RSC-North Public Affairs

Balkh Province, Afghanistan - The Afghan National Police (ANP) have taken over logistics functions in northern Afghanistan.

RLC 1 – Members of the Regional Support Command-North Logistics Training Advisory Team, Staff Sgt. Jonathan Rivera, Bamberg, Germany, interpreter Khaibar Abdullah, Capt. Scott Koritz, Bamberg, Germany, interpreter Tareq Hafizullah and Tech. Sgt Thomas Warden, Misawa, Japan stand outside the Regional Logistics Center site in Balkh province. The team, along with their Afghan counterparts celebrated the transition of the Balkh RLC to Afghan control during a short ceremony
(U.S. Army courtesy photo)

The Regional Support Command-North Logistics Training Advisory Team celebrated the transition of the local Regional Logistics Center in Balkh province to Afghanistan National Security Forces control during a short ceremony in May.

“It is a really great honor to be the first RLC in Afghanistan under complete Afghan control,” said Lt. Col. Kherijani Abdullah, the RLC commander, during the ceremony. Up until now, coalition forces provided guidance and instruction on how to efficiently order and issue out supplies, conduct all vehicle maintenances, and how to properly document all necessary transactions.

Coalition forces and ANP staff joined together to sign over all necessary documents finalizing the turnover. Attendees included Brig. Gen. John Bullard, the deputy commander for coalition forces in Northern Afghanistan, Col. Ted Donnelly, the RSC-N commander, and several leaders with the 303^rd ANP.

“Once again, the RSC-North team and our ANP partners have led the way for transition in Afghanistan,” said Donnelly. “Lt. Col. Abdullah and his team deserve great credit for bringing RLC-Balkh to the point of self-sufficiency.”

Like other RLCs throughout the country, the Balkh RLC is in charge of issuing out various classes of supply to include clothing and individual equipment, ammunition, major end items such as vehicles, and medical supplies.  However, unlike other logistic centers, the Balkh RLC supports nine provinces throughout the North, more than any other RLC.

“The biggest obstacle in transitioning was that this particular RLC covers the most amount of space,” said Army Capt. Scott J. Koritz, the senior ANP logistics advisor with RSC-N.  “Some of the areas are hard to get supplies out to because they are so far from the major cities.”

Despite the issues and obstacles the RLC faced during the transition, the ANP organization is finally capable of managing all logistics operations on their own in the North.

“Their ability to order, receive, store and push supplies to the outlying units is what enables the provincial headquarters to concentrate on security measures for their region and not have to worry so much about being supplied,” said Koritz.

On top of that, turning over the responsibility and control of local sites is a serious ordeal for all the advisers involved. “It makes us proud as advisers to inform them that it is their own security forces that are out there every day doing the mission,” added Koritz. “The people of Afghanistan need to believe in this prior to coalition forces leaving Afghanistan.”

“Our ultimate mission here is for our Afghan counterparts to be in control of their own supply,” said Air Force Maj. Michael L. McLeod, the senior maintenance adviser with RSC-N. A mission, McLeod states, that is now complete.

Afghanistan recently celebrated the graduation of its first official flight medic course during a ceremony at the Afghan Medical Clinic located at Kabul Airfield.

A Canadian advisory team developed the course after drawing upon its personnel’s own search and rescue (SAR) technician and flight surgeon experiences. Within weeks of building a training plan, the team began providing guidance for two-week spring course that brought in 16 Afghan students from around the country. While Canadians helped devise the curriculum, the course was taught entirely by Afghans.

Afghan flight medic course students and their Canadian mentors pose in front of a Mi-17 helicopter used for CASEVAC missions at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan. (Canadian Armed Forces photo)

“As an advisor, this has been an outstanding experience; I never thought I would find myself in Afghanistan sharing my expertise as a search and rescue tech,” said Royal Canadian Air Force Warrant Officer Dan Lamoreaux. “It has been an exciting challenge for me, first learning the aircraft that the AAF operates, developing SOPs for operations throughout the country, and training AAF personnel to a level where they can sustain and train themselves.”

Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC) capability has become a critical focus for Afghan forces, and its development has propelled the capacity of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) forward, enabling it to become more self sufficient. Now, with Canadian personnel scheduled to depart Afghanistan in 2014, the team believes it is crucial that it continue working with AAF personnel to advance the CASEVAC program as far as possible, leaving a sustainable capability, with the possibility of progressing to a SAR capability in the future.

