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105-679: The 201 Khalid Ibn Walid Corps is one of the eight corps of the Islamic Emirate Army established in October 2021 and headquartered in Laghman . The current Chief of Staff is Abdul Rahman Mansoori. The conventional corps of the Islamic Emirate Army were renamed in November 2021 by Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid , Acting Minister of Defense . The 201 Corps was renamed 'Khalid Ibn Walid' and at the time

210-752: A 20-year task of creating a respectable regular force by instituting measures that formed the long-term basis of the military system. These included increasing the equalization of military obligation by setting up a system known as the hasht nafari (whereby one man in every eight between the ages of 20 and 40 took his turn at military service); constructing an arsenal in Kabul to reduce dependence on foreign sources for small arms and other ordnance; introducing supervised training courses; organizing troops into divisions, brigades, and regiments, including battalions of artillery; developing pay schedules; and introducing an elementary (and harsh) disciplinary system. Further improvements to

315-742: A National Military Command Center had been established in Kabul , which was being mentored by personnel from the Virginia Army National Guard . Under the US–Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement , the United States designated Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally and agreed to fund the ANA until at least 2024. This included soldiers' salaries, providing training and weapons, and all other military costs. Soldiers in

420-438: A development project in the western basins. The crew on the flight consisted of pilot in command Vasily Simonov (50), first officer louri Zotov (46), cabin crew members Ksenia Silikhova (20), Ekaterina Pigasova (24), Victor Novoslougine (36), Aliona Coritchi (27), and cabin crew trainees identified as Haseena Sarwari D/O Abdul Rhiam (19) and Obaidullah S/O Abdul Wakil (21). Kam Air is a private airline established in 2003 operating

525-600: A line from Bagram south to Kandahar ." The guards regiment additionally performed ceremonial duties. There were 570 medium tanks, plus more Soviet T-55 tanks on order. The Afghan Army was also referred to as the Afghan Republican Army, or simply the “Republican Army”, in a Kabul Times newspaper, a few days after the 1973 Afghan coup d'état . On 27 April 1978 the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan , led by Nur Mohammad Taraki , Babrak Karmal and Amin overthrew

630-749: A number of battles in the Punjab region of India during the 19th century. One of the famous battles was the 1761 Battle of Panipat in which the Afghan army decisively defeated the Hindu Maratha Empire . The Afghans then fought with the Sikh Empire , until finally, the Sikh Marshal Hari Singh Nalwa died and Sikh conquests stopped. In 1839, the British successfully invaded Afghanistan and installed

735-673: A part of the Regional Corps Advisory Command-Central (RCAC-C), arrived with a mission to "mentor the 201st Corps.. by providing military advice and training guidance" to its officers and staff noncommissioned officers. "The 201st Corps is very good," Colonel Haynes said. "When the Taliban attacked the prison in Kandahar last summer, they spearheaded the ANA effort into Anghardab and recaptured that strategic valley. The ANA handled their own logistics and their own intelligence." In

840-622: A severe problem. The Afghan Army's casualties were as high as 50–60,000 soldiers and another 50,000 soldiers deserted the Army. The Afghan Army's defection rate was about 10,000 soldiers per year between 1980 and 1989; the average deserters left the Afghan Army after the first five months. Local militias were also important to the Najibullah regime's security efforts. From 1988 several new divisions were formed from former Regional Forces/militias' formations:

945-486: A significant portion of the Afghan National Army manpower were made up of ghost soldiers . Following the withdrawal of U.S. and allied troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, in the face of a rapid Taliban offensive , the Afghan National Army largely disintegrated. Following the escape of President Ashraf Ghani and the fall of Kabul, remaining ANA soldiers either deserted their posts or surrendered to

1050-594: A single battalion of 1st Brigade at the Presidential Palace. Its area of responsibility included Kabul as well as vital routes running north and south, and valleys leading from the Pakistani border into Afghanistan. As of 2009, the 3rd Brigade of the 201st Corps was the only unit that had control of an area of responsibility in Afghanistan without the aid or assistance of U.S. or coalition forces. August 6–7, 2009 in

1155-534: A three-star level multi-national command headquartered in downtown Kabul . On the Afghan side, by 2011 all training and education in the Army was run by Afghan National Army Training Command , a two-star command which reported directly to the Chief of the General Staff. All training centers and military schools were under this command. Individual basic training was conducted primarily by Afghan instructors and staff at

