"Assist" Part of "Train, Advise and Assist"

The two-part mission of the United States in Afghanistan consists of 'counterterrorism' and 'train, advise, and assist'. An example of 'training' is where instructors and trainers are assisting the Afghan National Army (ANA) to employ and maintain the recently field ScanEagle UAV to the ANA corps. An example of 'advising' is where advisors work with senior members of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) to reduce the number of ANA checkpoints across the country so that offensive power can be generated. An example of 'assist' is where the U.S. provides funding or equipment to the ANA. Pictured above is one type of assistance - the providing of weapons and ammunition to the ANA by the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan Security Assistance Office (CSTC-A SAO). The photo shows CSTC-A members in the process of receiving, inventorying, and transferring rifles and ammo to the ANA at the international airport in Kabul. The transfer is part of SAO's Foreign Military Sales process. (Photo by Lt. Christopher Hanson, RS HQs, Sep 17, 2016.)

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Afghan Security News

AAF A-29s to MeS. According to Afghan press accounts the Afghan Air Force has posted two A-29 Super Tucano Light Attack Aircraft to the northern Balkh province of Afghanistan. Many parts of Afghanistan has seen a deteriorating security situation and this includes northern Afghanistan. The A-29s can carry heavy weapons to target anti-government armed militants. The aircraft is a multi-role, fixed-wing aircraft that provides a air-to-ground capability and aerial reconnaissance capabilities IOT support the country's counterinsurgency efforts. Read more in "Afghan Air Force receives light attack aircraft in Mazar-e-Sharif", Khaama Press, March 7, 2016.

AAF - Full Strength in 2020? The outgoing Resolute Support commander, Gen Campbell, recently said that the Afghan Air Force won't receive all of its aircraft until 2018 and that it won't be fully effective until 2020. No worries, the aircraft will still have plenty to do in 2020. This war will continue for several more years. Read "Afghan Air Force To Reach Required Strength Levels by 2020", Tolo News, March 12, 2016.

TAAC-Air & AAF. The advisors from the Train, Advise, Assist Command - Air are working 'shoulder to shoulder' with the AAF to build a sustainable air force. Read more in a press release by DVIDS, March 10, 2016.

Govt Retreat from Shahidid Hassas District. On March 1st Afghan government troops abandoned a district in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. See "Afghan forces withdraw from district in Uruzgan", Threat Matrix, March 9, 2016.

Kabul Fire Dept Targeted. A suicide bomber attacked the Kabul Fire Department on Wednesday afternoon (Mar 9th) in Kabul city. (Tolo News, Mar 9, 2016)

Suicide Blast in Kabul. A heavy explosion rocked Kabul city on March 9th (Wed) after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives in PD 2. The bomber was the only fatality as he experienced a premature explosion. The incident happened near the Ministry of Finance. (Khaama Press, Mar 9, 2016).

Taliban Infighting in Herat. There are reports of fierce clashes between Taliban factions in the western province of Herat, Afghanistan. It appears that two top Taliban leaders have been killed, over 60 killed, and more than 60 wounded. (Khaama Press, Mar 9, 2016). See also "Scores of Taliban Fighters Killed in Infighting", Gandhara Blog, March 9, 2015.

Premature Withdrawal? The outgoing commander of U.S. Central Command told lawmakers this past week that it may be prudent to reconsider the plan to reduce the American military forces presence in Afghanistan. Given the recent increase in the Taliban's activity it is likely that the reduction from 9,800 to 5,500 by the start of next year is going to be delayed. Read more in "Planned Drawdown of US Forces in Afghanistan May be Premature: Centcom", Military.com, March 8, 2016.

More Authorities Needed in Afghanistan? According to one news report General John Campbell, prior to his departure as the Resolute Support commander, was seeking a modification of authorities for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Although he recognized he would not see an increase in troops he was able to get the Obama administration to slow down the withdrawal rate of troops. What is unclear is if he was able to loosen up the Ruled of Engagement (ROE) for air support (air strikes) and the levels that U.S. troops could conduct the Train, Advise and Assist mission. Currently advisors are located at the MoI, MoD, and the the Afghan National Army corps (although two corps - 201st and 203rd - see part-time advisors) and SOF troops are advising at the kandak level for the Afghan special operations units. We certainly pulled our advisors off the 201st and 203rd corps way too early; and it probably was inadvisable to take them off the brigade hqs as well. Read more in "U.S. general sought greater powers in Afghanistan before exit", Reuters, March 11, 2016.

China Offering Military Aid. One news report indicates that the deteriorating security and emergence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan has prompted China to deepen its engagement. Read more in "China Offers Afghanistan Army Expanded Military Aid", The Wall Street Journal, March 9, 2016. (requires subscription).

Ireland Ends Mission. Resolute Support Headquarters held a ceremony a week ago to observe the completion of the Irish Defense Forces military mission in Afghanistan. Following fifteen years of unbroken service with both the NATO ISAF and RS missions the final contingent will redeploy to Ireland. See "Ireland commemorates end of military mission in Afghanistan", Khaama Press, March 12, 2016.

