PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Thirteen Afghan National Army soldiers representing the 203rd Corps and its four brigades graduated from a seven-week masters logistics course held at Forward Operating Base Thunder June 4.
These soldiers not only met the requirements to earn their graduation certificates from the masters logistics course but also earned the right to wear the “tan hat” in a ceremony held during the graduation.
The “tan hat” represents the fact that these ANA soldiers are now Afghan National Army Training Command certified instructors and are able to train their fellow ANA soldiers in logistics.
“[The masters logistics course] was designed to produce a bench of qualified logistics instructors at each brigade,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bradley Williams, senior combat advisor-logistics for the ANA’s 203rd Corps.
The course focuses on the areas of supply; maintenance and distribution management; and combat health support planning with an emphasis on ground casualty evacuation training.
But there is another aspect to the course, the train-the-trainer portion.
The recent graduates are now ANATC certified instructors and will come back to the masters logistics course on FOB Thunder to teach future courses.
“The program is self-sustaining, while providing a cadre of instructor trainers for each brigade,” said Williams.
ANA 2nd Lt. Abdul Ghani spoke about the masters logistics course and his new responsibilities as an ANATC certified trainer.
“I’ve been here [FOB Thunder] for two months learning maintenance, transportation and supply. I have also learned the train-the-trainer portion of the class. I have been an officer for two years in the ANA, and this is the first time I have attended a train-the-trainer course. We [Ghani and his fellow graduates] can now teach the next course, and go to the brigades and teach them. We have learned the things we need,” said Ghani.
During the ceremony, ANA Col. Mohammad Asif, Training Officer, 203rd Corps, addressed the recent graduates.
“You will be instructors in the future, these hats we give you; you should know its value. It means you will teach others, some of you will conduct future classes here [FOB Thunder] and some of you will go other places. But anywhere you go, you will be logistics instructors,” said Asif.
Asif continued, “As you know the ANSF will be taking the responsibility of security from Coalition Forces, step by step we have to get ready. We want the ANA to be able to stand on its own two feet. After 2014 all security will be the responsibility of the ANSF. Now is the time to take advantage and learn from our mentors, they will not be here forever. We have to defend our country and our people.”
Following the ceremony ANA Capt. Roozi Mohamad, spoke about the experience and the future.
“I’m feeling good, I have learned many things that I did not know before this course, I now fully understand how to supply a brigade,” said Mohamad. “We [Mohamad and his classmates] will now go down to the brigades and train them on what we have learned. We will conduct two-week courses to the brigade officers and non-commissioned officers on logistics. I recommend the brigades send more soldiers to this course and we will have even more trainers.”
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2012 01:28 |
| Story ID: | 89699 |
| Location: | PAKTYA PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 203rd Corps soldiers earn their Tan Hats, by SSG Richard Sherba, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
