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bobdina
09-23-2009, 11:55 AM
A Closer Look at Afghan Soldiers
September 23, 2009
Marine Corps News|by Cpl. Michael Curvin

CAMP SHIMSHOD, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - It's an hour before sunrise and Camp Shimshod can be heard coming to life. Over the camp's rudimentary speakers, the soldiers are called to Salah, the Islamic act of formal prayer.

After the soldiers of the Afghan National Army's Counter Narcotics Infantry Kandak (Pashtun for battalion) finish their prayers, they commence daily duties such as preparing meals, uniform maintenance and hygiene. Their camp, in the vicinity of Nawa, Helmand province, Afghanistan, is a mixture of tents, cooking fires and pick-up trucks that they use for patrolling.

This relatively young army is filled with men who, like their American counter parts, have joined for different reasons. The most common reason is to serve their country.

"I have worked for two years in the Afghan Army," said Afghan National Army Sgt. Masood Mhakbar, from CNIK, headquarters company. "I want to help Afghanistan."

With eager soldiers ready, the ANA looks to the International Security Assistance Force for training and guidance. Marines from the Afghan National Security Forces directorate, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, act much like the French advisors to the Continental Army during America's Revolutionary War.

By going over battle tactics and ensuring such a young force is ready, both to fight and to maintain their camp, the ANSF Marines' role is to ensure a sound military organization will be in place for years to come.

By spending time living among the ANA soldiers, ANSF Marines are able to make decisions necessary to ensure the soldiers are getting the training they need, as well as the appropriate quarters.

"Whether it's man, train and equip ANSF units…whether it's ANSF casualties or troop movements; that all falls into our visibility," said Capt. Charles Hayter, a MEB-Afghanistan ANSF future operations coordinator. "We provide the expertise on ANSF activities."

The ANSF here include both the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police. Because these organizations fall under different government ministries, they are trained by ANSF Marines for their particular functions.

A sight becoming more common in southern Helmand province is Afghan forces leading patrols, often posting both forward and rear security.

"The end state is that the ANSF units take control of their designated areas of operation," Hayter said. "That's what we're trying to get to."

Practice makes perfect, and with ANSF forces slowly taking over tasks such as patrolling and the logistics of day-to-day living, the Afghan soldiers are gaining valuable experience that will allow them to handle future endeavors in a sound military manner.

"There is no rule out there that says you are only allowed to have so many ANSF forces on a patrol," Hayter said. "Best case scenario is that the ANSF plan and operate their patrol. That's what is supposed to be happening."

With mounted and foot patrols becoming less reliant on coalition forces, the Afghan soldiers are tackling their own logistical battles. From proper billeting to obtaining food, the soldiers are addressing their problems head on and in ways reminiscent of soldiers fighting in wars past.

The ANSF Marines learn about ANA and ANP operations and their living conditions by living among these troops to better understand what they need to operate efficiently and how well they are conducting operations.

"The relationship between ANSF troops and the Marines is good," said Cpl. Malachi W. McPherson, an operations assistant from MEB-Afghanistan ANSF directorate. "We're doing operations together, which involves joint planning for patrols. The Marines and the (U.S.) Army are providing some logistics."

McPherson was temporarily sent to Camp Shimshod to assess the living conditions of the ANA soldiers here. Walking through the camp, he was able to see an assortment of amenities the Afghans have acquired or built themselves, including generators, guard towers and fire pits.

"The ANA is providing most of their logistics," McPherson said. "Food, water and fuel is what they are able to do right now."

ANA soldiers live the common life of soldiers everywhere. They perform foot patrols throughout the neighboring villages, provide internal security for their camp and act as a quick reaction force when needed.

Around 400 soldiers make up the CNIK operating in and around Nawa. For these soldiers, their stay here is a time for refitting before pushing out to their next assignment, according to McPherson.

When the ANA soldiers are not on post, they joke around with friends, listen to music, drink tea and prepare the night's meal. Although McPherson wears the uniform of a U.S. Marine, the soldiers invited him into their tents and rooms to sit down and talk. The soldiers exchanged jokes with him, made him green tea and even brought in a fresh watermelon from the fields behind the camp.

"They seem to really like doing these things on their off-time," McPherson said. "It was pretty interesting."

With the addition of showers during McPherson's trip, he noted that the ANA troops are living like any soldier. The soldiers are provided with tents, water and a monthly stipend for food. They go to the local town's bazaar and purchase staples like flour, red onions and rice in turn building relationships between the local population and Afghan soldiers. Every night the camp is aglow with cooking fires which seems to be a community affair, according to McPherson.

The soldiers here look forward to their next duty station, whether they find themselves working at a vehicle check point or conducting foot patrols. The ANSF Marines are ensuring these soldiers receive the proper training and the proper billeting deserving of any protector of the local populace. More improvements are to follow, but the primary focus ANSF Marines currently take is teaching self-reliance.