ANA 201st Corps conducts first quarterly training brief

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan— The 201st Corps, Afghan National Army is making progress in their staff and training functions by conducting their first quarterly training brief at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Jan. 15. 

The briefing gives the commander an opportunity to review the previous quarter’s training progress and provides a forum for the commander to prioritize and plan future training objectives for subordinate leaders. 

Afghan National Army brigade commanders highlighted their training successes and future plans to the corps commander and staff.

“Sweat on the training field is success on the battlefield,” said ANA Brig. Gen. Mohammad Afzal, the 2nd Brigade Commander, referring to tough, realistic, combat focused training.

Commanders assessed individual and collective tasks on their mission-essential task list and rated each task as trained, needs practice or untrained depending on the proficiency of task completion, from the brigade staff all the way down to the individual warfighter at the team and squad level.

Some of the previous quarter’s training that the 201st Corps assessed at the QTB included company commander training, computer literacy, and team leader tactics. Other training highlights were the completion of the heavy weapons course, sniper course, vehicle maintainer course and M16 rifle qualifications.

How well each task was performed and assessed shapes the corps commander’s future training guidance and priorities. Specific training courses are implemented and conducted based on feedback from field commanders, the corps commander’s input and the unit’s METL.

The 201st Corps is assisted in conducting some of their training by the French Infantry Mobile Training Team, which runs the sniper course and heavy weapons course. These courses offer ANA soldiers the opportunity to become more proficient and develop leadership skills at the small unit level. 

The field artillery course, which will enable ANA units greater flexibility and fire power in kinetic operations, also promotes team building. Gun crews learn indirect fire techniques as well as how to work together, train together, and fight together.

Each brigade’s area of responsibility is unique and requires a different combat approach. The ANA 3rd Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Amam Nazar plans on conducting more counter-insurgency training during the next quarter. 

By formalizing their training assessments at the QTB, the ANA has identified areas of improvement, and will focus next quarter’s training on completing their assigned tasks. The adaptive leadership skills and problem-solving characteristics of the ANA enable soldiers to train while fighting a war, establishing a training cycle and support for that cycle.

“We don’t have the classroom space, so we use the barracks that the soldiers sleep in to conduct classes,” said ANA 3rd Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Amam Nazar.

The other brigade commanders expressed similar issues which will be addressed during the next few months of training.

At the conclusion of the briefings, the 201st Corps commander stated three factors that drive the 201st Corp’s mission. 

“Training, maintenance and mission command, as demonstrated by your presentations, these are what drives our mission focus,” said Maj. Gen. Abdullah, ANA 201st Corps commander.

The next quarterly training brief will be held in March.