A New Afghan Surge

With every new U.S. presidential administration comes a review of all aspects of foreign policy. The administration of President Trump is in the process of conducting a review of the Afghan conflict - now (at least for the U.S, NATO, and partner nations) in its 16th year. By now, General Nicholson (Resolute Support Commander), General Votel (CENTCOM Commander), and Secretary of Defense Mattis (DoD) have all voiced their concerns and recommendations. Word in the D.C. beltway is that a plan for increasing troop levels by 3,000 to 5,000 is in the works - some are calling this a 'mini-surge". Naturally, there are those that oppose the increase (both within the White House and Congress). Trump (we assume) will make the final decision.

The NATO and other partner nations are quietly being asked to raise their level of commitment as well. The Germans and British have already indicated that they will increase their numbers. It is expected that the European and other nations will increase troop levels collectively in excess of 1,000.

Most of the increased numbers will go towards the advisory effort - known as the 'train, advise, and assist' mission. This doesn't mean that 4,000 to 5,000 new advisors will show up - as many of these additional troops will be supporting the additional advisors (staff, intelligence, force protection, life support, transport, logistics, etc.). Although some of the additional advisors will be spread out among the national security ministries and institutions - it is anticipated that most will go out to the regional ANA corps and ANP police zone headquarters. Some may find themselves advising tactical units below corps level or as members of Expeditionary Advising Platforms (EAPs).

The current strength of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan is about 8,400. A significant increase may bring the troop level back up to the 10,000 mark or higher. Additional readings and info on this topic can be found below:

June 1, 2017. "Can a New US Surge Stabilize Afghanistan?", The Diplomat.

May 30, 2017. "A political surge is what's needed in Afghanistan", The Hill.

June 5,2017. "Why More Troops Won't Help Afghanistan", The New Yorker. Barnett Rubin provides his perspective on the current situation in Afghanistan.

---

Afghan War News Snippets (March 2, 2015)

India plans on assisting Afghanistan in the development of Afghanistan's marble industry. The Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), an Indian institution for development of stone industry in India will help local Afghan businesses in skill and capacity development in the stone cutting and polishing sector. Read more in "India to develop Afghan's marble industry", Business Standard, February 19, 2015.

The ANSF are conducting a big push in the Sangin district of Helmand province. According to press reports Sangin district is now "secure". Read more in "Afghan Troops Push Taliban from Key Southern District", ABC News, February 27, 2015.

The international organization Human Rights Watch wants the Afghan government to include women as part of the negotiation team that talks to the Taliban. Women advocates are fearful that negotiators will give away women's rights in the process of reaching an agreement with the Taliban during peace talks. Read more in "Afghanistan: Don't Leave Women Out of Peace Talks", Human Rights Watch, March 1, 2015.

Pakistan is requiring all cellphone users to register their fingerprints. Read more in "Will Pakistan's Cellphone Biometric Push Pay Counter-Terrorism Dividends?", The Diplomat, February 25, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Defense has recently published (Feb 26, 2015) an updated instruction on "Common Military Training (CMT)". View doc here.

The daughter of President Ghani is an accomplished artist living in Brooklyn, New York. Read more about her in "Mariam Ghani, a Brooklyn Artist Whose Father Leads Afghanistan", The New York Times, February 20, 2015.

The U.S. Department of Defense has recently published (Feb 25, 2015) an updated version of DoD Instruction 3305.15, DoD Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Training. View doc here.

A women, Sakena Yacoobi, writes on her efforts to educate not only Afghan girls but Afghan boys as well. She started the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) to educate young girls. Then young boys started asking if she could teach them too. Read more here - "In Afghanistan, teaching men that education is not a threat", The Christian Science Monitor, February 19, 2015.

Uzbekistan, which shares its southern border with Afghanistan, has some concerns in the growth of violence and deteriorating security situation in northern Afghanistan. See "Uzbekistan Nervously Watches ISIS Advance in Afghanistan", Silk Road Reporters, February 20, 2015.

An Afghan interpreter has finally made it to the United States - due in part to the persistent efforts of a SGM to get the State Department to do its job. Read more in "It took eight years, but Afghan interpreter for 28th Division team makes it to America", PennLive.com, February 19, 2015.

Matthieu Aikins, writing for Rolling Stone, informs us that drug trafficking in Afghanistan is bigger than ever - especially in Helmand province. Read more in "Afghanistan: The Making of a Narco State", Rolling Stone Magazine, February 20, 2015.

Uyghur Militants in China (and Afghanistan). Afghanistan is hoping that China can contribute to the security and stability of Afghanistan and provide investment in its economic sector. There is also hope that China can assist in negotiations with both the Taliban and with Pakistan. Read more in "Seeking China's Help in Taliban Negotiations, Afghanistan Cracks Down on Uyghur Militants", by Shannon Tiezzi - The Diplomat, February 21, 2015.

Romania continues to support the Coalition and Afghanistan with its participating in the Resolute Support Mission. ROU SOAG-1 will soon depart for Afghanistan for a six-month long advising mission. Read more in "Romanian Special Operations Group leaves for Afghanistan within the 'Resolute Support" NATO mission", Romanian Journal, February 20, 2015. (Note: the accompanying photo shows a fellow with a Green Beret with a green flash as part of the ceremonial party.)

The 43rd Georgian Infantry Battalion and U.S. Marines have started their Mission Rehearsal exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany. The MRE is the final portion of a four-month long training evolution prior to Georgian deployment to Afghanistan to take part in the Resolute Support mission. Read more in "Exercise", DVIDS, February 12, 2015.

Polio Drops. Despite security concerns thousands of health workers fanned out across Afghanistan's eastern provinces to administer life-saving polio drops to nearly one million children under the age of five as part of a United Nations-backed health campaign. Read more in an UNAMA news update (Feb 22, 2015).

The Fort Campbell Courier does a profile piece (Feb 28, 2015) on Major Adisa King, the Operations Officer for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, currently deployed to Tactical Base Gamberi in Laghman province. The Rakkasans are advising the 201st ANA Corps.

