ANA National Engineer Brigade Bringing New Capabilities

A newly formed unit of the Afghan National Army (ANA) is bringing new engineer capabilities to include drilling and bridging. The National Engineer Brigade or NEB will be based at Camp Ghazi in Kabul, Afghanistan. The National Engineer Brigade is advised by an Engineer Brigade Advise and Assist Team (EBAAT). Learn more about the NEB and EBAAT in "ANA engineer capability grows as National Engineer Brigade lays out footprint", DVIDS, December 28, 2013.

Afghan National Engineer Brigade Forming

The Afghan National Army (ANA) is closer than ever to fully fielding Afghanistan's first National Engineer Brigade (NEB). Joint Task Force Sapper is working closely with the NEB providing mentorship. Other entities involved in assisting the forming of the NEB include Task Force Coda, Joint Task Force Sapper Headquarters, CSTC-A, and NTM-A. The unit will be based at Camp Ghazi in Central Afghanistan. Like many units the NEB was stood up at the Combined Field Center (CFC). The NEB will have many capabilities to include bridging and well-drilling operations as well as vertical and horizontal engineering. The NEB will complement the capabilities of the Corps Engineer Kandaks or CEKs. Read more in "National Engineer Brigade Continues to Form Under TEB Leadership", DVIDS, February 26, 2014.

NMCB 25 TAAs NEB

Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Five (NMCB 25) are currently involved in a train, advise, and assist (TAA) mission with the Afghan National Engineer Brigade (NEB). "The mission ensures that the Afghan engineers are a viable, well-trained and equipped force ready to face the engineering and disaster response needs of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan." There are a variety of ANA engineer units found at brigade, corps and national level. At one time all the ANA engineer units had SFA Engineer Advisors. The NEB has a Specialty Engineering Kandak (SEK) that does water well and bridging projects and a Construction Engineering Kandak (CeNK) which does vertical and horizontal construction. Learn more about the job of the Seabees advisory effort in "Helping Hands: Reserve Seabees Prepare Afghan Engineers for the Future", DVIDS, October 28, 2014.

Security News

SIGAR Quarterly Report. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has issued its quarterly report to the United States Congress (dated 30 Jan 2016). The 230-page report basically says that Afghanistan is more dangerous than it was a year ago. Some of the sections are entitled "Growing an Economy in Stony Soil", "SIGAR Oversight Activities", "Reconstruction Update", and more. There is a section on status of funds, security and governance.
www.sigar.mil/pdf/quarterlyreports/2016-01-30qr.pdf

SIGAR - An Incapable Afghan NEB. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has issued a report stating that the Afghan National Engineer Brigade is, despite intensive U.S. training efforts, incapable of operating independently. Read the 17-page SIGAR 16-15 Audit Report published in January 2016.
www.sigar.mil/pdf/audits/SIGAR-16-15-AR.pdf

Rebuilding Afghanistan Now More Dangerous. The Taliban now controls more territory than at any time since 2001. A recent report by the Special Inspector General for Reconstruction in Afghanistan (SIGAR) notes that Afghanistan is growing more dangerous for US rebuilders. (Defense One, Jan 31, 2016).

General Campbell Testimony House. The Resolute Support commander recently (Tuesday, Feb 2) testified before the House Committee on Armed Services about the situation in Afghanistan. The general says that the effort in Afghanistan is like "building an airplane while in flight". He also said that out of 400 districts the Taliban control 8, influence 16, and that 94 districts are at risk. Hmmm. I wonder what the general thinks is 'district control'? You can watch a video posted on YouTube.com (2 1/2 hours). www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuYTzYRaiRs

Just "8 More Years". According to General Campbell, Afghanistan should be able to fund its own security costs by 2024. Currently NATO spends about $5.1 billion annually on the Afghan security forces. Read "It'll be 2024 before Afghanistan can fully fund its military, U.S. general says", Army Times, February 2, 2016.

