Boots on Ground: For Afghans, By Afghans

01.24.2010

Story by Staff Sgt. Larry Reid Jr.  

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

The Afghan national army and police forces continue to train hard and develop, while growing by the numbers each and every day. But, to sustain dedicated soldiers and policemen, one needs to have the necessary equipment and gear to be able to conduct their duties. For one local boot manufacturing company, their goal is to ensure that their defenders of freedom are never without quality footwear while helping to grow the Afghan economy by providing jobs to Afghans in Kabul and throughout the country.

There are currently eleven different companies that manufacture boots for Afghan soldiers and policemen. Four are from the United States, seven are from Afghanistan.

Of those seven, only one makes the boots in Afghanistan.

Kabul Milli factory, manufacturing boots for over a year, is the largest boot manufacturing company in Afghanistan.

"My goal is to provide the best quality product for the Army and police and to give good service to the ANP and ANA," said Ihsan Saffi, Milli manufacturing managing director.

To assist in providing quality production of their boots, NATO Training Mission — Afghanistan's logistics directorate has taken lead with overseeing a process improvement program, while mentoring their Afghan counterparts on what to look for during the post-production process.

"In an effort to insure that we are providing the Afghan national army and national police a higher quality product, we are initiating our process improvement program," said Capt. Adam Pudenz, NATO Training Mission — Afghanistan logistics security assistance officer. "We are bringing in the Defense Contract Management Agency, quality assurance and industrial engineers that we work with to show Kabul Milli how to make a better product."

"We are not satisfied with the current boot quality by the Milli Company," said Brig. Gen. Gary Patton, NATO Training Mission — Afghanistan, deputy commanding general (Programs). "We are seeing too many defective boots, and that is why we have initiated the product improvement program, so we can get to a more consistent, higher quality boot for the ANA."

Local venders were purchasing boots from foreign countries such as China, India and Korea. Kabul Milli wants to establish themselves as a "role model" company for boot manufacturing in Afghanistan, by Afghans.

"We have stopped our orders from all foreign boot companies effective last week," said Patton. "The reason is, we want Afghan products, not products from other nations. It's important that Afghan soldiers know that their country is making their boot...that's pride."

Afghan national army and police leadership at all levels have received feedbacks on boots from different manufacturing companies. The results have indicated the need for Afghan boot manufactures to conduct production domestically.

"Right now I have 166,000 boots from different factories...they are mixed, when we issue them to the units, they complain about the quality...we don't know from which company...it's a very difficult problem," said ANA Col. Ali Gouhar, commander, Afghan national army Central Supply Depot.

With 400 workers employed at Kabul Milli, manufacturing boots, bedding and pcp pipes, the company stands as an economic blueprint for Afghanistan, by providing job opportunities and products that will benefit the country in more ways than one.

"I want to help the Afghan people, the poor people who are busy working in this company," said Saffi. "I want to provide food for them, because it's very difficult right now having work and getting a job in this country."

"The goal here would be, we want to increase quality while increasing the economy as well," said Maj. Charles Seidel, chief of local acquisitions.

• Date Taken: 01.24.2010
• Date Posted: 01.24.2010 10:02
• Story ID: 44364