Video - Gurkhas Training Up. A unit of the UK is going to deploy to Afghanistan. Naturally the soldiers will do some predeployment training. We get to view (in five quick minutes) some of that training in No Rest for Gurkhas On Intensive Afghanistan Training, Forces TV (UK), March 10, 2016. www.forces.tv/72138100

Fractured Taliban? One defense official says that ISIL is contained in Afghanistan and that the Taliban is fractured. Sounds almost optimistic. Read more in a defense press release by DoD News, March 10, 2016.

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Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, and Enable (TA3E) Mission Update

Photo - A member of the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) takes part in a training exercise at Fort Benning, Georgia in preparation for a deployment to Afghanistan. (Photo by SPC Noelle E. Wiehe, 50th Public Affairs Detachment, October 23, 2017).

'Guardian Angels' from Australia. A member of the Royal Australian Regiment describes his job protecting advisors for the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in a post by the Australian Department of Defense, November 22, 2017.

Mentors at 'Sandhurst'. The ANA Officer Academy (ANA-)A) is located just outside Kabul. A British Army officer describes his job in this one-minute long video entitled "Mentoring at the Afghan Officers Academy", Resolute Support YouTube.com, November 24, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkzxc0vpfo0

Bacha Bazi. Two reports were completed in 2017 about the sexual exploitation of young boys by officers of the Afghan police and army by two investigative services of the U.S. government. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) completed one in mid-2017 but the Defense Department 'classified' the report. The Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD IG) also conducted an investigation and published its report - this one unclassified. The Washington Post reports that the DoD IG's report was a watered-down version of the SIGAR report and less damaging to the Dod. Bacha Bazi - 'playing with boys' - is a fact of life in Afghanistan and more common than some realize. U.S. advisors with Afghan police and army units - especially at the lower levels of command - were confronted with the practice of Bachi Bazi - and put into a dilemma of how to navigate through the situation.

"Pentagon tried to block independent report on child sex among Afghan forces, Senate office says", The Washington Post, November 26, 2017.

Implementation of the DoD Leahy Law Regarding Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse by Members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, DoD IG, November 16, 2017.

TAAC-Air Trains Up Afghan UH-60 Pilots. The first six Afghan Air Force (AAF) pilots graduated from the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter transition program. The Train, Advise, and Assist Command - Air (TAAC Air) advisors trained up the newly-qualified pilots in a course that was completed in late November. See "First Afghan UH-60 pilots graduate", DVIDS, November 20, 2017.

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

An Intel Advisor Mentoring ANDSF

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.

Italian Troops Travel to Farah. About 50 Italian military personnel are now in western Farah province to support Afghan forces during operations against militants.  (MENAF.com, Feb 7, 2018).

TFSW Marine Advisors Worked at Kandak Level. The Marines from Task Force Southwest are working with the Afghans in Helmand province at corps, brigade, and even (at times) down to battalion level. The past rotation of Marines did this without suffering casualties - the current rotation of Marine advisors may get even closer to the front lines. Read "For U.S. troops in Afghanistan, new questions about where to be in combat", The Washington Post, February 8, 2018.

SOD-O TAA's ANASOC and More. The Special Operations Detachment-O of the Maryland Army National Guard has been working at Camp Morehead (Camp Commando) for the past several months with the primary mission of training, advising, and assisting the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC). But, in addition, the unit members have found time to conduct a little humanitarian service work in Afghanistan. (The Baltimore Sun, January 25, 2018).

Seminar on SFA. The primary mission of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance (SFA). Norway is hosting a seminar on the topic in March 2018.
www.prio.org/Events/Event/?x=8619

References

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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Movies and Videos about Afghanistan

Operation Afghanistan: The Role of JBER's Spartan Brigade, KTUU 2, February 1, 2018. A 4-minute long video that explains the role of Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC East) at Tactical Base Gamberi in Laghman province, Afghanistan.
www.ktuu.com/content/news/Operation-Afghanistan-The-Role-of-JBERs-Spartan-Brigade-472293343.html

The Special Mission Wing: Afghanistan's Special Aviation Unit, Resolute Support, YouTube.com, January 31, 2018. Listen to some tough words from a member of the Afghan SMW in this 30-sec video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ktERoVyDMM

The Afghan Commandos Trying to Beat Back The Taliban, HBO, posted on Vice News YouTube.com, January 29, 2018. (5 mins).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5X8C9RSU9w

Croatian Military Medical Advisor, Resolute Support, YouTube.com, January 28, 2018. This one-minute video features a doctor assigned to Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North who advises at the 100-bed Regional Military Hospital at Camp Shaheen, Mazar-e-Sharif.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g5YiHVXjo4

View a list of videos about Afghanistan.