A number of local uprisings against the Taliban have occurred over the last several years. Not enough to really make a difference (due to lack of ISAF interest and lack of support from GIRoA). Read a quick news report on the topic in "Afghan government supports popular uprisings against Taliban", Central Asia Online, Feb 26, 2015.

The Islamic State (IS) is steadily expanding its influence in Afghanistan. Although ISIL has not yet committed any attacks in Afghanistan, its attempt to expand its sphere of influence to Central and South Asia is alarming. Read more in "Militants of various stripes assemble under ISIL flag in northern Afghanistan", Central Asia Online, February 26, 2015.

A photographer visited Bagram Air Base (BAF) and took some photos of wall art at the airbase. Read more - "Inside Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield", Time.com, February 27, 2015.

DVIDS has a news release about a manpower analyst who works at BAF for the 455th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron.

Afghanistan has made an unprecedented series of goodwill actions towards Pakistan. Now Pakistan has to respond. Read more in "Afghanistan: The Ball is in Pakistan's Court", by Aziz Amin Ahmadzai in The Diplomat, February 27, 2015.

Bibliography for SFA in Afghanistan

The Annotated Bibliography for Resolute Support has been updated and posted. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission ended on 31 December 2014 and the NATO Resolute Support Mission (RSM) began on 1 January 2015. The Resolute Support Mission is primarily Security Force Assistance (SFA) along functional areas at the ministry, institutional, and ANA corps level. Some advisory teams are working at the brigade and kandak level.

The bibliography will be very helpful for advisors at all levels in Afghanistan as well as staff members of the RS mission. It has links to hundreds of documents, papers, publications, and websites about advising, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, and Afghanistan. The bibliography is updated periodically and the date of revision is posted on the first page. The publication is an Adobe Acrobat PDF, is more than 200 pages long, and is less than 3 MBs big. You can read online or download at the link below. Updated on 27 Jan 2018.

www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

---

Daily News Snippets (Dec 14, 2014)

There are a lot of Afghan refugees living (some working) in Iran. The Thomson Reuters Foundation reports (Dec 13, 2014) that Iran has extended visas for 450,000 Afghan refugees. The temporary visas are extended for six months. 

Afghan police say three IMU linked commanders were killed in northern Afghanistan in Baghlan province. (Gandhara Blog, Dec 13, 2014).

The German defense minister made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to meet with German troops. She landed at Camp Marmal near Mazar-i-Sharif on Saturday morning. There are about 1,200 German Soldiers remaining in Afghanistan; mostly working in the TAAC North area. About 850 Germans will remain after the first of the year. (Deutsche Welle, Dec 13, 2014).

The past few days have seen the Taliban busy with attacks. It would appear the traditional end of the fighting season is not being observed by the Taliban based on the frequency of attacks. Read more in "Several Killed in Afghan Attacks", Gandhara Blog, December 13, 2014.

Memorial services were held for the three South African citizens recently killed in a Taliban attack on a guest house in Kabul. Read more in a news report by Stars and Stripes (Dec 13, 2014).

An American female attorney who practices law in Kabul representing Westerners stranded in Afghan prisons talks about her work. Read "How Can The Rule of Law Bring "Justness" and not Just Justice?", National Public Radio, December 12, 2014.

The Taliban have not been beaten militarily but perhaps they have been bested in the political arena. The election of President Ghani has brought new hope to the country. The international community, based on the promise of reform, have re-committed themselves to additional troops into 2015 and continued funding. The big issue is Pakistan. Will it stop the support it provides to the Haqqani Network and other Taliban groups or stick with the status quo - continuing to stoke the fires of instability in Afghanistan. Read more in "Old problems, new hope", The Economist, December 13, 2014.

Task Force Catamount, an SFAAT serving in Logar province, but now deployed to the states recently received an award for their efforts and success in advising 203rd ANA Brigade at FOB Shank. Read more in "Maxwell ACSC instructor accepts DoD award", Maxwell AFB, December 12, 2014.

Afghanistan has the highest infant mortality rate in the world. It is one of the worst places to be a mother. One of the problems is that expectant mothers have a difficult time reaching health centers. Some health experts have teamed up with some animal experts to device a saddle for donkeys that ease the problems of transporting expectant women to health centers - enter the "Donkey Ambulance". Read about an inflatable saddle that is a low-tech, inexpensive solution to the age-old problem in the remote Afghan mountains. See "The Donkey Ambulance", Modern Farmer, December 12, 2014.

Kentucky Guard Trains Afghan Army in RC North

Photo LTJG Bryan Mitchell Jan 2014

Members of the Kentucky National Guard are training Afghan Soldiers at Camp Marmal in Regional Command North (RC North). They are part of the Kentucky National Guard 1103rd Military Police Detachment. Many of the military police units belonging to the Army National Guard are also members of the civilian police and law enforcement community. There are many observers and critics who feel that the training of the Afghan National Police (ANP) fell way behind the training of the Afghan National Army (ANA). That is considered by some as one of the most likely of the reasons that the ANA is considered a professional institution when compared to the corrupt and mostly ineffective ANP. When the Army deployed its initial Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAAT) in early 2012 many of these teams were assigned to advise and assist the Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) in the district centers. However, most of the SFAATs did not have the one Military Policeman assigned as required by ISAF Joint Command (IJC); in fact most of the SFAAT advisor teams had no one with a military police background. The SFAATs advising the police were supposed to have four Embedded Police Mentors (EPMs) but many would only have one or two. This was a shortfall that could have been readily corrected with the addition of some U.S. Army National Guard police members but . . .  it didn't happen. Some counterinsurgency experts consider the police to be the tip of the spear in the fight against an insurgency but this principle of COIN was largely ignored by the International Security Assistance Command. Read more in "Kentucky National Guardsmen train Afghan soldiers", DVIDS, January 31, 2014.

