• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Army Reserve Soldiers help train Afghan National Army

Army News Service

Release Date: 1/15/2004

By Maj. Wayne Marotto

KABUL, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Jan. 15, 2004) - A group of observer/controllers who normally train deploying Soldiers returned recently from their own deployment, where they put their teaching skills to use with a foreign Army.

More than 30 observer/controllers from the 75th Division (Training Support), an Active component/Reserve component training support division headquartered in Houston, Texas, spent six months near Kabul training members of the Afghan National Army. They worked with Coalition Joint Task Force 180, headed by the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).

Upon arrival at Camp Phoenix, the Soldiers separated into sections focusing on finance, light infantry, and installation operations. Maj. Isaac Johnson and Staff Sgt. Karmen San Nicolas set up a finance section that paid Soldiers at the camp in cash. Prior to that, they had to drive up to an hour away to Kabul or Bagram, which was sometimes difficult because of work schedules, transportation problems, or security concerns, said San Nicolas.

The 75th Soldiers worked closely with Afghan Soldiers to teach advance infantry tactics, organizational skills and leadership, for instance. They also served as examples of how professional Soldiers look and act.

The unit also assisted other coalition forces with helping the Afghan Army develop officer and non-commissioned officer corps. One of the points they stressed was that the Afghan officers should train their own Soldiers, with the U.S. and other coalition members offering training and advisement to the officers.

Capt. Craig Hickerson was at Fort Riley, helping mobilize reserve units headed to Iraq, when he volunteered for duty in Afghanistan. Hickerson, of the 3rd Battalion, 383rd Regiment, 3rd Brigade, has been on active duty since January 2002, when he himself was mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 left a deep mark, he said.

"I wanted to do my part on the war against terrorism,'' said Hickerson, explaining his reasoning for voluntarily heading into a world hot spot. "I wanted to make sure the people of Afghanistan were safe and not mistreated.''

Hickerson worked on a firebase, training Afghan Soldiers on light infantry tactics and patrolling, to better enable them to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda. He survived a harrowing night when the firebase was attacked with rockets, presumably from Taliban operatives. Hickerson earned with Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star for his actions there. Hearing personal thank-yous from Afghan citizens who appreciated him and other American Soldiers being there meant a lot, Hickerson said.

"I'm really proud I got to be part of history," he said.

Volunteering to go to Afghanistan caused Capt. David Poland some grief with his parents, who were angry with him for essentially putting himself in a war zone. Poland is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Storm, where he served with the 3rd Infantry Division as a tanker.

Like Hickerson, Poland was training Soldiers at Fort Riley when he felt a responsibility to do something more for the war against terrorism. In Afghanistan, he mentored the commander of an Afghan rifle company by sharing his knowledge of organization, accountability procedures, training plans, and preparing for combat missions.

Many of the Soldiers came home with the belief that their experience in Afghanistan will make them better observer/controllers while training and mobilizing U.S. Soldiers. Poland said he'll have more credibility when teaching a skill like convoy driving, now that he's done it himself in a combat situation. And Maj. Tim Snyder, a senior team combat advisor, has the advantage of having accompanied the Afghan Soldiers he taught on actual combat missions such as cache raids, patrols, and road checkpoints.

The division will continue to have a presence in Afghanistan when Soldiers from its 2nd Brigade accompany Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers when they deploy, along with members of the New England National Guard, to continue the mission of training the Afghan Army. The 25th Infantry Division (Light) from Hawaii will replace the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) when it returns to Fort Drum, N.Y.

(Editor's note: Maj. Wayne Marotto is the public affairs officer for the 75th Division (Training Support) in Houston, Texas.)