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1260-540: A training team from the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin was sent to Kabul to assist the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, of the Central Corps to form an effective tank unit, using T-62s . In March 2004, fighting between two local militias took place in Herat . It was reported that Mirwais Sadiq (son of warlord Ismail Khan) was assassinated in unclear circumstances. Thereafter a bigger conflict began that resulted in

1365-543: A variety of military professions. NMAA's first cadet class entered its second academic year in spring 2006. A contingent of US and Turkish instructors jointly mentored the NMAA faculty and staff. The Command and General Staff College, located in southern Kabul, prepared mid-level ANA officers to serve on brigade and corps staffs. France established the CGSC in early 2004, and a cadre of French Army instructors continued to oversee operations at

1470-477: The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment sent a training team to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, of the Central Corps to assist the creation of a battalion equipped with T-62s and BMP-1s and BMP-2s to help provide security during the Loya Jirga of 2003 and the 2004 Afghan presidential elections . Later information from LongWarJournal.com placed most of the 3rd Brigade at Jalalabad , 2nd Brigade at Pol-e-Charkhi, and only

1575-543: The 53rd Infantry Division – the "Jowzyani militia" of Abdul Rashid Dostum raised from Sheberghan , the 55th , 80th, 93rd, 94th, 95th, and 96th, plus, possibly, a division in Lashkar Gah . As compensation for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, the USSR agreed to deliver sophisticated weapons to the government, among which were large quantities of Scud surface-to-surface missiles . The first 500 were transferred during

1680-471: The Afghan Ministry of Defense ordered the ANA's Central Corps to assemble a team to attempt a rescue. The Afghan National Army Commando responded on foot but were forced to leave due to a snowstorm. On the fourth day after the crash, an ISAF rescue team was able to reach the crash site and confirmed that all passengers and crew were dead. The crash site was at an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,400 m) on

1785-533: The Bonn Conference on Afghanistan in early December 2001, President Hamid Karzai issued a decree reestablishing a unified army, the Afghan National Army. The decree set a size target of 70,000 (by 2009) and laid out the planned army structure. There had been significant disagreement over the size of the army that was needed. A Ministry of Defense -issued paper said that at least 200,000 active troops were needed. The Afghan Ministry of Defence loudly objected to

1890-479: The Herat uprising broke out. The 17th Division was detailed by the regime to put down the rebellion, but this proved a mistake, as there were few Khalqi faction soldiers in the division and instead it mutinied and joined the uprising. Forces from Kabul had to be dispatched to suppress the rebellion. Gradually the Army's three armoured divisions and now sixteen infantry divisions dropped in size to on average around 2,500 strong, quarter strength, by 1985. One of

1995-627: The Hotak dynasty rose to power in Kandahar and defeated the Persian Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad in 1722. When Ahmad Shah Durrani formed the Durrani Empire in 1747, in general, tribes were responsible for providing troops to the king. The only national army that existed during Ahmad Shah's time consisted of small groups that functioned as royal bodyguards. The Afghan Army fought

2100-546: The Kabul Military Training Center , situated on the eastern edge of Kabul. The United States Department of Defense assisted in basic and advanced training of enlisted recruits, and also ran the Drill Instructor School which ran basic training courses for training NCOs. Basic training had been expanded to include required literacy courses for illiterate recruits. A French Army advisory team oversaw

2205-764: The United States invasion of Afghanistan in October–November 2001. By 2016, most of Afghanistan came under government control. However over the next few years the government slowly lost territory to the Taliban and eventually collapsed, with Kabul falling to the Taliban in 2021. The majority of training of the ANA was undertaken in the Kabul Military Training Centre . In 2019, the ANA had approximately 180,000 soldiers out of an authorized strength of 195,000. Despite its significant manpower on paper, in reality

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2310-635: The platoon , toli (company) and kandak (battalion) levels to certify them ready for field operations. In the Regional Corps, Coalition Embedded Training Teams continued to mentor the kandak's leadership, and advised them in the areas of intelligence, communications, fire support, logistics and infantry tactics. During the ISAF era, advisers in the US Embedded Training Teams and NATO Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams acted as liaisons between

2415-461: The 1960s to 1992. The Central Army Corps was a very influential formation, being stationed in the capital of Afghanistan under every regime. In 1953, Lieutenant General Mohammed Daoud Khan , first cousin of the King who had previously served as Minister of Defence , was transferred from command of the Central Corps in Kabul to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan . His command has also been referred to as

2520-419: The 201st Corps in late 2019-early 2020 to help maintain their 1960-vintage Soviet D-30 122mm howitzers. The 201st Corps and 111th Capital Division were the last IRA forces operational in Afghanistan remaining before the Taliban's offensive reached Kabul . On 15 August 2021, the 201st Corps surrendered in east of Kabul. Previous Afghan formations in the Kabul area included the 1st Central Army Corps, from