Capability Set 13 (CS 13) - a Comms Package to Aid SFAATs in Afghan Mission

A new "on-the-move communications" network will deploy with soon-to deploy SFABs (BCTs) to Afghanistan. The comms package, called Capability Set 13 (CS 13) will allow Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAATs) to stay in contact with adjacent and higher units while staying mobile across the battlefield with their Afghan units they are advising. The first two BCTs to use the comms network will be 3rd and 4th Brigades of the 10th Mountain Division.

Learn more about CS-17 in "First unit readies for Afghanistan with new network", Army.mil, March 7, 2013. Learn more about the Capability Set 13 here: www.bctmod.army.mil/CS13/index.html.

Afghans to Release Detainees Over US Objections

Afghanistan has given approval for the release of 80 or more detainees that were formerly held in the U.S. detention center in Bagram. The detainees are now under the control of the Afghans and may be released due to "lack of evidence". The underlying issue is the lack of an Afghan willingness to adopt an option for non-criminal military detention; relying instead on prosecution under criminal law. The Afghans, of course, are doing exactly what we have been advising them to do over the past several years - to conduct warrant-based arrests and prosecutions of insurgents in the criminal court system utilizing a "Rule of Law" approach to defeating an insurgency. Of course, it should be mentioned that the Afghan justice system is incredibly corrupt, not very well established, and terribly inefficient. And then . . . there is also the Afghan police which is problematic at best. So on one hand the U.S. wants to instill within the Afghans a "Rule of Law" approach to fighting the insurgency and insurgents (treating them as criminals) but on the other hand we want to keep some detainees in confinement and subject to "a law of war detention" environment. Read a more detailed account of this situation in "Afghanistan on Verge of Releasing 88 Former US-Held Detainees, Over US Objections", Lawfare Blog, January 2, 2014.

SFABs and the Targeting Process in an Advisory Role

A recent online article discusses the challenges that a Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) encountered when it attempted to advise the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on a successful targeting cycle that would provide focus to their tactical operations. Two Army Captains who recently returned from an Afghan deployment to Regional Command South provide their observations on this topic to include the targeting process (see F3EAD), working with their Afghan counterparts, understanding the dynamics of the Afghan population, and providing intelligence support to a counterinsurgency. Read the article in "Targeting Challenges in the Advising Environment", Small Wars Journal, February 19, 2014.

Afghan War News Snippets - (Apr 4, 2015)

Logar Landmine Kills 7 Civilians. Seven civilians were killed in a landmine explosion in Logar province on April 3rd. All of the dead were from the same family. They were traveling in a civilian vehicle from Kabul to Baraki Barak district of Logar province. (Khaama Press, Apr 3, 2015).

Hybrid Warfare in Europe Explained. Learn why some countries in Europe think that the use of the term "hybrid warfare" gives NATO and the U.S. a pass in confronting the danger posed by Russia. Of course, hybrid warfare is not a new concept - it is just the type of war that is fought unconventionally (such as the insurgency in Afghanistan). (War on the Rocks, April 3, 2015).

A Call for More Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan. In a letter to the editor of The New York Times (April 3, 2015) David Miliband (former British foreign secretary and president of the International Rescue Committee) says that more humanitarian aid needs to be provided to community-based programs in Afghanistan (such as the National Solidarity Program).

Senator Worried on Afghan Withdrawal. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis recently visited Afghanistan. Following his trip the senator said that the U.S. military must remain in Afghanistan beyond President Obama's projected troop withdrawal in early 2017 to discourage prospects for the Islamic State militants to get a toehold there. The senator met with high-ranking U.S. generals as well as President Ghani. He stated that current counterterrorism efforts and advising Afghan forces gives U.S. leaders ground information about potential threats. North Carolina is the home of the USMC's Camp Lejeune and the Army's Fort Bragg. (Military Times, Apr 3, 2015).

OCP Uniforms Ready for Issue. The Army will soon start issuing combat uniforms in its new camouflage pattern to deploying Soldiers. The uniforms will also be available at military clothing sales stores in late summer or early fall. New gear matching the camouflage pattern will soon be issued as well. The new camouflage pattern is similar in appearance to Crye Precision's popular MultiCam.(Army Times, Apr 3, 2015).

Video - "Bridging the Civil Military Divide: The Role of the Media". The New America Foundation and the Yale Veterans Association presented this panel discussion about the civil - military divide. This 1 hour and 15 minute video features a number of panel participants to include Tom Ricks (war correspondent and author), Adrian Bonenberger (former Army and currently a journalist), and Kayla Williams (former Army and book author).
https://youtu.be/ZJF7nO9uAEM

Women's Rights - and Education. Despite Ashraf Ghani's pledges in the United States, Afghanistan still has a long way to go on women's rights. Read "Afghanistan's 'Separate but Equal' Education System", The Diplomat, April 2, 2015.

Fears of Abductions Grow. Recent abductions in northern Balkh and Sar-e-Pul provinces (as well as the ones that took place in Zabul and Ghazni) have put many citizens who travel on edge. Read more in "Increased Abductions Grow Fears of Citizens", Tolo News, April 2, 2015.

Afghan Cabinet Vote on Monday. The Afghan House of Representatives has scheduled a vote of confidence for approving or rejecting the 16 new candidates for the cabinet. The house is currently reviewing the academic documents, dual citizenship, and background of the candidates. (Khaama Press, Apr 3, 2015).

Date for Bergdahl Article 32. The Article 32 hearing for SGT Bowe Bergdahl is scheduled for July 8th at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Bergdahl was charge on March 25th with one count of desertion and one count of misbehavior before the enemy. General Mark Milley, the former commander of ISAF Joint Command (IJC), made the decision to charge Bergdahl. (Army Times, April 2, 2015).

