September 19, 2007:
Three
years ago, the Afghan Army formed its first commando battalion. The unit was
trained by U.S. Marines. Since then, a hundred carefully selected Afghan
infantry NCOs were sent to Jordan for six months of commando training. These
sergeants then served as trainers during the formation of additional commando
battalions.
U.S. Army Special Forces have
also been involved in forming the five commando battalions that will supply
each of the five army corps with one of these special operations units. The
Afghan commandos are more similar to U.S. Army Rangers, although they also
serve as a reserve unit. The Afghan commandos are used for operations where
additional skill and reliability are required. The Afghan commandos also carry
out raids, and some have been given additional training, so they can operate
closely with foreign commando units.
The Afghans take well to
commando training, and respect commandos in general. The Russian Spetsnaz
commandos were feared and respected during the 1980s war, and U.S. Special
Forces, and various contingents of foreign commandos, have also impressed the
Afghans. While a warrior culture, the Afghans never developed the systematic
training that makes soldiers much more effective. Most Afghans realize that
it's this training that creates the formidable foreign commando warriors. So,
when given an opportunity to get this kind of training, there are plenty of
enthusiastic volunteers.