NATO Troop Increase for Afghanistan

NATO to Up Troop Levels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated during a recent news conference that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will increase its troop levels for the 'train, advise, and assist' mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has completed a trip to Europe where he consulted with NATO allies on the requirement for more advisors in Afghanistan. Naturally, the Europeans will be dong the "Train, Advise, and Assist" mission and will not be involved in any combat role. Although . . . it is quite possible some of its special operations forces (SOF) units could get a little close to the frontlines. Read "NATO agrees on Afghanistan troop increase", Stars & Stripes, June 29, 2017. See also "European allies and Washington tiptoe around new troops for 'Resolute Support'", Jane's 360, June 30, 2017.

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Level II Advising Explained - 203rd Corps

With the drawdown of Coalition forces and closure of a significant number of small and large bases the reach of  U.S. and other troop contributing nations has diminished. Two of the six ANA corps and corresponding police units no longer have advisors on a permanent, persistent (daily face-to-face contact). Instead, advisors travel on a periodic basis to the 'uncovered corps' (203rd and 215th) to check in with the ANA leadership and staff. This is called "Level II Advising". Train, Advise, Assist Command - East is responsible for two corps - the 201st and 203rd. While TAAC-East gets to see the 201st everyday (as it is co-located with the 201st at FOB Gamberi) it has to travel to visit the 203rd,  Afghan Border Police, Afghan National Police, and the Operational Coordination Center (OCC).

In October, with the closure of the U.S. FOB Lightning in Gardez, the advising effort in southeastern Afghanistan transitioned to "Level II Advising". This type of advising is conducted by email, phone calls, and occasional visits. The infrequent advising trips, called Expeditionary Advisory Packages (EAPs), are planned and coordinated with Afghan counterparts. The EAPs are conducted just a couple of times a month.

Soon, the 203rd Corps - because it is doing so well in defeating the Taliban in contested districts like Azra, Nerkh, Chak, Mohammad Agha, and others - will progress to "Level III" advising. Level III advising for the 203rd Corps will begin in January 2015 and will be conducted by an "Advise and Assist Cell" or ACC based in Kabul. As other Afghan army corps and regional security forces continue to progress in 2015, the AAC will assume Level III advisory responsibility from each of the five TAACs currently partnered with Afghan security forces. By 2016, the AAC will conduct advising of all Afghan security forces from Kabul.

Information for this post taken from "Army, USMC generals talk Afghanistan transition on advisory trip", ISAF News, December 20, 2014.

Training the Afghan Security Forces - TA3E

1st SFAB HQs company after uncasing colors ceremony at Advisor Platform Lightning.
(photo by Maj Matthew Fontaine, 1st SFAB, Mar 18, 2018)

TAAC South HA/DR Exercise. Members of Train, Advise, and Assist Command - South along with folks from Resolute Support hqs recently held a humanitarian assistance / disaster response exercise on March 18-19, 2018 in Kandahar. The two-day course consisted of scenarios involving floods, drought, earthquakes, and mass refugee crisis. The course was led by senior Afghan leaders and planners who recently graduated from the first NATO Operational Planner's Course. TAAC-SOUTH is comprised of members of the 40th Infantry Division of the California Army National Guard and the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division. (DVIDS, Mar 19, 2018).

'Big 5' For Advisors. The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment has identified lessons from mentoring the Philippines Armed Forces and compiled them into a paper. The authors hope that the many observations collected over months of training, will serve as an aid to anyone deploying, or currently deployed to, an advisor mission with foreign forces. Read Operating as an Australian Army Training Advisor 'Big 5' - The Philippines, The Cove, March 23, 2018.

A Little Something about Gender Advisors. Deanne Gibbon - of the Australian Defence Forces - recently served in Afghanistan from August 2015 to May 2016 as NATO's Senior Gender Advisor. She writes about the role that gender advisors play within military organizations - especially when deployed in peacekeeping, humanitarian, or military operations. Read "WPS 2018: Navigating the operational gender agenda", The Strategist, March 23, 2018.

Photo Story - Marines in Marjah District. RS HQs, DVIDS, March 9, 2018.
www.dvidshub.net/video/591268/photo-story-marines-marjah-district

101st Abn Div to Head up USFOR-A. Major General Andrew Poppas, an Army officer with considerable Afghan experience, is once again heading to Afghanistan. This time he will be the U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) deputy commanding general for operations and the Resolute Support deputy chief of staff for operations. In the past the 101st was focused on the eastern region of the country (the old RC East hqs). With this 9-month long deployment the 101st will oversee NATO's train, advise, and assist mission nationwide. Read "101st Airborne Division Headquarters to case colors for Afghanistan deployment", Clarksville Now.com, March 22, 2018.

A Grain of Salt Please. Army BG Michael Fenzel, the chief of plans (Director CJ-5) for the Resolute Support mission, is quoted in a DoD news release as saying "We are more capable as an advisory force than we've ever been before, and the Afghan fighting forces are more effective than they have ever been before."

Things that make you say 'Hmmm'. Perhaps he missed the time frame of 2012-2014 when NATO and the U.S. had hundreds of advisor teams (SFAATs) deployed with MoI organizations from district center level up to MoI and MoD organizations from kandak level up to MoD. In RC East alone there were a couple of hundred advisor teams plus company and battalion combat formations conducting the 'partnership' mission. More effective now as an advisory force? I think not. We would have to provide advisor teams (or to use the new term - Combat Advisor Teams or CATs) to every district center and kandak as we had in the past.

If the ANDSF is more effective than they have ever been before why does the Taliban control more territory than at any period in the conflict since the fall of 2001?

Read more in "Officials Note Progress in Afghanistan, Difficulty for Taliban", by Jim Garamone, Defense Media Activity, March 20, 2018.

DoD IG Report on CSTC-A Oversight. A new report by the Department of Defense Inspector General's office finds that there are systemic challenges associated with the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan's (CSTC-A's) oversight of U.S. direct funding provided to the government of Afghanistan. It specifically finds that the Bilateral Financial Commitment Letters may not be the most effective method to manage and oversee the administering and expending of U.S. direct funding to the Afghan MoD and MoI. Of course, looking back over the past few years, these commitment letters were to be the management tool to ensure that the MoD and MoI would decrease corruption and implement reforms. Hmmmm. See "Summary Report on U.S. Direct Funding Provided to Afghanistan", DoD IG Report 2018-090, March 21, 2018.

