CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan - The Afghan Commando Brigade was represented by one of their own at the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan, also known as the COIN Academy, Nov. 6 at Camp Julien in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Afghan Col. Bismellah Wazari, 1st Commando Brigade G3, briefed a wide range of attendees, from multiple countries, on the progress Afghan National Army Commandos and ANA Special Forces are making and how.
Having someone speak from the Commando Brigade versus a speaker from American or coalition forces was a welcomed change and carried more weight. It was about his country, from an Afghan perspective, and it was well-received.
“This was the most uplifting briefing we had since we’ve been here,” said an U.S. Army soldier in attendance. “It gives us hope and it would be great if he briefed at other forums and places. This is also something that servicemembers back home should hear—it was motivating and inspiring.”
Commandos are one of Afghanistan’s elite forces and are modeled after U.S. Army Rangers. The nine Commando Kandaks (battalions) were trained by U.S. Special Forces and the success of the training is evident.
“I heard on a radio station in Kandahar, that the enemy is saying ‘These forces aren’t Afghan Commandos,’” said Col. Bismellah. “'They are U.S. and Coalition Special Forces that speak Pashtu and Dari.’”
While the statement received numerous laughs at the briefing, it shows that insurgents realize that these warriors have superior training and skills; that they perform the missions that conventional forces are unable to and typically they do it in 24 to 72 hours.
Commandos have advanced skills in ambush, attack, reconnaissance and other operations, and their skills are constantly put to the test. Successful missions are the rule, not the exception and they put their advanced skill set to the test repeatedly.
From cleaning up various districts over-run by insurgents when conventional forces needed support, to retrieving ballot boxes in Chak District, Wardak province, during elections—when it exceeds the capacity of conventional means, the cavalry is called and that cavalry is the Commandos.
Col. Bismellah stressed that although the Commandos purpose is to conduct operations targeting high-value militants to strengthen the security and increase the infrastructure of Afghanistan; they also understand and perform non-lethal operations.
“We have conducted more key leader engagements and humanitarian aid in the past 6 months than combat missions,” said Col. Bismellah.
The Commando Brigade G3 went on to discuss ANA Special Forces and explained how this new military force has teams strategically placed throughout Afghanistan with an expected end-strength, once all classes graduate, of 72 teams.
"The job of these soldiers trained by U.S. and Coalition Special Forces to help bridge the gap between the government and the Afghan populace and ‘bridging the gap’," said Col. Bismellah, "Is the difference that will ultimately win this war."
He added that while there are still missions conducted by these forces that destroy caches, IED cells, IED factories, and find those who are front-runners to the insurgents, there has been a shift to information and relations with the people. Use of various resources, to include Afghan Information Dissemination Operations, obtains the support of the people and without their support no amount of brawn is going to solve the problems faced.
Although AIDO is just one of the military occupational specialties of Commandos and ANASF it was one that Col. Bismellah brought up as an example of an effective way of countering the lies that insurgents continually feed Afghan citizens.
“As the shift continues to the non-lethal, countering enemy propaganda with information and truth is vital and that’s what AIDO does,” he said. “But it doesn’t rest on just those trained in AIDO, all Commandos and ANASF soldiers recognize that the people are what’s important and it’s through the people that success will be achieved.”
From the Commandos, to ANASF, to the fine tuning of soldiers within those elite forces, the information shared at the conference painted a clear picture of where they are now and the way ahead. But in the end Col. Bismellah’s brief about Commandos and ANASF was about more than another person speaking about the war in Afghanistan, it was about hearing it from someone who’s from here and who will remain long after U.S. and coalition forces go home.
| Date Taken: |
11.13.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
11.13.2010 01:43 |
| Story ID: |
60048 |
| Location: |
CAMP MOREHEAD, AF |
| Web Views: |
347 |
| Downloads: |
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