Insurgency in the North. In the last few months of 2015 the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) have conducted a series of offensive to secure the surrounding countryside around Kunduz City; however, several districts are still controlled by the Taliban. Read more in "The 2016 Insurgency in the North: Beyond Kunduz city - lessons (not taken) from the Taleban takeover", Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN), January 30, 2016.

U.S. Drones attacks ISIS. "Authorities in Afghanistan said Saturday that national security forces and U.S. drone strikes have jointly killed at least 28 Islamic State (IS) fighters in a restive eastern region bordering Pakistan". (Voice of America, Feb 6, 2016).

MoI Acknowledges Problems. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Saturday (Feb 6th) acknowledged that the Afghan security forces have been faced with certain challenges in their struggle against militants on the battlefields. The Taliban have really stepped up their effort during the winter fighting season and the Afghan security forces would appear to be on their heels in a defensive posture. Offensive operations have been telegraphed to the enemy thereby limiting their effectiveness. Military commentators are criticizing ". . . the government for a lack of effective management of the war and for failing to draw up a working strategy to tackle the militants." (Tolo News, Feb 6, 2016).

Taleban In-Fighting. Lot's of fighting among different factions of the Taleban since this past summer has resulted in as many as 500 Taleban fighters killed.

Taliban Kill 10 Year Old Boy. The Afghan government declared Wasil Ahmad - a ten year old - a hero for opposing the Taliban. Then the Taliban killed him with two bullets to the head. He had left the militia and returned to school - the 4th grade. (The New York Times, Feb 2, 2016).

Afghan 3/215th Corps KIA. The commander of the third brigade of 215th Corps in Helmand province, Gen Ata Mir Aagah, was killed in a road side blast in Greshk district on Monday, Feb 1st. (Khaama Press, Feb 2, 2016).

Ten Civilians Killed. On Monday, ten civilians were killed in a suicide bombing when an insurgent blew himself up after joining a line of people. The people killed were mostly new police recruits. There were an estimated 28 people injured. The attack took place in PD 3 at the police station.

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Video - NEB Training Up

The U.S. Navy Seabees are currently working with (train, advise, and assist or TAA) the Afghan National Army (ANA) National Engineer Brigade (NEB). The NEB was formed up earlier in 2014 as a national asset. View a short video (1 minute) with Gail McCabe reporting on the NEB entitled "U.S. and Afghan Forces Prepare for Operation Resolute Support", DoD News, November 5, 2014.

U.S. Army Chief of Engineers Tours Afghanistan

The U.S. Army Chief of Engineers recently visited Afghanistan touring several bases. He received mission update briefings, met with U.S. and Afghan engineers, and learned about efforts of building partner capacity, supporting base master planning, force protection, and Afghan engineer development. On a visit to Camp Ghazi he visited the Afghan National Engineer Brigade. Read more in "Chief of engineers visits Afghanistan", DVIDS, October 22, 2014.

SFAAT and 203rd ANA Corps Engineer Kandak Celebrate Anniversary

In the photo to the left are members of the Security Force Assistance Adviser Team (SFAAT) of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division along with members of the Combat Engineer Kandak (CEK) of the 203rd ANA Corps at Forward Operating Base Thunder in Paktya province, Afghanistan. The occasion was the one year anniversary of the 203rd CEK. The CEKs of the Afghan National Army (ANA) are a relatively new unit fielded in 2013. Many of the members underwent on the job training once the unit completed its basic training at the central training facility. The CEK is primarily a construction unit (vertical and horizontal). Read more news articles about the ANA Combat Engineer Kandaks. (Photo by PFC Dixie Rae Liwanag, February 17, 2014).

Daily News Snippets (Dec 11, 2014)

Soldiers from the Arizona Army National Guard's 153rd Brigade Support Battalion were welcomed home from a nine month deployment to Afghanistan. Fifteen Solders from the 153rd BSB supported Special Operations Forces by conducting logistics operations while assigned to Bagram Air Field. They were responsible for the movement of equipment, supplies, and material throughout the theater of operations. Read more in "Arizona Army Guard welcomes home last unit deployed to Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 9, 2014. (Just in time for Christmas!!!!)