News & Info about the 1st SFAB

1st SFAB Uncases Colors. The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade HQs and its six battalions are now stood up in Afghanistan. The brigade hqs is co-located with the 203rd ANA Corps. Its six battalions are spread across Afghanistan. Read more in "1st SFAB uncases colors, begins partnership with ANDSF across Afghanistan.", Resolute Support HQs, March 18, 2018.

1st SFAB at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The advisory brigade, on its way to Afghanistan, stopped off in Kuwait. While they some of the brigade soldiers went through some pre-deployment training to include MRAP, SUAS, and CUAS. Read more in "1st SFAB Enters Theater", 1st Theater Sustainment Command, March 16, 2018.

Gen Dunford to Meet with 1st SFAB. A recent DoD news release says that General Dunford traveled to Afghanistan to do an assessment of the situation. In addition, he wants to meet with soldiers of the 1st SFAB which has just deployed for a nine-month rotation to conduct a Security Force Assistance mission. See "Dunford Arrives in Afghanistan to Assess Campaign Plan", Department of Defense Media Activity, March 19, 2018.

Dunford "Enthusiastic" about SFAB. General Dunford met with members of the 1st SFAB this past week and was encouraged by how the combat advisors are fusing the pillars of the ANDSF to work together in the conduct of combined operations.  Read "Chairman Expresses Enthusiasm about Military Dimension in Afghanistan", Defense Media Activity, March 21, 2018.

Assessment and Training for SFAB Soldiers. BG Mennes, director of force management (G-3/5/7) for the U.S. Army, provides info on the assessment, selection, and training of Soldiers for the Army's SFABs. (Army News Service, Mar 19, 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

Montenegro Joins NATO. Montenegro has officially become the 29th member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The small Balkan nation on the Adriatic Sea will continue to contribute to the Resolute Support mission primarily with the Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) mission at Camp Marmal in northern Afghanistan.

Bombing at Herat Mosque. On Tuesday, June 6th a bombing killed at least seven (maybe ten) people at a mosque in the western Afghanistan city of Herat. The bomb was hidden in a motorcycle left in the parking lot outside the mosque. (The Independent, June 6, 2017).

New Book on Afghan War. Aaron B. O'Connell, a veteran of the War in Afghanistan, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and a former professor of American history at the U.S. Naval Academy. His has penned a new book recently released (April 2017) entitled Our Latest Longest War. Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan. Available at Amazon.com.
www.amazon.com/Our-Latest-Longest-War-Afghanistan/dp/022626565X/

Current State of Hezb-i Islami. A lot of commentary has been passed on in the media about the negotiated return of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to Kabul and the Hezb-i Islami group renouncing violence against the Afghan regime. Certainly this event promises to liven up the political environment in Kabul. But how does it affect the Hezb-i Islami foot soldier in the more remote areas of Afghanistan? Franz J. Marty, a freelance journalist based in Afghanistan, recently spent some time with a Hezb-i Islami controlled area in eastern Afghanistan and provides an insightful article on the topic in "Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?", The Diplomat, April 25, 2017.

U.S. Airstrike Kills Three Afghan ABP Members. Three policemen with the Afghan Border Police (ABP) were killed in a 'friendly fire' incident on June 9, 2017 in southern Afghanistan. (Reuters, June 10, 2017).

The Death of Two NPR Journalists in Afghanistan. Two NPR reporters died in June 2016 in Helmand province. Controversy surrounds the circumstances of their death. Read "Not a Random Attack: New Details Emerge From Investigation of Slain NPR Journalists", NPR, June 9, 2017.

TAAC Air Commander to Move On. BG David Hicks, currently commanding general of Train, Advise, and Assist Command - Air (TAAC Air), will be reassigned to the Pentagon to be Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Plans and Requirements.

Blackhawks for Afghanistan - Horrible Idea. The U.S. Congress has effectively killed the ability of the U.S. military to supply the Afghan Air Force with the helicopters it needs. Instead, plans are to provide the AAF with expensive and hard to maintain Blackhawks. This is good for the Sirkorsky folks and politicians in Connecticut but not so good for the Afghans. The fielding plan - using U.S. instead of Russian helicopters - puts back the readiness of the AAF by two to four more years. Read more in a news article in Army Times, May 17,2017.

Fort Hood Unit Completes Afghan Tour. Members of the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade recently returned home after completion of their mission in Afghanistan. During their 9-month tour the unit was responsible for sustainment efforts supporting the Resolute Support Mission in the Combined Joint Operations Area - Afghanistan (CJOA-A). During the deployment three unit members died and ten were wounded. "Wagoneers return from Afghanistan", Fort Hood Sentinel, June 8, 2017.

ANA Refines Comms Procedures. Communications is a vital part of military operations and the ANA are fielding specialists that can provide for good comms. Read more in Afghan soldiers take essential communication skills to battlefield, DVIDS, June 7, 2017.

Cosmopolitan for Afghanistan? A small group of Kabul University students have launched a monthly women's magazine - Gellara. Read more in "Afghanistan gets Cosmo-inspired women's magazine", Fox News, June 5, 2017.

A Bad Month for Afghanistan. The disaster that occurred at Camp Marmel (209th Corp HQs attack killing more than 100 soldiers) coupled with the recent truck bombing in Kabul has made the past month or more very disheartening for those who want to see progress in Afghanistan. The past few weeks have been terrible. Read more in "A Black Week in Kabul: Terror and protects", by Martine van Bijlert and Thomas Ruttig of Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), June 4, 2017.

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Update on Afghan Train, Advise, & Assist Mission

Marine Advisors at Kandak Level. The U.S. Marines in Task Force Southwest are pushing their advisors down to brigade and kandak level. According to one Marine advisor, the task force of roughly 300 Marines (augmented by other services to a larger number) have pushed about six teams to Afghan forward operating bases. The expeditionary advisor packages are made up of advisors, enablers, and security personnel. Read more in "Small teams of Marines advising Afghan brigades and battalions", Marine Corps Times, October 28, 2017.

1st SFAB and Their Beret. The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) is gearing up for their Afghan deployment in early 2018. While they are participating in important pre-deployment activities and training they are surrounded with a bit of controversy. Seems that the Army leadership has decided to allow them to wear a distinctive beret. This, naturally, has inflamed past and current members of the Special Forces community. Read more in "Beret for Soldiers of 1st SFAB - Concern in SF Community", SOF News, October 29, 2017.

