Face of Defense:

12/07/2012 08:30 AM CST

Soldier, Sailor Provide Troop Services By Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Neff Provincial Reconstruction Team Kandahar KANDAHAR CITY, Afghanistan, Dec. 7, 2012 - Day-to-day operations at Camp Nathan Smith here wouldn't be the same without Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Currier and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony McRoberts. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Currier, left, and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony McRoberts work in the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team's personnel section to provide much-needed services to troops based at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeff Neff . The duo work diligently behind the scenes in the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team's personnel section as they provide much-needed services to KPRT members.There isn't much that happens without their involvement, from personnel rosters and daily tracking to service members' finances, awards, and promotions. When the mail arrives, soldiers and sailors wait patiently outside while Currier and McRoberts drive over and get it. Mail is an issue near and dear to all and serves as the lifeline from family members to the troops. McRoberts, who's been in the Navy for two years, was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., and hails from Midland, Mich. He is based at Naval Air Station Coronado in San Diego on the USS Ronald Reagan. He plans to complete his bachelor's degree in information systems management. McRoberts concurrently works as a Counter Radio Electronic Warfare Master Gunner. Being a CREW Master Gunner consists of radio frequency engineering for electronic warfare jamming systems involving reacting to and countering radio-controlled explosives. Texas-born Currier is from San Antonio and now calls Newport News, Va., home. He is an Army reservist from the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and has been in the Army for 22 years. Currier served in a variety of duty positions, starting as a combat medic in the 1st Cavalry Division. He later served at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and then deployed to Iraq where he was in charge of a military police aid station. Currier would later deploy to Kosovo where he served as first sergeant in a civil affairs detachment. The Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team is a civil-military organization consisting of U.S. Navy and Army active-duty and reserve members who conduct operations to support the growth in capacity and capability of the Kandahar provincial government. KPRT works closely with other military units, civilian agencies, contractors and nongovernmental organizations to support the Afghan government's progress toward sustainable stability.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Guard Duty

11/23/2012 12:45 PM CST

U.S. Army Spc. David White provides security as he stands guard during a key leader engagement in Farah City in Afghanistan's western Farah province, Nov. 18, 2012. White is assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah.

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 23, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader coordinated improvised explosive device emplacements and ambushes against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said.

The security force detained two other suspected insurgents.

In Nov. 21 Afghanistan operations: -- Three Taliban senior leaders, including the No. 1 Taliban leader in western Logar province, were killed Nov. 21 during a security operation in Logar province. At the time of his death, Abu Baker was the top Taliban leader in western Logar province. Abu Baker facilitated weapons to insurgents, planned attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and was directly involved in foreign fighter facilitation. Deceased Taliban leader Bashir was involved in the Aug. 7 suicide-vehicle IED attack on Forward Operating Base Shank, and directly linked to the final, pre-execution stages of planning for an impending vehicle-borne IED attack targeting Afghan and coalition forces in Logar province, officials said. Deceased Taliban leader Zarqawi facilitated weapons to execute IED as well as direct- and indirect-fire attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. A number of additional insurgents were also killed. One suspect was detained and several rocket-propelled grenades and multiple assault rifles were confiscated. -- A combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator in Kunduz province. The arrested facilitator is suspected of being directly involved in the purchasing and distribution of weapons to Taliban fighters. The security force also detained one other suspect and seized rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, hand grenades, assault rifles and ammunition. -- Combined forces arrested a Taliban senior leader in Nimroz province. The arrested insurgent leader is suspected of being involved in the purchasing and movement of weapons and providing intelligence to other Taliban senior leaders. The security force also detained a number of other suspects.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Soldier Survives Gunshot to Helmet

