2011/12/29 By Master Sgt. Paul Hughes Regional Support Command-South/NTM-A Public Affairs
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Thirty-five Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers stand in formation, anxiously waiting for their turns to practice the “movement to contact” drill.
A noncommissioned officer with the Afghan National Army's 205th Corps looks down the barrel sight of his M-16 rifle during a react to contact drill of the NCO Infantry Battle Course at the Regional Military Training Center, Nov. 29, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The NCO Infantry Battle Course is now taught entirely by Afghan National Army noncommissioned officers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Paul Hughes)
The NCO Infantry Battle Course at the Regional Military Training Center has a new twist this time around. All of the instructors are Afghan soldiers.
“At this point in the transition we’re basically trying to empower the Afghan instructors to affectively teach their students in the different courses that are run here,” said U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Clayton Covel, the lead Marine adviser for the Training Advisory Team at the RMTC.
“We’re basically helping them facilitate running the training on their own.”
Two ANA NCOs are assigned to act as opposition forces. Then a dozen or so soldiers employ the tactics they learned earlier to handle the situation involving hostile fire.
“The lead instructor and his instructors are very competent,” said Covel.
The soldiers move with precision and smoothly neutralize the simulated enemy.
“We are just trying to do as much as we can, trying to improve everything for the students we are training,” said ANA lead instructor, Master Sgt. Hafizullah Azimay.
The instructors’ grasp of the material and ability to pass on that information to their students impress Covel.
“They don’t need any help teaching the subjects. Their knowledge base of the infantry tactics is very good.”
Covel says the role of the Marines is limited.
“They’ll come out to the course every day to make sure there aren’t any issues that they can help solve.”
“We have a good interaction with the U.S. Marines,” said Azimay. “When we need something, they provide everything.”
All of the NCOs taking the course are part of the ANA’s 205th Corps headquartered out of Kandahar’s Camp Hero.
The eight-week course begins with two weeks of intense literacy training.
The students then spend the next six weeks learning advanced infantry tactics, techniques and procedures like conducting patrols and performing searches.
“It is good to know that we are helping develop the security forces here so that once we take boots off the ground they’ll be able to carry on,” said Covel.
(c) NTM-A
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