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Movies, Books, and Videos about Afghanistan

A State Built on Sand: How Opium Undermined Afghanistan, SOAS University of London, September 7, 2017. The lecture is given by Dr. David Mansfield, at the Centre of Contemporary Central Asia & The Caucasus. The role of rural communities in Afghanistan is explored as well as how local politics shape the political terrain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=foWqSptszPs

Podcast - Johnny Walsh on U.S. Strategy in Afghanistan, United States Institute for Peace (USIP), March 14, 2018. An 'Afghan expert' provides his perspective on the current attempts to establish a peace negotiation process in Afghanistan. Walsh has a lot of experience with Afghanistan to include time spent with the U.S. Department of State.
www.usip.org/publications/2018/03/johnny-walsh-us-strategy-afghanistan

Women are Making a Change in Afghan Media, Resolute Support, March 16, 2018. A one-minute long video features a media analyst at the Bayan Media Center in Mazar-e-Sharif.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IsFutH88H4

Wpns Training for Mobile Strike Force, Resolute Support, February 28, 2018. (2 mins).
www.dvidshub.net/video/589506/afghans-graduate-mounted-heavy-machine-gun-course-ready-teach-their-soldiers

SFAB - "Everyone is an Expert in Their Field". Colonel Scott Jackson, 1st SFAB Cdr, is interviewed about his unit and their upcoming Afghan mission. (US Army Facebook, Mar 14, 2018, 2 mins).
www.facebook.com/USarmy/videos/10155766554323558/

AAF Strike Story for AFN, Resolute Support, March 6, 2018, 1-min long.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/588948/aaf-strike-story-afn

Security Force Assistance Brigade Buzz, U.S. Army, March 11, 2018 (1 min). SFABs are specialized conventional units built to train, advise, assist, accompany, and enable our multinational partners.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlJdAzUxEL8

Collaboration and Professionalism at Bayan Media Center. Afghan media professionals work closely with advisors from the Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North in supporting the ANDSF in their mission for a secure and stable environment for northern Afghanistan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwo_qRtU6wA

View a list of videos about Afghanistan.

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TA3E - "Train, Advise, Assist, Accompany, & Enable"

207th Corps - Afghan National Army

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.

Training and Equipment Needs of ANDSF. Ahmad Murid Partaw writes on how the Afghan security forces must increase focus on training and equipment. Partaw is an alumnus of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C. In addition, he is a former Afghan Army major and served as Afghanistan's senior national representative to U.S. Central Command. His article is posted in the CENTCOM quarterly periodical UNIPATH. Read "Aiding Afghanistan", February 2018.
http://unipath-magazine.com/aiding-afghanistan/

Updated Senior Advisor Training Requirements for RS. On February 15, 2018 the Commander of the Resolute Support Mission, General John Nicholson, approved updated senior advisor training requirements for uniformed personnel deploying in support of operations in Afghanistan. A pilot program to implement these training requirements begins in June of 2018.

Seminar on SFA. The primary mission of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan is Security Force Assistance (SFA). Norway is hosting a seminar on the topic in March 2018.
www.prio.org/Events/Event/?x=8619

News & Info about the 1st SFAB

"Soldiers, With Empathy: U.S. Army Creates Dedicated Advisor Brigades", National Public Radio, February 27, 2018.

"On the Security Force Assistance Brigade", Partisan Source, March 2, 2018.

References

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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Afghan War News Snippets

Government Appointments. Twitter reports say that Asif Rahim and Humayon Azizi were appointed as governors of Herat and Kandahar respectively and Jilani Popal as the head of Independent Directorate of Local Government (IDLG).

Russia IO Machine at Work. The news agencies of Russia are busy. One of its latest attempts was a report that a key Afghan aid to President Ghani made some anti-American remarks at a conference in Moscow. The aid says "Not True". Read more in a news story - "Afghan Presidential Aide Refutes Anti-American Remarks", Radio Free Europe - Gandhara Blog, April 27, 2015.

Ahmad Zia Masoud. Masoud survived a mortar attack in Badakhshan. He is President Ghani's special envoy for reform and good governance. Read more in report by Khaama Press, April 27, 2015.

Kandahar Province. 101st Airborne and Romanians working together. A news story (April 1, 2015) on Army.mil tells us about the 33rd Romanian Mountain Battalion and the 101st combining into a composite force to provide security to the Kandahar airbase and work the Train, Advise, and Assist mission of TAAC-South.

Kunduz Fight. President Ghani reportedly postponed his India trip for a few hours because of the increased fighting in Kunduz. There are reports that the Taliban have entered two of the districts of the province. Read more in "Taliban attack major Afghan city, Ghani delays India trip", Thomson Reuters Foundation, April 27, 2015.

Fighting Season Underway. Spring has come to Afghanistan and the 2015 fighting season is underway. Read more in "Spring Ushers in Fighting Season in Afghanistan", The World Post, April 27, 2015.

Explosion in Zabul Province. A bomb exploded killing six members of a family in Zabul province. Two children and a woman were among those killed. ABC News, April 27, 2015. Some news reports say five deaths; others six deaths.

"Operation Badar". The Afghan army has launched a military operation in Zabul province to combat the threat of insurgents.

Sports and Conflict Resolution. Vanessa Thevathasan reports on how sports is providing new avenues for peace and development in Afghanistan. Sport is becoming a growing popular interest, especially among the young. Football, cricket, and rugby are all playing a greater role in bringing the nation together. (Insight on Conflict, April 27, 2015). 

