications on SFA in Afghanistan.
www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

Breaking News - COIN Actually Worked in Vietnam. J. R. Bullington, a man who spent considerable time in Vietnam, writes on how counterinsurgency actually was the right strategy in Vietnam. Other factors contributed to the lost effort; but not COIN. "Assessing Pacification in Vietnam: We Won the Counterinsurgency War!", Small Wars Journal, March 23, 2012.

News on the 1st SFAB

1st SFAB - "Fully Capable".  On February 8, 2018 the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade will be recognized as fully capable at a ceremony at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 1st SFAB is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan this spring.

SFAB Recruiting. The U.S. Army is on a big push to recruit for the six Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) that it is in the process of standing up. The first one was brought online in August 2017 at Fort Benning - it has finished its training and will deploy to Afghanistan soon. The 2nd SFAB is now forming at Fort Bragg. The SFABs, 800-men strong, are key to the U.S. efforts to advise foreign military forces. Read "Event highlights options in Army", Fort Hood Sentinel, January 25, 2018.

Modernization and Equipping the SFAB. Standing up a brand new unit like the 1st SFAB (August 2017) and deploying it within its first year of existence poses an number of huge problems. One of which is fielding the equipment for a new brigade (yes it is undersized in strength but still . . . ) In addition, the U.S. Army wants it to have the latest and greatest in equipment (more fielding and training issues there as well). Read more about the latest of comms gear going to the 1st SFAB in "A special Afghan unit could be the Army's test case for its future network", C4ISRNET, February 2, 2018.

1st SFAB EOD Specialists. An EOD specialist talks about his assignment to the 1st SFAB and it's impending deployment to Afghanistan. (DVIDS, Jan 23, 2018).

SFABs New Pistol. The 1st SFAB trained up on the Army's new pistol - the M17 Sig Sauer 9mm P320. But . . . there seems to be a few problems. (The Warzone, Jan 2018).

Read more about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

Read recent news reports about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

Read about the Army's newly established Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA).

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"Cold Base" and Advising from Afar

SFA Advisor, CPT Jeff Burgett from 10th Mountain, interacts

with 203rd Corps counterparts in Feb 2014. At this time the

203rd Corps was still advised on a daily basis. (Photo by 

PFC Dixie Rae Liwanag).

The Coalition has shrunk its force in Afghanistan in preparation for the Resolute Support mission that will begin on January 1, 2014. In an attempt to reduce the force footprint to around 12,000 by the beginning of 2015 some decisions had to be made on where to place advisor teams. ISAF planners decided to pull advisory teams off two of the six Afghan National Army Corps - leaving no advisors in those regions to interact with the ANA corps, Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Police, and the Operational Coordination Centers (OCCs). Those two regions were the 215th Corps in Helmand province and the 203rd Corps in southeastern Afghanistan. Both regions are highly contested by the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

Naturally, the experienced SFA advisor would prefer to be "embedded" full-time on a permanent basis with the Afghan unit to maintain constant day-to-day contact with the advised unit. This would entail living and working on a Coalition base adjacent to or 'embedded' within an Afghan installation or base. But with the limited number of advisors in country and the counter-productive "risk adverse" attitude of higher command this is not always possible.

Efforts to maintain some type of communications (and influence?) with these two corps (203rd and 215th) are problematic. The ability to interact, influence, train, advise, and maintain situational awareness through emails and cell phone calls with an Afghan counterpart is extremely limited. So periodic visits to the corps are utilized. The Coalition attempts to stay in touch with the 203rd Corps utilizing what used to be called Level II Advising and now is referred to (at least informally) as a "Fly to Advise" methodology or "expeditionary advisory package". Apparently that is called an "EAP" for short; so another acronym for the glossary gets added.

However, flying into an Afghan base and staying for hours or days requires a support mechanism and facility to set up radios, a work center, and living / sleeping areas. Enter the "Cold Base" concept for advisors. In lieu of embedding with the Afghan unit or co-locating with an adjacent Coalition unit the advisors utilize the EAPs and Cold Base concept described in "A reduced presence does not equal a reduced commitment", DVIDS, December 13, 2014.