A woman in Afghanistan has started a school that prepares girls for college. The school is unique in that it is a boarding school. Her nonprofit School of Leadership in Kabul offers college prep courses and helps graduates get into universities around the world. Read more in a news report by National Geographic (Dec 12, 2014).

About 200 Soldiers from the "Marne Division" - 3rd Infantry Division Headquarters are now working at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The hqs responsibilities will include logistical, medical, sustainment, signal, and fuel support across Afghanistan, as well as physical security at Bagram Fir Field. Read more in a recent DVIDS news release dated December 9, 2014.

Airmen from two different Air National Guard units (Oregon) recently returned from their deployment to Afghanistan. Personnel from the 142nd Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) and the 142nd FW Security Forces Squadron are now demobilizing. Read more in a DVIDS news release dated December 9, 2014.

The Army wants to improve the capabilities of the troubled Distributed Common Ground System - Army (DCGS-A) with a "request for information" seeking industry feedback on specific capabilities. Read more in "Army issues second DCGS-A RFI", C4ISR Net, December 9, 2014.

John F. Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), spoke on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at a conference hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. You can read his prepared remarks about corruption in the Afghan government and security organizations (SIGAR, Dec 10, 2014).

Afghan War News Snippets (March 5, 2015)

Radio Free Europe reports that Afghan refugees are flocking home amid claims of intimidation and harassment from Pakistani police. (RFE, March 4, 2015).

The Islamic State appears to be getting the attention of Afghan authorities as well as the security forces of the Central Asian states on Afghanistan's northern border. Afghan officials have confirmed the presence of IS militants in the northeastern province of Kunduz - which borders Tajikistan. (Gandhara Blog, Mar 4, 2015).

Islamic State. A researcher, Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy, with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) provides us with some insight into the beginnings of the Islamic State (IS) in the Af-Pak region. Read more in this news analysis posted on Eurasia Review (Mar 4, 2015).

Retrograde. Over the past two years the U.S. has moved tons and tons of equipment, vehicles, and personnel back to the states (sometimes to Europe, or Kuwait, or other destinations). As part of the retrograde process in Afghanistan, something had to happen to the bases where the personnel and equipment came from. In many cases the bases were closed down - sometimes reduced to their original state - as in everything removed and the area reduced to dirt. Many instances of base closure saw the COP or FOB turned over to the ANSF or some other Afghan governmental organization. Read more about base closures in Afghanistan in "Base closure assistance team: a valuable resource for closing FOBs", by 1st Lt. Joseph Fumo posted on Army.mil, March 4, 2015.
www.army.mil/article/143262

A rescue operation for the Hazara hostages (30 of them) is still ongoing. ANSF authorities estimate that almost 50 militants have been killed in the operation thus far. (Tolo News, March 4, 2015).

If you ever wonder who makes sure that service contracts in Afghanistan are monitored then you may be interested in this recent news article by Army.mil. Read "Auditing service contracts in Afghanistan" (March 4, 2015). 

The 304th Engineer Company , US Army Reserve (Ohio) has recently returned from a Middle East deployment. Some of the tasks of the vertical construction company was deconstruction tasks throughout Afghanistan. Read more in this DVIDS news release (March 3, 2015).

Residents in Herat (city in western Afghanistan) are on a two-day strike to protest an increase in electricity rates. (Tolo News, March 4, 2015).

Afghanistan's president Ashraf Ghani is attempting to reset relationship with Pakistan. Read more in "An Olive Branch in AfPak", by Tamim Asey in Foreign Policy,  March 4, 2015.

More on Drones in Afghanistan. Lauren Walker writes in Newsweek that "the Afghan War is over, but U.S. drone strikes continue" (March 3, 2015).

