Afghan Army thread

ANA is PINO(professional in name only).A draft will not affect the army's expertise.However,the big issue is not the competence,its the loyalty.I try to imagine the army being loyal to Karzai(or whomever will lord over Kabul),but I can't.I foresee the ANA splitting along the old lines-Pashtuns vs the rest.
 
troung said:
...Many Afghan National Army troops who work and patrol with U.S. Marines are considered a nuisance at best and a danger at worst. Many refuse to go on patrol, smoke hashish and sleep while on guard...the general consensus from rank and file infantrymen is that for every good ANA soldier, there are at least five or six who are lazy, incompetent or both.
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The parallels between this and my earlier experience with ARVN are downright spooky. ANA and ARVN counterparts might as well be one in the same. The only thing missing from the above assessment is that one man in ten is potentially treacherous. I could write pages here about the difficulties of combined operations between soldiers of vastly different cultural backgrounds, but I don't have the energy. Suffice it to say that it takes a great deal of time and patience to work out an efficient relationship and most young soldiers of any culture have neither the patience nor the time in their deployments.

I expect ANA will, like ARVN, get it's ass kicked once we unass the AO.
 
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Red,

I expect ANA will, like ARVN, get it's ass kicked once we unass the AO.
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OTOH, the Taliban and the other militias/groups floating around aren't the NVA, either. and unlike the Vietnam War there's no Great Power egging on the other side. the fear is not so much the ANA getting their ass kicked but actually breaking up into little militias everywhere.
 
astralis said:
Red,



OTOH, the Taliban and the other militias/groups floating around aren't the NVA, either. and unlike the Vietnam War there's no Great Power egging on the other side. the fear is not so much the ANA getting their ass kicked but actually breaking up into little militias everywhere.
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Yep, you're right. No comprehensive ass-kicking here, more likely dissolution. Have AK, will travel.
 
A Young ANA Officer, Fraud and Courage

A Young ANA Officer, Fraud and Courage

A young ANA officer in the 5th Commando Battalion uncovered a sophisticated payroll diversion fraud scheme. Not without considerable personal and professional risk-

Afghan Army Theft Shows Fraud Is Widespread-NYT May 28, 2011

Lt. Abdul Wakil's investigation of his unit, despite command interference and threats to his life, revealed a sophisticated scheme that defied a direct-deposit system imposed to prevent salary theft.

Using the accounts of troops who'd deserted without removing them from the active rosters, the battalion payroll officer and two subordinates diverted pay to fictional troopers into their own accounts. Wakil became suspicious because the unit had never had a desertion. Seemingly a rare good exception to most afghan troop units, this proved illusory but a convenient vehicle to divert funds.

"Shamsudin received a three-year prison sentence, while Jawed and Hemran were sentenced to two years each. Seven others were convicted and ordered restricted to base for six months to one year at reduced salaries, including Lt. Col. Basir [Battalion commander], who was convicted of negligence.

Shamsudin, Jawed and Hemran were fined $4,000, $19,000 and $7,400 respectively, fines the court said reflected twice the amounts they stole.

Jawed's attorney, Abdul Matin, said his client and the others were scapegoats and the case would not stop corruption in the military.

'Stealing money in the commando battalion is a reality,' Matin said.

'The thought among the people is that this government we have is temporary. There may be another one in a few months or a few days,' he said. 'So everyone steals.'"

Sadly, the defense attorney might be correct.
 
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