CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – Afghan National Army soldiers with the 215th Corps visited Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 7 aboard Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, April 6, to review the training curriculum for the upcoming Communication Electronics Maintenance Course.
The training is a 10-day course to establish the communication maintenance process, the fundamentals of maintenance, safety and basic maintenance of the two main types radio equipment used by the ANA.
According to Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Valdes, maintenance chief, Regional Command (Southwest), it is important for the ANA to learn how to sustain communication assets so they can maintain their gear and equipment. The course will give them a solid foundation of the communication maintenance process and cycle.
“We want to build confidence in the ANA with the maintenance process,” said Valdes. “We want them to learn the fundamental process and basic knowledge of radio maintenance.”
Currently, maintainers with the 215th Corps are attending a maintenance course in Kabul and will not return to Camp Shorabak until August. Therefore the Communication Electronics Maintenance Course is making up for the gap in expertise by teaching a number of ANA soldiers the maintenance process and educating them on basic troubleshooting techniques to establish proficiency at a lower level of maintenance in hopes they can handle some maintenance issues themselves.
Staff Sgt. Shafiullah Habibi, maintenance chief and course instructor, 215th Corps, is currently the only trained soldier performing maintenance on the ANA’s communication radios and equipment.
“I am the only one doing all the work,” said Habibi. “We made this course to teach more soldiers how to do maintenance and fix the equipment. Sometimes I can’t be there, so there needs to be someone else who can do the job. We need to spread the knowledge.”
The first course is scheduled to begin this month.
“I’m really glad to work with the Marines,” said Habibi. “I’m thankful for their help and instruction.”