By Army Spc. James Wilton Combined Joint Task Force 1 – Afghanistan BAGRAM, Afghanistan, June 17, 2011 - "There is something I need to tell you" are not the words any mother wants to hear from her son who is deployed to Afghanistan. Army Spc. Tom Albers, of Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Redhorse, stands outside the Troop C command office June 13, 2011, ready for battle, after taking a round of enemy fire to the helmet two weeks prior. U.S. Army photo by Spc. James Wilton  But this time, Army Spc. Tom Albers, a Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Redhorse, driver and infantryman from Alton, Iowa, had good news, considering the alternative. "I am fine and healthy and not hurt, everything is OK -- but," Albers said to his mother over the phone, "I have been shot in the helmet." "You were wearing the helmet right," his mother responded. The phone call was made May 28 from Craig Joint Theater Hospital at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. Albers and his team were conducting a patrol earlier that day in Parwan province when the Afghan police officers they were teamed with spotted an individual associated with insurgent forces. While searching a hillside, the team came under fire. "My head cleared the hill ... I saw a house on my right, and as I was in the middle of saying, 'Hey I got a house over here,' when I heard the first shot," Albers said. "I felt something hit me in the side of the helmet and was knocked to the ground. It felt like someone had hit me in the head with a wooden baseball bat." The team quickly took cover and responded with fire on the building. Albers was stunned, but after checking himself and realizing he was still alive, he regained his bearings and took up a position to return fire. "I laid there for what seemed like five minutes, but realized later that it was just a couple of seconds. I thought to myself, 'Am I dying? No, I don't really think so,'" Albers said. "Felt my head, no blood or anything, so I thought, 'OK. What just happened to me?' I was confused but I turned around and started laying down fire from the direction it had come from." Albers and the joint terminal attack controller were on one side of the building while the rest of the team was 50 to 100 meters away on the other side. They were taking heavy fire so they decided to pull back and join the rest of the team. "I was just getting plinked at, rounds were hitting in a consistent, natural firing rhythm, but I look up at Albers and his position is just getting obliterated; he was covered in dust," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Jason Roland, the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron joint terminal attack controller from Tacoma, Wash., who was attached to Albers' team that day. "Someone was going full-auto on his position, so I yelled up at him and told him to move." The group provided suppressive fire so Albers and Roland could pull back and regroup with the rest of team who were taking cover behind a building and wall. "It really surprised me, from the moment I thought, 'OK, I am fine and there is no blood running down my face,' until after we met up with the lieutenant, I don't really remember anything," Albers said. "I think that is because I wasn't thinking, I was reacting, doing what needed to be done; covering fire, moving back, whatever it was. I think that was all because of our training, muscle memory kicked in. It made me think, 'All that time we spent training wasn't stupid. It wasn't pointless. It is needed and it works.'" Albers reacted like he was trained to, and he seemed responsive and aware, Roland said. The only part that seemed strange to his fellow team member was a question he kept asking. "Albers did fine. The only thing that was funny is as we fell back, I realized something is little weird with Albers. He keeps asking about his helmet," Roland said. "It feels like something hit his helmet; he wants me to look at his helmet. I say, 'I don't care about your helmet. I want you to [watch] to the north because if we get attacked they're going to come from the north.'" The team called in air support and enemy fire subsided enough to assess the situation. One Afghan police officer was injured, so medics were called to attend to him. Albers assisted the medic with the other injured teammate. "At that time, the medic had time to check on Albers and he realizes that he got shot in the helmet," Roland said. "He passes this on to the lieutenant who decides it is time to pull back." As they began pulling out, Albers said he finally realized the seriousness of what had happened. "I was pulling security and just keep thinking to myself, 'I just got shot in the head,' I would hear something and move and again think, 'I just got shot in the head. What just happened?'" Albers said. The events that day stuck in his mind for days to come, he said, and serve as a reminder to stay vigilant and to enjoy every day, no matter how tough. Medics evacuated Albers, and after hospital staff gave him a battery of tests, they found him to be perfectly healthy, minus a small burn mark across the top of his head. The patrol that day was a normal one for any infantryman facing risks that accompany a deployment to a combat zone. Albers knew this, but he wanted to be in the military ever since he could remember. "According to my parents, I have wanted to join the military since I could talk -- it was either Marines, Air Force, this, that," Albers said. When he was 17, Albers spoke with a recruiter, who is now a first sergeant in the same squadron, and decided the time was right. Now at age 20, he said he feels the deployment is going well and has enjoyed every part of his three-year military career. He is the only member of his large family currently in the military, but his father and grandfather are both veterans. "My favorite part is the camaraderie, especially after this incident. Everyone has been very supportive," Albers said. "They are all like my brothers now." The team watched over him at first, making sure he was doing all right, he said. "Everyone was cool about it. Everyone was here for me, making sure I was OK and if I had to talk to anybody they were here for me," Albers said. "We joke around about it, now that I they know I am fine, and now that I got the Purple Heart." Albers' experience a big part of the jokes shared about the team. These simple actions prove to Albers that they care and help him to not take the incident too seriously. His family also has helped to keep him smiling about the incident. "My nephew, Talon, got on his mom's [social media page] and sent me a message, 'I am glad you're OK, but no more messing around. That was scary, don't be messing around anymore,'" Albers recalled. The 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry, will be in Afghanistan for another month or two, and afterward, Albers said he is looking forward to spending time with family and friends and going back to school when he returns. The shot has not deterred his desire to be in the military, and he plans to reenlist when his current contract ends. Albers plans to stay in the infantry, and has hopes to move up in the ranks to become a squad or platoon sergeant. The helmet, which will be sent to his house after military officials examine it, will serve as a training tool to teach his soldiers the importance of the proper wear of their protective equipment, or at the very least, to keep their heads down.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Military, Afghan Leaders Mark Orphanage Opening