Selection and Training of Advisors

The conflict in Afghanistan has evolved from population-centric counterinsurgency and partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to Security Force Assistance (SFA). The conduct of SFA means that advisers are mentoring, training, assisting, and advising their Afghan counterparts. The success of the SFA mission depends on the quality and training of the adviser. Read more about this in "Giving Advising its Due", Small Wars Journal, January 22, 2014.

How do Combat Aviation Advisors Train?

The current mission of the United States (and ISAF) in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance; which primarily Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA). There are many types of advisors in Afghanistan to include members of the United States Air Force who are advising, training, and mentoring the Afghan Air Force (AAF). So what is it that ensures a good advisor is assigned to training the AAF? It starts with the proper selection of advisors. In addition, prior to deployment an advisor should receive some specialized training in instructional techniques, culture, force protection, counterinsurgency, and much more. For the air advisor to the AAF this probably occurs at the U.S. Air Force Air Advisors Academy located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix in Lakehurst, New Jersey.

A preferred method is to have advisors already selected and assigned to units that have an advising and training mission. One such unit in the U.S. Air Force is the 919th Special Operations Wing located at Duke Field, Florida. The 919th provides Combat Aviation Advisors (CAA) as part of its Aviation Foreign Internal Defense (AvFID) mission. Read about one type of training event that CAA teams undergo to become proficient as air advisors in "Combat Aviation Advisors attend large-scale Army exercise", DVIDS, September 16, 2014.

Australian SF Advise Afghan GCPSU

Along with the rest of ISAF the Australians have pulled many of their troops out of Afghanistan. However, there still are some working on the ISAF staff and advising some Afghan security force units. Australia's Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) - made up of elements of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), 2nd Commando Regiment, and other support units withdrew from Afghanistan at the end of 2013. Only a small number of SF types remain in Afghanistan - some doing VIP protection work and others advising the headquarters of the "General Command of Police Special Units" or GCPSU. This hqs unit, formerly known as GDPSU), coordinates Afghan Special Police units across the country. Read more in "Afghan work continues for Aust SF", News.com.au, September 28, 2014.

Afghan Daily News Snippets

On November 29, 2014 several General Officers of the ISAF staff (General John Campbell, MG Ed Reeder of SOJTF-A, and others) visited the Ahmed Shah Massoud Mausoleum in the Panjshir Valley. View pictures from the visit on Facebook.

While Americans enjoyed the holiday weekend their allies in Afghanistan grew increasingly weakened. Read more in "The Drumsticks of War", Time.com, November 30, 2104.

Many Afghans see corruption as the enduring legacy of President Karzai. Read more in "Afghans See Corruption as Enduring Legacy", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, November 30, 2014.

The international donor conference for Afghanistan will soon be held (early December 14) in London. Ahead of the London conference, concern is growing that the world could forget Afghanistan - and the country could forget its commitments to women's rights. Read more in "Afghanistan: what will happen when the troops - and their dollars - depart?", The Guardian, November 27, 2014. Also see "Return of the Goodwill? London conference as symbol of new start", Afghanistan Analysts Network, December 1, 2014. It appears that both Ghani and Abdullah will attend the meeting.

John Kerry, Secretary of State, congratulated the people of Albania on their 102nd Independence Day held on November 28, 2014. He stated that Albania was a strong and reliable NATO ally and thanked the Albanians for their support of the ISAF and Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.

A recent news article laments the plight of Afghan interpreters who thought they could immigrate to the United States but instead have been abandoned. Read more in "Left to the mercy of the Taliban", BBC News, November 26, 2014.

The Pentagon plans to impose strict standards of private security firms that provide support in war zones in the future. (The Washington Post, November 26, 2014).

Members of the 21st "Mountain" Brigade of the Polish Army have arrived at FOB Gamberi in Laghman province to provide security and force protection to the Train Advise Assist Command - East (TAAC-E). Many of them will be used in the "Guardian Angel" role. (DVIDS, November 24, 2014).