Drone Policy Loosened. The Wall Street Journal reports that "Obama Kept Looser Rules for Drones in Pakistan". He reportedly waived the requirement to show proposed targets posed an imminent threat to the U.S. (subscription only, April 26, 2015). Read a news article on the same topic by Robert Chesney in the Lawfare Blog, April 27, 2015.

Small Drones for Humanitarian Relief in War Zones. An interesting article by Catrin Nye for BBC News tells us about how small drones can deliver food and medicine to people in war zones. Read "Getting aid to a war zone in a swarm of drones", April 25, 2015.

CASA-1000 Project. The Central Asia South Asia (CASA) electricity transmission project is progressing along. Read "CASA-1000 Project Signed, Promising Major Revenues for Afghanistan", Tolo News, April 24, 2015.

Islamic State in Afghanistan? Lauren McNally of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has penned "Is the Islamic State Escalating in Afghanistan?, April 27, 2015.

"Framework Ambassadors" Visit Afghanistan. The four NATO countries that serve as the "framework nations" for the Resolute Support mission are the United States, Turkey, Germany and Italy. These four nations lead the Train, Advise, Assist Commands. Turkey leads in the capital region, Germany in TAAC-North, Italy in TAAC-West and the United States in TAAC-East and TAAC-South. The four 'framework' ambassadors visited NATO's Resolute Support HQs during the last week of April. Read more in a news story in Khaama Press, April 27, 2015.

New Pub - "Peace Ops". The Air Land Sea Applications Center (ALSA) has published a change to "Peace Ops: Mult-service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Peace Operations", ATP 3-07.31. The updated manual is available at the link below.
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/atp3_07x31.pdf

'Triple Nickel' arrives at BAF. Airmen from the 555th Fighter Squadron based at Aviano Air Base, Italy have arrived in Afghanistan. They will provide over-watch and close-air-support for ground units in Afghanistan with their F-16 Falcons for the next six months. Read more in "Triple Nickel arrives at BAF", DVIDS, April 27, 2015.

New Century Consulting, Imperatis, & SIGAR. A recent news story says that two firms that provided "counterinsurgency experts" for the Afghan war effort are involved in an investigation by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). New Century provided expert trainers for the widely-regarded "Legacy" program which was one of the few success stories in the training of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police intelligence organizations. Read more in a news report by The Independent,  April 27, 2015.

Hostage Policy. Some believe that relatives should be allowed to pay ransoms for U.S. hostages. (L.A. Times, April 26, 2015).

EU and Afghan Women. Paulo Casaca writes in The Parliament Magazine (April 27, 2015) that the "EU must continue to support Afghan women".

JIEDDO Contract. CACI International has been awarded a contract to provide support services to the US Department of Defense's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization's (JIEDDO) J9 division. Read "CACI wins JIEDDO support contract", Shephard News, April 27, 2015.

F-35 Software Under Fire. A recent news story provides info on the subpar performance of the F-35 logistics information system. The ALIS software is slow, unresponsive, and generates lots of false alarms. National Defense Magazine, April 24, 2015.

SOCOM Dream Customer. Many defense contractors believe that there is "Something Special About Doing Business with SOCOM". With a leaner bureaucracy, control of its own budget, expediated procurement process, and warfighters just down the corridor the "beans and bullets" staff at the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB are quicker to move contracts.

U.S. Military Retirement System Changes. It appears that Congress will be making some dramatic changes to the military retirement system. The change will move from a 20-year "all or nothing" retirement to a "blended" retirement system. Read more in "Retirement overhaul on fast track", Military Times, April 27, 2015.

Paper - Foreign Culture and Train, Advise FSF

The United States is conducting train, advise, and assist missions in areas of the world where foreign cultures are sometimes perplexing and will complicate the mission. In many of these locations the private sector and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) have experience that DoD should learn from and adapt into its training and education programs. This paper presents some of those lessons gained in the non-security development sector that could be useful in future training and advising missions for foreign security forces. Read "Foreign Culture and its Effect on US Department of Defense Efforts to Train and Advise Foreign Security Forces", Small Wars Journal, November 26, 2014.

TAAC-East Replaces RC-East

Regional Command East is no longer with us. It has been replaced by Train, Advise, and Assist Command East or TAAC East. The RC had a two-star commander; the TAAC has a one-star commander. U.S. Army BG Christopher Bentley will lead TAAC East - an organization comprised of 60 division staff officers and Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division (Fort Stewart, GA) and 1,000 Soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment (Fort Hood, TX).

TAAC East's mission is to train, advise and assist (TAA) the Afghan National Security Forces in eastern Afghanistan. The TAAC is no longer advising at the tactical level; the organization will work to strengthen ties between the operational and strategic levels - providing the connective tissue between corps-level Afghan units to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior.

The 201st ANA Corps is located in Laghman province and advisors will be stationed at FOB Gamberi to provide advise and assistance on a daily, persistent basis. It is believed that this is called "Level I" advising. The 203rd ANA Corps is located at FOB Thunder near Gardez; however, there is no "advisor platform" from which to project an advisory effort. Perhaps TAAC East will conduct "Level II" advising -which is basically a visit once or twice a month and some phone calls. (I wonder how that will work out?).

