By Petty Officer 1st Class Douglas Mappin
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan – Humvees, Hummers or trucks, no matter what you call them, the Afghan soldiers are ready to get behind the wheel and drive.
High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) will soon become the Afghan national army's vehicle of choice on the battlefield, but not until every soldier is qualified to safely operate them.
For this reason, Air Force Capt. Todd Klusek and Army Capt. William Snyder, combat service support senior mentors assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, are tasked to instruct ANA soldiers to safely maintain and operate up-armored Humvees at the Kabul Military Training Center.
"We've made great strides with the Afghan soldiers," said Kenmore, N.Y., native Klusek. "We started the up-armored Humvee course with driver-school basics."
For the ANA soldiers, this course was a new experience.
"Most of our students have never driven a vehicle before, let alone a Humvee," said Snyder, 31, a New York National Guardsman.
Nearly 5,000 Humvees supplied by the United States will soon be delivered to the ANA. The 1151 model HMMWV, used in driver training and on the battlefield, is heavily plated and fitted with an armored gun turret.
According to ANA Maj. Najibullah, taking possession of the new vehicles will be a step forward in tactical ground combat for the ANA. Najibullah, who serves as lead instructor for the course, expressed optimism about his country's future.
"With the arrival of the Humvees, our Army will become more modern," Najibullah said. "It will help us be more secure. We are thankful America is helping us improve our nation's security."
During the training course, ANA soldiers are closely supervised when they get behind the wheel of a Humvee. They must pass a rigorous curriculum before they are certified to drive.
"We start them off in the classroom by learning to read signs and other fundamentals," Klusek said.
"We then teach them to drive (land tactical vehicles) and then move them up to unarmored Humvees. By the end of the course, they learn how to drive the up-armored vehicle."
One of the goals of the course is to prepare the students to take over as Humvee instructors for upcoming classes, said Snyder.
"One of the newest instructors graduated from the course in April," Snyder said. "So far, 75 ANA soldiers have completed the course, but plans call for an additional 400 to be trained."
Snyder, a native of Grand Island, N.Y., said teaching the Afghans came easy to him, as he is a teacher in his civilian life.
"I teach eighth grade U.S. history at Oakfield Alabama Junior High School in Oakfield, N.Y. As a guardsman, I am excited to be here. I like being in a different country," Snyder explained. "When I return home, I can tell my students how we are helping a country's people learn to defend themselves."