By Karen Parrish  American Forces Press Service SHARAN, Afghanistan, April 26, 2011 - "Safe haven" took on new meaning yesterday as hundreds of Afghans gathered to open an orphanage here in Paktika province's capital. Afghan boys attend the April 25, 2011, opening ceremony for the orphanage where they will live and go to school in Sharan, the capital of Afghanistan's Paktika province. The orphanage is a Commander's Emergency Relief Program project managed by U.S. Army National Guard engineer units deployed to Paktika. DOD photo by Karen Parrish  The U.S. military contributed funding and construction oversight for the orphanage, which includes three classrooms and will house and educate up to 100 orphan boys. Speaking through an interpreter, Paktika Gov. Mohibullah Samim said the U.S. engineers involved in the project contributed not only funding, but also expertise, through the orphanage's construction. During his keynote speech, the governor spoke to the boys who will live in the orphanage. "Today you are a student, [and] tomorrow you will serve Afghanistan," he said. Afghanistan has experienced great improvement over the last 10 years, Samim said, noting that the boys at the Sharan orphanage and millions of other children across Afghanistan now have the opportunity to go to school. "A hundred thousand students are going to university or private colleges in Afghanistan right now," Samim said. "More than 350 people from Paktika are among them." The governor said Afghanistan's progress also is visible in the number of now-paved roads and the ability of the nation's army and police forces to work with and protect the people. "The young generation should not be hopeless," he said. "We are moving Afghanistan from backward to forward, and the people from adversity to fortune." The orphanage is a Commander's Emergency Relief Program project managed by the Oregon Army National Guard's 1249th Engineer Battalion, known as Task Force Gridley, part of the 101st Airborne Division-centered Combined Joint Task Force 101, responsible for the 14 provinces of Regional Command East. The battalion's higher headquarters is the Texas Army National Guard's 176th Engineer Brigade, deployed as Task Force Hammer. Both engineer organizations work alongside Task Force Currahee, which is responsible for Paktika province and is built around the division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Dial, commander of the 1249th Engineers, told the crowd the orphanage opening was an accomplishment for the governor of Paktika, the village's residents and the entire Sharana district. "Their hard work and commitment to improving the future for local children is inspiring," Dial said. "Thank you for allowing us to be partners in this facility and a small part of your success." Army Lt. Col. Jim Cline, 176th Engineer Brigade's officer responsible for design, surveying and civil-military operations, also addressed the audience. He said the orphanage represents a landmark commitment from the Afghan government to the people of Paktika. "The children who live and learn here, in a safe environment, will look forward to a secure future for them and Afghanistan," Cline said. "It is our hope and prayer that the children served by this orphanage will grow to be leaders of the future." After the ceremony, Cline told American Forces Press Service that since his brigade arrived in September, the orphanage has progressed from foundation to completion. Projects that include an education component, such as the orphanage, are in line with the U.S. and NATO "long-game" strategy for Afghanistan, Cline said. That strategy, he explained, involves solving illiteracy and breaking the country's cycle of poverty. A local contractor did the orphanage construction work, Cline said, and the $380,000 project serves as an example of the sustainable projects U.S. forces seek to emphasize here. It's a basic, wood-heated structure that includes a kitchen, electrical power and plumbing. "You try to match the construction to what people are used to," Cline said. "The technology has to be sustainable by the people who build it." Funding for CERP projects is scaling back, he added, but a number of other short-term, quick-benefit, low-cost efforts are under way. Army Capt. Bryan Babcock, civil affairs team chief for Task Force Gridley, said the orphanage's size made it a focal point for the engineers' efforts in Paktika. "We kind of run the whole spectrum, but most of our [projects] tend to be a little smaller -- things that can get done in 45 days or less," Babcock said. The task force tries to hire all local labor for projects, he added, which keeps costs down and provides economic benefits in the communities. A vocational small-business-management and agricultural college is one ongoing project the task force supports to build a sustainable economic base in the province, Babcock noted. "A lot of these business graduates are going to get first crack at a whole series of smaller projects," he said. "These are projects that are very small in scope, typically very simple –- a small dam, 10 meters across. It's a great way for someone to polish their technique." Cline summed up the significance of the orphanage opening in the overall push for progress in Paktika. "It had all the elements: local buy-in, support of the political leadership, sustained by multiple [U.S. military] units coming through. ... It's what right looks like," he said.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