“For years, coalition forces have been providing medical care to the Afghan National Security Forces. Now the Afghans must begin to accept this responsibility,” Lamoureaux said. “CASEVAC has improved the accountability and command and control of patient movement in Afghanistan. Soon, the AAF will be retrieving their own personnel from point of injury and transferring sick or injured Afghans to and from medical treatment facilities via AAF aircraft with Afghan crews.”

Royal Canadian Air Force doctor and Aviation Medical Advisor Maj. Cathy Mountford took on the challenge of completing previously unfinished CASEVAC course plans by coordinating and formatting the necessary information into an approved training plan. Now that the AAF is flying missions with Afghan pilots, flight engineers and crew members – on both fixed wing and rotor wing aircraft – the advisors can shift their focus to creating other contingency plans for Afghanistan.

“Training the Afghans to be flight medics is an achievable task that is crucial to the sustainment of the AAF,” Lamoureux said. “As advisors, we can rest assured that the impact Canadians have had has been both positive and influential.”

Camp Shombak, Afghanistan – 2^ndLt. Azizullah Kohestani, from Afghanistan’s Kapsa province, has served in the ANA for three years, and has trained for more than a year to become one of the country’s first military Bio-Medical Electronics Technicians (BMETs).

2nd Lt. Azizullah Kohestani, one of the first Afghan soldiers to serve as a Bio-Medical Electronics Technician (BMET).
Photo by Navy Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Sean Weir.

“I joined because it was clear to me that my service to the country could be a positive step for a better Afghanistan,” said Kohestani. “As one of the first BMETS, we can do the important jobs that help hospitals run properly.”

Kohestani currently serves at Camp Shombak, Helmond, and will belong to the first medical team to receive training at the new Air Transportable Treatment Unit before returning to his permanent duty station in Kabul.

Kohestani comes from a military family. His father serves as an ANA security officer in a Kabul hospital, and his sister – who joined at the same time as him – graduated from the same BMET class.

“I want the hospitals in the country to be the best they can. Not just in the capital, but throughout all of Afghanistan,” Kohestani said. “Proper medical care is very important to me and I am very proud to be a part of the positive change.”

As a BMET, Kohestani’s responsibilities range from calibrating, troubleshooting and fixing medical equipment to facilities management, ensuring hospitals and clinics have power and proper ventilation.

Afghan air force Col. Mahmood Rahman and Lt. Col. Raees Khan sign six new training decrees in a ceremony May 4, 2013 at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee “Air University,” in Kabul, Afghanistan. The implementation of these decrees marks the first time the school had standard operating procedures for the teaching of the students. Rahman is the commandant of PeH, and Khan is the school’s education planning officer. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Anastasia Wasem)

The implementation of these decrees marks the first time in the school’s history to have standard operating procedures for the teaching of the students.

 
“I have been waiting for this day for a long time,” Col. Mahmood Rahman, Commandant of PeH, said. “Today we are signing paperwork that will play a critical role in the future of the Afghan Air Force. This is a very positive start for a brighter future.”

 
The Afghan Air Force Air University provides force development around three pillars; education, leadership development and professions training which includes classes in combat arms, combat services, professional military education and maintenance. The decrees created by the PeH leadership are vital to the teaching of these classes and include Training Request at PeH, Instructor Qualification Policy, Instructor Supervisor Qualification Policy, PeH Library Sign-out and Maintenance Policy, Training Material Review Policy and Instructor Waiver Policy.

 
The development of these decrees began in January when Capt. Tom Hines, PeH standards and evaluations advisor, deployed to the unit.

 
“There was no set way of teaching; no continuity for new people coming in to PeH,” Hines said. “Anything that was passed down was by word of mouth only.”

 
Hines suggested the idea for decrees and the implementation of standard operating procedures to the PeH AAF leadership and they immediately began to execute the idea. It became a team effort between the PeH Education Department and the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan advisors to design and develop each decree.

 
The decrees are designed to allow flexibility and change to the procedures as the AAF and PeH both continue to grow and develop. The AAF can edit the system easily based on future requirements.

 
“Solidifying the principles which guide our training source is vital,”Lt. Col. Mateeullah Shinwari, PeH chief of staff, said. “It sets the basis for the entire AAF through this education center.”