Read more in "3ID, 3CR form TAAC-E in eastern Afghanistan", DVIDS, November 5, 2014.

Resolute Support Training at JFTC

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is conducting training for personnel who will soon deploy to Afghanistan on the Resolute Support mission. The training is taking place at the Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) at Bydgoszcz, Poland. The first iteration of this training for Resolute Support is taking place in November 2014. Approximately 100 personnel from the staffs of Resolute Support (RS HQ) and Train, Advise, and Assist Teams (TAATs) are being trained. The TAATs are receiving standardized preparation for their mission of train, advise, and assist with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) at the corps and institutional level. Read more in "Future Resolute Support Members Train in Bydgoszcz", NATO, November 19, 2014.

Afghan War News Snippets (Apr 7, 2015)

Qarabagh Blast Kills Afghan Police. An explosion killed four police and two civilians in a blast on Monday, 6 April. They were killed in the Qarabagh district on Kabul after a police vehicle struck a roadside mine. (Tolo News, Apr 6, 2015).

MoD Minister Nominated - Finally. General Afzal Ludin has been nominated at the new Minister for the Ministry of Defense (MoD). He will soon be introduced to Parliament for a vote of confidence. (Tolo News, Apr 6, 2015).

New Taxes Protested by Kabul Businessmen. Afghan traders have shut their shops and are marching in Kabul to protest tax hikes. They say the taxes are unfair hikes in what they must pay the government. (Yahoo! News, Apr 6, 2015).

Two of 31 Harzara Hostages Dead. According to Khaama Press (Apr 6, 2015) two of the 31 abducted Hararas were found dead in Zabul province. Their bodies were found in Khak-e-Afghan district. One was murdered and the other (an older man) died of weakness. The hostages were abducted on February 24, 2015 by militants suspected to be part of the ISIS group in Afghanistan.

ISIS Recruiting in Taliban Territory. In what some observers see as a changing of the guard the Islamic State is recruiting in Afghanistan. (CNN News, Apr 6, 2015).

Bergdahl - "Attempted to Go Over to the Other Side". Computer forensics may derailed Bergdahl's defense. (The Weekly Standard, Apr 6, 2015).

"The Real Afghan War". An essay taken from chapter five of Anand Gopal's "No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes", - or "How an American Fantasy Conflict Created Disaster in Afghanistan". (The Huffington Post, April 6, 2015).

Info about Korean Hospital at Bagram. Korea has been operating a hospital at Bagram Air Field (BAF) in Parwan province since 2010. The hospital provides quality medical care for Afghan citizens. Read more in "Koreans sow seeds of hope in Afghanistan", The Korea Times, April 5, 2015.

Biometrics and the Changing World of Spies. The use of biometrics is hampering the ability of spy agencies to conduct their business. Iris scans and facial recognition software coupled with more and more public cameras in airports, train stations, stores, and public areas are making life difficult for the spy world. The routine collection and analysis of fingerprints, iris scans, and facial images are helping to ferret out terrorists and immigration fraudsters all over the world - but it is also making it difficult for undercover agents to remain anonymous. Read more in "To Catch a Spy", Foreign Policy, April 6, 2015.

Senators Visit to TAAC-E. A number of U.S. Senators recently visited Train, Advise, Assist Command East at Tactical Base Gamberi in early April 2015. The TAAC-East commander, BG Bentley, says that one example of how TAAC-E is assisting the 201st Corps is in helping to establish the Regional Military Training Center (RMTC) for the 201st Corps which will give the corps the capability to train new soldiers assigned to the corps. This is probably a bad example - as advisors assigned to the 201st Corps have been "assisting" with the establishment of the RMTC at least since 2010 (see press release by CJTF-101, August 2010). I would have to say that is very slow progress. In 2012 FedBizOpps.Gov issued a solicitation for the construction of the RMTC. (DVIDS, Apr 5, 2015).

Security News

Kunduz Bombing Death Toll Rises. According to some news reports the death toll from a recent bombing (Sat, Aug 8) reached 29 people. Many of those killed were members of a militia fighting the Taliban in Khanabad district. Read more in a news report by Gandhara Blog, August 9, 2015.

Kandahar Road Blast. Two civilians were killed in a roadside mine blast in Kandahar on Sunday, 9 Aug. Nine were wounded in the attack on the passenger bus.

15 Police Killed in Helmand Attack. A large group of Afghan policemen were killed in Musa Qala district of  Helmand province when Taliban insurgents attacked their post. (Afghanistan Times, August 12, 2015).

BG Shoffner Discusses Afghan Forces. Shoffner briefed the Pentagon press corps live from Kabul by telephone where he discusses a range of topics about security, the ANDSF, and Islamic State in Afghanistan. Read a DoD News article (August 13, 2015).

Dostum on Front Lines. Vice President Dostum has been visiting the front lines in northern Afghanistan wearing a military uniform and body armor. Two of his sons are performing duties as bodyguard to the VP. Read more in a news report (Tolo News, Aug 11, 2015).