Canada Rejects NATO Invite for TAA Mission. Canada turned down an invitation from NATO to send troops to Afghanistan for the Train, Advise, and Assist mission. (CBC News World, Nov 3, 2017).

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SOF News

VSO, Gant, Water, Crops, and COIN. One writer, Doyle Quiggle, manages to combine a variety of topics (although related) into an essay on how to win a small war! He tells us of the failures of the Village Stability Operations (VSO) program of U.S. special operations in Afghanistan, of how Jim Gant was doing VSO right, and the importance of water in counterinsurgency at the village level. Read "Small Farms and Small Wars: Planting The Garden in Village Stability Operations", Small Wars Journal, November 29, 2015.

Event - "Lessons from VSO and ALP". Dr. Corey Lofdahl is presenting a lecture on the topic of Implementing  Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: Lessons from Village Stability Operations and Afghan Local Police (VSO/ALP). He is a senior scientist with Charles River Analytics who worked in 2011 and 2012 at the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command - Afghanistan (CFSOCC-A). The presentation is on Thursday, December 10th in Washington, D.C. and is hosted by The Institute of World Politics. (Note: CFSOCC-A is now known as the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan or SOJTF-A).

DoDIG Investigation on ANASOF TAA. The Inspector General for the Department of Defense intends on conducting an assessment on U.S. and Coalition efforts to Train, Advise, Assist, and Equip the Afghan National Army Special Operations Forces (ANASOF). The objective is to determine whether U.S. government and coalition goals, objectives, plans and resources to train the ANASOF are sufficient, operative, and relevant. Read the memo from DoDIG, November 25, 2015.

Joint U.S. - Afghan SOF Raid Frees 40 from Prison. A prison rescue mission successfully liberated at least 40 Afghan security personnel from a Taliban prison in Nawzad district of southern Helmand province in an operation that began on Thursday night. (Tolo News, Dec 4, 2015). See also an NBC News report dated December 4, 2015.

"Project Gray" - Fighting in the Gray Zone. Warfare has changed over the past few decades. The advent of Hybrid Warfare, Irregular Warfare (IW), and the use of Unconventional Warfare (UW) by our adversaries (Iran, ISIS, al Qaeda, Russia, and others) has forced the U.S. military to take a long look on how to operate in this new environment. The UW experts at Fort Bragg (that would be the Green Berets) are learning to fight in what is now being referred to as the "Gray Zone".  The initial Special Forces training that Green Berets undergo goes a long way to prepare its members for this kind of fight; yet the learning never stops. As part of this never-ending learning process the U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence has started "Project Gray" and published a website that reflects the work in this area. www.projectgray.org

Advocating a "Human Warfighting Domain". One writer is strongly proposing that a Human Warfighting be established and that the proponent should be those in the U.S. Army who are the most proficient in counterinsurgency and unconventional warfare - that would be the 1st Special Forces Command. Read "Should There Be a Human Warfighting Domain?", by Thomas Doherty, Small Wars Journal, December 3, 2015.

5th Group Reviving Vietnam Era Flash. The solid black flash worn on the berets of members of the 5th Special Forces Group will be giving way to a bit of history. The new (or old) flash will be the one worn by 5th Group Soldiers while serving in Vietnam (and also stateside). Read more on the perplexing move by 5th SFGA and Special Forces Command in "Army's 5th Special Forces Group to Resurrect Vietnam-Era Beret Flash", Military.com, December 1, 2015.

'Targeting Force' to Iraq / Syria. In testimony before Congress SECDEF Carter stated that more U.S. military forces will be headed to the Middle East to fight against ISIS. The number of airstrikes will increase as well as on-the-ground intelligence gathering and special operations raids. Carter also said that a "specialized expeditionary targeting force" will assist Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga forces fighting the Islamic State. Sounds very JSOC-like! Read more in "DoD to deploy 'targeting force' to hunt down ISIS leaders", Military Times, December 1, 2015. See also Kim Dozier's article - "Obama Unleashes Hunter-Killers on ISIS", The Daily Beast, December 1, 2015.

USSF Fighting with Kurds for Months. Kurdish fights say that US Special Forces have been fighting ISIS for months in northern Iraq. The Obama administration continues to maintain that there are 'No Boots on the Ground"; however, perhaps that is because the SF dudes (in another era they were referred to as "Sneaky Petes") are all wearing sneakers. (The Guardian, Nov 30, 2015).

SOCOM Cdr Likely Choice for CENTCOM. General Votel is a top candidate to succeed General Austin for command of Central Command. Given the importance of the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria he is a good choice. Read more in "SOCOM's Votel is Top Choice to Take Over CENTCOM", Defense One, December 3, 2015.

How Does SOCOM Feel about the Gender Integration Order? - He is all for it! The commander, General Votel, seems to think it is a good idea. (The feedback I hear from those on the SF teams is quite different.) Listen to a 8-minute long video of the leader of SOCOM justifying his decision to support the SECDEF in the full integration of women into all special operations organizations. (USSOCOM, December 3, 2015).

How Do SOF Operators Feel about Women in SOF Units? Not So Much! The RAND Corporation conducted a study that special operations leadership commissioned on the integration of women into SOF units. 85% of the rank and file said "NO!, Don't Do IT". But with the proper 'career guidance', 'gender integration seminars', 'focus groups', 'safe space discussions', and more I am sure the steely-eyed combat veterans with multiple deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere will come around. Read "Special Ops Survey Showed 85% Opposed Serving With Women", Defense One, December 4, 2015.

Book - Relentless Strike. I just finished reading Sean Naylor's recent book about the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Very informative read with perhaps more information than USSOCOM would have wanted published. I am sure there was more than one former 'operator' talking out of school. The book is available on Amazon.com.

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Daily News Snippets (March 1, 2015)

Afghan Security Forces delivered humanitarian aid to remote villages and police outposts cut off by heavy snow storms and deadly avalanches. Read more in a news report by Stars and Stripes on February 28, 2015.

The U.S. Army has announced new deployments for Afghanistan. The 7th Infantry Division HQs goes to TAAC-South, 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division to TAAC-South and the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade heads to Bagram? Read more in a news report by Army Times, Feb 27, 2015.

