Imperatives for Working with Afghan Security Forces
Abstract
This paper is written for personnel destined to mentor Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as well as practitioners and policy makers involved in Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction Operations (SSTRO). The paper addresses the quality and execution of the ANSF mentor program, arguing that in most cases mentors are unprepared to effectively interface with their Afghan counterparts due to the absence of a formal training program that emphasizes Afghan history and culture. The imperatives addressed in this report are based upon one year of personal experience as an Afghan National Army mentor in the Ministry of Defense, along with input from 12 other senior U.S. mentors. The complexity and fluidity of the operating environment supports four recommendations: (1) Establishing an in-country mentor academy for senior coalition mentors; (2) Establishing strategic objectives for mentors; (3) Developing a detailed and extremely close-hold database about Afghan leaders that documents their relationships, tendencies, and progress as leaders; and (4) Establishing systems to begin tracking hard-earned mentor experience in Service personnel systems so the Department of Defense (DoD) can leverage these skills in the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA480167
Entities
People
- Scot D. Mackenzie
Organizations
- United States Army War College