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FORT KNOX, Ky. – Two key leaders from the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan met with the leaders of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, at Fort Knox, Ky., Sept. 30, in preparation of the brigade’s deployment to eastern Afghanistan early next year.
The meeting was intended to help prepare Col. Christopher Toner, 3/1 commander, and his unit to take on the task of working alongside the Afghan National Security Forces in order to help build the foundation they need to eventually secure their country on their own.
Brig. Gen. Jeffory Smith, deputy commanding general – police of the NTM-A, is responsible for the training, equipping and sustainment of the Afghan police force. The police force currently consists of about 119,000 personnel, and will hopefully be up to 130,000 by November, he said.
Smith said the key task for the brigade will be to develop a partnership and stewardship with their partnered ANSF unit, setting the example for the ANSF units and assisting them when they conduct and lead their own missions.
“Afghan units grow and develop much faster in areas where they are partnered with U.S. forces,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Gary Patton, deputy commanding general – Army, also of the NTM-A has similar responsibilities as Smith, but instead of the police force, he works with Afghan army.
The Afghan army is growing in its capabilities, quality and size, said Patton, but there’s still plenty of growing to do. That’s where the 3/1 comes in.
“The U.S. units are there to get their partnered ANSF units past the point their initial training got them,” he said.
Toner views his responsibility to the ANSF and Afghan civilians as an almost paternal role.
“The way I see it, these are our villages, our civilians, our soldiers,” he said, speaking of the local Afghans that the brigade will be working with, “we have to put our arms around them, protect them, and nurture them, until they can stand on their own.”
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2010 13:06 |
| Story ID: | 57324 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, NATO training mission leaders meet with 3/1 IBCT, by MSG Ben Navratil, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