The TAAC-Air commanding general - BG Michael Rothstein - recently visited Moody Air Force Base, Ga to check on the training for the A-29 Super Tucano training program. The Afghan Air Force will receive 20 of these aircraft at some point in the next year or so. Read more in a press release by Moody AFB, Feb 26, 2015.

President Ghani will visit the United States in late March. There are plans for Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah to visit the White House on March 24, 2015. Some observers believe Ghani will ask for the U.S. troop withdrawal time frame to slip to the right. Read a statement by The White House on the visit (Feb 27, 2015).

Five of Karzai's Mistakes Ghani Can Avoid, Foreign Policy, February 18, 2015. Karzai's administration made many mistakes, let's hope Afghanistan's new government can avoid these five.

1. Not having a clear domestic policy
2. Refusing to define a regional foreign policy
3. Unequal allocation of aid across provinces
4. Sidelining competent Afghans
5. Ignoring women

Afghan- Pak Optimism. Some observers believe that diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan are improving. President Ghani is re-setting the relationship and observers are hoping that Pakistan will stop supporting the Afghan Taliban. Time will tell. Read "New Signs of Optimism for Afghan-Pakistan Relations", Voice of America, February 27, 2015.

James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee says the Taliban is set to gain control of more territory in Afghanistan this year. The Taliban insurgency is getting increasingly aggressive. Read more in a news report (Bloomberg, Feb 26, 2015). You can read his statement for the record in "Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community".

The U.S. State Department is offering rewards for information on two associates of the extremist group Hezb- Islami Gulbuddin (HIG). HIG is an offshoot of Herb-e Islami (Party of Islam) - and active in Afghanistan. (DoS, Feb 26, 2015).

COIN in Afghanistan Examined. Lillian Figg-Franzoi, a member of the United Nations Officer for Project Services, has penned an article where the tactic of counterinsurgency employed in Afghanistan is closely looked at. An interesting article with many valid (and some not so valid) points to consider. Read the article in "Learning How Not to Scare People: The Paradox of Counterinsurgency", E-International Relations, February 20, 2015.

An Army Medal of Honor recipient, William Swenson, was spied upon by military investigators after he was mentioned online in an Amazon book review by another soldier who was a subject of investigation. His home was put under surveillance, his neighbor and girlfriend questioned, and his trash was searched. See "Army Spied on Hero Solider Over a Book Review", NewsMax, Feb 26, 2015.

2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division will deploy in the spring and summer as part of the Resolute Support Mission. (Syracuse.com,  Feb 26, 2015).

A suicide bomber, in a white Corrolla, attacked two vehicles belonging to Turkish members of the NATO force in Kabul. One Turkish soldier was killed in the attack. (Stars and Stripes, Feb 26, 2015).

Can China help with Afghanistan's peace process?, Deutsche Welle, February 18, 2015. Concerned about an Islamic insurgency (the ETIM) in Xinjiang province, China has offered to assist in the Afghan peace process. But experts say China lacks direct access to the Afghan Taliban and relies on its clout over Pakistan. Hmmmm.

Renewed Peace Talks with Taliban. The news media is buzzing with the prospects of peace talks with the Taliban. Learn more in "Talking to Taliban might help U.S. stabilize Afghanistan", Chicago Tribune, February 24, 2015.

Rula Ghani, First Lady of Afghanistan, was interviewed by Nina Easton of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on February 18, 2015. You can listen to her at the podcast at the link below. One interesting comment was concerning corruption. An AfPak Hand who will deploy to Afghanistan in mid-summer 2015 was in the audience. During the question and answer period he asked Mrs. Ghani if she had any advice to him once he started his job of advising with the MoD (or MoI - he wasn't sure). She responded with "If you see corruption, don't look the other way. Unfortunately, advisors tend to look the other way when . . . " confronted with corruption.
http://csis.org/event/conversation-rula-ghani

Two U.S. Army general officers with a recent (or current) assignment in Afghanistan have received new assignment orders. BG Douglas M. Grabram, the former commander of Train, Advise, and Assist Command South (TAAC South) will become the deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. BG Mark C. Schwartz, currently the deputy commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan (SOJTF-A) will soon be the deputy commander of the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. See news report "2 generals receive new assignments", Fort Hood Herald, February 18, 2015.

Afghan Surge and Counterinsurgency. About 30,000 additional troops surged into Afghanistan over five years ago in an attempt to reduce the violence in the country (especially the south) and give the Afghan military time and space to recruit, train, and deploy additional security forces. Five years later the troop levels are down from a high of 100,000 to just barely over 10,000 and the ANSF are in the lead for security all across Afghanistan. One thing has not changed. The Taliban are still out there and pose a significant threat. So despite the surge and the employment of counterinsurgency doctrine, strategy, and tactics the Taliban have not been defeated. As a result some observers would like to discredit the doctrine of counterinsurgency. John Ford writes in a recent column - not so fast - see what he has to say in "Reading Galula in Afghanistan", War on the Rocks, February 25, 2015.

SOCOM Operators Suffering 'Burnout' from Repeated Combat Zone Deployments. Special Operators are constantly deploying causing 'burnout' and personnel leaving after ten or more years being constantly deployed. Read more in "Special Operations: The Revenge of the Bureaucrats", Strategy Page, February 17, 2015.

"Colonels without Patches". A cute cartoon from "Doctrine Man". After 13 years of war in two countries . . . how did you accomplish that?
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=935673506465801

The staff of the Spin Boldak branch of Da Afghanistan Bank have taken the banks money and fled to Pakistan. Read more in a news article by Khaama Press (Feb 19, 2015).

A Wisconsin-based National Guard artillery unit has returned home after a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan. Soldiers of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery provided fire support for combat operations in Afghanistan. Read more in "FA Battery returns home from Resolute Support", Fort Bliss Bugle, February 19, 2015.

Train, Advise, and Assist Command - East (TAAC East) is seeing a rotation of units for its area of operations. The "Brave Rifles" of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment is leaving Afghanistan and the 3rd "Rakkasans" Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division are now arriving. TAAC East is located at Tactical Base Gamberi in Laghman province; located adjacent to the base where the Afghan National Army (ANA) 201st Corps is headquartered. Read more in "3rd CR transfers duties in Afghanistan", Fort Hood Herald, February 18, 2015.

Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Troops who have participated in Operation Freedom's Sentinel now qualify for award of the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Campaign stars will be used on the Afghanistan Campaign Medal to recognize a service member's participation in multiple campaign phases in country. Read more in a Stars and Stripes news report.

Security News

ANA Soldiers from 215th Corps practice markmanship fundamentals
(photo by Sgt. Lucas Hopkins, RS HQs, 4 June 2017)

CIVCAS Allegations. There were reports of civilian casualties caused by U.S. forces in Nangarhar province on June 12, 2017. Provincial officials say that three civilians were killed. USFOR-A released a statement that confirmed

".  . . a convoy with U.S. and Afghan personnel was struck by a roadside bomb and attacked with small arms fire in Nangarhar Province. The convoy returned fire in self-defense and there were no U.S. casualties. We have not received any official allegations of civilian casualties. We take civilian casualties very seriously and all allegations are thoroughly investigated. The incident is under investigation and more information will be released as appropriate."

Kabul Bombing Update. The Taliban's second in command and head of the Haqqani Netwokr has denied any responsibility for the recent Kabul city bombing that killed over 150 people - most of them Afghan civilians. See "Taliban's No. 2 denies role in Kabul bombing", Military Times, June 12, 2017.

Kandahar Governor's Compound Attack. It appears, according to the National Directorate of Security (NDS), that the chef at the guesthouse was complicit in the bombing the wounded the governor and killed the UAE ambassador (as well as several others). Three suspects, believed to be in Quetta, Pakistan (of course) have been named. The NDS has asked Pakistan to hand over the three suspects. (Gandhara, June 16, 2017).

Taliban Factions Duking It Out in Helmand. News reports say that two factions of the Taliban are engaged in a bit of infighting in Gereshk district, Helmand province. See "Suicide attack on Taliban splinter group leaves several dead in Helmand", Khaama Press, June 14, 2017.

Haqqani Network Commander Killed in Drone Strike. A U.S. drone has reportedly killed a senior commander for the Haqqani Network in northwest Pakistan on June 13th. Read a news report by FDD's Long War Journal, June 14, 2017.

Director of Media for ISIS-K Killed. US Forces Afghanistan announced that a senior director of media production for the Islamic State's Wilayay Khorasan (ISIS-K) was killed in an airstrike in Achin district, Nangarhar province on June 3rd. (FDD's Long War Journal, June 17, 2017).

IS-K dislodges Taliban in Tora Bora. Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISKP) have gone on the offensive against the Taliban in southern Nangarhar province in the area of the Tora Bora mountains. Read more in "ISIS Captures Tora Bora, Once Bin Laden's Afghan Fortress", The New York Times, June 14, 2017.

Troop Increase Coming? President Trump is giving the Pentagon the ability to determine the troop level for Afghanistan. This could mean an increase of up to 5 K over the next several months. Most would be for advisory missions - both advisors and the folks needed to support the advisors. Read more in an article by The Washington Post, June 13, 2017. See also an article posted by Bloomberg Politics, June 14, 2017. Some news reports say that 4,000 is the magic number. Time will tell.

DoD Statement on Troop Levels. The Defense Department has released a statement saying that the decision for troop levels resides with the Secretary of Defense and is part of a broader strategy for Afghanistan that is currently evolving. See "Statement by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Afghanistan Troop Levels", DoD, June 14, 2017.

Regional Approach by U.S. The Defense Secretary for the United States says that the U.S. will be reassessing its strategy for Afghanistan and will be taking a regional approach to solving the country's long-running war. (Gandara,  June 13, 2017).

No Military Solution. The United Nations Secretary General recently visited Afghanistan. During his visit he said there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Read a news report by Reuters, June 13, 2017.

U.S. Not Winning. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis testified before the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, June 13th and presented some dismal news about the war in Afghanistan. He said there is an urgent need for a strategic review - which should be completed in mid-July. See "U.S. not winning in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary tells Congress", Reuters, June 14, 2017.

Task Force Southwest Update. The Marines returned to Helmand province recently and are conducting the train, advise, and assist mission for the 215th ANA Corps and 505th Police Zone. Read an update on their activities in "Task Force Southwest Supports Afghan Forces' Operations", Department of Defense, June 15, 2017.

Two NATO Allies Confer on Afghanistan.The Georgian Defence Minister visited his counterpart in Germany to discuss troop deployments to Afghanistan. Georgia has over 900 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and 120 of them are under German command at Train, Advise, and Assist Command - North (TAAC-North) at Camp Marmal near Mezar-i Sharif. "Germany and Georgia Co-operate in Afghanistan", Jane's 360, June 16, 2017.

Police Trainers from Canada? One of the biggest contributors of troops to the Afghan conflict was Canada. The country spent lots of money and deploy a large number of troops over the years - especially in southern Afghanistan. NATO has now requested that Canada send some police trainers to Afghanistan. (CBC News, June 12, 2017).

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Afghan War News Snippets

EU Providing 12 Million Euros. Afghanistan faces a critical humanitarian crisis as a result of the intensifying conflict. The European Union is upping its contribution for humanitarian aid by 12 million euros bringing the total humanitarian aid to 40 million euros for 2015. (European Commission, Dec 22, 2015).

Taliban Leadership Struggles. There seems to be three distinct groups of the Afghan Taliban emerging and the divide is going away soon. Read "Dueling Fatwas, More Dissension as Afghan Taliban Leadership Struggle Intensifies", Gandhara Blog, December 22, 2015.

Sexual Assault in Afghanistan. Danielle Moylan writes "When It Comes to Sexual Assault, Afghanistan Is All Talk and No Action", Foreign Policy, December 21, 2015.

Peace Talks? Looks like Afghanistan, Pakistan and others will make another attempt at peace talks. Reports say that another round will take place in Pakistan on/about January 11th. China and the United States may (will) also participate. (Radio Free Europe, Jan 2, 2016).

Georgian Deployment Program (GDP). The GDP is a multi-year training program with the goal to increase the interoperability between the Georgian Army and Resolute Support Mission (RSM). The training consists of six six-month rotations designed to train six Georgian infantry battalions. Read more in a contract announcement about driver training for the GDP-RMS project. (GovTribe.com, Dec 22, 2015).

Earthquake - Again. A 6.2 earthquake hit Afghanistan in late December 2015 causing about a dozen injuries. (Telegraph, Dec 25, 2015). A second earthquake was experienced in Kabul on January 2nd - measuring 5.3.

