Afghan SOF graduate 828 Commandos, on pace to add 4,000 by April

Photo By Bob Ditchey | 828 Afghan National Army soldiers earned the title of Commando upon graduation from the 22nd Commando Qualification Course at the ANA Special Operations Command School of Excellence at Camp Commando, near Kabul, Afghanistan, Mar. 18, 2018. The Commandos are the building blocks for Afghan Special Security Forces growth that began in Aug. 2017. (NSOCC-A photo by Robert Ditchey)  

AFGHANISTAN

03.18.2018

Story by Bob Ditchey 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

The Afghan National Army Special Operations Command graduated 828 Commandos from the 22nd Commando Qualification Course at Camp Commando, near Kabul, Afghanistan, Mar. 18, 2018. More than 1,400 Afghan soldiers continue their training in two additional on-going Commando Qualification Courses.

The Commandos are the building blocks for the Afghan Special Security Forces growth plan that began in Aug. 2017 with the announcement of the Afghan 2020 Roadmap. By April of this year, 4,000 new Commandos will join the 10 Special Operations Kandaks (Battalions) arrayed across the nation.

“The growth of Afghan Special Forces and Commandos is on track,” stated Gen. John Nicholson, NATO Resolute Support commander prior to the start of the graduating class’ training program. “In 2018, we‘re going to see the Afghan security forces go on the offensive, and they‘re going to retake areas that have either been contested or been under Taliban control, and key to this effort are going to be the Commandos.”

CDOQC is a 14-week course designed to assess and train Afghan soldiers for assignment in one of the 10 Afghan SOKs. Approximately 20 percent of the graduating class will attend job-specific specialty skill training before departing for their next assignment.

• Date Taken: 03.18.2018
• Date Posted: 03.18.2018 12:34
• Story ID: 269793
• Location: AF