ANA Recruits Commit Loyalty to God, Country and Duty

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN

10.14.2010

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - More than 1400 Afghan National Army recruits renewed their vows to defend Afghanistan and its people by placing their hands on the Koran and swearing to be faithful to God and country Oct. 14 during an oath ceremony at Regional Military Training Center – Kandahar.

The ceremony doesn’t just mark the halfway point in the recruits’ eight weeks of basic training, which includes military drill, weapons familiarization, tactics, physical fitness and literacy instruction, the ceremony marks their commitment to Afghanistan as a soldiers in the ANA.

“The oath ceremony is an Afghan military tradition. ANA officers, NCOs, soldiers, recruits and other personnel who join the military take the oath and promise to serve the country, defend their land and protect freedom,” RMTC commander Col. Haroon Momand said. “Upon their graduation from training, they are assigned to ANA units for duty.”

In four more weeks these recruits will become soldiers, fighting alongside their coalition partners on the battlefield.

“When you become a soldier, they call you the bravest,” recruit Sardar Agha said upon taking the oath. “I want to serve my people and I have no worries from this point on. It feels really good to take the oath and I hope to graduate so I can serve my people.”

Every day, the ANA takes on more responsibility for security in Afghanistan, pitting fresh soldiers like Agha against hard line insurgents who favor standoff tactics involving IEDs and complex ambushes. But Agha says the training has received at RMTC has given him the confidence to push on.

“I don’t know what the future will be. I might die today or not,” said Agha. “I have no worries.”
So in the heat of the day, 30 at a time and one group after the other, all 1400 recruits took the oath. After basic training, these soldiers will head to the provinces of Uruzgan, Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul.

“Today our soldiers demonstrated their commitment to the ANA and Afghanistan,” said ANA Brig. Gen. Abdul Hamid, commander 205th Corps. “I’m much honored to have witnessed this ceremony. Our Army is improving every day and this is very good for the people of this country.”

• Date Taken: 10.14.2010
• Date Posted: 10.16.2010 01:55
• Story ID: 58226
• Location: KANDAHAR, AF