 
Some of the major changes based on these decrees include instructor qualification and courseware standardization. All instructors must go through a 120-hourmentoring class for each subject taught. This ensures instructors are well versed and educated on each course. In addition, there is now a standardized course curriculum for each class, including standardized syllabus, lesson plans, study guides and presentations. This guarantees that no matter which instructor is teaching a given class, the course work remains the same.

 
“I’m looking forward to putting these decrees into action,” said Rahman. “The instructors are hopeful that the curriculum will be enriched and to develop more courses in the future. The decrees signed today will help us reach that goal.”

 
PeH is the AAF Air University and is the technical school that new recruits attend after graduating from basic training at the Kabul Military Training Center. At any given time,the school is home to 400 to 800 students and more than 430 Afghan instructors, staff members and leadership.

(Camp Shorbak, Afghanistan) – Coalition and Afghan National Army service members worked together to create Afghanistan’s first Air Transportable Treatment Unit (ATTU) ­­at Camp Shorbak in Helmand Province in early May.

Helmand, Afghanistan– Coalition and Afghan service members work together setting up an Air Transportable Treatment Unit (ATTU) at Camp Shorbak, March 4. The ATTU is the only Afghan military-led, surgery-capable facility in Helmand province. Photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/IDW) Sean Weir.

It is the first of eight ATTUs scheduled for construction throughout Afghanistan. The ATTU is designed to provide a mobile capability to surgical stabilization on the battlefield.

“This is exactly what we need for right now,” said ANA surgeon Dr. Sami Yosufazai. “The ATTU will serve as a lifesaving surgical facility until we can get a bigger regional medical center built. The capabilities of this facility and the training our medical teams will receive at it will greatly improve our medical abilities.”

The ATTU will function as the only Afghan military-owned medical facility with trauma-stabilizing surgery capabilities in Helmand. Camp Shorbak’s current clinic cannot deal with surgeries. It’s mainly used for military sick call, minor injuries and immunizations.

The ATTU at Camp Shorbak is unique. Other ATTUs are intended for expeditionary use – moved from location to location. The Shorbak ATTU sits inside a warehouse next to their existing clinic. It will supplement and expand the clinic’s current capabilities, said U.S. Navy Capt. Joseph J. Kochan, Deputy Command Surgeon, NTM-A/CSTC-A .

“This addition is a significant improvement over the current situation in Helmand. It gives them the ability to take care of their own patients, which is a big step, given right now they rely on the personnel and facilities of Camp Bastion,” Kochan said. “It’s Afghans taking care of Afghans, which is what we are trying to develop.”

In addition to its functional surgical capabilities, the ATTU will serve as a training center where coalition members from Camp Bastion teach rotating surgical teams of approximately 20 ANA medical personnel during a 90-day course.

“It is much needed,” said Yosufazai. “It will help us grow and promote our medical readiness.”

The goal is to have the ATTU up and running quickly and using it in a functional manner, treating patients by the end of May.

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan National Army Special Operations commandos prepare to conduct a mission in Kandahar Province Feb, 20, 2013. The operation was conducted with the Afghan Air Force’s 379th Rotary Wing Squadron, which is advised by NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan. The 379th RWS is part of the Kandahar Air Wing. The operation showcased the growing capability of the KAW and the AAF to work with the ANA in order to conduct joint missions.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Jeremy Powell)

This scene would have been unimaginable just a year ago for the Afghan Air Force. However, with the beginning of the 2013 fighting season in Afghanistan, the Afghans and coalition partners alike turn to the AAF to provide the tactical elements of speed and range to the battlefield.

 
On the same day, another Afghan crew plans, coordinates and conducts an emergency casualty evacuation mission supporting wounded troops in restless Kunar province, and then returns to finish transporting 200 local police and 44,000 pounds of supplies to bolster governance in the region. Later overhead, an AAF airplane conducts its first reconnaissance mission in support of a ground corps’ operational planning. And at the end of the day, the first female Afghan fixed-wing pilot successfully completes her final evaluation before graduation, soon to join an operational unit.

 
All of these missions are Afghan-planned, Afghan-tasked and Afghan-led. NATO advisors, who just months ago were heavily assisting these missions, are now increasingly advising from the background.

 
The commander of the AAF, Maj. Gen. Abdul Wardak Wahab, is determined to develop a merit-based, ethnic and gender balanced modern air force that excels on the battlefield now and transitions to being fully capable prior to 2017.

 
“We now have a clear vision and strategy for success,” he explains, referring to the first Combined Strategic Flight Plan, an initiative he co-signed with his advising partners from NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan. “This is a plan with a timeline.”

