KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – It’s a pre-ceremony scene that symbolizes something historical.
Four tan up-armored Humvees and four green Ford Ranger pickup trucks are neatly parked in a semi-circle in front of the viewing stand at the Regional Military Training-Center-South parade field.
A U.S. Marine and an Afghan National Army soldier stand in front of each vehicle, to the left and right respectively.
“The ceremony represents a transition of the up-armored Humvee course at RMTC-South to ANA control,” said U.S. Army Capt. Rob Zielinski, officer-in-charge for the RMTC-South Training Advisory Team.
“RMTC-South is the first RMTC where the UAH transition is taking place,” said Zielinski.
ANA officials select about 50 Basic Warrior Training graduates for each of the five-week UAH courses, during which the soldiers learn how to operate and maintain both light tactical vehicles and up-armored Humvees.
The course covers rules of the road, operating different aspects of the vehicles, vehicle recovery, preventative maintenance, operating a manual transmission, convoy operations, and counter ambush tactics and procedures.
Up until now, ANA soldiers taught the class, while coalition members provided advice and assistance.
But now the ANA soldiers will take on even more responsibility.
“Our footprint is going to be even further reduced,” said Zielinski.
“For this and subsequent UAH courses at RMTC-South, there will be very minimal interaction between the UAH course instructors and advisers from our Training Advisory Team,” Zielinski said. “We are required to perform a very limited monitoring function but we do not expect to be engaged in the day-to-day advising we did for this course prior to transition.”
Following remarks from both Zielinski and RMTC-South Commandant, ANA Col. Haroon Momand, Zielinski handed over the Program of Instruction and a ceremonial key to Momand.
Meanwhile, the ANA soldiers and U.S. Marines swapped places in front of each vehicle.
“The goal of the Training Advisory Team is to coach and assist the Afghan instructors at RMTC-S in developing the RMTC into a fully functional training facility with little to no coalition support,” said Zielinski.
“In short, we want to work ourselves out of a job by preparing the Afghan instructors to perform their jobs independently. [The] ceremony is a symbolic step in that direction.”
| Date Taken: |
11.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
11.22.2011 11:56 |
| Story ID: |
80405 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: |
135 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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