GARDEZ, Afghanistan - With the 2014 deadline approaching, much of the focus falls on transitioning from NATO-led training to Afghanistan-led training for the Afghan security forces. One of these training centers is the Regional Military Training Center in Gardez.
The RMTC is focused on training specific skill sets such as specialized weapons systems, counter IED, ranger and Humvee driving, and medic training.
“We are working hard to have more proficient soldiers. Many of these soldiers are being trained to be instructors who can go back out to their individual kandaks and give sustainability training to the rest of the soldiers,” said Habibullah Chamcani, 233rd Corps command sergeant major.
“We are on the right track. We have a good leadership structure that will be able to run the site even after 2014, when U.S. troops leave,” said Chamcani. “The RMTC has continued to get better since NTM-A’s transition. There are only a few mentors left, but they are very good and we are turning out educated soldiers.”
The training center has been slowly transitioning from NATO to Afghan control over the last year.
“When we had a larger NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A) staff we had about 34 advisers who were helping the Afghan NCOs to be better trainers. We were raising the standard and level of expectations for the soldiers,” said Thomas C. Taylor, site lead for DynCorp. “Now with the reduction of military personnel, we are focusing on the command element within the RMTC such as the brigade commander, training and ops officer and logistical officer.”
DynCorp currently has four members left working as advisers who focus on helping with the upper echelon of leadership at the RMTC.
“It’s the logical way to go. We don’t have the luxury and time to be training at the basic level anymore, so you have to pull back to the supervisory level,” said Taylor.
The change from advising enlisted soldiers to advising officers is another step in the overall transition to full Afghan control.
Taylor said the enlisted are progressing at the NCO level.
“The learning process just keeps getting better and better. The challenge comes in at the officer level and getting them to understand and buy in on the nuances of their position, and that is only from lack of training. There is often no horizontal communication, and things are looked at in a very stove-pipe manner,” he said.
The forces don’t see how areas of responsibility should bleed over and complement each other, but this is a challenge Taylor believes can be overcome yet will take time.
“It is going to be a generational effort,” said Taylor. “There are things that will help, such as the new school houses that are being developed for officers. There is a progression in the officer corps ranks, but I see it as a time-oriented progression, something that will happen over years versus the immediacy of our draw out, and that’s where the challenge comes in: Can they step up and make up the difference that’s going to be occurring?”
NTM-A is a coalition of 38 troop contributing nations charged with assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force ready to take lead of their country's security by 2014. For more information about NTM-A, visit www.ntm-a.com.
| Date Taken: |
11.05.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
11.17.2012 05:02 |
| Story ID: |
97987 |
| Location: |
GARDEZ, AF |
| Web Views: |
156 |
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