 
As recently as last year, the development of Afghanistan’s air force airpower was largely dismissed as ineffective due to institutional weakness, high accident rates and lack of qualified aircrew. Maintenance challenges once grounded most of the NATO-supplied aircraft, destined to follow the former Soviet-supplied fleet that has deteriorated into boneyards across the country. Afghan National Security Forces seemed resigned to a lack of air support once coalition forces begin to draw down next year.

 
That impression has begun to change as the AAF has achieved a steady record of significant milestones. Included in this recent series of firsts are the first pilot graduates from Afghanistan in over 30 years, first all Afghan-led air assault mission, first AAF supported interagency mission, first fixed-wing CASEVAC mission, first air reconnaissance mission and first effective command and control system.

 
Most observers now assess that the AAF has begun to turn a corner in mission leadership, effectiveness and safety. In addition to being the most active period for flying to date, the first three months of 2013 were also the safest on record. As it emerged with tangible impact on the successful winter campaign, the AAF has increasingly provided effective air support under the initial tests of the 2013 fighting season.

 
“The Afghan Air Force’s unprecedented progress is now growing from the inside out,” said Wahab. “We are employing our force as well as we are developing it.”

 
Following the success of the winter campaign, the AAF increased effective support by over 60 percent in the first three months of 2013 alone, airlifting more than 9,400 troops and police, more than 642,000 pounds of equipment and humanitarian supplies and executing 192 emergency CASEVAC missions. Current execution of air support requests for ground units is at more than 83 percent with a mission effectiveness rate of more than 80 percent. Moreover, the trend appears to continue upward, as the AAF begins to develop critical new capabilities in air reconnaissance, air attack and air assault across six different bases and detachments.

 
These offensive capabilities have been critical to security operations across the country, especially around Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. The AAF’s first certified air assault missions and interagency support missions began in late 2012 at the Kandahar Air Wing.

 
“Air assault is one of many complex skills that the Kandahar Air Wing offers and is very important to the Afghan military,” stated Col. Attaullah, the 379th Rotary Wing Squadron commander. “These types of missions greatly support the Afghan National Army. Inserting forces at the exact right time surprises the enemy and denies their opportunity to respond.”

 
To the west in Farah city, as local authorities responded to a major insurgent attack on the courthouse April 3, the AAF Mi-17 helicopter and Cessna 208 response from the AAF unit in Herat was central to the success of the insurgent suppression.

 
“This was a tremendous effort,” Lt. Col. Toryalai, Herat Detachment Air Operations officer said, “But one for which our crews are constantly on the ready.”

 
AAF pilot Lt. Hhalid Ahmady, flew four CASEVAC missions and troop airlifts, bringing back 28 visibly tired commandos worn from intense combat operations.

 
“As an Afghan Air Force pilot, nothing makes me happier and more proud than supporting our ground troops to fight against an enemy whose only goal is killing innocent people and destroying my beloved country,” stated Ahmady. “I am really proud that I am a member of a team that puts their lives on the line on order to bring peace to our country.”

 
By the conclusion of the operation, the AAF had moved 120 combat troops, 21 CASEVAC patients, including several injured judges, and executed the dignified transfer of six fallen comrades.

 
In the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, currently the site of the highest number of insurgent attacks, the Kabul Air Wing support has quickly grown remarkably robust. On April 12, following an insurgent attack, the AAF Detachment at Jalalabad was able to plan, brief and launch aircraft within 50 minutes in order to provide emergency supplies to Outpost Farid Ahmad.

 
“It was quick and efficient,” said Maj. Marcus Janecek, NATC-A Detachment 1 commander and advisor at Jalalabad. “And coordinated command and control enabled the rapid execution of an important mission.”
Of particular focus, CASEVAC missions, considered critical to sustained ground unit morale and success, have made dramatic progress.

 
“The Afghan Air Force medics are now more familiar than ever with CASEVAC equipment and procedures,” said Col. Abdul Rasoul Mayel, AAF surgeon general. “With continued increase in training and equipment we’ll be able to maintain and sustain the successes we’ve seen recently.”

 
As recently as October 2012, the average response to battlefield wounded averaged 72-hours from the emergency call to medical treatment facility arrival. Currently, the AAF has honed its process down to under three hours, approaching NATO standards.
“CASEVAC capability is like a vitamin boost to the medical community,” said Col. Michael Paston, NATC-A surgeon general. “The Afghan Air Force has recently created standardization throughout the medical community that will continue to foster growth, development and professionalism in the future.”