Paul D. Miller writes a comprehensive article saying that America should stay the course in Afghanistan - extending its support and commitment for years to come. Read more in "America, Don't Give Up on Afghanistan", The New Republic, November 30, 2014.

A paper entitled "Revisiting the Social Movement Approach to Unconventional Warfare", wrote by Doowan Lee and Glenn W. Johnson has been posted to Small Wars Journal (December 1, 2014).

A recent news report says Afghan roads are too expensive to maintain. While the growth of roads in Afghanistan is commendable the bottom line is there is no money in the budget to maintain the roads so they deteriorate rather quickly. (Tolo News, December 1, 2014).

John Nagl, a retired Army officer who served in the first two Iraq wars and an author, has penned an opinion piece for The New York Times entitled "The President Needs a Secretary of War" (November 30, 2014).

President Ghani is reportedly conducting backdoor talks with the Taliban according to Tolo News (Dec 1, 2014). See "Ghani Resumes Backdoor Talks with Taliban".

The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published an online post entitled Ten Years of Afghan Constitution: Why Dialogue is Important (December 1, 2014).

Kabul Police Chief to Stay. It appears that President Ghani has rejected the resignation of the Kabul police chief and that he will stay on the job. See "Kabul police chief to stay on job after resignation rejected", Stars and Stripes, December 1, 2014. Other news reports say that the police chief will stay on the job until a successor is appointed.

A Special Forces officer, Thomas Doherty, has penned a paper entitled "Letting Them Scrape a Knee: Advising for Third Order Effects", Small Wars Journal, December 1, 2014. He writes on advising the ANSF in Afghanistan and how helping with logistics can actually hurt.

Some international aid agencies are sending some of their foreign staff out of country due to the security situation in Kabul. So far in 2014 36 aid workers have been killed and 95 wounded throughout Afghanistan (according to the Aid Worker Security Database).  Read more in a recent news article by The New York Times (December 1, 2014).

A U.S. Army officer, LTC Daniel L. Davis, writes a piece on counterinsurgency for The American Conservative entitled "COIN Is a Proven Failure" based on his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The relationship between Afghanistan and NATO has improved significantly with the replacement of "Karzai the Crook" with the new President Ghani. The new president is hoping that the new phase will bring peace and stability to the country. (Stars and Stripes, December 1, 2014).

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that Afghanistan will face more violence but that the local Afghan forces are capable. (Yahoo! News, December 1, 2014).

"Fly to Advise"

CPT Katherine Zamperini inspects
xray machine at FOB Gamberi
(photo SSG Houston)

The draw down of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 9,800 by the end of December 2014 forced ISAF to make some difficult decisions on force structure and the overall mission. The two primary missions for the U.S. and ISAF in Resolute Support will be Security Force Assistance and counter-terrorism. Unfortunately, the planners at IJC and ISAF decided to leave two Afghan National Army corps uncovered - the 203rd in the southeast and the 215th in the southwest - citing manpower, medical, force protection, and support constraints. Both of these corps are in very conflict ridden areas. But according to ISAF the corps are still being covered by advisors - from a distance. For instance, the 203rd Corps is being 'advised' - but only through occasional visits by advisors (once a month?) and contact through email and cellphone. The ISAF Security Force Assistance Guide refers to this as either "Level 2" or "Level 3" advising. Some advisors are referring to this type of advising as "fly to advise". Read about how a medical doctor "flies to advise" her medical counterpart in the 203rd Corps in "Brave Rifles medical officer ensures Afghan medical facilities are sustainable", DVIDS, November 27, 2014.

Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable (TA3E) Mission in Afghanistan

Australian advisor with his Afghan counterpart

Training for Child Sex Abuse in Afghanistan. US troops will soon be receiving training on how to report child sex abuse by Afghan army and police. General Nicholson, the commander of the Resolute Support Mission, recently stated that there is a new policy that sets out procedures for monitoring and reporting violations by any security personnel suspected of child abuse. The media has reported for several years on cases of bacha bazi or 'boy play' by Afghan security personnel. See "US Troops to be Trained on Reporting Child Sex Abuse by Afghans", Military.com, December 3, 2017.