Although combat operations (sort of) have ceased in Afghanistan U.S. service members are still going out in harms way to provide advise and assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). At the regional level the Train, Advise, and Assist Commands or TAACs conduct the advising mission. An article recently posted on DVIDS (DoD) provides insight on how this is done. The article informs us about a Police Advisory Team (PAT) visit to the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) 2nd Brigade headquarters in Nangarhar on March 3, 2015. The PAT met with the ANCOP commander " . . . to discus topics ranging from current operations to readiness for the upcoming fighting season and beyond." Read more in "Advisors focus on ANCOP readiness, sustainment", DVIDS, March 3, 2015.

Major General Abdul Wahab Wardak, commander of the Afghan Air Force (AAF), recently attended the International Military Helicopter Conference in London in January 2015.While there the general was interviewed about the status of the AAF. Read more in this news article in Aviation Today (Mar 3, 2015).

Afghan War News Snippets

Medal of Honor for Army Captain. News reports say that an Army captain will get the Medal of Honor for tackling an Afghan suicide bomber in August 2012 in Asadabad, Afghanistan. The captain, at the time a lieutenant, was in charge of a personal security detail and tackled an Afghan approaching his detail who had explosive vest. Four people died and the LT suffered severe injuries. 

New SRAP. Richard Olson, the current ambassador to Pakistan, has been appointed as the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP). The office of the SRAP coordinates across the government to meet U.S. strategic goals in the region while engaging NATO and other key friends, allies and those around the world who are interested in supporting these efforts. See news story by Khaama Press, October 16, 2015. See also a State Department news release.

State Department's webpage on SRAP. www.state.gov/s/special_rep_afghanistan_pakistan/  

Women in Combat Units and the Draft. A recent graduate of the Ranger School (just last week) is the third female to do so. The 37-year old mother of two and Army reservist has now prompted more calls for the full integration of women into combat units. So the social landscape of the military is changing on a lot of fronts. Some conclude that if women want full equality then they should be subject to the draft as well. Read more in "Women Will Likely Have to Register for the Draft, Army Secretary Says", Military.com, October 12, 2015. There are some women who are currently serving that think it will take time for women to achieve command positions in combat units. Read "Slow, Steady Rise Seen for Women in Combat", Defense News, October 12, 2015. SecDef Ash Carter has issued a "hush order" (STFU) on the issue.

Winning in a Complex World. The commander of TRADOC wants everyone to know what the Army's new operating concept is (Army.mil, Oct 5, 2015).

Afghan Brain Drain. The United Nations fears an Afghan 'Brain Drain' as the Taliban surge sparks a major exodus to Europe. (Foreign Policy, Oct 13, 2015).

Report on US Aid to Afghanistan. A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says that Afghan businesses have failed to capitalize on the loads of money that the US and other countries have provided over the past 13 years. Read "US Aid to Afghanistan Has Largely Been Wasted and Stolen, Report Says", Vice News, October 14, 2015.

Water Fights with Iran. Water is a precious commodity and necessity of life along the Afghan-Iranian border. Sometimes the violence results in deaths. See "The rising costs of water: dire consequences for Afghans in battle with Iranians", The Guardian, October 15, 2015.

Senators Meet with USFOR-A. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others met with the leaders of USFOR-A at Bagram Air Field this past week (Oct 15th). Conversation topics during a dinner included security, politics (Afghan), and counterterrorism. (USFOR-A Facebook, Oct 15, 2015).

Did Pakistan Know the Whereabouts of OBL? According to one news report the senior leaders of Pakistan knew Osama bin Laden was living in Pakistan. (The Washington Post, Oct 14, 2015).

Pakistan's New Strategy. The country that supports the Taliban the most by providing intelligence, sanctuaries, supplies, and money is now trying to both retain the loyalty of the Afghan Taliban but at the same time splinter the organization. Read more in "Divide and Rule: Pakistan's New Covert Taliban Approach", Gandhara Blog, October 17, 2015.