 
With 2013 marking the first year that the Afghan National Security Forces are leading the fight, and the first year that airpower is part of the campaign plan, the present outlook for the AAF is increasingly positive from Afghans and coalition forces alike.

 
“The Afghan Air Force now has real confidence and momentum as it grows to full capability,” summed up Brig. Gen. Steve Shepro, NATC-A commander. “As we continue our close partnership, and build up important close air support and night operations, the AAF’s most important asset remains its Airmen that continue to develop and excel. The original goal was to see a fully-capable AAF by the end of 2017; it’s now apparent that it can beat that.”

 
After a more than six-hour long firefight, the AAF safely returns the ANA soldier and his comrades to base. With the airlift capabilities and skills of the AAF, the battle-worn commandos and their AAF partners are able to go home, rest and continue the fight knowing that the AAF will be up to the next challenge.

Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Griffin, 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, and Airman 1st Class Melissa Bradley, 439 AEAS, mix shredded paper, sawdust and water together to make fuel pucks and bricks at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan May 3, 2013. As part of Operation Outreach, a community service organization, members of NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan spend every Friday and Saturday evening turning these three ingredients into pucks and bricks that are donated around Kabul and can provide fuel for up to 20 or 40 minutes respectively.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Anastasia Wasem)

“Making fuel pucks is the cornerstone of Operation Outreach here in Kabul and has been for the last three years,” said Tech. Sgt. Scott Meadows, 440th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron advisor and fuel puck committee lead. “Fuel pucks may seem like no big deal to most, but when we deliver these to orphanages or shelters we know we’re making a big difference in people’s lives.”

 
In the nearly four months that Meadows has worked on this project, Operation Outreach has made and donated more than 1600 fuel pucks and more than 700 fuel bricks. The volunteers produce about 60 pucks and 27 bricks per session twice a week. This has added up to more than 60,000 hours of fuel for the people of Afghanistan.

 
“This is a rewarding way to spend my Friday and Saturday evenings,” said Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Griffin, 440 AEAS advisor. “I get to work with my hands and help the less fortunate at the same time. It makes me feel like I’m making at least a small difference in the world.”
The pucks and bricks not only provide fuel, but are also environmentally friendly. The shredded paper is provided by offices all around Kabul International Airport while the sawdust comes from the woodworking shop. And the process to create each puck and brick is very simple as well. The ingredients are mixed into a large container, special molds made by members of NATC-A are dipped into the container to be filled and the excess water is then squeezed out of the mold by a specially designed press. The pucks and bricks are then laid out to dry for about a week.
“In addition to the advising role that NATC-A does to train the Afghan Air Force, this is just another way in which we’re trying to help the people of Afghanistan continue to grow and develop as a nation,” said Meadows. “Any way we can help, big or small, we want to.”
Operation Outreach not only helps to provide fuel to the people of Afghanistan, but the members also provide food, clothing and school supplies within the local area. Most of the items that are donated come in care packages from family and friends back home.
“I feel that on an individual level we’re making a significant difference,” Capt. Jason Star, 538 AEAS advisor said. “Every little bit helps to make a big difference in the overall mission here in Afghanistan.”

Story by Navy Lt. j.g. Jake Joy

Whether pointing a camera or striking poses in front of it, Afghan Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Said Padshah is right at home.

Padshah primarily shoots photos and reports on AAF news and events for the service’s headquarters public affairs office in Kabul, but he is also sharing his passion for competitive bodybuilding with his fellow service members, taking time every day to work out and train them at a local base gym.

Afghan Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Said Padshah is a photojournalist and bodybuilding trainer for the Afghan Air Force headquarters in Kabul.
Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joe Prouse.

“I train my soldiers for two hours every day, and then I train for another two hours at a private fitness club,” Padshah said.

Bodybuilding, a sport long popular with Afghans, suffered and diminished during Taliban rule. Many gyms closed, their frequenters sometimes threatened, and bodybuilders were forced to work out fully clothed from head to toe. The full-garb requirement was not exactly conducive to an activity focused specifically on the well-oiled, chiseled contours of the human body.

But in recent years, the sport has become something of a craze, attracting hordes of young men (and women) with the promise of strength and physical self-determination. Padshah was swept up in the bodybuilding resurgence about four years ago, and said he has found great success so far. As an entrant in eight competitions, he said he has placed first in his 75-kilogram weight class every time.