2625-754: The 38th Commando Brigade during the Second Battle of Zhawar in Paktika Province in May 1983. After sustaining heavy casualties the commando brigades were turned into battalions. Most soldiers were recruited for a three-year term, later extended to four-year terms in 1984. The Afghan Army 1978 After the PDPA seizure of power, desertions swept the force, affecting the loyalty and moral values of soldiers. There were purges on patriotic junior and senior officers, and upper class Afghan aristocrats in society. On 15 March 1979,

2730-616: The AFPS story as the 203 Corps , was to have an initial force of 200 soldiers. Kandahar's command was the first activated, followed by Gardez and Mazar-e-Sharif. The Herat command was seemingly activated on 28 September. The next year, the ANA's numbers grew to around 20,000 soldiers, most of which were trained by the United States Army. In the meantime, the United States Army Corps of Engineers started building new military camps for

2835-526: The Afghan Army and coalition forces. The teams coordinated planning and ensured that ANA units received U.S./Coalition support. Formal education and professional development was conducted at two main ANATC schools, both in Kabul. The National Military Academy of Afghanistan , located near the Kabul International Airport , was a four-year military university which produced degree second lieutenants in

2940-495: The Afghan Army's ability to use their ballistic missiles. On 24 April 1992, the mujahideen forces of Ahmad Shah Massoud ( Jamiat-e Islami ) captured the main Scud stockpile at Afshar, Kabul , belonging to the 99th Missile Brigade . Shia Hazara groups, such as Harakat-e Islami , additionally gained Scud missile launchers. As the government collapsed, the few remaining Scuds and their transporter erector launchers were divided among

3045-441: The Army initially received $ 30 a month during training and $ 50 a month upon graduation, though the basic pay for trained soldiers later rose to $ 165. This starting salary increased to $ 230 a month in an area with moderate security issues and to $ 240 in those provinces where there was heavy fighting. About 95% of the men and women who served in the military were paid by electronic funds transfer . Special biometrics were used during

3150-660: The Army were made by King Amanullah Khan in the early 20th century just before the Third Anglo-Afghan War . King Amanullah fought against the British in 1919, resulting in Afghanistan becoming fully independent after the Treaty of Rawalpindi was signed. It appears from reports of Naib Sular Abdur Rahim's career that a Cavalry Division was in existence in the 1920s, with him being posted to the division in Herat Province in 1913 and Mazar-i-Sharif after 1927. A military academy

3255-831: The Central Army Corps around Kabul. In addition, there were divisions with strong links to the centre in Kabul. These included the 1st in Kabul, 27th in Qalat, 31st in Kabul, 34th in Bamiyan (4th Corps), 36th in Logar, 41st in Ghor, 42nd in Wardak, 71st in Farah, and 100th in Laghman. The International Crisis Group wrote: New divisions and even army corps were created to recognise factional realities or undermine

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3360-474: The Central Command and Central Forces. The Central Corps was headquartered at Amanullah's Darulaman Palace. On the opening day of Parliament in October 1965, a violent student demonstration among which Babrak Karmal was at the forefront forced Zahir Shah 's new prime minister Yousef to resign. Two students were killed when the new corps commander, General Abdul Wali, sent in troops to restore order. In 1978

3465-657: The Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Health (human remains), the Ministry of the Interior (wreckage recovery), and the MOT (the actual accident investigation). A rescue operation was launched under atrocious weather conditions by the ISAF and Afghan National Army (ANA), and two Dutch Apache helicopters sighted the tail of the plane at around 9:30 a.m. UTC . The ISAF made numerous unsuccessful rescue attempts by helicopters of victims presumed to be alive. When those attempts failed,

3570-575: The Officer Candidate School (OCS). OCS candidates were young men with little or no military experience. The British Army also conducted initial and advanced Non-Commissioned Officer training as well in a separate NCO Training Brigade. The Canadian Forces supervised the Combined Training Exercise portion of initial military training, where trainee soldiers, NCOs, and officers were brought together in field training exercises at

3675-530: The PDPA garrison at Kunduz surrendered to local mujahideen commanders. The 54th Division base at Kunduz was handed over to the overall military leader of Ittehad in the area, Amir Chughay. Dostum and commanders loyal to him formed Junbesh I-Melli, the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan . The NIM grouped the former regime's 18th, 20th, 53rd, 54th, and 80th Divisions, plus several brigades. By mid-1994 there were two parallel 6th Corps operating in

