Training the Afghan National Army

This monograph examines the changes in the US training of the Afghan National Army (ANA) from 2001 to present. It looks at historical examples of Security Force Assistance from the late 1700s through the 1990s to establish four training concepts to be followed as the ANA becomes a modern and fully developed armed force. The four historical training concepts are the development of small-units, training on small-unit tactics, development of officer training, and training for non-commissioned officers. As technology progressed, two additional concepts were added; literacy and technical training. The ANA training timeline began with US Special Forces conducting the initial training of Afghan soldiers within three months of the September 11 attacks. This was followed by training led by the international community under the Office of Security Cooperation -- Afghanistan, and subsequently, Task Force Phoenix. The most recent iterations of ANA training have seen US Special Forces again training the ANA, but transitioning this task to the General Purpose Forces of the US Army with oversight provided by the NATO Training Mission--Afghanistan due to the finite number of Special Forces soldiers available to train the increasing number of Afghan soldiers that require training. Coalition Forces have recognized that conventional military action alone is not sufficient to ensure the enduring success of the ANA. Success in contemporary military operations will be determined in large part by how well and how quickly the ANA can assume the responsibility for security from the coalition. The goal must be that the ANA is an accountable, self-sustaining, capable and credible force able to meet the security challenges faced by Afghanistan and looked upon as legitimate by the population. Achieving this may take years, but all activities should seek to achieve this aim. Ultimately, this legitimizes Afghan authority and enables the exit of coalition forces. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.