Afghan Security Forces Growing Rapidly
Afghan Security Forces Growing Rapidly as U.S. Plans Exit
Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images
Afghan National Army soldiers arrive at the gate of the Afghan air force compound in Kabul.
Afghan National Army soldiers arrive at the gate of the Afghan air force compound in Kabul. Photographer: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images
Afghan Security Forces Growing Rapidly as U.S. Plans Exit
Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images
Afghanistan National Army soldiers undergo training by a U.S. contractor at Camp Leatherneck on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Afghanistan National Army soldiers undergo training by a U.S. contractor at Camp Leatherneck on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photographer: Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images
The size of Afghanistan’s security forces has increased by more than 50 percent in the past 18 months to 290,000 soldiers and police, a NATO adviser said today.
The Afghan National Army grew by 97,000 troops, to 164,000, since the NATO training mission began in November 2009, said Jack Kem, a civilian who serves as deputy to the training commander. The Army will have 171,600 troops by about September, he said.
The police force of 126,000, up from 95,000, will reach 134,000 later this year, he said.
The annualized attrition rate for the police dropped to 30 percent recently, from 70 percent early in the program, and is trending to less than 20 percent counting all forces, he said. He called that level “sustainable.”
“There’s been a dramatic increase in both the quantity and the quality of the Afghan national security force,” Kem said.
The U.S. plans to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July. NATO has endorsed a goal of handing over security control throughout Afghanistan to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.
Kem, briefing reporters at the Pentagon, said NATO has been recruiting 8,000 Afghan soldiers and police each month.
“We’re busting at the seams as we’re building new facilities to do the training,” he said.
A top incentive for Afghans to enlist has been the chance to learn to read and write, Kem said. He said 86 percent of recruits are illiterate. NATO has created literacy programs throughout the country and more than 81,000 recruits have enrolled.
Trainer Shortage
New recruits are subject to multiple screening methods to prevent potential terrorists from infiltrating the ranks, he said.
A Defense Department report last month found that growth of the Afghan security forces has been hindered by a shortfall in the number of coalition trainers.
Kem said NATO is short about 400 trainers in such specialties as policing, aviation and explosive ordnance work.
He said he has seen no impact on Afghan security forces from the death of Osama bin Laden. NATO expects to meet its goal to transition to all-Afghan-led security by Dec. 31, 2014.
To contact the reporter on this story: David Lerman in Washington at Dlerman1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva at msilva34@bloomberg.net.
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