Nuristan - A Remote Region. Mujib Mashal writes about a remote and isolated province in northeastern Afghanistan in "Afghan Province Tucked in Mountains Lies Beyond Reach of Aid and Time", The New York Times, December 25, 2015.

Islamic State Radio. The IS militants based in eastern Afghanistan has launched their own radio station that features a 90-minute long program daily show entitled the "Voice of the Caliphate". It is in Pashto and reaches out to a wide audience within the province. Naturally the Afghan government is not pleased. Watch a two-minute long video by Radio Free Europe, December 22, 2015.

Nomads in Pamir Region. The Kyrgyz of the Pamir Mountains live in three different countries in a remote part of the world - Afghanistan, China, and Tajikistan. Learn more in "Modernity of Ancient Nomads in Pamir of Tajikstan", Radio Free Europe, December 21, 2015.

Former TAAC-South Cdr to 10th Mtn. BG Paul Bontrager is heading to Fort Drum, NY to be deputy commanding general for the 10th Mountain Division (Light). (Defense.gov, Dec 15, 2015).

Corruption. The country of Afghanistan is no doubt one of the most corrupt in the world. This culture of corruption is compounded with the billions of dollars that the U.S. and international community has pumped into the Afghan economy through aid and military expenditures. It is a small victory when someone actually gets charged with corruption. Read "U.S. Charges Afghan Businessman With Bribing for Contracts", Radio Free Europe, December 30, 2015.

TAPI and Peace. Barnett Rubin writes about the importance of the TAPI pipeline project and the impact it will have on peace in the region and Afghanistan's economy. While everyone applauds wildly about this seemingly important economic event some wonder how it will be built and secured in a disintegrating security situation. President Ghani's promise of protecting the pipeline's route through Afghanistan with 7,000 security personnel is ambitious but untenable. Read more in "The TAPI Pipeline and Paths to Peace in Afghanistan", The New Yorker, December 30, 2015.

Bad Year for Ghani. Afghanistan is experiencing weakness and disunity in both government and insurgent ranks. Some believe that President Ghani's first year did not go well. Read "The Guardian view on Afghanistan: a bad year for Ashraf Ghani", The Guardian, December 30, 2015.

Landai Season. Fazal Muzhary writes about this late fall / early winter traditional food feast that takes place in rural parts of Afghanistan in Landai Season: a delicacy and a feast in rural Afghanistan, Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), December 30, 2015.

Data Book on Gender. The World Bank has published a handy pocket guide for users interested in gender statistics. This country by country reference could be helpful to those working gender issues in Afghanistan. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/23436

UN Security Council Debate. The Afghan ambassador to the United Nations, H.E. Mahmoud Saikal, addressed the UN Security Council in December about the situation in Afghanistan. You can listen (and watch) his 18-minute long address at the following link on YouTube.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywV6Iv-Yl18

USAID and CVE. Where does the fight against violent extremism fit within the broad spectrum of development? USAID tells you in a recent report dated September 28th, 2015.

New TAAC-North Cdr. The Train, Advise, Assist Command - North based at Camp Marmal near Mazer-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan has a new commander. A quick look at his bio indicates that this is his first deployment to Afghanistan. Hmmmm. Perhaps it was just an oversight and he has completed five six-month tours to the Graveyard of Empires? Or are the Germans falling into the American practice of selecting officers to command in Afghanistan for their career development rather than selecting officers for their vast knowledge and experience of Afghanistan's politics, culture, tribes, ethnic groups, language, history, and many years of conflict.

Turkish Labs & Afghan Opium. The director of Russia's Federal Narcotics Control Service has said that Turkish laboratories are processing Afghan opium for deliveries to Europe. According to Russia's Sputnik news (real dependable source there) the drug cargo sometimes travels along northern Afghanistan into Iran and then on to Turkey. Once processed it finds its way into Europe through the Balkans. (Khaama Press, Dec 22, 2015).

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

HIMARS firing in Afghanistan in support of ground troops.
(Photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean Furey)

Marines Providing "Assist" to 215th ANA Corps with HIMARS. The Marines of Task Force Southwest are providing fire support to the Afghan National Army in Helmand province. Of course, the advanced rocket system also provides a degree of security to the Marine advisor teams working across Helmand province at the tactical (kandak) level. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System has a range of about 300 kilometers - depending on the type of munition being fired. Read more in "Marines bring HIMARS to Helmand to beef up security", Military Times, November 12, 2017.

1st SFAB 92Y Likes Her Job. The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade will soon deploy to Afghanistan. Like many units, the SFAB needs a variety of support MOSs to function. Read on how one Unit Supply NCO likes her new job with the 1st SFAB in "Combat Service Support Soldiers take pride in building the 1st SFAB", DVIDS, November 9, 2017.

ATP 3-96.1 SFAB. The army is scheduled to publish Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 3-96.1 in January 2018. It provides doctrinal guidance and direction on how the Security Force Assistance Brigades plan, prepare, and executes operations globally. Could be useful to the 1st SFAB due to deploy to Afghanistan in early 2018.

DoD IG Report on Child Abuse by ANDSF. The U.S. Department of Defense Inspector General's office issued a report on November 14th highlighting the history of U.S. military reporting cases of child abuse by members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

SFABs and Governance Advising. Do they have enough CA expertise? Three U.S. Army Civil Affairs officers provide some advice for the 1st SFAB on the art of governance advising. Read "A Governance Advising Framework for the Security Force Assistance Brigade", Small Wars Journal, November 18, 2017.

U.S. Special Forces and Training up the ANASF. Periodically throughout the year a graduation ceremony is held for a group of Afghan Commandos who have successfully completed the ANA Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). To even apply to the ANASF an Afghan soldier must have served some time in the Afghan Commandos. Read more in "I Serve Afghanistan!: Afghan Soldiers Graduate to the Elite Ranks of Special Forces", Task and Purpose, November 12, 2017.