40th ID Trains Up for Deployment. California guardsmen will soon deploy to TAAC-South but first they have some training to do to get ready . . . by training with French troops in lovely Bydgoszcz, Poland. (Stars and Stripes, Dec 8, 2017).

45th BCT Trains Up for Deployment. Members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard are heading overseas soon to take part in the NATO train, advise, and assist mission in Afghanistan. But first the must finish their training at Fort Bliss, Texas. Hmmm. Bydgozcz or Bliss. Been to both. I'll take Bydgozcz! (DVIDS, Dec 7, 2017).

Military Advisor Training Academy - MATA. The U.S. Army has established a new school for training advisors who will conduct security force assistance missions. Read about the new MATA.
www.sof.news/sfa/mata-military-advisor-training-academy

Assessing Soldiers for Advisor Training. The Army is standing up six Security Force Assistance Brigades or SFABs. The 1st SFAB is due to deploy to Afghanistan in early 2018 to field advisor teams for the Afghan National Army. Currently the Army has an assessment process for officers and NCOs seeking to join the SFABs. Read more in 1st SFAB Assesses Candidates, by Sgt. Arjenis Nunuz, Army.mil, November 3, 2017 and The Army's New Advisory Units Don't Need The Best Officers, They Need the Right Ones, by Rick Montcalm, Modern War Institute, December 7, 2017.

1st SFAB "Kandak Enabler MOSs". A posting by 1st SFAB on their Facebook recruiting page on December 7, 2017 provided a listing of SFAB Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) required for its brigade staff and advisory teams.

Another SFAB. The Army announced that the second of six SFABs will be established in January 2018. It will be based on Fort Bragg, North Carolina. See "Army announces activation of second Security Force Assistance Brigade at Fort Bragg", Army.mil, December 8, 2017.

NCO Journal Article on SFABs. Learn more about the SFABs in this recent article. (NCO Journal, 8 December 2017).

Combat Advising - Doesn't Get Old. A 1st Sgt with the newly-formed 1st SFAB provides his perspective on the upcoming advisory mission his unit will perform in Afghanistan. A veteran of  advisory tours in Afghanistan and Iraq he knows what the job will entail. Read "Combat Advising Never Gets Old for this 1st SFAB Infantryman", DVIDS, November 6, 2017.

Read more about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

Read recent news reports about the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade - SFAB.

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Nepotism & Corruption in the Ministries

On the first day of his one-year long tour in Afghanistan an American military officer advising his Afghan counterpart in an Afghan Ministry says "If you appoint your nephew to a high-level position on your staff that is corruption!" On the last day of his one-year tour in Afghanistan an American military officer advising his Afghan counterpart in an Afghan Ministry says "If you don't appoint your nephew to a high-level position on your staff that is corruption!"

Something to ponder.

In a related article, Pajhwok Afghan News has published an article entitled "Nepotism detected in appointing diplomats" stating that most of the diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) appointed " . . . are family members and relatives of government officials and lawmakers and their appointments appeared to be based on nepotism . . . "

www.pajhwok.com/en/=414605

Complexities of Afghan Endgame

A news article explains the complexities of the Afghanistan mission and ultimate endgame. During his 2012 re-election campaign President Obama pledged to end the Afghan War in 2014. Well, he is withdrawing troops and cutting back sharply on U.S. involvement - but the war certainly has not ended. 11,000 U.S. troops still remain in Afghanistan at the start of 2015. Many are engaged in advising and assisting the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan Security Institutions but some are still advising on the ground with Afghan units (SOJTF-A) and others are conducting limited counter-terrorism operations. Read more in "Impossible to gloss over the complexities of the Afghanistan endgame", AJC.com, January 1, 2015.

