KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Afghan National Army Special Forces have flexed their proverbial muscles in southern Afghanistan during recent weeks, showing through persistence and perseverance that they can and will provide Afghans the security they need.
“The ANASF have really stepped up and surprised many special forces operators with their level of commitment and capability to go in and get the job done,” said Maj. Angel Martinez, a coalition special operations forces company commander. “I believe the skill level of our ANASF operators’ stems from more than the mentorship and guidance of SOF, but instead from the stringent and rigorous selection process they have to go through in order to become a part of the Afghan special forces.”
The ANASF take part in high-level training and receive valuable guidance and mentorship from coalition special operations forces. They eat and sleep alongside their coalition counterparts in rural areas Kandahar in order to enhance their operational readiness, tactical proficiency and their connection with the villagers they’ll be protecting.
“The villagers are really receptive to security forces being in the area,” said a coalition special operations forces representative. “Their continued presence hinders the insurgents’ ability to conduct or sustain effective operations and more importantly, allows the spread of Afghan governance to many areas within Kandahar province historically controlled by insurgent forces.”
Through communicating and connecting with Afghan locals the ANASF have been able to make an impact at the village, district, and provincial levels. This impact is most achieved by the practice of walking through villages and speaking with local the population about their concerns, needs and problems. The ANASF use these interactions as a way to provide local farmers, teachers, students, and mothers with a tangible connection to district and provincial levels of government.
With the success in building community relations and providing security, the ANASF are proving capable of taking over operations in the future.
“The ANASF have already begun to operate independently with little to no oversight from our [coalition special operations forces teams],” said Sgt. Maj. Michael Kennedy, a coalition special operations forces operations director. “The significance of having Afghan forces defending Afghanistan is crucial to the success and future of Afghanistan.”
Through the month of February the ANASF, combat-advised by members of coalition special operations forces, seized more than 5,500 pounds of homemade explosives, several rocket-propelled grenade boosters, mortar rounds, ammunition for automatic weapons, detonation cord, and one camouflaged uniform typically worn by members of the Afghan National Army.
“The recent accomplishments made by the Afghan Special Forces have ultimately helped the population see that the insurgency has no regard for their village or personal safety,” said a coalition special operations forces adviser. “And only by their continued success against the insurgency and with the people can the ANASF provide a security presence showing the populace that the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan can provide stability and security.”
| Date Taken: |
03.05.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
03.05.2012 04:48 |
| Story ID: |
84734 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
348 |
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