A family man from the Kapitsa province, Padshah said he wanted to join the military and help defeat the Taliban since he was a boy. Now, he said his wife and relatives take great pride in his accomplishments – both in uniform and on the podium – and he hopes to set an example in his dedication to military service and bodybuilding success that his son can look up to.

“I hope that in the future we have a peaceful country, where we can protect our borders and I can train my soldiers in my profession,” he said.

Padshah’s quotes were interpreted from Dari to English for this story.

The unique landscape of Afghanistan is like a compressed accordion of land masses. The missions that the Afghan Air Force conducts everyday require expert flying skills.            (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Agneta Murnan)

Standing next to me in a dinner line was a newly arrived maritime service member, debating the merits of a logistical system involving a massive network of bridges spanning the country. I marveled at the ideas. Thousands of bridges. Some bridges would have to be constructed at 12,000 feet above valleys, miles across from one peak to another. Had he ever seen Afghanistan from the air? Had he felt an earthquake, or heard about the avalanches yet? Afghanistan’s landscape is like a compressed accordion of land masses. Even with a powerful truck engine along twisting roadways, did he realize one could travel miles around the crinkled rock, before ever traveling a single nautical mile west?

 
This is why seeing is believing, I thought.
Many passengers travel too high and too fast to see the dimensions of the country’s landscape. Or they use the time to catch up on much needed sleep. In my job, I was fortunate to travel on both the Cessna 208B and the MD530 helicopter, which are both small, lower-flying aircraft on the contemporary spectrum. But it was in these aircraft that I was able to see what amazing things the Afghan air force is accomplishing with many small trips across the country: things like resupplying the outermost Afghan Border Police and delivering immunizations to remote villages with disease outbreaks such as the measles.

 
The Cessna 208B can move nine passengers, with varying passenger and cargo configurations. Skimming across the mountain tops, I passed snow-dusted peaks at almost eye level. And it was in the maneuverable MD530 helicopter that I was able to appreciate the topography angles near Shindand Air Base, Heart, where the Afghan student pilots practice keeping a steady distance from the uneven terrain. The helicopter was not skimming the peaks. I felt like a jolly giant roving up, down and around the foothills and ridges.
I never yearned to be a pilot myself, but in these moments in flight, I defined new understandings of airpower. The number of times I had traveled by air must number in the hundreds over the continental U.S. and Europe. But it was only through the lower, slower flight, that I was able to appreciate how much the Afghan air force was accomplishing by moving personnel and supplies, one mountain and skilled technician at a time.
I have been inspired at air shows in the U.S and abroad, watching the world’s jets execute tight turns at astounding speeds. But by staring out from two slower, smaller birds, I measured some remarkable progress in Afghanistan – this time to scale.

In a ceremony held at the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan headquarters, Brig. Gen. Steven Shepro, NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan commanding general, hands Maj. Gen. Abdul Wahab Wardak, Afghan Air Force commander, a copy of the finalized Afghan Air Force Military Occupation Specifications Additional Skills Identification Guide April 17, 2013.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Anastasia Wasem)

The AAF MOS ASI Classification Guide codifies training and knowledge standards for the AAF.
“This is a key milestone in our Combined Strategic FlightPlan; we finally have the solid foundation for a capable and enduring air force” stated Wahab.
“The AAF now has a defined role, training requirement and career path for every airman that will sustain the increasing quality and effectiveness we see in the Afghan Air Force,” agreed Shepro.
Following a series of updates over a six month period, from July to December 2012, the AAF MOS ASI Classification Guide matured to a total of 460 pages. The guide was adopted by the AAF effective Feb. 25 and was immediately implemented as the foundation document for the AAF Tashkil Review Working Group in accordance with the 2015 Aircraft Beddown Plan, explained Maj. Warren Armstrong, NATC-A Force Management advisor.

This document was constructed and reviewed by AAF and coalition subject matter experts and provides a baseline against which commanders can project training plans and evaluate the progress of their units toward full mission capability. It also gives operators clearly defined expectations of job specific requirements to accomplish missions.
These guidelines for development of unit level training plans prepare AAF service members for mission success and sustainment and provide a document to validate progression.
“This guide represents a historic foundation document that the Afghan Air Force will use for years to come to ensure we are training to a required standard,” said Brig. Gen. Ehsan, Afghan Air Force Education and Training director.