U.S. military representatives and local leaders attend the April 25, 2011, opening ceremony for a new orphanage and school in Sharan, the capital of Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Gov. Mohibullah Samim delivers the keynote speech during the April 25, 2011, opening ceremony for a new orphanage and school in Sharan, the capital of Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Two Afghan boys attend the April 25, 2011, opening ceremony for the orphanage where they will live and go to school in Sharan, the capital of Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution An Afghan boy holds a backpack presented to him by U.S. Army representatives during the April 25, 2011, opening ceremony for the orphanage where he will live and go to school in Sharan, the capital of Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution Army Capt. Bryan Babcock speaks to staff members of the new Sharan orphanage in Afghanistan's Paktika province, April 25, 20112. The orphanage is a Commander's Emergency Relief Program project managed by U.S. Army National Guard engineer units deployed to Paktika. DOD photo by Karen Parrish Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Mullen Says U.S. Must Get Iraq Transition Right

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, April 22, 2011 - The U.S. military needs to get it right as it transitions out of Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told soldiers in Baghdad today. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addresses service members assigned to U.S. Division Center at Camp Liberty, Iraq, April 22, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy  Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke to soldiers and airmen assigned to the 25th Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade at U.S. Division Center headquarters here. About 47,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq, mostly in an "advise and assist" role. With all American troops due to leave by the end of the year, Mullen called on the service members to make sure "we get everything right in this transition." What they do will give Iraq a chance to have a better future with a military that is under civilian control, and have a force that is "responsive, capable, able to take care of their own people, their own borders and their own security," the chairman said. The change in Iraq presaged the sea change in the Middle East, Mullen said, and that "adds that much more criticality toward getting it right in Iraq." The Iraqi government and people now have the main job in establishing a peaceful, stable government, but U.S. troops have a support role to play, he added. Nations around the region are trying to figure out how to put in place all that is necessary to have a democracy, in an area with little or no democratic tradition, the admiral noted. "And Iraq is at the heart of that," he said. "I'm delighted that most of the challenges here now are political," and not military. The world is unpredictable, the chairman said, noting that strangely, that will be a constant for the future. For example, he said, he had no idea in January that Japan and Libya would be the countries he would be most concerned about in March. The tempo of deployments will drop, and troops will soon be home twice as long as they are deployed, he said. But given the unpredictability in the world, no one can afford not to be ready to respond at a moment's notice. "We're going to continue to deploy," he said. "We don't necessarily know where." The United States is looking for a long-term strategic partnership with Iraq, Mullen said. "The details of what that means -- whether there will be trainers here, or what the numbers will be, if any at all – are yet to be worked out," he added. With the reduction in tempo, soldiers will have more time in garrison, and that will mean a new set of challenges, the admiral said, noting that much of the Army has not spent significant amounts of time at home stations. "Sergeants first class and below have just been deploying to the fight. Majors and below are just deploying to the fight," he said. "They have no idea what it's like to be in garrison." Senior