3780-439: The PDPA government. As a result, the 26th Airborne Battalion was reformed and turned into the 37th Commando Battalion. In the same year, the 81st Artillery Regiment were given airborne training and converted into the 38th Commando Battalion. The Commando Brigades were, in contrast, considered reliable and were used as mobile strike forces until they sustained excessive casualties. Insurgents ambushed and inflicted heavy casualties on

3885-474: The Pashto language experienced difficulty because instruction was usually given through interpreters who spoke Dari. The Afghan New Beginnings Programme (ANBP) was launched on 6 April 2003 and begin disarmament of former Army personnel in October 2003. In March 2004, fighting between two local militias took place in the western Afghan city of Herat . It was reported that Mirwais Sadiq (son of warlord Ismail Khan)

3990-590: The Shpee Valley, Kapisa , during a joint Afghan-Franco-American Operation (Brest Thunder), Afghan soldiers from 3rd Kandak, 3rd Brigade, 201st Corps saved the life of Forward Observer Christopher Mercer Lowe (US Army) after he took a snipers bullet to his right thigh. A new fourth brigade of the corps was planned to be established in the province of Nuristan . By 2013, the 4th Brigade, 201st Corps, had its headquarters near Jalalabad . In February 2008, Marine Colonel Jeffrey Haynes and Embedded Training Team (ETT) 3–5,

4095-515: The Soviet advisors arrived. By the late 1950s, Azimi describes three corps, each with a number of divisions, along the eastern border with Pakistan and several independent divisions. In a 1960s manual titled “Royalist Regulations” for the Royal Afghan Army, there were illustrations of numerous branch insignias, denoting the specialities and the role of the soldier wearing them. These include: In

4200-627: The Supreme Court and other courts across the country to curtail the rights of journalists, civic society activists, and even political candidates. He also controls militias, including forces recognized as the 10th Division of the Afghan army, which intimidate and abuse Afghans even inside Kabul. We ask that you express public opposition to Sayyaf's activities, explicitly state your opposition to such misuse of unofficial authority, and move expeditiously to disarm and demobilize armed forces associated with Ittihad-i Islami and other unofficial forces." During

4305-472: The Taliban government through the United States invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, private armies loyal to warlords gained more and more influence. In mid-2001, Ali Ahmed Jalali wrote: The army (as a state institution, organized, armed, and commanded by the state) does not exist in Afghanistan today. Neither the Taliban-led "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" nor the "Islamic State of Afghanistan" headed by

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4410-574: The Taliban. Some ANA remnants reportedly joined the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front of Afghanistan in the Panjshir Valley (see Republican insurgency in Afghanistan ). Historically, Afghans have served in the army of the Ghaznavids (963–c.1187), Ghurids (1148–1215), Delhi Sultanate (1206–1527), and the Mughals (1526–1858). The Afghan Army traces its origin to the early 18th century when

4515-623: The Turkish were civilians working for Turkey-based firms, and the Italians included an architect working for the United Nations , Andrea Pollastri, as well as another Italian civilian and a navy captain . Three of the six Americans on board were women working for the Cambridge , Massachusetts -based NGO Management Sciences for Health (MSH), and one was a Dutch water resources engineer, team-leader for

4620-595: The US-led Operation Warrior Sweep , marking the first major combat operation for Afghan troops. Initial recruiting problems lay in the lack of cooperation from regional warlords and inconsistent international support. The problem of desertion dogged the force from the outset: in the summer of 2003, the desertion rate was estimated to be 10% and in mid-March 2004, an estimate suggested that 3,000 soldiers had deserted. Some recruits were under 18 years of age and many could not read or write. Recruits who only spoke

4725-441: The absence of a top political layer capable of controlling individual and group violence. ... Although both sides identify their units with military formations of the old regime, there is hardly any organizational or professional continuity from the past. But these units really exist in name only ... [i]n fact only their military bases still exist, accommodating and supporting an assortment of militia groups. Formations in existence by

4830-575: The anti-government struggle. "As late as September 1982," the commander of the Central Corps, a General variously reported as Wodud (Joes) or Abdul Wadood (Yousaf and Adkin), was shot in his office. The 8th Division is extensively referenced in Ali A. Jalali and Lester Grau 's Afghan Guerrilla Warfare: In the Words of the Mujahideen Fighters , c. 2001. In response to a Taliban attack towards Herat from

