European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 7, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                May 2007 stars and stripes Mideast coition pages 90 Michael and stripes kit Kyle off the British army walks Down the line off afghan soldiers in the officer candidate school on a Range at the Kabul military training most of the Kotc training is done by the afghan army with coalition including and the British run a Security Force from scratch editors note today and tues stars and stripes is revisit ing the Effort to build a Ca Pable army and an effective and trustworthy Force for the people of by Kevin Dougherty stars and stripes Afghanistan the Road to Success in Afghanistan has been anything but straight and institution said army Robert who is leading the Effort to train and equip afghan Security this stuff is its also vitally As Durbin is Quick to Point All of which evokes an afghan proverb that goes something like this there is a path to the top of even the highest translation where there is a there is a for five years the United states and its allies have Dis played an indomitable will to re shape the afghan Security Struc a lofty and costly billions of dollars and millions of Man hours have been expended to create a viable army and police virtually from when you consider where the coalition wants to take there have been successes and failures at both ends of the class perhaps the most significant step Forward is the afghan nation Al army acceptance of a non commissioned officer said Durbin and others associated with the combined Security transition the corps has become a source of Pride and empowerment Well re moved from the experiences of the mainly the rigidity of the old soviet style system or the tyrannical whims of a they will not walk away from the noncommissioned officer even if we left Durbin they see it As a critical element of another positive development is the literacy literacy rates in Afghanistan vary from location to but its an accepted fact that a very Small percentage of the population can read and Navy Jeff Harrison of the Kabul military training Center estimates that maybe 5 percent of the recruits Are making the issuance of manuals and forms current efforts to remedy that have been these Days when recruits graduate from the Kotc they Are expected at least to be Able to write their fathers Village and and know the Ara Bic alphabet and soldiers sometimes will skip out on a Harrison but when that hour of literacy comes each Day they Are All if education and empowerment Are helping to further the other issues Are holding it much of the focus Over the past five years has entered on the but the Organiza Tion Durbin also is responsible for developing the afghan National police that Effort had been under the Purview of the state department until this fiscal police Are the first line of de sense in any counterinsurgency in Durbin and we kind of had our efforts see build on Page 4 keeping the bad Guys out of the Page 4 David of the Navy getting an air corps off the ground an aide to the afghan air chief slipped Back into the carpeted office with a rolled up blueprint and hurriedly handed it to the Mohammed Daw ran promptly unfurled the revealing a Colo coded plan for Shi Dand airbase in Western some of the Sites he began pointing to represented future renova while others delineated new construction for an instal lation that will play an important role in the resurrection of an air Force for Shi Dand will be the train ing Academy for the afghan air Daw ran said through an the thought of it puffed up an already proud a mig21 fighter Pilot who has had an Upan Down ride his entire air Force two years Afghanistan didst have an air not real plans Call for a Fleet of Well Over 100 rotary As Well As a corps of at least two or three primary air bases and a few smaller and an facade my for future addition air Force personnel Are coming on Board to Daw ran notes we still have a lot of work to that they the corps current Fleet of so Vetera aircraft six planes and 13 helicopters needs a lot of care and a dozen More helicopters Are expected to arrive but just last week a rocket fired on the corps Headquarters in Kabul temporarily disabled an an32 transport see air on Page 4 5 5 percentage of Cost for afghan Mission afghan percentage for the Mission percentage covered by International donations old afghan National army Ana Manning goal new Ana goal old afghan National police and goal new and goal 613 average number of Kabul military training Center grads per month last summer current monthly average 213 number of afghan Armorel vehicles number in the pipeline estimated 5 14 43 number of regular Ana corps number of Ana brigades number of Ana battalions at end state 6 number of Ana commando battalions up to 36 percent afghan army awol rate in 2006 11 percent current awol rate source combined Security transition command Afghanistan