NCO's role in Afghanistan

By Sgt. 1st Class Eliodoro MolinaApril 23, 2017

NCO role discussion
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Where is the issue
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Your flag is why we fight
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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (April 22, 2017) - The Afghan National Army (ANA) command sergeant major brought more than 20 ANA and Afghan National Police (ANP) senior enlisted advisors to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan to discuss the role of the noncommissioned officers (NCOs) in those formations. Five U.S. senior military advisors supported the shura.

During the senior enlisted shura the discussion focused on methods, policies and practices to better empower their NCO Corps and employ them to make the Afghan Army stronger. The group agreed on the need to better train their NCO's to develop their teams to become more lethal in their fight against Taliban and the Islamic State.

ANA command Sgt. Maj. Safi Roshan also discussed emerging practices in developing and using the NCO corps to help overcome other challenges facing the ANA.

"I am sending the NCO Corps to the prison to stop corruption and support the prison," noted ANA Command Sgt. Maj. Safi Roshan. " Tell me where the exact problem is, so I can fix that problem."

U.S. senior enlisted advisors listened to the discussions and proposed solutions that fit the ANA operational and resource environments. The U.S. is supporting the NATO train, advise, and assist mission with Afghanistan National Defense Security Forces, ANDSF.

"If the police have no trainers we need to support and send people to help train them. Think about all the partnerships and pillars of the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army that we have to support each other," said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Eugene Russell, Train, Advise, Assist Command -- East senior enlisted advisor.

"Use what you have. If you have 100 lethal warriors and not 1,000, you can decimate the enemy with just those 100. You have to train them. You must train them."

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. David M. Clark, NATO Resolute Support Mission senior enlisted advisor, presented command coins to four ANA Soldiers in recognition of their exemplary performance of duty and commitment to training Afghan Army noncommissioned officers.

"I am giving these Soldiers a coin from me. It does not have the American flag on it. It has the flag of Afghanistan because that is why we are here, " said Clark. "These (U.S.) Soldiers won't tell you what tribe they are from and all come from different backgrounds. They will say I am an American when you ask where they are from. That is what your Soldiers must do. They must say I am from Afghanistan not from what tribe. They are the future of Afghanistan. Build your force up. We need to do this for the future of Afghanistan."

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