173rd Helps Train Italians for Resolute Support

The 173rd Airborne Brigade (stationed in Italy) are assisting elements from the Italian Army for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan (Resolute Support) where they will conduct a Security Force Assistance mission. The 173rd was recently deployed to Wardak and Logar provinces in Afghanistan and has recent combat experience. Classes were held in the Aosta Valley, Italy - home of the Italian Army's mountain warfare training center and school. The training consisted of military-to-military advising, counterinsurgency, and MDMP. The Italians will be advising the Afghan National Army (ANA). Read more in "US assists Italian hosts prior to Afghanistan deployment", DVIDS, October 16, 2014.

RS HQs Advise and Assist Cells

ACC-SW with ANA 215th Corps G3
Photo by Lt. Sharon Mulholland

As the United States military drawdown continues in Afghanistan the ability to station military advisors at the Afghan National Army corps level has diminished. Two of the ANA corps are now "uncovered" by permanent advisors. Instead an Advise and Assist Cell (ACC) advises these two corps from afar via phone and email as well as by conducting periodic visits. Resolute Support Headquarters has provided us an overview of one such Advise and Assist Cell mission in a recent news release (August 16, 2015).

In late July 2015 the Resolute Support Advise and Assist Directorate deployed a small team to a remote region of Afghanistan (we used to call this RC Southwest where thousands of U.S. Marines, Brits, Danes, and others were stationed). The ACC's advising mission was interrupted by the 215th Corps responding to a district in Helmand province that was under attack. Now Zad district was the scene of heavy fighting. The ACC had the opportunity to see the 215th ANA Corps battle staff in action.

The head of the Advise and Assist Directorate (ADD) in Kabul, BG Paul Lebidine, is quoted in the news release as saying that the ANA knows how to fight and that they have courage; but that the ANA really needs advise in gaining long term sustainability - therefore RS HQs is concentrating advising efforts on the detailed processes necessary to run a large scale army. The ANA lost the battle for Now Zad district and as of mid-August the Taliban flag was flying over the district center.

Afghan War News Snippets

Bagpipes and the UK in Afghanistan. Approximately 200 soldiers from 2 SCOTS will be located in four sites in Kabul protecting ministerial advisors, mentors at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy, and the UK's aviation detachment. Read more in "Bagpipes announce the beginning of a new phase of UK involvement in the Resolute Support Mission", RS News, August 23, 2015.

New BSA for Contractors in Afghanistan. Existing provisions of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) will take full effect in September 2015 which will impact DoD and NATO coalition contractors working in Afghanistan. These provisions include visa and business license requirements. There are approximately 35,000 contractors in Afghanistan. Read more in a news article on Army.mil, August 27, 2015.

Paper - "Professionalizing Ministerial Advising". A former advisor to Afghan ministries provides us his input on advising at the ministry level. Posted on PKSOI website.

Human Rights Key to Success Against Insurgents. The director of Resolute Support Essential Function Three, U.S. Army BG Mitchell Chitwood, recently attended a shura at Forward Operating Base Fenty in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province attended by members of Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC-East) and members of the ANDSF.  The shura was organized by TAAC-East. BG Chitwood says that this was a first - a shura with coalition members and ANDSF coming together to discuss human rights. If that is a true statement then the meeting was a long time coming - as in 14 years! Surely the general was misquoted. Read more in "Human rights: a key to security in Afghanistan", RS News, August 2015.

Pay Raise for U.S. Military? It appears that President Obama will attempt to increase the pay of federal workers and military member by 1 percent effective in 2016. Congress can come up with its own plan (and it sometimes does). Read more in a news report by The Hill, August 28, 2015.

Afghan Journalists Under Fire. A news report by the Asia Division Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch details the occupational hazards of Afghan journalism. Human Rights Watch, August 27, 2015.

Life of a Guardian Angel. View a 3 minute long video by Resolute Support entitled "Life on Forward Operating Base Camp Connelly", YouTube.com, August 27, 2015. A few years back there were three SFAATs, a U.S. company, an ANA kandak, and other combat enablers. Now it is a temporary camp for TAAC-East advisors and their support (as in GAs).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzmmDXgFos

Afghan Asylum Seekers Deported from UK. The UK is deporting Afghans back to Afghanistan - but there is a court order that prohibits deportation to most of the provinces in Afghanistan. Of the 34 provinces only three qualify. (The Guardian, Aug 26, 2015).

