thedrifter
04-26-06, 07:11 AM
Afghan National Army members get training tips on Parris Island
Officers seek American expertise in building a new army
Published Wednesday April 26 2006
By LORI YOUNT
The Beaufort Gazette
For a small delegation of the Afghan National Army, the most impressive part of recruit training at Parris Island is the obstacle course. As soon as it can find the money, the Afghan army hopes to bring similar training to its boot camp outside of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
"It's very important for a soldier to get through every obstacle he encounters," said Col. Shamsurahman Shams of the Afghan National Army through an interpreter. "If a soldier cannot manage his way through obstacles, he's failed. He cannot be helpful for his country."
On Tuesday, Shams and five of his fellow officers and noncommissioned officers observed recruits enduring the Crucible, a 54-hour final test where recruits must complete drills together on little sleep and food.
They watched as recruits crawled on their stomachs through a course with obstacles similar to scenes in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," complete with speakers booming background fire noise. However, perhaps the much simpler obstacle of a high wall over which recruits have to pull each other provided the most personal and translatable lessons.
The men from the Afghan National Army and their Marine escorts had their eyes transfixed on the last lanky recruit to attempt to make it over the wall. Two of his comrades waited at the top to help him over.
One tried throwing his leg over the top for the last one to grab onto. It didn't work, and they tried pulling him up with his flak jacket, which isn't allowed.
With some interpretation and many hand gestures, the older, more experienced military men quietly discussed how they would do it. After a few excruciating minutes, everyone held their breath as the last recruit finally got a stirrup grip on his fellow recruit and pushed himself over the wall.
"That's good," one of the Afghan National Army soldiers shouted.
Maj. Rick Seagrist, a Marine reservist who volunteered to serve in an embedded training team to aid the Afghan National Army in training and combat missions, said his fellow coalition service members have a unique chance to give the fledgling army a leg up.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to work in a small group environment," Seagrist said. "We use our initiative and creativity, and it affects the micro and macro level of Afghanistan."
He lives and works with the men from the Afghan National Army and their "kandak," or battalion, and he said there is little difference between training and operations. Their "kandak" is stationed in Bermel in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, which Seagrist said means they spend a lot of time reinforcing defenses.
Sixteen other Marines and sailors work with Seagrist, and he said troops from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Mongolia, have embedded training teams in different units in the Afghan army.
On this 14-day trip to the United States, the delegation also visited Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va., to observe Officer Candidate School and the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and they visited Camp Lejeune, N.C., to see the School of Infantry, training which Marines attend after completing boot camp.
They have also taken time to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and The Citadel, Seagrist said, and to enjoy the experiences of some firsts for the Afghan soldiers -- airplane rides, escalators, seeing the ocean and shopping at Wal-Mart.
Recruits in the Afghan National Army undergo 11-week boot camp but don't have any continued training opportunities, which Shams said he hopes changes as the army gets on its feet and finds money to implement programs similar to those they've observed in the United States.
"The problem we get is as soon as a kandak graduates, they'll be deployed in the combat field fighting al-Qaida," he said.
Ellie
Officers seek American expertise in building a new army
Published Wednesday April 26 2006
By LORI YOUNT
The Beaufort Gazette
For a small delegation of the Afghan National Army, the most impressive part of recruit training at Parris Island is the obstacle course. As soon as it can find the money, the Afghan army hopes to bring similar training to its boot camp outside of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
"It's very important for a soldier to get through every obstacle he encounters," said Col. Shamsurahman Shams of the Afghan National Army through an interpreter. "If a soldier cannot manage his way through obstacles, he's failed. He cannot be helpful for his country."
On Tuesday, Shams and five of his fellow officers and noncommissioned officers observed recruits enduring the Crucible, a 54-hour final test where recruits must complete drills together on little sleep and food.
They watched as recruits crawled on their stomachs through a course with obstacles similar to scenes in the movie "Saving Private Ryan," complete with speakers booming background fire noise. However, perhaps the much simpler obstacle of a high wall over which recruits have to pull each other provided the most personal and translatable lessons.
The men from the Afghan National Army and their Marine escorts had their eyes transfixed on the last lanky recruit to attempt to make it over the wall. Two of his comrades waited at the top to help him over.
One tried throwing his leg over the top for the last one to grab onto. It didn't work, and they tried pulling him up with his flak jacket, which isn't allowed.
With some interpretation and many hand gestures, the older, more experienced military men quietly discussed how they would do it. After a few excruciating minutes, everyone held their breath as the last recruit finally got a stirrup grip on his fellow recruit and pushed himself over the wall.
"That's good," one of the Afghan National Army soldiers shouted.
Maj. Rick Seagrist, a Marine reservist who volunteered to serve in an embedded training team to aid the Afghan National Army in training and combat missions, said his fellow coalition service members have a unique chance to give the fledgling army a leg up.
"It's an opportunity for all of us to work in a small group environment," Seagrist said. "We use our initiative and creativity, and it affects the micro and macro level of Afghanistan."
He lives and works with the men from the Afghan National Army and their "kandak," or battalion, and he said there is little difference between training and operations. Their "kandak" is stationed in Bermel in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border, which Seagrist said means they spend a lot of time reinforcing defenses.
Sixteen other Marines and sailors work with Seagrist, and he said troops from other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Mongolia, have embedded training teams in different units in the Afghan army.
On this 14-day trip to the United States, the delegation also visited Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va., to observe Officer Candidate School and the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and they visited Camp Lejeune, N.C., to see the School of Infantry, training which Marines attend after completing boot camp.
They have also taken time to visit the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and The Citadel, Seagrist said, and to enjoy the experiences of some firsts for the Afghan soldiers -- airplane rides, escalators, seeing the ocean and shopping at Wal-Mart.
Recruits in the Afghan National Army undergo 11-week boot camp but don't have any continued training opportunities, which Shams said he hopes changes as the army gets on its feet and finds money to implement programs similar to those they've observed in the United States.
"The problem we get is as soon as a kandak graduates, they'll be deployed in the combat field fighting al-Qaida," he said.
Ellie