Taking the Lead

Story by MC3 (SW) Sean Weir
NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan, Public Affairs

The Infantry Branch School (IBS) formally transitioned to Afghan National Army (ANA) control during a ceremony at Camp CNIK, Darulaman Garrison, Kabul, Oct 2. The event represented the end of coalition participation in mentoring, advising and training at IBS. All training will be transitioned into the hands of ANA leaders and instructors.

As 1 of 8 specialty branch schools, the IBS is responsible for advanced infantry training, the development of the infantry leadership core and is designed to serve the current and future needs of the ANA. In 2010, Coalition forces created the Infantry Training Advisory Team, who in turn built the framework for the IBS and in two years turned it into a sustainable and credible infantry training organization.

Colonel Abdul Sabor, IBS Commandant said, “The important thing is right now we can do our job alone, without coalition mentorship, our instructors and officers can do their job properly, and our future is good. We are getting better day by day, and as experience grows we will continue to get better.”

“We see the result of hard work within the infantry school’s personnel, the headquarters administration and the infantry schools trainers,” said Sabor.  “We thank our friends who performed their responsibility during the opening of the school. We thank them for their cooperation while we learned.”

The transition marked a significant milestone in the evolution of the IBS and Afghan Army’s capability towards an Afghan-led security force.

Brigadier General Richard Dennis, Deputy Commander Army, NTM-A said, “Infantry fighting requires discipline, leadership and a level of skill that is not common to all. Therefore, the infantry requires the very best preparation, the very best leaders, and this preparation is very much in the heart of the business of the Infantry Branch School.”

The ceremony, which was solely set up by the ANA, contained speeches from both ANA and coalition leadership. Gifts of gratitude were exchanged and soldiers from the IBS performed a pass-in-review parade to conclude the ceremony as they saluted their coalition mentors and advisors one last time.

“This is a significant moment in the evolution of the infantry branch school and indeed the evolution of the Afghan national security force,” said Dennis. “Today marks another step towards a smooth transition for the next phase of operations for the Afghan National Army, as part of the afghan national security force, assuming greater responsibility for the security of Afghanistan and its people.”

The IBS is the first training institution within the ANA Training and Education Command to operate solely under Afghanistan leadership.

“I think the IBS, because of the leadership that we see here, will go from strength to strength because they have a very clear understanding of what it is they need to achieve in terms of cementing rock solid foundations of infantry professionalism for the ANA. And in Col Sabor they have a commandant who I firmly believe will take this forward in a very successful fashion in the years ahead,” said Dennis.

NTM-A is a coalition of 39 troop contributing nations assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force ready to take lead of their country’s security by 2014. For more information about NTM-A, visit www.ntm-a.com

 

Tags: afghan national army, Afghan National Security Force, afghanistan, ANA, ansf, army, Feature, featured, graduation, independence, Infantry Branch School, ISAF, Kabul, nato, nato training mission, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, NTM-A, soldier, training, transition

Category: News - Afghan National Army, News - General