2015-2016 was another productive year for the NATO Resolute Support / U.S. Operation Freedom Sentinel missions to improve the capability of Afghan Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) to provide security and stability, and prevent extremist organizations from using Afghanistan as a safe haven for launching attacks on the U.S. and our Allies.
Supporting both the NATO and U.S. missions are the 600-plus Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Civilians, and Contractors of the Combined Security Transition Command -- Afghanistan (CSTC-A) / Deputy Chief of Staff Security Assistance (DCOS SA). The common purpose for the members of CSTC-A / DCOS SA is to develop effective, sustainable, and affordable Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). They achieve this mission by 1) providing resources the ANDSF need; by 2) Training, Advising, and Assisting (TAA) the ANDSF and the Ministries of Defense and Interior (MoD, MoI) in financial and resource management, sustainment, corruption reform, rule of law, and select capabilities; and by 3) ensuring the fiscal oversight and accountability of all resources provided.
Strategic direction from the President of Afghanistan and Commander of Resolute Support (COMRS) and U.S. Forces -- Afghanistan (USFOR-A) for the CSTC-A / DCOS SA mission has been mutually reinforcing and shaped a collaborative relationship between CSTC-A / DCOS SA, GIRoA and ANDSF leaders. President Ghani asked us to do three things: develop enduring systems and processes, improve the affordability of the ANDSF, and help retain International Community support for Afghanistan and the Resolute Support mission. COMRS / COMUSFOR-A guidance has focused our efforts on preparing the ANDSF for 2016, improving their effectiveness to ensure the security outcome in 2016 is better than that of 2015.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Key principles of the effort over the past year have been: achieve Afghan ownership, protect the resources, provide effective advising, build teamwork, employ creative thinking, and balance near term effectiveness with long term sustainability and affordability.
Afghan ownership is the objective of the TAA effort and its measure of success. Afghan-led processes are by their nature attuned to Afghan organizational culture and more likely to endure. As funding is what allows the ANDSF to operate, protecting that funding is critical to the viability of the mission. CSTC-A / DCOS SA therefore focuses on programming and planning of requirements, cost-efficient execution, oversight and stewardship of resources provided, and accountability.
Advisors are essential to the TAA mission. Their selection and in-theater training continue to be critical for success. But, since success requires a team effort, CSTC-A / DCOS SA has focused on developing a positive, collaborative relationship with our Afghan partners, other team members of RS and USFOR-A, the international community, and supporting U.S. agencies. Hence, "Team of Teams! One Fight!" has been our motto. Because the operating environment is complex, evolving, and challenging, we have focused 1) on critical thinking and involving other stake-holders to understand the problems we face, 2) creative thinking which leverages diversity of teammates, and 3) holistic approaches which result in comprehensive solutions.
Finally, while everyone in RS and USFOR-A are focused on near term effectiveness, CSTC-A / DCOS SA are particularly focused on achieving long term sustainability and increasing affordability. By sustainability we refer to President Ghani's request for enduring, Afghan-owned systems which enable GIRoA to field and operate forces. By increasing affordability we mean gaining cost-efficiencies and reducing waste on one hand and improving revenue of the Afghan government on the other.
PROGRESS THIS PAST YEAR
Over the past year the CSTC-A / DCOS SA main effort has been to ensure success of the ANDSF. Guided by COMRS's direction and lessons from 2015, our efforts have been in providing resources and TAA to reconstitute the 215th Corps in Helmand, to resource the rest of the ANDSF, especially the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF), to achieve the objectives of the Afghan campaign plan, and to provide critical C-IED and ISR fielding.
As a result of CSTC-A / DCOS SA sustainment and advisory efforts six kandaks of the 215th Corps were re-employed in operations that have expanded security throughout central Helmand. Supplies, vehicles and weapons, maintenance support, C-IED and ISR capabilities, and facilities were provided to weight the main effort and enable supporting efforts by Afghan forces. New aircraft and the first ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Systems were fielded and successfully employed to great effect. Training, facilities, maintenance and supplies were collaboratively provided by CSTC-A / DCOS SA and its operational partners in theater. Prominent among facilities provided to the ANDSF were new MoD and MoI Headquarters. These new facilities are providing consolidated and improved command and control of the ANDSF.
The next important effort of CSTC-A / DCOS SA has been securing funding from the U.S. and other donor nations to 2020. To enable predictability for GIRoA in force management, capability development, and security the U.S., its Allies and Partners, and other donor nations decided to aim toward a recommitment of security assistance, which would sustain the ANDSF at current force levels out to 2020. CSTC-A / DCOS SA partnered with the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, NATO HQ, GIRoA, RS and donor nation embassies, to ensure a common understanding of requirements and expectations, a common view of progress, and GIRoA delivery on its commitments. The result was the very visible reaffirmation of political and financial support at the Warsaw Summit and successful White House and Congressional support for future Afghan funding requirements, a strong message of support to the Afghan government and people.
LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY, AFFORDABILITY
The strategic focus of CSTC-A / DCOS efforts has remained long-term sustainability and affordability. TAA efforts covered resource management and corruption reform to achieve increasing self-reliance and maintain donor support. Force management advising and support has improved the ministries' ability to manage capability development and has aligned force planning with Afghan and U.S. budget cycles.
Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution has been an area of significant progress. For the second year in a row ANDSF budget planning and programming have been inclusive with Afghan, U.S., and donor nations all contributing information on requirements and funding, and developing a budget for sourcing by U.S., GIRoA, and donor nation funds. Both security ministries have successfully developed three-year programs and annual budgets. And both continue to assess and adjust in-year budget execution.
