Pentagon Press Corps Opening Statement
Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell, IV
Commander, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan
Commander, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan
Pentagon Press Corps Opening Statement
August 23, 2010
Good morning. I’m pleased to have this opportunity to provide you an update from Afghanistan on the progress of the Afghan National Security Force. I realize this is the first time I have had the chance to speak with you since the activation of the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan nine months ago, so I would like to give you a brief idea of where we were, where we are, and where we are going.
We are a multinational organization that employs trainers and advisors to develop the Ministries of Interior and Defense; police, army, and air forces; logistics systems; medical systems; and the institutions that train and educate them all. Our mission is critical to ISAF’s overall strategy of transition of security to the Afghan government; in many ways, training the Afghan National Security Force is transition. Our efforts to build and strengthen the Afghan National Security Force are providing the professional force that is self-reliant and has the ability to generate and sustain their force to serve and protect the people of Afghanistan.
To understand the measured progress we have made, you have to stop and take a look back. From 2002 to November 2009, the development of the Afghan National Security Force was hampered by a lack of resources, leading to understandably slow, halting, and uncoordinated progress.
The focus was on getting as many soldiers and police into operations as fast as possible. There was little time dedicated to building and developing the ANSF as an enduring force. Meanwhile, key inputs that addressed the professionalism and quality of the force, such as leader development, losses from attrition, and literacy of soldiers and police were overlooked.
Slide please. As can be seen on this chart, even in quantity the development of the Afghan National Security Force was inconsistent. From 2002 to November 2009, the average growth was around 15,000 personnel in the Afghan National Army and 12,000 in the Afghan National Police; for a total of 27,000 in the Afghan National Security Force. These numbers were below the requirement to meet both the ANA and ANP end-strength goals.
Today, this trend has been reversed. In the past nine months alone, the growth in the Army and Police has more than doubled the average of any previous year at 58,000. This growth of the Afghan National Security Force in the first half of 2010 is larger than any other year in its history. The growth has been so dramatic, both the ANA and ANP have exceeded their 2010 growth goals three months ahead of schedule.
This turn-around is attributable to a dramatically changed approach to training the Afghan National Security Force and a new sense of urgency within the Afghan Ministries of Interior and Defense. The Afghan leadership has taken complete ownership to increase recruiting, reduce attrition, and improve retention over the last nine months. This includes the creation of Recruiting Commands to oversee efforts across Afghanistan and measures to better tailor recruitment to the needs of the Afghan people.
While the Afghan National Security Force has made measured progress in the past year, we must also confront reality; significant challenges remain. With sustained commitment by the international community and time to provide results, they are not insurmountable. Every day we witness the remarkable and resilient character of the Afghan people, and we see so many who earnestly and selflessly labor to make a better future for their families and their nation. NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan is committed to continuing our work alongside our Afghan partners in tackling the toughest issues.
Our greatest challenge to building a self-sustaining Afghan National Security Force is building professionalism within its ranks. Professionalism is the key ingredient to an enduring force that can serve and protect its people. The three elements that are required to build this professional force are leader development, literacy, and addressing losses through attrition.
The first, and most important, element to professionalize the Afghan National Security Force is leader development, it is the enduring foundation. Our efforts to create professional officers and non-commissioned officers in the Army and Police are focused on quality training, developing experience, and providing an appropriate education; all dedicated to creating an ethos of service and loyalty. It is only when leaders embrace a culture of service to others that the ANSF will truly be a professional force.
The second element is the literacy of soldiers and policemen, it is an essential enabler to a professional force. When you consider the average literacy rate for an entry level soldier or policeman in Afghanistan is about 14% across the entire Afghan National Security Force, literacy becomes a major challenge in training, education and even performance of the basic skills required by professional security forces. This skill addresses the three most pressing challenges to professionalization. First, literacy provides the ability to enforce accountability – if a soldier cannot read, how can he know what equipment he is supposed to have and maintain? If a policeman does not know his numbers, how can he read and remember the serial number on his weapon? Literacy allows personnel to provide oversight for all aspects of the force, from equipment to personnel, regulations to training.
The second challenge literacy addresses is developing branch competency through professional military education. Literacy provides soldiers and policemen the ability to attend these schools and learn enabling skills such as logistics, maintenance, military intelligence, and communications; skills that are required in a professional force to sustain themselves in the field and throughout their career. These are skills that must also be ingrained in junior and mid-grade leaders that are the backbone of the force, and will one day lead the Army and Police.
Finally, literacy combats corruption within the Afghan National Security Force. Literacy prevents bad actors from preying on the illiterate. When the force is literate, standards can be published and everyone can be held accountable to adhere to them; up the chain of command as well as down. Literacy also allows soldiers and policemen to prevent theft of their pay. Only when they can read how much they are owed, and how much they received, will they be able to prevent the theft of their pay.
Though the creation of mandatory literacy courses in the past nine months have supported the professionalization of the Afghan National Security Force and educated many students, it will take time and sustained effort to educate an entire generation of Afghans to a level necessary to create professional leaders and allow for the specialization of the force.
The final element and the endemic enemy of professionalization are losses from attrition. These losses include desertions, deaths, or low retention. They pose the greatest threat to both quantity and quality of the Afghan National Security Force. For example, based on the current attrition rates, to grow the Afghan National Security Force the additional 56,000 needed to meet the 2011 goal of 305,000, we will need to recruit and train 141,000 soldiers and police. To put this into context, in order to meet the 2011 goal, we will need to recruit and train in the next 15 months approximately the same number as is the total strength of the Afghan Army today.
This is a challenge that must be met with concerted action by the Afghan National Security Ministries, Afghan National Security Force, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, and ISAF Joint Command. Each of these organizations has responsibility for attrition and retention either in training, or in the field.
Developing an enduring and professional security force will take time. Each aspect; from facilities to leaders, institutions and enablers to systems; these are the elements that provide the continuity and endurance to build, develop, and sustain soldiers and police. There are no shortcuts to developing these elements. Facilities must be built and expanded to increase the throughput and quality of training. Leaders must have the education, training, and experience to perform their duties. Institutions must be developed, then staffed and trained to perform their function. Enablers like acquisitions, logistics, communications, intelligence, and maintenance must be created to support the Ministries and fielded forces. Systems must be developed to ensure the Afghan National Security Force, from the Ministers of Interior and Defense to the police officer and soldier, can seamlessly fulfill their functions, each supporting the other.
This requires a comprehensive approach to building, developing, and transitioning to the ANSF…but most of all it takes time – we must work to reinforce progress and reinvest in our efforts to ensure we are using time as wisely as we are using our other resources.
We have made significant progress this year in laying the foundation to professionalize the Afghan National Security Force next year. We are realistic about the challenges ahead, but optimistic about what we can do, together with our Afghan partners, to begin the process of transition as the ANSF take the lead to protect and serve its people.
I would be glad to take your questions at this time.
Created on: 23 Aug 2010 | 11:23 pm