Book - Old Silk Road. A novel about the war in Afghanistan has just been published. The author, Brandon Caro, writes about an Army medic assigned to an Afghan police advisory team in Afghanistan's Laghman province in the 2007 timeframe. Read "New Book 'Old Silk Road' Plunges Into the Loss, Disillusionment, and Addiction of War", Task & Purpose, October 13, 2015.

Georgian Military Personnel Honored. A special ceremony was held to award medals to members of the IV Mechanized Brigade, 43rd Battalion serving with the Resolute Support mission. (Agenda.ge, Oct 13, 2015).

"Hard Hat of the Year". A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee has been named the top engineer for the entire USACE Transatlantic Division (TAD). He has been the project lead for the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul.  Read more in "USACE TAA employee named top engineer", DVIDS, October 13, 2015.

Fighting the war from 30,000 Feet. A news article provides a glimpse of the war that the Air Force is waging in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. U.S. airmen discuss the harsh truths of fighting in an increasingly crowed Middle East arena. Read "War from Above with Mayhem on the Ground", U.S. News and World Report, October 13, 2015.

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Afghan War Daily News Snippets

News about the NATO Conference. NATO has released a statement (Dec 2, 2014) about the meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO and 14 partner countries where it was decided to launch the Resolute Support mission.
www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_115564.htm

News about the London Conference. A political analyst and historian, Helena Malikyar, provides us with her analysis of the London Conference receiving so much press coverage. She disputes the "feel good" press releases of the U.S. military, ISAF, NATO and other international agencies touting "metrics" that laud significant progress in security, health care, education, etc. Malikyar points out that there is a difference between quality and quantity. Read her article in Aljazeera posted on the Yahoo! News website (December 3, 2014) entitled "Afghanistan conference won't rock the boat".

Watch a video of President Ghani's remarks at a press conference with the President of the European Union (Donald Tusk) that took place on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Published on YouTube by the Presidential Palace Directorate of Communications (5 Mins).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNC5r2OZY8

Congress has approved the White House and Pentagon's requests to cut benefits for members of the military - although not to the extent that was wanted. Troops will see smaller pay raises, reduced housing allowance, and increased co-payments for health care. Pay raises are capped at 1 percent. Meanwhile very expensive F-35 is fully funded and entitlement programs such as welfare are untouched. The 1% of the population that serves the country is penalized. I am not sure our high-ranking generals and admirals are serving us well. Read more in "Budget deal calls for troop benefit cuts next year", Stars and Stripes, December 2, 2014.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a report stating that Afghanistan's 2014 economic performance has been hurt by political and security uncertainties. The IMF has recommended the restarting of the sale of the New Kabul Bank and the establishment of a nine-month long Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) to assist Afghan authorities on macroeconomic policies and a reform agenda. (UK News Yahoo, December 3, 2014.

The 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade's pathfinder company - Company F, 2nd Aviation Assault Battalion located at Bagram Air Field - is tasked with recovering downed pilots and unmanned vehicles, setting up landing zones for helicopters, and helping ship out equipment from closing bases. Read more in "82nd Airborne pathfinders on call to move quickly in Afghanistan", Stars and Stripes, December 2, 2014.

New Secretary of Defense. Now that it is known that Ash Carter will be the new secretary of defense folks are looking into his capabilities. He is known as a technocrat with a deep knowledge about advanced weapon systems and the budget; however, he never served with the military and has never led troops in combat. Read more in "New defense secretary would inherit old tensions", The Washington Post, December 3, 2014.

The monthly average of mine blast victims for 2014 is 37. According to the Mine Action Coordination Center of Afghanistan (MACCA) more than 350 people have been killed or disabled as a result of mine blasts. (Tolo News, Dec 2, 2014).

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is supporting initiatives to provide legal aid to those accused of crimes or imprisoned in Helmand province. The Afghan judiciary system is horribly corrupt and most criminal cases are not resolved until a bribe is paid. Read more in a news release by the UNDP (Dec 3, 2014).

