MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan – The Afghan National Army (ANA) has been at war since its reformation in 2002 by President Hamid Karzai. It has grown from a few hundred men to a force nearing 200,000 men and women sworn to protect and defend the people and government of Afghanistan. The ANA has had to adopt new vantage points and break centuries old traditions to develop its force.
Modeling their army in the image, and with the mentorship of their NATO coalition and International Security Assistance Force partners, the ANA has designated the non-commissioned officer as a key link in the chain of command.
“You are the link between the officers who make the plans and the soldiers who protect Afghanistan,” said Brig. Gen. Amanullah Mobin, the deputy commander of the ANA 209th Corps, based in northern Afghanistan, at a non-commissioned officer conference held in the Balkh province July 16.
“Commanders and soldiers depend on the non-commissioned officers to execute the plans and conduct the movements. You should recognize how valuable you are and how much responsibility you have,” Mobin told the more than 100 non-commissioned officers gathered at the 209th Corps conference.
The ANA non-commissioned officer corps is organizing and running conferences such as this throughout Afghanistan this summer. Their aim is to assess their current strengths and weaknesses and discuss issues the group faces in managing its responsibility as the link between the officers and the soldiers.
“We’re here to share knowledge, best practices, and lessons,” said Sgt. Maj. Safi Roshan, the sergeant major of the army, conference guest and the senior enlisted service member in the Afghan National Army. “We want to avoid making the mistakes someone has already made and find out from each other what is proving successful in helping our commanders and our soldiers.”
The conferences are being held in preparation for Roshan’s own conference slated to be held in September. Invited guests are Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Capel, the ISAF senior enlisted leader, and a few other coalition mentors. The conferences were Afghan planned and Afghan run.
“We wanted to take this time and look both back and forward to see where we’ve been and where we’re going,” said Roshan. “We’ve come a very long way in a short time, yet there is still much to be done now and in the future.”
Not long ago the ANA relied on taxi services and independent transport trucks, known as “jingle trucks” because of their elaborately decorative motifs, to move its forces on the battlefield. Today they can utilize their own assets to shoot, move, and communicate.
The non-commissioned officers communicated ideas on education and training opportunities, in addition to discussing safety procedures, upcoming winter preparations, and retirement concerns at both the 209th Corps conference and the 201st Corps conference held near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan, July 10.
“I know we are fighting here but we need to take the time to educate ourselves and our soldiers,” Roshan told the non-commissioned officers assembled at the conferences. “Training remains important to providing the security we’ve been entrusted to provide our country.”
“We cannot rely on our fighting experience alone to take us to the next level and into the future,” said Roshan.
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