ADT Member Talks about Developing Rapport. Deploying to Afghanistan is a cultural shock -especially if your job involves interacting with Afghans. There is the cultural differences and the language barrier. And lots of tea drinking. But sometimes a hot pepper can break the ice. Learn how eating a hot pepper helped a female member of an Agribusiness Development Team establish rapport in "One hot pepper equals three cups of tea", DVIDS, April 2, 2015.

Peace Talks. Under President Karzai - the United States and India played a leading role in trying to get peace talks under way with the Taliban. With President Ghani now in charge - the scene has changed - Pakistan and China are now leading the effort. China has a lot at stake here - a stable Afghanistan will be needed if China is to have ready access to the immense deposits of minerals (Mes Aynak copper mine) available in Afghanistan and can contribute to its vision of a "New Silk Road" connecting all of Central Asia to Europe and China. The wild card is Pakistan - will it stop supporting the Taliban? Read more in "Afghanistan Peace Talks: At a Geopolitical Crossroads", The Diplomat, April 2, 2015.

Mine Awareness Day - April 4, 2015. U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan - P. Michael McKinley - has published an Op-Ed in Khaama Press about how 80% of minefields from past conflicts have been cleared in Afghanistan. Since 1989 almost 600,000 mines of various types (anti-personnel, anti-tank, and explosive remnants of war) have been cleared. 

SOF News

Paper - SOF and Human Domain Mapping. "One way to develop ways and methods to prepare for the evolutionary change in warfare is to operationalize social network analysis through human domain mapping. This will " . . . provide a richer and more in depth understanding of the societies in which we will inevitably operate." . . . "Some examples include identifying key influencers or brokers, providing early intelligence on the fundamental composition of insurgent networks, or detecting marginalized elites or disenfranchised social groups sympathetic to U.S. strategies". The author, Major Derek Raymond, is with the 5th Special Forces Group and holds a Master's of Science from the Naval Postgraduate School. Read his report in "Human Domain Mapping in 21st Century Warfare", Small Wars Journal, August 22, 2015.

Memorial for SFC McKenna. A memorial was held on Camp Integrity for a Green Beret who died in a recent insurgent attack on Camp Integrity (SOJTF-A) in mid-August.

Manhunting Machine. Sean Naylor provides us with a brief history of special operations - from Panama to the 'Global War on Terror' with his article "Inside the Pentagon's Manhunting Machine", The Atlantic, August 28, 2015.

SOJTF-A Challenge Coin. All good SOF units have a "Commander's Challenge Coin" and the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan is no exception. Read more at the link below.
https://commanderschallenge.wordpress.com/tag/major-general-scott-miller/

SF Grooming Afghan Troops. Michael Phillips has penned an article on how special operations units are trying to get their local counterparts ready for combat in "Treading the Line Between War and Peace, U.S. Special Forces Groom Afghan Troops", The Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2015.

Paper - "Advising the Command." Todd C. Helmus, a RAND Corporation researcher, has penned a report that presents best practices from the Special Operations advisory experience in Afghanistan.
www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR900/RR949/RAND_RR949.pdf

Paper - "The Dawn of SOWT."  This paper examines the rise of Special Operations Weathermen during World War II, from the founding of the Weather Bureau of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The Dawn of SOWT: OSS Weathermen in the Balkans, 1944, 2015. Posted on Marshall Digital Scholar, Marshall University.

Afghan War News Snippets

News Report - U.S. Failing at Training Foreign Forces. According to one news report the U.S. military record on training other countries military forces is dismal. The U.S. is trying to stabilize Iraq, Yemen, and Afghanistan using a tactic that has rarely worked - by training and equipping foreign forces. The U.S. remains too focused on developing its own war-fighting capabilities rather than developing the capabilities of other nations. One problem is that while we might succeed in training another country's military that country's civilian government may be corrupt and not worth defending (Vietnam, Iraq, and possibly Afghanistan). Many of these conflicts require a political solution (get rid of corruption in Afghanistan's government, include Sunnis in political affairs in Iraq, etc.). Read more in "U.S. Counts on Training Foreign Forces Despite Years of Failure", Bloomberg News, April 8, 2015.

Taliban Ambush in Kunar. The Taliban attempted an ambush on Afghan police but kill two civilians by mistake. (Fox News, April 8, 2015).

Afghan Interpreter Settles (Uneasily) Into Seattle. An Afghan translator who helped U.S. forces is having difficulty adjusting to life in the United States. While in Afghanistan he worked for the U.S. Corps of Engineers. He was the subject of many death threats from militants because of his work for the U.S. government. While the State Department says that the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program provides a Visa and a support structure once entering the United States; the support is rather meager because of a lack of funding. Read the story in Seattle Weekly Times, April 7, 2015.

Reintegration of Military Nurses After Combat Deployments. The Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services has published an article entitled "After the Parade: Military Nurses' Reintegration Experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars", (April 8, 2015).

Video - "Mentoring the Afghan Forces". International forces in Afghanistan having moved from a combat role to one focusing on advising, training and assisting. In this video we get a look at the realities of the new Resolute Support mission on the ground and how advisors working with the 201st Corps are doing their job. (NATO TV, April 8, 2015, posted on YouTube.com, 4 minutes long).

https://youtu.be/0orotJushQM

U.S. Army Drones. Drones (or UAVs) have been used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they are not going away. The U.S. Army is drafting doctrine for the first time that will govern its robotic and unmanned systems. Learn more in "US Army Readying Unmanned Systems Doctrine", Defense News, April 8, 2015.

Bde Cdr Sheds Light on Dealing with Afghan Warlord. James L. Creighton, a former U.S. brigade commander, recounts his experience dealing with a recently assassinated Afghan warlord. In 2010 Creighton was in command of Team Uruzgan, a diverse force of coalition soldiers from ten countries (U.S., Australia, Singapore, France, New Zealand, Netherlands, and more). His "team" mission was to push back Taliban influence in the province and encourage the 'transition' process. Read about his situation of having to work with a very effective Taliban fighter who was also a subject of human rights allegations. Read "Shades of Gray in Afghanistan", The Diplomat, April 8, 2015.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/shades-of-gray-in-afghanistan/

Retrograde Opns in Kandahar. A recent news story by the U.S. Air Force describes the heavy workload of retrograde operations and working with the U.S. Army. Read "Ready, set, retrograde", af.mil, April 8, 2015.

