Afghan National Army creates own doctrine

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By Capt. Tamara Gonzales
NTM-A Public Affairs

DARULAMAN, Afghanistan - For the first time in Afghan National Army history, Afghan soldiers are establishing their own doctrine.

Previously, they only used Russian or other foreign national doctrine such as from the United States.

In order to start this historically changing event, soldiers attended a concept for doctrine developer training workshop, learning how to write and develop ANA doctrine for the “new” ANA. The class was held at the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan Jan. 3 - 9.

“Doctrine is the most important subject for an army, training the force without doctrine is not possible,” said Lt. Col. Uwe Franke, section chief for G7, doctrine, assessment and lessons learned with the German army.

Franke served as one of many coalition advisors assisting Afghans as they taught other Afghans how to create doctrine. ANA officers at the Afghan National Army Training Command’s doctrine and concepts directorate wrote, developed and organized the doctrine development system together with an advisor, Chuck Wohlrab of DynCorps. German and Netherland coalition trainers and DynCorps advised the ANA in establishing this system.

During the class, students learned about doctrine development for various personnel of ANATC and their own tasks and responsibilities within this process. They learned how to incorporate this doctrine at various levels, working as a team to develop their own doctrine.

Most of the students started the class unfamiliar at the most basic level, ANA-0 Doctrine Development System. Most of the students are doctrine officers serving in the ANATC branch capabilities directorate and at ANATC branch schools. These officers are responsible for the development of all ANA branch doctrine.

Graduates will be responsible for strategic/operational and tactical guidance and doctrine development directives concerning general staff operations and doctrine, assessment and lessons learned.

“For growing the army, for training at all schools and training centre you need doctrine, an intellectual pursuit the Afghans have not done until today,” said Franke. “Doctrine is responsible for the quality of an army.”

Photo: Afghan National Army instructors teach other Afghans how to create their own doctrine for the first time in their history at the Counterinsurgency Training Center-Afghanistan Jan. 3 to 9.

Category: Blog - Afghan National Army