The construction of a new bridge in the Kharoti area of Garam district has cut down the travel time by half for residents bringing produce to market, attending school, seeking medical care, and more. The new bridge over the canal was funded by Japan and supported by the National Area Based Development Programme. Read an UNDP news release (Dec 3, 2014).

The Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) is a battalion-sized unit which is part of the secretive Joint Task Force 2 and has been active in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Read more in "CSOR - Canada's Special Operations Regiment", Special Ops, August 3, 2014.

A recent posting of The Long War Journal (Dec 3, 2014) states that the US has conducted airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan to target Pakistani Taliban. The "Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan" operates on both sides of the border (Afghanistan and Pakistan) but is postured to attack Pakistan government forces. So these recent strikes by the U.S. are certainly welcomed by Pakistan. Now if we can only get the Pakistanis to bomb the Haqqani Network.

Reuters reports (Dec 3, 2014) that there are over 760,000 Afghan refugees that risk deportation from Iran. Many Afghans work in Iran (legally and illegally) to provide an income for their families.

A news report, penned by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, entitled "How Afghans Feel About the Direction of Their Country" is posted on the Defense One website (Dec 2, 2104).

The David Webb Show interviews LTC Michael Waltz (a Special Forces officer) about Afghanistan. Waltz is the author of Warrior Diplomat. Waltz is worried about the current administration's policy, ability of the ANSF to hold off the Taliban, and ability of President Ghani to move the country ahead. Waltz is high on Ghani but has concerns on ethnic tensions and warlords with the withdrawal of the U.S. and the resulting diminishing influence and leverage. (An audio sound bite, Dec 3, 2014).

Vanquish Worldwide has announced that it received a $145 million trucking contract to assist in the retrograde operations of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Read a news release (Dec 2, 2014).

The 59th Forward Engineer Support Team - Advanced (FEST-A) is completing their Afghan tour. The unit performed a variety of missions in support of RCs South, Southwest, and West. Read more in "59th Forward Engineer Support Team prepares for return to Tulsa", DVIDS, December 2, 2014.

Daily News Snippets (Jan 6, 2015)

Afghan news outlets report that a EUPOL vehicle was attacked by a suicide bomber on Monday afternoon in east Kabul in PD9 on Pul-e-Charkhi road. Kabul police confirm that 1 civilian is killed and 5 other wounded. Estimates of damage and casualties differ.

A news report examines the implications of drawing down troops to an "unsafe level". Read more in "Taliban sees opportunity to gain ground in Afghanistan", Fox News, January 5, 2015.

On Monday an explosion occurred that killed two civilians and and injured eleven in Zabul province. The explosives were placed on the vehicle of an Afghan security officer - he escaped unharmed.

A reporter visits Tactical Base Gamberi in Laghman province and explores what our troops are doing there. Read "Smaller NATO mission has big job to train Afghan army in time", Reuters, by Kay Johnson, January 5, 2015.

The Afghan government is in the process of conducting a census of the Afghan population. One of the difficulties is that many Afghans have only one name. This is especially true in the more rural areas. Read more in "The Politics of Last Names", The Atlantic, January 5, 2015.

Australia remains committed to the mission in Afghanistan. They will continue to deploy troops for the new training and mentoring mission in Afghanistan. (Daily Mail, Dec 30, 2014).

The Nebraska Air National Guard's 155th Air Refueling Wing is sending about 50 airmen to participate in Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East. The airmen come from the Security Forces Squadron, Force Support Squadron, and Civil Engineer Squadron. Their deployment will last six months. (Omaha.com, Dec 30, 2014).

Afghan health care is at risk with the decrease coming in international aid. While great strides have been made in the health care sector much work still needs to be done. Critics say that the advances in health care have been exaggerated by some organizations (can you spell USAID?). Read more in "Afghan health care at risk as international aid is scaled back", Stars and Stripes, January 5, 2015.