Afghan MoD Nominee Drops Out. The Afghan government's latest choice for the Minister position for the Ministry of Defence has dropped out. General Mohammad Afzal Ludin explained that his appointment had caused some turmoil and he feared it would be divisive. Ludin is a Pashtun which may have angered the countries CEO Abdullah Abdullah and his northern alliance supporters. Read more in a news report by the Daily Mail, April 8, 2015.

Zulfiqar Operation in Helmand Province Concludes. The Afghan national Army (along with some help from the Afghan National Police) has concluded its extensive operation in Helmand province. The Zulfiqar military operation was launched two months ago in an attempt to rid local villages of insurgents. Much of the fight took place in or around Sangin district - an area where the British and U.S. Marines have spent much time in.

46 Million Rounds Expended. The British Army fired over 46 million rounds at the Taliban costing the UK taxpayers 200 million pounds. The Mirror, April 7, 2015.

"The State of Afghan Libraries". The Afghanistan Analyst Network has published a story about the increasing need for a functioning public library system. With Afghanistan's educated class growing rapidly the need for libraries is expanding tremendously. This article highlights the need for a national and international plan to further develop the libraries of Afghanistan. Read "Reading in Kabul: The state of Afghan Libraries", (April 9, 2015).

Tsarnaev Guilty. In the spring of 2013 I was sitting in the DFAC at FOB Lightning in Gardez having breakfast when I first learned the news on the DFAC TV showing scenes from the bombing of the Boston Marathon. Having attended college in Boston I was immediately drawn to the developing story. It now appears that the surviving bomber (one of two brothers) has been found guilty in the bombing that killed three people and wounded many more people. The next step is the jury deciding on life in prison or sentence of death.

Book Review - "Warrior Diplomat".  Daniel R. Green has penned a book review of Michael Waltz's new book. Waltz is a Special Forces officer with deep experience at the policy level as well as on the ground in combat. Read the book review in - "Our Own Worst Enemy: How America Defeated Itself in Afghanistan", The South Asia Channel Blog, Foreign Policy, April 7, 2015.

Afghan Helicopter Project Officer Guilty. A former project manager at Redstone Arsenal has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges stemming from inflated contract payments for work on Russian-made helicopters bound for the Afghan Air Force. AL.com News, April 8, 2015.

One Year - No Government. It has been one year since the Afghan presidential election and there still is no government (cabinet still has to be formed). Read more in a news report in BBC News Asia, April 7, 2015.

Book Review - "The Illuminations". Andrew O'Hagan has wrote a book about the British in Afghanistan. Read a book review on this fiction book posted in The Washington Post, April 7, 2015.

Police Sergeant Course Graduates. Over 800 police candidates of the Police Sergeant Training command graduated from their training course held at Mazar-e Sharif. The course included subjects such as weapons training and legal science classes. Members of the Afghan Border Police, Afghan Uniform Police, and Afghan National Civil Order Police attended the training. The Afghan Police Sergeant Command is assisted by the German Police Project Team (GPPT). Read more in the news report by Resolute Support News, April 8, 2015.

Afghan Local Police (ALP) to Expand

The Afghan Local Police or ALP program in Afghanistan may expand in the future. The U.S. military is looking for additional funding that will extend the ALP program for an additional five years and increase the number of ALP members to 45,000. The plan, which is backed by the U.S. Special Operations Command, will cost $1.2 billion to train, arm, and equip the ALP. The ALP, based on a village defense model, comes under the control of the Ministry of Interior and is supervised by the local Afghan National Police District Chiefs of Police and Provincial Chiefs of Police. The Special Operations Joint Task Force -Afghanistan or SOJTF-A has the overall responsibility for advising, training, and mentoring the MoI and the ANP in regards to the ALP. This includes training and embedding with the ALP in conjunction with the SOJTF-A Village Stability Operations or VSO program. Learn more about the ALP expansion at the link below (LA Times, Feb 10, 2013).

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/10/world/la-fg-afghan-police-20130211

COMISAF Briefing to DoD Press (2 Oct 14)

ISAF News has posted the transcript of General John Campbell's (COMISAF) press briefing to the DoD press corps on October 2, 2014. Some of his main points in his address covered the transition from the ISAF mission to Resolute Support, the political transition to the new president, and the signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) and the NATO SOFA. He made his opening comments and then answered questions from the press. Snippets of the press conference are provided below.

He stated that there are currently a total of 40,000 troops on the ground (U.S. and other troop contributing nations) with aim of being down to 12,500 at the end of 2014. He sees 2015 as a train, advise and assist mission against four of the six ANA corps and at the ministerial level. The advising effort is no longer at the brigade or kandak level; but at the corps level and above. The remaining bases after 2014 will be in Jalalabad, Gamberi, Bagram, Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, and Kabul. As COMISAF he has been focusing on " . . . the security institutions, the ministry of interior, the ministry of defense, the national security adviser, NDS, and then working with both President Ghani and Mr. Abdullah . . ."

He says that despite the late signing of the BSA - ISAF is still on a good glide path to get to the Resolute Support mission set. There are less than 30 bases left and many of those will close before the end of the year. He identified some shortfalls of the ANSF that need improvement - to include aviation, close air support, intelligence, logistics, and sustainment.

Campbell was asked if the U.S. will " . . . be in a position to provide air support to the ANSF after this year? And would that include both close-air support and medevac missions . . ." He pretty much dodged that question; although he indicated that there is diminished air support capability under Resolute Support.

He was asked about SIGARs reports on how US money is being spent and the lack of oversight; his response is they are working closely with SIGAR, the MoD, and MoI and have tightened up some of the oversight procedures to get more transparency.