Crackdown in Pakistan on Afghan Refugees. Almost 90,000 Afghan refugees have returned home in recent months from Pakistan. There is a December 31 deadline for a return on all Afghan refugees. (Gandhara Blog, Aug 25, 2015).

Afghans and Pakistan. "Many Afghans associate the Taliban with neighboring Pakistan and blame Islamabad for their misery and decades-long armed conflict in their country." Read more in "Whay are the Afghans wary of Pakistan?", Deutsche Welle, December 24, 2015.

Ghani Issues Order to Curb CIVCAS. Afghanistan's president Ashraf Ghani has issues orders to government officials and the Afghan security forces to curb civilian casualties in the ongoing war. Read more in a news report by Tolo News, August 28, 2015.

What are the Troop Numbers for RS? Did you ever wonder which nations are contributors to Afghanistan's defense and training? Resolute Support HQs has a 'placemat' that will answer that question. See "Troop numbers and contributions".

Video - Airspace Management Advisor TAAC-East. In this video from Resolute Support headquarters an advisor, Ellyn Grosz, talks about what it means to advise the 201st ANA Corps and Operation Iron Triangle. Training involved working with the Afghan Army ATACs.
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0mS_SoRaIY

China's Leadership Role in Afghanistan. Two writers believe the China needs to step up and play a stronger role in Afghanistan's affairs. Read more in "Can China Assert Itself in Afghanistan?", The Diplomat, August 28, 2015.

Oshkosh Wins Major Contract. The Wisconsin truck-maker has won a large contract ($30 billion?) to make the U.S. Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) that will replace the Humvees. (Defense One, Aug 25, 2015).

950th Engineer Company Deployment Ends. The Wisconsin Army National Guard's 950th Engineer Company is back in the United States after its deployment to Afghanistan. Their primary mission was route clearance operations and providing security for the Kandahar Airfield and Forward Operating Base Oqab. The unit previously deployed to Iraq in 2003 and 2010. Duluth News Tribune, August 27, 2015.

Book on Battle of Wanat now Digital. The Combat Studies Institute has enhanced the well-known work titled "Wanat: Combat Action in Afghanistan, 2008" with the iBook format. Read more in "Well-Known Combat Studies Institute Book Charges Headlong into the Digital Age", TRADOC Newsletter, August 26, 2015.

Pentagon Upset at French for Speedy Awards to U.S. Servicemembers. The bureaucratic pencil pushers at the Pentagon a chafing with the news that the U.S. military members have received a prestigious French award for their preventing a terrorist attack on a European train in August 2015. Read more in "Pentagon Angered at Speed of French Military Awards System", DuffelBlog, August 27, 2015.

Corruption in Balkh. Read why "Corruption is a Huge Challenge for Balkh Residents", Tolo News, August 26, 2015. A survey was done by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) of twelve provinces of Afghanistan including Balkh.

2nd Cavalry Regiment Prepares for SFAAT Mission at JMRC, Hohenfels, Germany

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based in Germany, is currently at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany training up for its Security Force Assistance mission in Afghanistan. The SFA mission will require the 2CR to train, advise, and assist Afghan national security forces - units of the Army and police. The regiment has task organized itself so that it can support a number of small Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams or SFAATs. These advisor teams - Military Advisor Teams (MATs) if advising the Afghan National Army (ANA) or Police Advisor Teams (PATs) if advising the Afghan National Police (ANP) - are to advise and assist the Afghans with intelligence, operations, logistics, communications, personnel, medical, and fires. Read more about the 2CR SFAATs in "Germany-based US troops to advise and assist Afghans through 2014", DVIDS, March 18, 2013.

