Event Description.
This lesson has been developed for PKSOI elective course PS2219b, Peace &
Stability Operations - Concepts & Principles, based upon readings and personal
experiences.
Lesson Contributor: Colonel Robert Molinari, US Army
d. TOPIC. Building Afghan Security Capacity through NATO
Training Mission-Afghanistan ( 2419 )
Observation.
NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan was a “game-changer” in building security
capacity in Afghanistan, making huge strides in comparison to previous
efforts/programs. However, although noteworthy progress has been made in
developing Afghanistan’s security forces, significant challenges remain.
Discussion.
On 21 November 2009, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization established a new
command, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A). The purpose of this
new command was to coordinate and synchronize the multi-national efforts to
raise, equip, train, and sustain Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). NTM-A
was a subordinate command to the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), also established by NATO. [Of note, the NTM-A Commander (LTG
William B. Caldwell, IV) also commanded the Combined Security Transition
Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A), which was charged with planning, programming, and implementing reforms of Afghan security forces in partnership with the
Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). At its peak
structure, CSTC-A/NTM-A was an 8,000 member advisor/mentor, combat theater
forward-deployed strategic command. In November 2013, NTM-A and CSTC-A
disaggregated, allowing each organization to focus on its unique mission set.
When NATO established the NTM-A in 2009, it also established another 3-star
command, the ISAF Joint Command (IJC), responsible for “fighting the fight” and
for mentoring fielded Afghan forces. IJC was disestablished in December 2014.]
NTM-A‘s focus areas were: recruit and grow the Afghan security force, increase
the quality of the force, and build the foundation to professionalize the force,
while developing the systems to sustain it so that it would become an enduring
and a self-sustaining force. In order to do this, NTM-A had to design, contract,
and oversee construction of facilities and bases for the ANSF across the country.
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