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Movies and Videos about Afghanistan

First Afghan Black Hawk Pilots soon to Graduate, Resolute Support Hqs, posted on YouTube.com, on November 16, 2017. (2-min video explains the training program for AAF pilots).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k882GyV_pi8

NATO Ambassador to Afghanistan on Future Elections. Ambassador Zimmermann, NATO's Senior Civilian Representative to Afghanistan, talks about future elections. He says the international community will assist in conducting credible elections.  (Resolute Support, November 21, 2017).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCQ3nySI8Rg

TAAC-West Camp Zafar security force assistance. Camp Zafar, Afghanistan, November 13, 2017. A short video recording of a meeting between Italian advisors and the ANA at Train, Advise, Assist Command - West in Herat province.
www.dvidshub.net/video/567413/taac-west-camp-zafar-security-force-assistance

Master Sgt. Broadnax SFAB Testimonial, 50th Public Affairs Detachment, November 2, 2017. The 1st SFAB will soon deploy to Afghanistan. MSG Alfredo Broadnax, signals NCO, describes his experience with the unit.
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/567605/master-sgt-broadnax-sfab-testimonial

The Breadwinner. An animated film produced by Angelina Jolie is based on a children's novel by Deborah Ellis. The film tells the story of an 11 year old girl named Parvana who lives in Kabul. (The Mary Sue, Nov 21, 2017).

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Afghan War News Snippets

Article on SFA. The Joint Center for International Security Assistance (JCISFA) has posted an article entitled "Strengthening Security Force Assistance Joint Force Management Processes and Procedures" in the Peace and Stability Journal, Volume 5, Issue 4, July 2015 (see pages 32-36). The article is about the results of a working group that examined how the U.S. joint military forces could improve personnel assignments in order to get the right people in the right jobs to conduct SFA missions. One of the biggest obstacles to a successful SFA mission is the proper selection and training of SFA advisors. Hopefully the JCISFA working group can cobble together some good recommendations to address this problem.

AWG and Fighting ISIS. LTC Justin Sapp, a Special Forces officer and commander in the Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG), provides us an update on how the AWG is assisting in the fight against the Islamic State. For those with some time in Afghanistan you may recall the occasional AWG advisors flying into small firebases offering advise and assistance to infantry units in remote areas. The AWG advisors - along with experienced CAAT COIN Advisors and Joint Expeditionary Team (JIEDDO) Advisors were invaluable in providing young officers and NCOs with timely and relevant advise. Read more in "Elite Army unit at Fort Meade searching for ways to fight ISIS", The Baltimore Sun, July 18, 2015.

Schools and USAID. Another article on wasteful spending on Afghan schools is provided to us by Public Radio International (PRI) in "Have we been duped? The successful building of schools in Afghanistan may be overstated", July 20, 2015.

Updated Requirements for Contractors in Afghanistan. The Resolute Support command has updated documents that outline some of the requirements of contractors working in Afghanistan to include business licences and visas. Documents include entry and exit requirements, contractor visas, NATO SOFA, Bilateral Security Agreement, and more. They have been posted by the Resolute Support Legal Advisor (RS LEGAD). www.rs.nato.int/visas-and-business-licenses.html

TAAC North Air Wing CoC. The Train Advise and Assist Command North has anew commander for the TAAC North Air Wing at Camp Marmal near Mes-e-Sharif. The Air Wing provides support to TAAC North as well as performing advisory missions. Read more in "New commander takes over Air Wing", RS News, July 19, 2015.

IPCB Transition. News on the transition of responsibilities from the IPCB to the Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs (Jul 20, 2015).

UN Report on Afghanistan. A June 2015 quarterly report to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security.
www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2015/422

RS Update Edition 1. Resolute Support headquarters has posted a 7 minute long video updating us on gender issues within the ANDSF, the SME program within the ministries, and General Campbell's disappointment in the Afghan parliaments refusal to approve any of President Ghani's choices for Minister of the MoD. (DVIDS, July 25, 2015)
www.dvidshub.net/video/416577/resolute-support-update-edition-1

Women's Mental Health in Afghanistan. The New York Times has published an article that profiles the work of a female therapist in Kapisa province, Afghanistan. She helps women with common problems to include post-traumatic stress, malnutrition, depression, and domestic violence. (NYT, Jul 15, 2015).

Paper - "Women in Combat". The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a paper for the U.S. Congress that outlines the issues about women in combat. It is posted on the website of the Federation of American Scientists.
www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R42075.pdf

More on Burn Pits. In a report posted by the Veterans Administration members of the military that served in Afghanistan have a higher rate of insomnia, high blood pressure, asthma, and emphysema. (Military Times, Jul 22, 2015).

Drones, Cheap Wars, and Dumb Decisions. A recent opinion piece by Benjamin H. Friedman explores how drones tend to encourage us to engage in seemingly risk-free conflicts but also tend to encourage the U.S. to engage in dumb military operations and enterprises. Read "How Drones Encourage Dumb Wars and Corrode Democratic Government", CATO Institute, July 24, 2015.

Video on Special Operations and Intelligence. Kim Dozier, a defense columnist, is the moderator for a one-hour long video posted on YouTube.com by The Aspen Institute entitled "Special Operators and Intelligence Analysts: the 21st Century's Lead Warriors" (July 2015). The panel includes Kathleen Hicks (long-time defense analyst and DoD bureaucrat), Eric Olson (former Commander of US Special Operations Command), and Michael Vickers (Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9S_lJeOKuM

Key Combat Trends in Afghanistan. Anthony Cordsman of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) has provided us with a PDF entitled Key Combat Trends in Afghanistan: Violence vs. Population (May 18, 2015). You can view other assessments of the war in Afghanistan at this link.

Training FSF: Quality vs Quantity. War on the Rocks has posted an article by Rebecca Zimmerman that looks at the training provided to foreign military forces. (July 15, 2015). In Afghanistan over the past several years the push was for a large military and police force and the quality of training was less important than fielding numbers. We are paying the price for that policy now.

JIEDDO is now JIDA. The Pentagon's counter-IED group know as the Joint IED Defeat Organization is now know as the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency. Read more in "Pentagon's IED Office Reinvents Itself For a New War", Defense One, July 13, 2015.

Five Facts about CIA's Drone Campaign. A professor of Islamic Studies, Brian Glyn Williams, dispels some myths associated with the Central Intelligence Agency's drone campaign conducted in Pakistan. Read more in The Huffington Post, July 23, 2015.

Navy Reserve Forces Command Highlights RS Personnel. The TNR Magazine has highlighted the contributions of Navy personnel deployed on the Resolute Support mission. View the July 2015 issue. http://issuu.com/cnrfc/docs/tnr_july_2015

New CSTC-A Cdr. MG Gordon B. Davis, Jr will soon be the commander of the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan. He leaves his post as deputy chief of staff of operations at SHAPE (NATO) in Belgium.