The subject of Mi-17s for the Afghan Air Force was brought up by a reporter. Currently there are 84 Mi-17s in Afghanistan with a target of 87 (3 more to go). He calls the Mi-17s a "game changer".

You can read the transcript in full at the link below:
www.isaf.nato.int/article/isaf-news/dept.-of-defense-press-briefing-by-gen.-campbell-oct.-2-2014.html

Afghan War News Snippets

Australians Drawing Down Troop Levels. Australia has been a staunch ally of the U.S. and other NATO countries during the entire Afghan conflict. However, as with other nations, it is slowly drawing down its forces. See "Australia ends Afghan advisory mission", 9 News.com.au, October 7, 2015.

Nobel Prize for Author of Zinky Boys. Svetlana Alexievich, a Belorussian, has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Zinky Boys was published in 1990 and is based on interviews with former Soviet soldiers and their relatives. The book revealed Soviet atrocities in Afghanistan and more. Read about Alexievich in a news article by Thomas Ruttig of Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN).

Taliban Spokesman Captured? An unconfirmed rumor on Twitter says that the Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Majuahid was arrested at Hamid Karzai International Airport (hate that name). If true, it would be a big ANDSF morale boost.

Marines Stiffen Physical Requirements. The Marine Corps has increased the physical fitness requirements for 29 different occupations in anticipation of gender-neutral physical requirements. The new standards will take effect before the integration of women in many or all of the job specialties is mandated by Congress. A recent nine-month long study has prompted some of the changes. The Marine Corps experiment integrated women into combat formations and the results were monitored. Female Marines were found to ". . . sustain higher injury rates, but were also slower, fired weapons with less accuracy than men, struggled to clear walls, and sometimes failed at simulated casualty evacuations". Read more in "Marines unveil new gender-neutral standards for 29 jobs", Marine Corps Times, October 5, 2015.

Campbell Visits India. A few weeks back the top US commander in Afghanistan made a rare visit to India. I wonder what Pakistan thinks about that? Talks were held with senior Indian leadership on the country's role in the war-torn Afghanistan. I am sure that China and Pakistan were also topics. (NDTV India, Oct 9, 2015).

NATO Willing to Stick It Out. It appears that some of the NATO countries are going to stay in Afghanistan a little longer. Read more in "U.S., NATO signal willingness to slow Afghan drawdown", Reuters, October 8, 2015.

Rakkasans Return Stateside. 3rd BCT, 101st Abn Division has left Tactical Base Gamberi in eastern Afghanistan. Their 9-month long Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission is over in the TAAC-East area. They were advising the Afghan 201st Corps as well as police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan. 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division is replacing the Fort Campbell Soldiers. (Fort Campbell Courier, October 8, 2015).

Fort Stewart Troops Return Home. A few dozen 3rd Infantry Division have returned from their tour with TAAC-East. See "Fort Stewart families welcome troops home from Afghanistan", SavannahNow.com, October 9, 2015.

Afghans Leaving Home. The number of Afghan refugees streaming out of the country has increased dramatically over the past year. One observer provides us with the reasons for the departure in Hurting the Host: The Rationale of the Afghan Exodus, E-International Relations, October 8, 2015.

Cost of Leaving? Traveling from Afghanistan to Europe (if you are an Afghan) can ". . . take over three months . . ." and cost more than $5,000. The trip ". . . is one of hidden costs, shady characters, and dangerous passages across borders and waterways." Read "This is What It Costs A Migrant To Get To Europe", Radio Free Europe, October 10, 2015.

METIS Solutions - Firm Engaged in Afghan Projects. METIS Solutions, LLC announced last week that it has made the 2015 Inc. 5000 list as the 661st fastest growing company in the U.S. with a three-year growth rate of 685%. Some of the work by METIS Solutions takes place in Kabul - working with advisors in the the MoI and MoD. (PR Web, Oct 7, 2015).

TAAC-Air Guardian Angels. The threat of an insider attack has caused advisors to take extra precautions for their safety. Read more in "Extra pair of eyes: Guardian Angels support TAAC-Air mission", DVIDS, October 8, 2015.

Supply Airmen Keeps AAF C-130s Flying. The Afghan Air Force has four C-130 Hercules airplanes and members of TAAC-Air work hard to ensure they keep flying. Read more in "Supply Airmen helps keep Afghan Air Force C-130s Flying", DVIDS, October 8, 2015.

Afghan Police Officer Works in "Valley of Death". Not far from Green Village, an enclave where contractors live who support the Resolute Support mission (I lived there for several months, nice place) works an Afghan police officer with a dangerous job. Read more in "Afghan police commander faces threat of suicide bombers with guns, prayers and soda", by Peter Holley in The Washington Post, October 7, 2015.

Anatomy of an Airstrike. There are two types of airstrikes - "pre-planned" and "time-sensitive targeting". A recent news report explains the difference in detail. Read "How it Works: A U.S. Military Airstrike", Popular Mechanics, December 2011.

Gen Milley - Three Goals. General Mark Milley, the new Chief of Staff for the Army and former commander of the ISAF Joint Command (IJC), has established three goals for the force - readiness, modernization, and taking care of Soldiers. Read more in "US Army's New Chief Sets Three Goals", Defense One, October 8, 2015.

Village Context. The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) has published a paper entitled Taking village context into account in Afghanistan, Briefing Paper 18, September 2015. It provides info on the 'good' and 'bad' elites in villages, the processes by which newly introduced organisational structures (such as the National Solidarity Programme) are incorporated into older customary arrangements, and that villages all have differing characteristics.

USAID & Licit Agriculture. Our favorite government agency provides us with a press release about how Afghan farmers are modernizing with methods and equipment. (USAID, September 2015).

NGOs and Danger in Afghanistan. The airstrike at the hospital in Kunduz killed a number of medical workers from the NGO MSF. However, medical NGOs have faced growing danger long before the MSF hosptial tragedy. (Reuters, Oct 8, 2015).