National procurement reform paired with efforts on procurement and budget execution have led to increased transparency, improved external oversight, cost reductions, and efficiencies in contracting through the introduction of framework contracts, which consolidate requirements and provide for economies of scale, and multi-year contracts, which reduce the number of contracts.
Long term sustainment efforts have focused on developmental shortfalls in capacity, understanding of effective and affordable processes, and training and education of sustainment skills. ANDSF tactical logistics and maintenance, particularly of weapons and communications, continues to be a relative strength. Strategic resource management, including life cycle management, material and inventory management, remains a challenge. Despite the challenge, much progress has been made in understanding how to improve sustainment capacity in terms of human capital, culture, and systemic obstacles.
Achievements in sustainment over the past year include development of a force sustainment campaign plan focused on material readiness, improved maintenance, improved distribution of supplies, and improved accountability of critical assets. The first ever Life Cycle Management analysis was completed of all vehicles and weapons systems and resulted in actions to reduce complexity to manageable levels, improve life cycle replacement, and improve maintenance effectiveness. A thorough review of the ANA distribution system led to reorganization of the Logistics Command to improve the effectiveness of the Material Management Center, improve asset visibility and inventory management of the Central Supply Depot (CSD), and the velocity of supply distribution by the CSD and the National Transportation Brigade.
Finally, progress has been made toward corruption reform, an expectation of the International Community and the Afghan public, and a commitment of GIRoA. Within the security ministries advisory efforts with leaders and their Inspector Generals (IGs) remain focused on transparency, accountability, and oversight. Both ministries have put into effect viable Ministerial Internal Control Programs (MICPs), have established Organizational Inspection Programs and Annual Inspection Plans, have empowered their IGs to conduct inspections, and have completed the first-ever Counter- and Anti-Corruption (CAC) Plans. The MICPs and CAC Plans include risk management and standing commissions to confront corruption. Both ministries have implemented the requirement for leaders and resource managers to declare assets.
Since early 2016 the MoI's Major Crimes Task Force is under new leadership and empowered by the MoI and President Ghani to investigate cases of corruption. Dozens have been arrested from across the government for kidnapping, illegal trafficking, major theft, embezzlement, extortion, and bribery. Most significantly, President Ghani has established the country's first Anti-Corruption Justice Center (ACJC) to prosecute corruption and tackle the endemic culture of impunity. The ACJC is modeled after other successful enterprises already operating, which bring together trained investigators, prosecutors, and judges in a physically secure and politically insulated environment. A major focus over the past year, this initiative has the support of President Ghani and political and financial support of members of the International Community.
WAY AHEAD -- PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE
With the decision to retain U.S. forces at 8,400 into early 2017, the NATO decision to continue Phase I of Resolute Support, and the reaffirmation of International Community support at Warsaw to 2020, the way ahead is clear.
Troop support and financial commitment provide predictability to plan capabilities for the mid-term, and stability to continue multi-year initiatives that will build ANDSF capability, develop human capital, shape Afghan behavior, and achieve effectiveness, sustainability, and affordability.
With respect to building capability, we will continue to field aircraft (A29s, MD-530s), two more ScanEagle systems, and a Tactical Wideband Radio system providing forces a capability for voice, data, and streaming video. We will also provide replacement up-armored vehicles and weapons, which will enable the ANDSF to maintain operational tempo and sustain pressure against insurgents.
By maintaining our regional advisory platforms we will continue to leverage the visibility and influence provided by the TAA Commands (TAACs) and Sustained Expeditionary Platforms (SEPs). This visibility and influence are needed to implement and improve enduring Afghan-owned systems in Corps and Zones which directly contribute to the effectiveness of the ANDSF. This past year we initiated the Expeditionary Sustainment Advisory Team which travels to educate leadership, conduct staff assistance, and share best practices. The TAACs and SEPs provide regional touchpoints for feedback, reporting, and access to ground truth which inform sustainability and affordability efforts.
We will continue sustainment initiatives, such as improving maintenance production through the National Maintenance Strategy and other material readiness actions, improving accountability and asset visibility, expanding the fiber network, and adding property and maintenance management modules to the existing inventory management system.
We will continue to build capacity within both ministries through our Subject Matter Expert and Forward Area Support Team programs, providing technical experts in resource management and procurement, engineering and facilities maintenance, IG and legal support.
Finally, we will continue to refine how we assess and define penalties and incentives to shape productive Afghan behavior. For the past three years a series of commitment letters were signed between the CSTC-A Commander and Ministers of Defense, Interior and Finance as well as the National Security Advisor. These letters include penalties and incentives relating to conditions which must be met to continue to receive critical resources. Periodic assessments and notification letters when conditions are or are not met have proven successful in driving change and reinforcing positive behavior in accountability and good management of precious resources.
In closing, CSTC-A / DCOS SA will continue to contribute to dual U.S. and NATO missions in Afghanistan. By developing an increasingly effective, sustainable and affordable ANDSF we can achieve our aims in Afghanistan to improve security and stability and prevent this area from presenting a threat to our homeland. The effort is long term requiring continued commitment, sustained resources, patience, and a collaborative and committed team of our best. It is a challenging, but worthwhile endeavor for the United States, our RS Allies and Partners, and most importantly the Afghans who continue to fight and sacrifice for a chance of a better tomorrow. Team of Teams! One Fight!
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