officers and noncommissioned officers know what it's like to be in garrison, the admiral said, and they now have the extra responsibility to instruct other service members on what being in garrison is all about, such as how training is accomplished and what the rules of discipline are. In this era of budgetary constraint, getting the "people" portion of the budget right is most crucial to the long-term health of the force, Mullen said. After almost 10 years of war, he noted, this is the most combat-experienced force in America's history, and it's important for the military to retain that seasoned force. "If we don't do that, it will be difficult, no matter what our budget is or the stuff we're buying," he said.

Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Mullen

Review to Consider Consequences of Budget Cuts

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 21, 2011 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the comprehensive defense review he plans to launch soon will ensure any further defense budget cuts are based on a well-thought-out analysis of the consequences of decisions made. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright hold a joint press conference at the Pentagon, April 21, 2011. DOD photo by R.D. Ward "The worst of all possible worlds, in my view, is to give the entire Department of Defense a haircut that basically says 'Everybody is going to cut 'x' percent,'" Gates told reporters today during a Pentagon news briefing. "That is the way we got the 'hollow' military in the 1970s and the 1990s." Gates said he does not know exactly how much of the additional $400 billion that President Barack Obama seeks to cut from national security program budgets between now and 2023 will come from DOD. The secretary said he's gratified that Obama has agreed to wait for the findings of a comprehensive DOD review before making specific budgetary decisions. "I want to frame this so that options and consequences and risks are taken into account as budget decisions are made, first by the president, and then by the Congress," Gates said. "What I hope to do is frame this in a way that says, 'If you want to cut this number of dollars, here are the consequences for force structure. Here are your choices in terms of capabilities that will be reduced or investments that are not made. And here are the consequences of this.'" The budget review "needs to be a process that is driven by the analysis," the secretary said, "and where it is about risk management with respect to future national security threats and challenges as well as missions that our elected officials decide we should not have to perform or can't perform any more because we don't have the resources." Gates said he has had just one meeting to begin thinking about ways to conduct the review, and has not yet decided on an approach. One suggested approach, he said, would begin with the Quadrennial Defense Review and to consider the implications of scaling back or eliminating specific missions. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the review will involve important strategic considerations about quantities and capabilities. Cartwright said the review could challenge some long-held assumptions, such as the department's ability to fight two major theater conflicts simultaneously. Some people believe that funding the Defense Department at the rate of inflation for the next 12 years could identify much of the cost savings that Obama seeks, Gates said. However, he noted, that approach wouldn't account for costs for health-care, fuel and critical big-ticket investments. "We have some investments we have to make," the secretary said. "We have to buy the new [Air Force refueling] tanker. We have to replace some of the surface ships ...built during the Reagan years that will age out over that 12-year period...All elements of the [nuclear] Triad need to be modernized" -- bomber aircraft, land-based missiles and ballistic-missile submarines. "You may have to make some choices there," Gates said. "I want to frame this so it is not a math exercise, but so people understand the strategic and national security consequences of the decisions that they are making."