According to news reports the new F-35 fighter will not be able to fire its 25mm cannon until 2019 - over four years from now. Yet the U.S. Air Force wants to retire the A-10 next year. Hmmmm. Read "New U.S. Stealth Jet Can't Fire Its Gun Until 2019", The Daily Beast, December 31, 2014.

The Afghan Army Chief of Staff, General Sher Mohammad Karimi, recently visited the 203rd ANA Corps headquartered in Paktia province on Monday. The 203rd ANA Corps is responsible for the security in seven southeastern provinces of Afghanistan. Read more about his visit and his comments to the troops in "Gen. Karimi Rallies Troops Ahead of Looming Push Against Insurgents", Tolo News, January 5, 2015.

James Stavridis, a retired 4-star Navy admiral and Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University , has penned an article about Afghanistan. He sounds optimistic about the ability of the Afghan security forces (with a little help from the Coalition) to "contain the Taliban insurgency". He sees the war lasting for a while. He says that the key to attaining a successful outcome will depend on three things. Read more in "All Is Not Lost in Afghanistan", Foreign Policy, January 5, 2015.

The 215th ANA Corps commander has been replaced by BG Dadan Lawang, a former commander of the 4th Brigade of the ANA 201st Corps in eastern Afghanistan. Lawang also headed the ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC) for a few years. (Marine Corps Times, January 4, 2015).

Video Interview on SFAAT Advisor - ANA and C-IED Training

DVIDS has released a video of Captain Rober Soriano, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division being interviewed on C-IED training for the ANA. CPT Soriano serves as an engineer advisor as part of a Security Force Assistance Advisor Team for the ANA 2nd Brigade, 205th Corps. The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have dramatically influenced the course of the Afghan conflict. IEDs cause over 50% of the casualties of the Afghan National Security Forces. You can view the video here.

Afghan War News Snippets

Resolute Support Annotated Bibliography Updated. The AWN RS Bibliography has been updated as of 1 October. Over 200 pages of links to websites and publications about the war in Afghanistan.

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

High-Level UN Event on Afghanistan. The U.S., China, and Afghanistan co-chaired a "high-level event" on Afghanistan on September 26, 2015 in New York City. Participants included regional neighbors of Afghanistan, key donors to Afghanistan, and other UN member nations. Some of the event 'themes' included the constructive actions of China, the importance of the peace process (as if Pakistan and the Taliban really care about peace), donor fatigue, etc. Sounds to me it was just a mutual patting of the back by nations eager to convince themselves they are doing the right thing in Afghanistan. Read a "backgrounder" by the state department on the event (U.S. Department of State, September 26, 2015).

DSPO Not Getting it Done for Veterans with Problems. The Pentagon's suicide prevention office ". . . lacks clear guidance and authority to develop and execute effective programs . . . " Read more in "Report: Pentagon suicide prevention office in disarray", Military Times, October 2, 2015.

Golden Hour Policy in Afghanistan. A recent study says that adoption of the 'Golden Hour' for MEDEVAC saved lives. (Military Times, Sep 30, 2015).

ANA to Receive Commando Select Vehicles. Textron Systems Marine & Land Systems has received a contract to supply additional Commando Select four-wheeled armoured vehicles to the Afghan National Army (ANA). (army-technology.com, Sep 30, 2015).

ANA Officer Academy - Good and Bad News. Danielle Moylan, a freelance journalist living in Afghanistan, provides us with an account of her visit to the ANA's Officer Academy (ANAOA -also called Sandhurst in the Sand) located just outside of Kabul. In addition, she paints a less than rosy picture of how well prepared the Afghan army is in facing the Taliban insurgency. Certainly not an endorsement of Resolute Supports efforts thus far. (ABC.net.au, Sep 30, 2015).

Visit to 1st AD Sustainment Brigade. The cdr of the 1RSSB provided tour to senior army leaders visiting Bagram. (DVIDS, 19 Sep 2015).

