KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Leaders from the Afghan National Army’s 2nd Special Operations Brigade held a capabilities and training conference Sept. 4-5 on an Afghan base camp in Kandahar.
They discussed growth and progress among the force, as well as quality of life and training needs for their commandos and special forces.
“We need to continue to improve the quality of life for our soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Sher Mohammad, commander, 3rd Special Operations Kandak. “When they are in our unit, we need to provide adequate food and medical care for our soldiers.”
Officials proposed incentives, such as scholarships, to be used as tools to develop a better educated and motivated Army. Commanders also emphasized a faster tempo during training events, promoting a train-as-you-fight model to increase proficiency.
Afghan commandos and special forces will be better prepared for fighting with more realistic training, Mohammad explained.
Leaders also noted the much-improved communication between the individual kandaks in recent months. The 2nd SOB kandaks have perfected their ability to effectively share information and ideas based off lessons learned from combat as well as for training and logistic operations.
“Perception of the kandaks by Afghan people is a key to success,” Mohammad said, noting the importance of actively pursuing the Taliban and consistently improving security for Afghan citizens.
The two-day conference closed with a demonstration exercise, highlighting the gains and competency among the 2nd SOB soldiers. The Afghan soldiers conducted a helicopter assault on a mock-Taliban stronghold. They cleared building to building ridding the compound of insurgents, secured a landing zone, and then waited to ex-fill by helicopter.
The demonstration certainly showed the kandaks’ capabilities and independence, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Habibi, commander of the 205th Afghan National Army Corps’ 1st Brigade.
“Afghan forces are coordinating and conducting missions without U.S. and NATO troops,” Habibi said. “As the Americans and NATO leave, they need to know [Afghanistan’s military] can train and talk together effectively to defeat the enemies of Afghanistan.”