Drone Strikes. According to some Afghan government sources a large number of Taliban and Daesh insurgents have been killed in numerous drone strikes in eastern Nangarhar province over the past month. (Tolo News, Aug 11, 2015).

Drone Crash. A U.S. drone is reported to have crashed in Kapisa province in the last week.

Pakistan Continues Cross-Border Rocket Attacks. The governor of Kunar confirmed on Sunday (Aug 9) that over the past several days at least 43 rockets have hit the border areas of Kunar province killing one civilian and wounding a nine-year-old Afghan child. The cross border firing of rockets and artillery by the Pakistan military has long been a source of tension between the two nations. Not to mention the ISI's support of the Taliban. (Tolo News, Aug 9, 2015).

"Aren't You Afraid to Live in Afghanistan?" A civilian from Canada living in Kabul for the past ten years answers the question. (The Huffington Blog, Aug 11, 2015).

Kabul Airport Car Bomb. A car bomb killed four (maybe five) and wounded more than 15 people near Kabul airport on Monday, August 10th. The incident took place at the first Entry Control Point (ECP).

IMU with Taliban or ISIS? There is confusion among many observers of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan as to how the group is aligned. Some think that it is still allied with the Taliban while recent press releases indicate it has become part of the Islamic State. Read more in "Who Controls the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan?", The Diplomat, August 15, 2015.

Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics. An August 7th report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) is available. www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS22452.pdf

Combat-Related TBI. A new report  by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) obscures the extent of combat-related traumatic brain injuries. Read more in Military.com, August 12, 2015.

Can Civilian Academics Offer Advise to the Military on Defense Policy? Hmmmm. Maybe their advise is not as good as they think. Read more in "Political Scientists and the Military", The RAND Blog, August 10, 2015.

Afghan MPs receive training from TAAC-Air. Advisors from the Train Advise Assist Command - Air provided training to Afghan military police from the Kabul Air Wing. Read more in a news report by DVIDS, August 14, 2015.

ANDSF Clearing Opn in Nangarhar. The distrrcts of Khogyani, Sherzad, and Hisarak have been the brunt of an Afghan security forces 'clearing operation'. This large and multi-organizational operation involving the ANA, ANP and other elements was designed to disrupt networks of Taliban and other 'enemies of Afghanistan'. One goal is to provide continued security to the area; something that most clearing operations fail to do - especially in these three districts where the ANA only ventures periodically. Read more in a cheerleading-like news release by RS HQs (DVIDS, Aug 15, 2015).

Kabul Friends of Chicago. There are lots of international groups and organizations in Afghanistan assisting with security, governance and development. Here is one I never heard of before. It seems it consists of representatives from 10 donor nations and they were recently presented with a series of briefs by the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A). I guess that brief can be boiled down to "Yes, you have given us lots of your donor money and we know that half of it is now invested in Dubai real estate . . . but we feel that the Afghan government and security forces - despite advances by the Taliban on the battlefield - are making great progress." Read more in "International partners strategize funding for Afghanistan's future", Resolute Support News, August 12, 2015.

Drug Smuggling Arrests Increase. The Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) has reported that drug crime arrests are up by five percent from the same period last year. Read "2015 Sees Increase in Drug Smuggling Arrests", Tolo News, August 11, 2015.

Now Zad District Flying Taliban Flag. Afghan government officials confirm that the Taliban now control the district of Now Zad in Helmand province. The district was overrun by the Taliban a few weeks back at the end of July. ANA vehicles and equipment were captured. (The Long War Journal).

13,000 ANDSF Dead in 3 Years. While Resolute Support Headquarters is quite quick to proclaim the number of Taliban attacks is down since last year there are a couple of statistics that shed more light on the topic of how well the Afghan security forces are doing. In the last three years the security forces have suffered over 13,000 killed. This current year will likely see a 40% increase in fatalities. Certainly not good news no matter how you try to smear on the lipstick. Read more in an ABC news report, August 14, 2015.

Ashraf Ghani blasts Pakistan. On Monday, August 10th President Ghani posted on Twitter the following: "We can no longer tolerate to see our people bleeding in a war exported and imposed from outside." Has he finally lost patience with Pakistan? The recent string of Kabul bombings may have ended the 'pivot to Pakistan'. He presented a speech on Monday afternoon (August 10th) slamming Pakistan. Read more in a press report by Tolo News, August 10, 2015. Read also "Ghani Closes Window on Pakistan", Gandhara, August 11, 2015.

Security News In Closing - "Things are not actually going so great in Afghanistan". A foreign policy essay on the Lawfare Blog by Gary Owen (not his real name) wrote on Sunday, August 9, 2015.

Security News In Closing - "Things Are Not That Bad in Afghanistan". At least, according to Michael O'Hanlon. He writes as much in a news posting on the National Interest Blog (August 6, 2015). He provides us with his perspective on a recent discussion with General Campbell (RS Cdr) on August 4, 2015 at the Brookings Institution.

