Twenty-four commandos can now serve their country in a greater capacity now that they have graduated Afghan Information Dissemination Operations Course in a ceremony that occurred Sept. 2 at Camp Morehead, near Kabul.
As the newest commando assets waited in a small classroom, one could not dismiss the excitement conveyed by the students who rehearsed tirelessly all day despite the heat, in anticipation of the moment they worked hard for—successful completion of the AIDO course.
AIDO is an Afghan Special Operations Program designed to teach commandos to influence the behavior of specific audiences through the dissemination of truthful, timely information. The growing importance placed on the program has been seen across the country during the Commando’s missions. The significance of their mission was now even more evident as Afghan Brig. Gen. Dadon Lawang, 1st Commando Brigade commander, walked into the classroom.
“The AIDO training you have received is instrumental to the peace and prosperity of our country,” said Lawang. “I encourage you to take the training you’ve received, go out to villages and build relationships with the people of Afghanistan. Information is a powerful tool so go forth armed with the truth and let them know we care.”
The class, comprised of commandos from four different Commando units spread across eastern Afghanistan, has spent the previous four weeks learning how to conduct evaluations of a population’s conditions, attitudes, and perceptions through face-to-face communication and key leader engagements. They then learned to use this information to not only counter hostile propaganda, but to create a favorable image of, and build the confidence in, the commandos and the government of Afghanistan.
“These AIDO commandos now possess a crucial set of skills that will become the focus of winning this war against the enemy,” said a U.S. Army Special Operations captain, charged with mentoring the AIDO Commandos. “Information will be the key to our success, and these warriors are now able to return to their units and provide that crucial link to the civilian population through the use of the Commando Radio network, key leader engagements, and other tactical AIDO operations in order to counter the enemy propaganda and misinformation campaign the enemy is trying to wage.”
The next step for these newly trained AIDO commandos is to return to their units and begin to practice the skills they have learned here at Camp Morehead. They will be the tip of the spear in informing the local population by creating commando radio stations aimed at providing truthful and relevant information to the local population and by continuously engaging the local populace to inform them of commando operations in their respective areas.
“These commandos have mastered the skills we have taught them here at the AIDO School,” said Afghan LT Makim, the AIDO Course primary instructor. “And after these past four weeks, I am confident in not only the success that each Commando here will bring to his unit, but also in the future of Afghanistan.”
| Date Taken: |
09.02.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
09.10.2010 08:40 |
| Story ID: |
56006 |
| Location: |
AF |
| Web Views: |
349 |
| Downloads: |
3 |
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