Army's Green Service Uniform. The green service uniform has been retired after 61 years of service. As of October 1, 2015 it is no longer permitted for wear. The "Green Class A's" were adopted in 1954 and brought a ". . . sharp, classic, and dignified look . . . " to Soldiers. It has since been replaced by a very ugly, dowdy, shapeless blue uniform designed for fat Soldiers so they can look good. Read more in "The end of the Green Service Uniform: 1954-2015", Army Times, October 1, 2015.

---

Inside the TAA Mission in Afghanistan

The columnist Franz-Stefan Gady provides us with an inside view of the NATO Train, Advise, and Assist Mission in Afghanistan. He spent some time with the TAAC-South advisory team in Kandahar learning how they conduct their mission. Of note are his observations about the significant use of Guardian Angels to prevent or mitigate insider attacks by Afghan security force members, the reduced footprint of the advisory effort, and the difficulty of how to measure the effectiveness of the Afghan security forces. In addition, the article stresses the importance of the effort in eight areas of focus - called the "8 Essential Functions" by Resolute Support HQs. It is interesting to note that one of the advisors profiled is a 1LT - mostly likely (unless former enlisted) on his first tour of duty in combat - and advising Afghan officers senior to him in rank, age, experience and with many years of combat in Afghanistan. That, of course, says something about the U.S. advisor selection process! Read "How NATO Advises Afghanistan's National Security Forces", The Diplomat, December 22, 2015.

---

Commentary

Counter-IED Capabilities Need Investments. Over the last few years the U.S. military has attempted, unsuccessfully, to put Afghanistan and Iraq (and things like COIN, C-IED, JIEDDO, etc.) into the rear view mirror. Unfortunately conflicts like these will continue to pop up over the horizon and the use of IEDs by the combatants that we will oppose will stay just as prevalent as they were on the roads of Iraq and Afghanistan. Read more in "Growing Terrorist Threat Requires New U.S. Investments in Counter-IED Capabilities", by Daniel Goure, Real Clear Defense, November 30, 2015.

Deobandi Islam, Pashtunwali, and the Taliban. "The Taliban are arguably more powerful now than at any point since they were ousted in 2001." This power comes not just from the support the Pakistan state provides but from the civilian population of Afghanistan tired of an ineffective and corrupt national government. The Taliban's more moderate approach and ". . . increasingly resurgent narrative of stability through reverting to Afghanistan's past . . . " is generating ever-growing support from the rural Afghan population. Peter Storey provides us with his view of the Taliban in "The Roots of the Taliban", The Bridge, December 1, 2015.

Pivoting From Pakistan. When President Ghani took office he made a deliberate effort to revitalize the Afghan- Pakistan relationship . . . but it wasn't reciprocated. Now it would appear he is reaching out to India at the risk of weakening ties with Pakistan. Read more in "Ghani's Pivot Away From Pakistan", by Shawn Snow, Foreign Policy, November 25, 2015.

Fighting a War in a Land-Locked Country Like Afghanistan. A U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft commander provides his perspective on the difficulties of fighting a war in a country that is remote and bordered by less than reliable allies. His paper describes exactly how difficult it is to get the Pakistan government to stop its support of the Taliban given the overflight requirements needed to prosecute the war. "Pakistan Catch-22: The Trouble with Wars in Landlocked Countries", The Bridge, December 2, 2015.

Fractured Taliban? Tamim Hamid provides us with an explanation of the current state of the Taliban leadership in "A Divided Taliban Explained", Tolo News, December 3, 2015.

Corruption Hindering the Fight. Corruption in Afghanistan has had a corrosive impact on military operations. It undermines the legitimacy of the Afghan government, provides fodder for recruitment into the Taliban (and ISIS), and has rendered ineffective the Afghan National Police (and to a lesser degree the Afghan National Army). The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) undermined its own objective of creating security in the country with its initial inattention to the problem. Read "How Corruption Undermines NATO Operations", Defense One, December 2, 2015.

Kagan on Afghanistan. Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute and a observer of the Afghan conflict provides his thoughts on what the US needs to do in Afghanistan. He sees the insurgent groups gaining more territory and capability as time goes on and a weak ANDSF that is seeing its international support slowly diminish. He advocates for more US troops and expanded authorities for those currently stationed there. He believes that the appropriate troop level is likely around 20,000 to 30,000. Read The Afghanistan Conundrum: How Should the US Approach the Rise of Insurgent Groups?, AEI, December 2, 2015.

French COIN. The vast majority of our senior level general officers would like to put the counterinsurgency years of Iraq and Afghanistan behind us - well, . . . they can't. COIN is not going away. While folks are painting the conflict in Syria and Iraq with ISIS as counterterrorism there is still many aspects of the fight that is a counterinsurgency. And in Afghanistan, the Afghan security forces are conducting counterinsurgency (while U.S. and NATO advisors busy themselves with advising the Afghan security institutions and corps-level organizations on 'systems', 'functions', and 'processes'). Many U.S. "COIN experts" draw upon the experiences of the French pacification of Algeria for 'lessons learned'. In particular, they read the tracts provided to us by two noted French officers - David Galula and Roger Trinquier. However, one student of French strategy suggests that a truer picture of the French COIN effort in Algeria can be gained by digging deeper into French military historical writings. Read "Myth-Busting French Counterinsurgency", by Terrence Peterson, War on the Rocks, December 3, 2015.

Is the U.S. Army's Personnel System Broke? YES! A 1LT who spent two years studying at Oxford instead of holding standard military jobs expected of junior officers was almost forced out of the Army. Besides being a Rhodes Scholar he was at the top of his ROTC class. And although over 90% of his peers were getting promoted he was being left behind. Read more about some of the systemic problems the Army's personnel bureaucracy is experiencing in "First Steps Towards the Force of the Future", War on the Rocks, December 1, 2015.