"Expeditionary Advise and Assist"

The United States plans to keep the troop levels in 2016 the same as 2015 - meaning about 9,800 troops. Many of these military personnel will be conducting the "Train, Advise, and Assist" mission (a part of Security Force Assistance) - which is best done on a full-time and daily basis. It appears that the U.S. is going to move to "expeditionary advise and assist teams" in 2016. This is currently what is in effect for two of the six Afghan Army Corps - the 203rd in Gardez (eastern Afghanistan) and 2015th in Helmand province (southwest Afghanistan). The other four ANA corps have full-time advisors co-located or nearby the corps hqs. Of course the "expeditionary advising" (called Level 2 or Level 3 advising) is no way as effective as daily and persistent advisor presence (called Level 1 advising). Read more in a news report by Military Times, January 3, 2016.

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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.

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.

Afghan War News Snippets

A New Kandahar. The Washington Post's Kabul bureau chief, Sudarsan Raghavan, compares modern-day Kandahar to one he knew in 1996 under Taliban rule. Much has changed. The population has grown ten-fold, it has a modern airport, and the city is thriving economically. Read more in "The last time I saw Kandahar, it was a remote Taliban bastion. How that's changed", April 20, 2015.

Kandahar Explosion. Press reports say that two people were killed and 21 others injured in an explosion in Kandahar city on Tuesday morning. (Khaama Press, April 21, 2015).

205th Coalition Advisory Team (CAT). The Australians are part of the advisory team providing training, advise, and assistance to the 205th ANA Corps in southern Afghanistan. The Aussies are augmented with personnel from the United States and Bulgaria. The 205 CAT provides advisors across a range of functions including operations, intelligence and planning as well as other enabling functions. Read more in a Facebook posting by Resolute Support Hqs, April 21, 2015.

Typical Day for MG Mike Murray - Deputy Cdr USFOR-A. So what does a typical day look like for the commander of U.S. Forces - Afghanistan. Based at Bagram Airfield, the general starts and ends his day with operations update from his staff in the joint operations center (JOC). Then office meetings and sometimes trips off base. Read more in a Facebook posting by USFOR-A, April 21, 2015.

Shiite Hazara Worried. A recent spate of kidnappings of Hazaras over the past few months have put the Harzara community on edge. Read "Kidnappings Rattle Afghan Minority", The Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2015. (subscription needed).

16 New Cabinet Members Approved. Afghanistan is one minister short of having a full cabinet. The remaining empty seat is most likely the most important one. The cabinet nominees were approved by lawmakers in Kabul. Eight ministers had been approved by the Wolesi Jirga earlier. (Radio Free Europe, April 21, 2015).

New MoD Minister Nominee? News reports indicate that the National Unity Government (NUG) leaders have agreed on Abdullah Habibi as their nominee for leadership of the Ministry of Defense (MoD). Habibi hails from Kunar province and has an MA in Military Affairs. (Tolo News, Apr 20, 2015).

Visit to MoI Logistics Facility. On April 20th General Campbell (RSM Cdr) and MG Semonite (CSTC-A Cdr) visited the Ministry of Interior's logistic facility in Wardak province. A large part of continuing the Train-Advise-Assist mission is helping the Afghans develop and maintain systems and processes which will enable long-term sustainability for their security forces. (RSM Facebook, April 21, 2015).

RSM HQs Hosts International Issues Forum. On April 21st the Resolute Support Headquarters hosted forum with representatives from Italy, Germany, United States, European Union, UN, and NATO attending. The topic of the meeting was Afghanistan and NATO's Enduring Partnership and the support that each country / agency provides. (RSM Facebook, April 21, 2015).

UNAMA Meets w/ Kunduz Women. As part of its mandated work to assist the people of Afghanistan inlaying the foundations for peace and development in the country Human Rights officials from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) meet with rural women in the north-eastern province of Kunduz. The meeting with the women focused on women and their role in peacebuilding. (UNAMA News Update, April 21, 2015).

Friendly Fire Air Crew Returns to Duty. Despite an investigation that found some startling deficiencies no charges have been made. The Air Force B-1B air crew that dropped two bombs that killed five U.S. soldiers that were part of a U.S. Special Forces mission in Zabul province in 2014 in returning to duty. Read the news report in The Washington Times, April 20, 2015.

Funeral Held for Soldier Killed in Afghanistan. A funeral was held on Monday in Massachusetts for a U.S. Army Soldier recently killed from the 101st Airborne Division. (Kentucky.com, April 20, 2015).

Despair in Afghanistan. An Afghan who returned to her country in 2003 after years of exile expresses her disillusionment on the Afghanistan of today. Read "Afghanistan - - Where Is It Headed?", The Huffington Post, April 21, 2015.

Hearing on Global Terrorist Financing. The Committee on Financial Services will be holding a hearing on April 22, 2015 at 10:00 am (EST) on "A Survey of Global Terrorism and Terrorist Financing". Speakers include Dr. Seth Jones - director of International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND Corporation. Should be able to webcast it to your computer.
http://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=398891

Former Army Col Pleads Guilty. A former U.S. Army Colonel pleads guilty in connection with Afghan Mi-17 helicopter procurement contracts. (U.S. Department of Justice, April 20, 2015).

