Task Force Tiger 3 Soldiers prepping for deployment

By Sgt. 1st Class KEN MCCOOEY, 162nd Infantry Brigade, Fort PolkOctober 29, 2012

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FORT POLK, La. ---- The 162nd Infantry Brigade is responsible for training advisors and Security Force Assistance Teams deploying to support combatant commanders on a global scale. Soon, the brigade will be deploying its third iteration of its own cadre to support this mission in Afghanistan.

Task Force Tiger 3 is currently undergoing training at North Fort Polk in "Tigerland." The task force is divided into three Security Force Advise and Assist Teams of 12 members each.

The Soldiers will train for about three months. They will spend five to seven weeks training on advisor skills, combat skills and security force assistance skills, followed by eight days of training in the 162nd Inf Bde's Security Force Assistance Course. Their culminating training event will be to participate in a Joint Readiness Training Center mission readiness exercise with the unit that they will work with in Afghanistan.

Upon completion of the training here, the team will deploy and work as advisors to Afghan National Security Forces, according to Maj. Jack Samples, team leader, Task Force Tiger 3.

"During the SFA Course and the JRTC rotation, each individual is evaluated on their ability to understand Afghan systems and advise their respective counterpart on how to employ those systems," Samples said. "The success of the team is reliant on each individual's ability to advise their counterpart to improve the capabilities of their Afghan National Security Force unit. If the Afghans improve their capability and capacity for planning, conducting and sustaining operations, then the team is successful ... you can add a lot of detail to this to get the point across, but the bottom line is to get the ANSF to a state of independence ... resolve their own issues."

Task Force Tiger 3 Soldiers will deploy with the advantage of not only receiving their advisor training over the past few months, but also in having developed and refined the training as members of the 162nd. They are experts in advising and will apply their knowledge once deployed to succeed in their mission. Upon their return from deployment, the additional experience they gain will further serve to enhance the training the 162nd provides to the Army and other services.

"Upon return, the Soldiers will have a thorough understanding of the mission, thus will make better trainers," Samples said.

The goal for Samples and the other Soldiers of Task Force Tiger 3 is mission success, which is to "advise, assist, coach and mentor the Afghans to accomplish their missions at a level that meets Afghan standards," Samples said.