BG Douglas Crissman Departs. Crissman leaves his post as deputy command, JTF 3, USFOR-A to be the DCG of 3d Infantry Division.

COL Patrick Frank Departs. Frank leaves his post as XO to Cdr RS to go to the 1st Infantry Division.

Lapis Lazuli. This precious stone is found in only a few sites around the world. One site is the Kokcha Valley of northern Afghanistan. Read more in a CIA posting.

Obama - Ghani Video Conference. Presidents Obama and Ghani had a video conference recently (July 22) where they discussed corruption, the economy, and improved regional economic connectivity, security, and regional cooperation. Read a State Department press release.

Polish Advisors now with TAAC East

After several months of preparation in Poland a unit of advisors has arrived at Tactical Base Gamberi to take part in the Resolute Support Mission as an element of the Train, Advise, Assist Command - East (TAAC East). They arrived on December 19, 2014 and are part of a larger Polish contingent known as Task Force White Eagle. The advisors are detailed to the Military Advisory Team and Police Advisory Team and are conducting a transition with the current advisors from the U.S. Army's 3d Cavalry Regiment. Read more in "Polish advisers ready for Resolute Support in Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 27, 2014.

1st Cav Redeploys From Afghanistan

The HQs of the 1st Cavalry Division has returned home. They were deployed to the south of Afghanistan to form the core of Regional Command South (RC South). About 70 1st Cav members remain for several more months to constitute the core of the replacement headquarters for RC South - which was renamed Train Advise Assist Command - South or TAAC South. RC South was the headquarters element for about 16 partner nations in southern Afghanistan conducting the Security Force Assistance mission. Read more in "1st Cavalry headquarters returns from Afghanistan", Fort Hood Herald, October 22, 2014.

Afghan War News Snippets

Female ANP Forced into Prostitution. There are allegations surfacing in Kabul that an Afghan security forces officer has forced female police recruits into prostitution. (ABC Net News, Nov 15, 2015).

SIGAR - Reconstruction Hurt by Corruption. The head of the U.S. Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says that reconstruction efforts are plagued by poor planning, wasteful spending, and chronic corruption. Read more in a news report (Gandhara Blog, Nov 19, 2015). See also the transcript of prepared remarks by John F. Sopko (SIGAR) from his address to the Watson Institute for International Studies (Providence, R.I.) on November 18, 2015 entitled "U.S. Challenges in Afghanistan: A Discussion with John Sopko".

Georgian Soldier Honored in U.S. Posthumously. A ceremony where a Georgian soldier was awarded the U.S. Bronze Star Medal was recently held at Fort Campbell. Private First Class Vasil Kuljanishvili died in September while serving in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission alongside the 101st Airborne Division. (Agenda.ge, Nov 19, 2015).

Georgians, BAF, and the Marines. Bagram Air Base is the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan and subject to attack by snipers, rockets, and mortars. However there are forces working at BAF dedicated to ensuring the safety of the base. Some of these forces are from the Republic of Georgia. The Georgian soldiers are assisted in their mission by U.S. Marines. Read more in a news report posted by DVIDS, Nov 18, 2015.

Germany in for Long Haul. Germany has decided to modestly increase the size of its Afghanistan contingent and to extend the deployment's mandate until the end of 2016. The number of German troops will grow to 980. Read more in a news report by Business Standard, November 19, 2015. See a news report on the same topic by Tolo News, November 18, 2015.

"DEEP" and Governance in Afghanistan. NATO sponsored some seminars that provided Afghan civil and military officials with opportunities to learn more about strategic planning and improving civil-military interaction. Learn more in an article - "Advancing governance goals in Afghanistan's defence and security sector", NATO Newsroom, November 19, 2015.

Kabul Bank Scandal - Just Won't Go Away. The Afghan government was recently embarrassed when it rolled out its "Smart City" plan for urban renewal. One of the shareholders of the project is currently serving a 15 year sentence for his part in the Kabul Bank scandal. Read more in "The Afghan Government and the Smart City Debacle: Who out-smarted whom?", Afghanistan Analysts Network, November 21, 2015.

Afghan Meteorologists Increase Capabilities. The Train, Advise, Assist Command - Air (TAAC-Air) is helping the Afghan Air Force meteorologists and weather forecasters on how to provide weather support to the Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF). (DVIDS, Nov 18, 2015).

Camp Baker Closed. The Australians are slowly pulling out of Afghanistan. Camp Baker, located within the confines of Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan was the Australian Defense Forces (ADF) main logistics and support base. It was established in March 2006. Read more in "Australia closes Afghan logistics base", Shepard News, November 18, 2015.

FM 3-96, Brigade Combat Team Updated. FM 3-96 provides doctrine for the brigade combat team and describes relationships, organizational roles and functions, capabilities and limitations, and responsibilities within the BCT. Read more in the TRADOC Newsletter, November 19, 2015.

Army Divorce Rate & Relationship w/ Strippers. A new study has found that there is a correlation between Soldiers marrying pole dancers and failed marriages. Read more in "Army to Lower Divorce Rates by Training Soldiers Not to Marry Strippers", Duffel Blog, November 21, 2015..

Battle for Kunduz City. A top government official in Afghanistan recently revealed that more than 1,300 foreign fighters participated in the capture of Kunduz City in northern Afghanistan last month. Some outside observers believe that this figure may be a bit high. Read more in "Afghan Official: Over 1,300 Foreign Fighters in Kunduz Battle", Voice of America, November 15, 2015.

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More than 10K Troops Needed for Afghanistan

Now that the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) is signed between Afghanistan and the United States (as well as the NATO Status of Forces Agreement or SOFA) observers are assessing the current security situation. The conclusion that some draw is that 9,800 U.S. troops is not enough to conduct the "train, advise, and assist" or SFA mission. While ISAF thinks it can cover down on 4 of the 6 ANA corps and the security ministries and agencies (MoD, MoI, and NDS) it is not really going to be able to conduct the "assist" part of the mission very well. A good chunk of the "assist" mission should be to provide air support in the form of close air support, aerial surveillance, air transport, and medical evacuation - something the Afghan Air Force (AAF) is just not ready to do on a big enough scale. But ISAF would need about 5,000 more troops to be able to do that. Read more in "Don't let history repeat itself", The Economist, October 4, 2014.

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.

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