Caliphate - A Powerful Word. Rashid Dar explores the meaning and use of the word in his article "The Other C-Word: 'Caliphate'", Cicero Magazine, April 21, 2015.

Female Rangers. An opinion piece by retired general David Barno and Nora Bensahel says that "Female Rangers will lead the way, sooner or later", War is Boring, April 21, 2015.

Saving Deminers. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) says that at least 19 deminers abducted by militants of the Haqqani Network were rescued by operatives of Afghan intelligence on Tuesday. The militants were from Gardez, Paktia province (home of the 203rd Corps). Read more in a news report by Khaama Press,  April 21, 2015.

Taliban Admit to Beheadings. The insurgents say the beheadings of ANA soldiers took place during clashes last week in the northern province of Badakhshan. Read more in a news report in The Long War Journal, April 21, 2015.

Saving the A-10. Martha McSally, a retired Air Force officer, pilot, and now member of Congress, has penned a piece entitled "Saving a Plane That Saves Lives", The New York Times, April 21, 2015.

Political Process in Afghanistan Criticized. Some Afghan citizens complain that political parties are vehicles for personal advancement rather than public good. Read "Afghans Feel Let Down by Politics", Institute for War & Peace Reporting, April 21, 2015.

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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Troop Level Increase in Afghanistan

President Trump provided the authority to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to determine the troop levels for the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. Over the past few months we have seen press reports and testimony before Congress indicating that the military chain of command (Resolute Support, CENTCOM, etc.) had recommended an increase of 3-5 thousand U.S. troops. It appears that SECDEF Mattis will honor that request and he is expected to announce troop movements at some point next week. Along with this U.S. troop increase there is an expectation that NATO and other partner coalition nations will increase their level of troop deployments as well. Many countries (United Kingdom, Germany, etc.) have already announced their intention to increase their troop levels.

What Will These Troops Do? The U.S. has two missions in Afghanistan. One is the counterterrorism (CT) mission and the other is the "Train, Advise, and Assist" (TAA) mission. A smaller portion of the 4K increase will very likely enhance the CT mission in Afghanistan. The greater portion of the 4K increase will go to the TAA mission. The planners at Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul very likely have plans already in place for the increased level of troops. A reading of DoD statements and open source media could lead one to conclude that some advisors will be employed at the ministry and institutional level in the Kabul area while others will go out to the Train, Advise and Assist Commands (TAACs)  to work with the ANA Corps and regional Police Zone HQs.

Advisors at Tactical Level? Some advisors are already working at the tactical level - in most cases U.S. SOF and aviation advisors. In addition, there are some advisors who deploy to ANA brigade level on a periodic basis as part of an Expeditionary Advisory Package (EAP).

General Nicholson, the commander of the Resolute Support Mission, has indicated that many of the soon-to-arrive advisors will find themselves working at the tactical level - at brigade and possibly kandak (battalion) level as well. The advisor platform at Task Force Southwest and Task Force Southeast are understaffed and will likely be augmented. It is important to note that not all newly assigned personnel will be advisors - think of the tooth to tail ratio. Each additional advisor needs logistical, medical, intelligence, transportation, force protection, and life support. So a good proportion of the 4K that go to the TAA mission will be supporting the advisors.

Lack of a Strategic Plan? There are numerous reports in the media from critics and observers that cast doubt on the utility of more troops if a strategic plan is not developed and implemented for Afghanistan. SECDEF Mattis has said that this is in the works and we should learn more in mid-July. The strategic plan very likely will see more advisors serving at the tactical level assisting with planning and coordinating operations as well as providing U.S. enablers (ISR, air support, fire support, etc.). Hopefully this strategic plan will take into account the regional actors bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan's support of some insurgent groups and the sanctuaries within Pakistan, corruption in the Afghan government and security forces, the dysfunction of the National Unity Government (NUG), and the inept, ineffective, and corrupt leadership at all levels within the MoI, MoD, and ANDSF.

4-Year ANDSF Roadmap. The Afghan government does have a strategic plan in place and the U.S. is very likely going to support this plan as best it can. The Afghans have rolled out their 4-year ANDSF Roadmap which lays out their plan for professionalizing the Afghan military and police. This includes doubling the size of the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF), increasing the capability of the Afghan Air Force (AAF), reducing corruption, improving leadership, and improving training. The goal is to have the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) achieve the ability - at the end of the four years- to improve the security situation in Afghanistan with the end result of a political solution to the conflict with the insurgents. Time will tell.

News Reports, Editorials, Analysis, and Commentary on Troop Increase.

June 16, 2017. "Gen. Keane: 10,000 to 20,000 additional troops needed in Afghanistan", Fox News. General Keane says 4,000 troop increase is not enough; probably need 10-20K to have a decisive difference.

June 16, 2017. "For Peace in Afghanistan, Talk to Pakistan", New York Times.

June 16,2017. "Mr. Trump, Afghanistan Is Your War Now", New York Times editorial.

June 15, 2017. "The New, Old War in Afghanistan", by Paul McLeary, Foreign Policy.

June 15, 2017. "Mattis's Afghanistan War Plan: Be Patient, Convince Everyone", by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Defense One.

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