Photo By Staff Sgt. Ruth Harvie | U.S. Soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment brief coalition partners on the...... read more read more
BAVARIA, Germany – The United States Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment, based out of Germany, is deploying to Afghanistan to train, advise, and assist Afghans to assume full control by December 2014.
The unit last deployed to Afghanistan two years ago with a very different mission, said Col. Douglas Sims, commander of 2CR. During that time the focus was on strengthening economic development, governance, and security. “This time it is enabling Afghan National Security Forces,” said Sims.
The soldiers have special teams designed to provide specific training and advice for Afghans central to elements such as operations, logistics, and maintenance. The teams typically consist of about 15 soldiers, in addition to security forces to protect them, said Sims.
To prepare for the upcoming deployment, the U.S. Army has been trained on how to properly advise, negotiate, and retrograde when the time comes for the transition, said Maj. Justin Gorkowski, information operations officer, 2CR.
“The mission has shifted more from the U.S. in the forefront to more of an advise and assist role so that’s what the regiment is going through right now - training to be a security force advise and assist brigade, “ said Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, U.S. Army Europe commander.
“It’s so very important to transition the lead to the Afghan security forces,” said Campbell.
Fourteen nations are helping to prepare for combat operations and Campbell is confident that the training will prepare 2CR for the mission, he said. The soldiers are training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.
“We’ve really chosen the best of the best of all 2CR squads,” said Lt. Col. Kenneth Bradford, commander of Regimental Support Squadron, 2CR. “It’s a very well thought out organization and the structure that we have works very well.”
RSS is prepared to work a range of issues, from effectively working radio communications to fixing Strykers needing repairs.
The most critical aspect of the relationship between the soldiers and their Afghan counterparts is that they become a team, said Campbell.
“[It’s so critical] to enable the Afghans to take the lead or help us from a training transition standpoint as the U.S. redeploys out from Afghanistan in December 2014,” said Campbell. “Their ability to team with their partners in a very quick, coherent manner will really set the stage for success on the regiment mission.”
With the upcoming deployment, many families will stay in Germany as they wait for their soldier to come home.
“We’re going to take care of you,” said Campbell to the families of the soldiers who are being deployed.
“Our families are going to remain there, they are invested in the communities, they are part of the community, our children go to German schools, so that footprint will remain,” said Gorkowski. Local German leadership is also involved with 2CR and vice-versa, helping to support the USAEUR community.
The German government has been gracious in hosting the American forces forward and U.S. forces have been pleased to be a part of that, said Gorkowski.
As U.S. soldiers prepare for the deployment, Sims looks at the transition from American-lead to Afghan-lead as moving from the player to the coach. “The coach is just as important as the player in some cases, but in the end it’s what happens in the field and not on the sideline,” said Sims. “We’re getting our players ready now.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2013 06:19 |
| Story ID: | 103637 |
| Location: | BAVARIA, BW, DE |
| Web Views: | 717 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Germany-based US troops to advise and assist Afghans through 2014, by SSG Ruth Harvie, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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