Wounded Georgian Soldier Recovering. A Georgian soldier who was seriously injured in an attack in September is responding well to treatment at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Read more in a news report (Agenda.ge, Sep 28, 2015).

Why Georgians are in Afghanistan. The country of Georgia has a significant troop presence in Afghanistan as part of the global anti-terrorist campaign. A recent new report explains why in "Georgians in Afghanistan Defending Their Country", Georgia Today, October 1, 2015.

Termez No Longer A German Stop-over. The German air base in Uzbekistan is now used only as a backup facility and is manned by a skeleton crew. The Uzbeks raised the rent for use of the base so high that the Germans have opted for other means. Termez was, since Feb 2002, a rear logistics and transit base for its military mission in nearby northern Afghanistan. Read more in "Germany No Longer Using Uzbekistan Air Base", Eurasia Net, October 2, 2015.

Germany Staying a Little Longer? According to some German newspapers we may see German troops at Camp Marmal for at least one more year. Seems their work is still not finished in northern Afghanistan. Perhaps they will reopen their Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz? Until October 2013, two years ago, a PRT operated in Kunduz province. The PRT's overall tasks were to improve security, extend the authority of the Afghan government, and facilitate reconstruction - all things that still need doing. You can read an account of the German-led PRT in The PRT Kunduz: An Unsuccessful Command Structure, by LTC Lars Werner, German Army, posted on the Global ECCO website. 

Former ANA Officer Now a Refugee. A former Afghan soldier's refugee trek to Europe is provided to us in this news report. His journey through Iran, Turkey and finally to Europe proper where he is now seeking refuge is documented. (CNN, Oct 1, 2015).

Pakistanis Executed by Taliban. Six abducted Pakistanis were killed in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan recently. They had been kidnapped by the Taliban and a video of their execution was released. 

How Much Have You Paid for the Afghan War? The 14+ year long war in Afghanistan has cost almost $1 trillion. Divided equally among Afghanistan's 30 million citizens the trillion dollars amounts to some $33,000 per head. Read more in a news report by Reuters, October 1, 2015.

New CSTC-A Cdr. MG Todd Semonite is leaving and MG Gordon Davis is arriving to take over the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A). Read a news release (CENTCOM, Oct 1, 2015). Watch a video on the same topic where Gen Campbell says nice things about Todd and Gordon. (Resolute Command, Oct 1, 2015, 1 min).

CSTC-A Not Only DoD Entity Having Trouble with SFA. It appears that the U.S. military and its allies are not the only organization having trouble with the Security Force Assistance mission (Kunduz - just saying). Read about the troubles the U.S. is having in its Iraqi army training program. (The Washington Post, Oct 1, 2015).

Joe Dunford - former ISAF Cdr - and Women in Combat. The former ISAF commander is now the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - a relatively important position within the U.S. military establishment. He could be at odds with public opinion, the Obama administration, the SecDef, and the civilian head of the Navy (and Marines) on the topic of total integration of women in combat units. With he hold his ground like a true warrior or fold? Read more in "Dunford Deserves Credit for Sticking to His Guns on Women in Combat", Task & Purpose, September 30, 2015.

"Bulldogs" Return Home. 1st Bn, 327th Inf, 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division has returned to Fort Campbell after a seven-month long deployment in southern Afghanistan. Read more in a news report by the Fort Campbell Courier, Oct 1, 2015.

JIEDDO 2.0. JIDA explained in a new report by Defense IQ, October 2, 2015.

Story on Route Clearance Company. The threat of IEDs is prevalent in Afghanistan and has causes numerous casualties to U.S. forces in the past. IEDs remain one of the biggest killers of members of the ANDSF as well. However, route clearance companies mitigate the IED threat. One such company is located at Bagram Air Field - A Company, 21st Brigade Engineer Battalion. Read more in "Company clears more than 5,000 miles in Afghanistan", Army.mil, September 28, 2015.