Biographies: Robert M. Gates Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright

Afghan Forces Expand, Gain Capability

By Cheryl Pellerin of American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2011 - The Afghan army is growing fast and simultaneously struggling with the need to educate and train its noncommissioned officer corps, the senior enlisted leader of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan said today. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill of the International Security Assistance Force at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Dec. 3, 2010, after receiving a gift from Hill and Gen. David H. Petraeus, ISAF commander. Hill briefed Pentagon reporters via video teleconference Feb. 24, 2011, on the state of Afghanistan's security forces. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Michael L. Sparks  Army Command Sgt. Major Marvin Hill and his Afghan counterpart, Sgt. Maj. Roshan Safi, spoke with reporters at the Pentagon during a video teleconference from ISAF Joint Command headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. "The Afghan National Army, like the entire [Afghan security forces], has come a long way in just a short period of time," Hill said. The Afghan security forces include the army, the air force and the national police. Since 2009, the army has grown more than 56 percent, Hill said. In the past year, it's grown by about 50,000 soldiers, more than 23,000 of them are in training, and the army consistently meets its recruiting goals, he added. With new programs for recruitment and retention, higher salaries, an automated pay system and an attrition rate of 1.6 percent per month, growth is not a problem, he said. "The bigger challenge is creating an entire structure of military education and development that will professionalize the entire force," Hill said. A big part of Roshan's role is helping professionalize the Afghan army's noncommissioned officer corps, he added. In 2009, only 86 percent of army recruits were literate, and there was no mandatory literacy training. Soldiers faced substandard pay, shortages of equipment, a poor quality of life and a high attrition rate, Hill said. "Under Sergeant Major Roshan's leadership, there's been a 76 percent increase in trained noncommissioned officers," Hill said. "[Afghan army] NCOs are already filling key positions, such as instructors for professional courses, as well as setting the example for standards and discipline," Hill said. Today, all soldiers receive mandatory literacy training, he added. They are are outfitted with Afghan-made uniforms, NATO weapons and high-quality equipment. Eleven of the 12 branch schools are open -- including infantry, engineering and intelligence -- and in many case, Afghan soldiers already are taking the lead as instructors, Hill said, adding that Afghanistan's army is "built on the pride of its people." Soldiers represent several ethnic groups, including Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek, Hill noted, and the army takes pride in being "the protector of the people and the nation." As a result of support the Afghan army has received from the United States and coalition forces, Roshan said, Afghan soldiers have begun to take the lead in a number of combat operations. "We are well on our way to taking full control and leading all combat operations by 2014," he said. "By working shoulder to shoulder today, we will stand on our own tomorrow." "Hooah!" Hill added, and both senior NCOs smiled. Since 2009, women have served in the Afghan army, Roshan said. "Just 10 years ago, women were not allowed to attend school," he said. "In fact, women had very little rights at the time. Now, we see women attending school, and they hold meaningful jobs in our community and position in our government." The Afghan army's training center is training future female NCOs, he added. In late 2009, 20 women graduated from the first female officer candidate school. Twenty more women are enrolled in school now, and women also are enrolled in the military medical school, the Afghan sergeant major said. Challenges lie ahead for the growing army, Hill said, especially in the areas of equipment and international trainers. "The end state is that by 2014, the [Afghan army] is a self-sufficient professional force," Hill said. "This process will take time," he added, "but ISAF is fully committed to an enduring relationship and partnership with the Afghan National Army and the Afghan national security forces as a whole." In the meantime, Hill said, protecting people is the No. 1 concern. "Right now, we have 110,000 more forces here in Afghanistan than we had at this time last year," Hill said. "We have 70,000 more Afghan national security forces, and we have 40,000 more U.S. and coalition forces. And that's providing a better umbrella of security. "Just months ago," he continued, "the people in Marja couldn't come out of their homes. And today, bazaars are open, there are open shops and markets, and schools are open. There's a girls' school open that has 180 students, and that wasn't the case just months ago. Security always is a problem anywhere, Hill said. "But here," he added, "we are combating that with the boots we have on the ground and with a competent Afghan national security force."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

clearing operations in Zadran, Afghanistan

A U.S. Soldier from an Afghan-international security force provides security during clearing operations in Zadran, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2010. The security force set up a cordon and cleared multiple targets in Suri Kheyl. (DoD photo by Spc. Enoch Fleites, U.S. Army/Released)