PowerPoint in Armored Vehicles - Really? OMG, so it finally happened. The Army's officers have figured out a way to display PowerPoint slides in an armored. Trust me - this is not a good thing. My experience with creating PowerPoint slides to convey a message to senior level officers is that the font type, size, and color is much more important than the content. Read "This armored vehicle lets you use PowerPoint on the battlefield", The Washington Post, December 1, 2015. For more info see "I Corps validates new mobile command post proof-of-concept", www.army.mil, November 29, 2015.

All Military Occupations Open to Women - SECDEF. Ash Carter, the Secretary of Defense, announced that beginning in January 2016, all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception. This includes all units and organizations in the infantry and in special operations. So far in 2015 two women passed the very tough Ranger Course at Fort Benning; perhaps we will see some women enter Special Forces training at Fort Bragg in 2016. Let's hope that a advance in "fairness" and "political correctness" will not result in the implementation of quotas, a lowering of standards, the erosion of unit cohesiveness, and a decrease in combat effectiveness. Read more in "Carter Opens all Military Occupations, Positions to Women", DoD News Release, December 3, 2015.

Women in the Marine Corps Infantry? RAND Corporation conducted a study for the U.S. Marine Corps that reviewed the literature on the integration of women in combat units, conducted interviews with members of organizations with physically demanding occupations, estimated the costs of potential initiatives to promote successful gender integration, and develop an approach for monitoring implementation of gender integration of the infantry. Read "Implications of Integrating Women into the Marine Corps Infantry", Rand Corporation, November 2015.

Women in Ground Combat Units? A doctor very familiar with sports science adds his voice to this topic. Read "Sports Science, Physiology, and the Debate over Women in Ground Combat Units", by Dr. Paul O. Davis, War on the Rocks, December 1, 2015.

---

Bibliography for Resolute Support Advisors in Afghanistan

The Annotated Bibliography for Resolute Support has been updated and posted. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission ended on 31 December 2014 and the NATO Resolute Support Mission (RSM) began on 1 January 2015. The Resolute Support Mission is primarily Security Force Assistance (SFA) along functional areas at the ministry, institutional, and ANA corps level. Some advisory teams are working at the brigade and kandak level.

The bibliography will be very helpful for advisors at all levels in Afghanistan as well as staff members of the RS mission. It has links to hundreds of documents, papers, publications, and websites about advising, the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, and Afghanistan. The bibliography is updated periodically and the date of revision is posted on the first page. The publication is an Adobe Acrobat PDF, is more than 200 pages long, and is less than 3 MBs big. You can read online or download at the link below. Updated on 8 Dec 2017.

www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

---

Resolute Support Bibliography (April 2015)

Afghan War News has posted an update of the "Resolute Support Annotated Bibliography" (April 2015) on its website. The bibliography is an Adobe Acrobat PDF with over 200 pages filled with links to websites, documents, and publications about the Resolute Support Mission, Security Force Assistance, Advising, and Afghanistan. It will be extremely helpful to the advisor and staff working at the corps, zone, institutional, or ministerial level in Afghanistan. It is also a good reference for those conducting research or pre-deployment training for Afghanistan. You can view or download the publication at the link below.

www.afghanwarnews.info/pubs/RSM-Bibliography.htm

Afghan News Snippets

Remembering Afghan Elections of 2009. An American military officer assigned to a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gardez in Paktia province remembers the Afghan 2009 presidential elections in "American Export: Elections", The Atlantic, November 7, 2016.

How to Advise. The Resolute Support mission is to "Train, Advise, and Assist" the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF) and the Afghan Security Institutions (ASIs). The U.S. has had over 15 years of experience in advising in both Iraq and Afghanistan. One such advisor - with advisory experience in both countries - provides his thoughts on how to advise in "My Lesson From 'The Long War'", Small Wars Journal, November 8, 2016.

Canada Remembers Fallen Service Members. 158 men and women died while serving in Afghanistan with Canadian Forces. On November 11th Canada remembered these individuals in a ceremony in Edmunton. See "Ceremony at Ainsworth Dyer Bridge remembers those who died in Afghanistan", Edmonton Journal, November 11, 2016.

"New Silk Road". A few years ago Europe yawned when it heard the news of a rebuilding of the "silk road" connecting Asia to the Middle East and Europe. Now times have changed. "Europe Finally Wakes Up to the New Silk Road, And this Could be Big", Forbes.com, November 10, 2016.

"No-Show Teachers". A recent news article informs us that the United States is providing bundles of money for teachers in Afghanistan who do not show up for work. "Afghan Watchdog: U.S. Pays Millions for No-Show Teachers, Students", NBC News, November 10, 2016.

Water Politics and Afghanistan. Iran and Pakistan are, in a big way, dependent upon Afghanistan for some of its water. The Afghan rivers, running downhill from its mountain snows, eventually flow into either Iran or Afghanistan. The relationship in the region is sometimes contentious over the amount of water leaving Afghanistan. Learn more in "Afghanistan's Water-Sharing Puzzle", The Diplomat, November 11, 2016.

Female Computer Programmers. In the western Afghan city of Herat female computer programmers are learning to code and are working in this fledgling industry. Learn about "Code to Inspire" - a coding school set up for women in November 2015 in "Meet Afghanistan's female coders who are defying gender stereotypes", The Guardian, November 7, 2016.

---

Resolute Support Mission EF 5 - Force Sustainment

NATO's Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan is to advise Afghan personnel in the Ministries of Interior and Defense as well as the Afghan Army corps and regional police headquarters. In an effort to organize the Security Force Assistance work Resolute Support HQs in Kabul and the corps-level advisory teams have adopted a "Functionally-Based SFA" model where the advising effort is divided into 8 essential functions. One of these functions is Essential Function 5 - Force Sustainment. EF 5 advisors "train, advise, and assist" the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the areas of logistics, maintenance, medical, information, communication, and technology. A recent posting on the U.S. Army's "Stand-To!" website describes EF 5 in greater detail. Read "Resolute Support Essential Function 5", Stand-To!, March 23, 2015.