By Sgt. James D. Sims
33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VIII
CAMP HERO, KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Brig. Gen. Shurmohammed Zazai, commander of the Afghan national army 205th Hero Corps, hosted a two-day, ANA Corps Commanders' Conference in mid-January.
The conference, held at Camp Hero near Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, brought together ANA corps commanders and officials from the Ministry of Defense to discuss issues affecting the development and future progress of the ANA.
Prior to the conference there was a luncheon where Afghan and coalition forces enjoyed traditional Afghan food. The conference opened with a prayer immediately following the meal.
Maj. Gen. Richard Formica, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, praised Zazai and the 205th Corps staff for hosting such a prestigious event.
At the opening ceremony for the conference, Formica said, "Putting together such a conference took a lot of planning and coordination."
The goal of the Corps Commanders' Conference agenda was to develop a clear understanding of personnel systems, to include personnel replacement and pay issues and logistics resupply systems supply accountability.
The commander of Regional Command – South, Dutch Maj. Gen. Mart De Kruif, remarked, "I was really impressed by the discussion between the general's staff and the Corp Commanders. It really shows how professional the Afghan National Army really is."
Not every army has the ability to sit down with the Ministry of Defense and have such an open and frank discussion, addressing the issues facing the development of their army, but it is vital in getting the support they need, De Kruif noted.
Brig. Gen. Steven P. Huber, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix VIII, whose task force is responsible for mentoring and training Afghan security forces, observed "This conference went better than previous ones in its design and the objectives set forth."
"This conference gave us the opportunity to share the issues that concern the ANA and some of the challenges they face in rebuilding their national army," Huber continued. "To hear some of the issues they're facing as far as equipment shortages, training and logistics systems and then discuss and provide for possible solutions."
As the ANA continues to develop into a fully functional, self-sustaining force, this conference allowed the ANA to pinpoint its challenges in order to better correct them.
"It was a good exercise in both sides understanding the challenges they're facing as far as rebuilding and retraining," Huber concluded. "Overall it was a good experience and it gives the coalition and CJTFP VIII the tools it needs to assist and mentor the ANA to become more successful."