A break during a dismounted patrol

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Platoon, Foxtrot Company, 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment take a break during a dismounted patrol near Combat Outpost Mizan in the Zabul province of Afghanistan Aug. 16, 2010. The patrol focused on speaking with the local population to assess their needs and surveying the security of the area. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Nathanael Callon, U.S. Air Force/Released)

An Afghan child saved from encroaching flood waters

 U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Huff and Cpl. Patrick O’ Rourke rescue an Afghan child from encroaching flood waters in Nari Shahi village in the Beshood district of the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on July 28, 2010. The soldiers are from Military Police Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Spartan and were returning from a patrol when they stopped to help distressed villagers. DoD photo by the U.S. Army. (Released)

Provides security during a shura

U.S. Army Cpl. Daniel Lehman, a rifleman with Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul, provides security during a shura at a village in the Zabul province of Afghanistan on July 19, 2010. DoD photo by Senior Airman Nathanael Callon, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

Afghan National Police (ANP) officer during a tour

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, speaks with an Afghan National Police (ANP) officer during a tour of the ANP’s Regional Training Center in Kandahar, Afghanistan, July 19, 2010. Petraeus visited the center along with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Bradley Lail, U.S. Army/Released)

Operation Healthy Hands

From left, U.S. Army Pvt. Nicholas Lucas, Sgt. James Triplett and Pvt. Richard Franco provide security during a mission in the village of Padkhab Shana near Forward Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan, July 17, 2010, during Operation Healthy Hands. The Soldiers are assigned to Alpha Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. (DoD photo by Sgt. Derec Pierson, U.S. Army/Released)

A one-minute warning call

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Romero and Army Staff Sgt. James Miller, both with the Khost Provincial Reconstruction Team, receive a one-minute warning call from circling helicopters in the Jaji Maydan district of Afghanistan July 6, 2010. Members of the PRT flew to Alghadi to conduct a quality assurance check on a school and to meet with the school’s teachers. (DoD photo by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter, U.S. Air Force/Released)

Taking a photo

U.S. Army Spc. Eric Cabral, assigned to a Joint Multinational Readiness Center team, takes a photo of the countryside in Afghanistan June 6, 2010, as Staff Sgt. Darrell Woodall looks on. Woodall is from Headquarters Platoon, Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment. (DoD photo by Staff Sgt. William Tremblay, U.S. Army/Released)

Shakes hands with an elder

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Baldwin shakes hands with an elder in the village of Shesh Khala in the Logar province of Afghanistan June 1, 2010. Baldwin is assigned to the 401st Military Policemen (MP) Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Brigade. (DoD photo by Spc. De'Yonte Mosley, U.S. Army/Released)

Joint patrol

A U.S. Soldier conducts a joint patrol with Afghan National Police in the Paktika province of Afghanistan May 22, 2010. During the patrol, the group discovered military uniforms believed to be used by insurgents to disguise themselves as Afghan National Security Forces. The Soldier is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment. 
















(DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Whitney Hughes, U.S. Army)

Mortar round

U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Morris shoots a mortar round from a 120 mm mortar tube during a training and certification test at a combat outpost in Afghanistan May 18, 2010. 




















(DoD photo by Sgt. Derec Pierson, U.S. Army/Released)

During a reconnaissance mission

U.S. Soldiers secure a perimeter in Sarde Sofla, Afghanistan, May 7, 2010, during a reconnaissance mission. The Soldiers are assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. (DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Joselito Aribuabo, U.S. Air Force/Released)