Process Map for ANP Logistics

With the shift in focus from unit-based, combat-advising to functionally-based, multi-echelon advising known as functionally-based Security Force Assistance the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has developed and disseminated "process maps" to help advisors do their mission of advise and assist with their Afghan counterparts. A process map is a graphical depiction of an Afghan process, such as Afghan National Police Class V sustainment or Afghan National Army manning (recruitment and retention). The process maps shows the actions that take place between all the organizations involved in a process at all levels. The process maps are intended to help advisors at all levels to become knowledgeable on how the Afghans perform certain functions. The process maps are available online at the link below. See "Annex B: Process Maps" of the "SFA Guide 2.0".

5th Combat Service Support Kandak Receives Training at Camp Eagle, Afghanistan

Members of the 5th Combat Service Support (CSS) Kandak, 2nd Brigade, 205th Corps recently received training in logistics from American advisors. The course increased the ANA logistics capability which will improve sustainment and mobility of the other kandaks (battalions) in the 2nd Brigade. Training encompassed the ability to order, transport, and receive mission-essential equipment and supplies. The training provided by the advisors is geared to helping the ANA sustain itself in the future once the coalition withdraws. This is part of the shift from unit-based, combat-advising at the tactical level to advising along functional processes at lowest levels to the ministries (something that ISAF refers to as "functionally-based Security Force Assistance). Read more in "Sustainment and mobility: Afghans train on logistics for continued success", DVIDS, February 1, 2014.

ANP doing ANA's Job

The outgoing head of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL) had some insightful comments about the current state of security in Afghanistan. Karl Ake Roghe (Sweden) has led the EUPOL mission for over 2 1/2 years. He stated that the main problem for Afghanistan is how the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is dividing the responsibilities for fighting the insurgency. He states that the police are bearing the brunt of the counterinsurgency fight; more so than the Afghan National Army. Afghanistan has 157,000 police that were created, trained and funded (partially) by the European Union. These police are under attack every day from the Taliban; especially in remote districts centers, outlying checkpoints, and in rural areas. The police receive little backup from the army and do not enjoy air support, medical evacuation, and hospitals. The emphasis given to police training is almost insignificant when compared to the money, training, and equipment provided to the Afghan National Army.

Of course, everyone familiar with counterinsurgency tactics, techniques, and procedures knows that the police are in the lead in a counterinsurgency effort (read FM 3-24 if you didn't and see note 1 below). Unfortunately, the Ministry of Interior was terribly corrupt and incompetent for many years (probably still is), and the Afghan National Police ill-trained, under-equipped, and also very corrupt. ISAF's efforts (as opposed to EUPOL) in improving the MoI and Afghan National Police (ANP) suffered from over emphasis on the Afghan National Army (ANA) and less than effective police training programs (see note 2 below). Read more in "Head of Afghan police training says high casualties are deadly cost of doing the army's job", Fox News, December 28, 2014.

Note 1: According to FM 3-24, para 6-90, page 6-19, (15 Dec 2006) "The primary frontline COIN force is often the police - not the military" . . . "Because of their frequent contact with populace, police often are the best force for countering small insurgent bands supported by the local populace." However, the police need the support of other government institutions (judicial, prosecutors, government officials, etc.) and the army. In Afghanistan, these institutions were poorly developed or corrupt.

Note 2: In the 2012-2013 period the United States deployed hundreds of Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams (SFAATs). Some of these teams were tasked with advising police district centers. The SFAATS advising the police were supposed to have a senior U.S. Army Military Police NCO on the adviser team - but rarely did this happen. In addition, the police advisor teams were supposed to be augmented with four Embedded Police Mentors (EMPs) - contract civilian policemen from the U.S. - but the contract for the EPMs was not amended in a timely manner to provide the required number of EPMs. The experience level of some EPMs left a lot to be desired. In addition, the SFAATs received very little training in police operations in a COIN environment and knew very little about the ANP prior to deploying to Afghanistan. In effect, the U.S. Army's attempt to professionalize the ANP was not at the level needed; the U.S. Army expended a lot of time, money, effort and personnel on the police training effort but not in a coherent and wise manner.