4935-429: The approach roads from nearby villages were impassable to vehicles, despite several attempts by ISAF and ANA patrols to find a way to the summit. The winter weather did not give another opportunity until 7 February when a window of clear weather allowed an ISAF Spanish Cougar helicopter to set down a 5-man team of Slovenian mountain rescue troops onto the ridge summit. Pushing on through the waist-deep snow and conscious of

5040-606: The army corps. A year later, in 1981, the 203rd Separate Spetsnaz Battalion was formed (alongside the 212th, 230th and 211th) under the 1st Central Army Corps in Kabul and subordinated to KhAD-e Nezami (military intelligence). The 203rd Battalion reportedly worked alongside the Spetsnaz GRU and the Soviet Border Troops , as well as with the Soviet Airborne Forces . The army lost much of its strength during

5145-438: The army included three armored divisions; infantry divisions averaging 4,500 to 8,000 men each; “two mountain infantry brigades, one artillery brigade, a guards regiment (for palace protection), three artillery regiments, two commando regiments, and a parachute battalion, which was largely grounded. All the formations were under the control of three corps level headquarters. All but three infantry divisions were facing Pakistan along

5250-456: The capital itself.'' Islamic Emirate Army The Islamic National Army ( Pashto : اسلامي ملي اردو , Islāmī Milli Urdu ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army , is the land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces . The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when the Hotak dynasty was established in Kandahar followed by Ahmad Shah Durrani 's rise to power. It

5355-416: The corps consisted of the 7th and 8th Divisions, the Republican Guard Brigade, two commando regiments, the 4th and 15th Armoured Brigades, and several support units. The 4th Armoured Brigade played a key role in spearheading the Saur Revolution of April 1978. An accessible Kabul Times article of the period describes what it claims as the 15th Armoured Division's celebrations of the Saur Revolution, and gives

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5460-483: The corps had the name 'Selab' (Flood). The corps was responsible for the east of the country ( Kabul , Logar , Kapisa , Nuristan , Kunar , and Laghman provinces). Brigadier Abdul Jabbar was the last commander of the Corps. He was appointed as the commander of Corps on 8 January 2021. The corps' 1st Brigade was stationed at the Presidential Palace. Its 3rd Brigade at Pol-e-Charkhi was a mechanised formation including M113s and Soviet-built main battle tanks. In mid-2003,

5565-447: The corps was planned to place army brigades under a central command structure [again], creating a command and control headquarters for the new ANA. Maj Gen Mohammed Moiun Faqir, an ethnic Pashtun , was appointed as corps commander. It was one of the first recipients of new Afghan National Army battalions trained by the United States, with its strength in July including five to six of the new battalions within two brigades. Soon afterwards,

5670-399: The country and also had armored riverboats in their inventory, as seen in a parade in Kabul . In February–March 1957, the first group of Soviet military specialists (about 10, including interpreters) was sent to Kabul to train Afghan officers and non-commissioned officers. At the time, there seems to have been significant Turkish influence in the Afghan Armed Forces, which waned quickly after

5775-415: The death of up to 100 people. The battle was between troops of Ismail Khan and Abdul Zahir Nayebzada , a senior local military commander blamed for the death of Sadiq. Nayebzada commanded the 17th Herat Division of the Defence Ministry's 4th Corps. In response to the fighting, about 1,500 newly trained Central Corps soldiers were sent to Herat in order to bring the situation under control. The 8th Division

5880-406: The division commander's name as Major Mohammed Amin. The Corps began to be worn away by desertions, with one of the first, involving a brigade of the 7th Division, occurring in mid-May 1979 on the road from Gardez to Khost. The whole brigade, maybe 2000 strong, reportedly joined the mujahadeen. Reportedly they surrendered on the condition that they be allowed to keep their uniforms and weapons and join

5985-444: The early 1970s, Soviet military assistance was increased. The number of Soviet military specialists increased from 1,500 in 1973 to 5,000 by April 1978. The senior Soviet specialist at this time (from 29 November 1972 until 11 December 1975) was a Major General I.S. Bondarets (И.С. Бондарец), and from 1975 to 1978, the senior Soviet military adviser was Major General L.N. Gorelov. Before the Saur Revolution in 1978, according to Jacobs,

6090-401: The early months of 1989, and soon proved to be extremely useful, a critical asset. During the mujahideen attack against Jalalabad , between March and June 1989, three firing batteries manned by Afghan crews advised by Soviets fired approximately 438 missiles. Soon Scuds were in use in all the heavily contested areas of Afghanistan. After January 1992, the Soviet advisors were withdrawn, reducing

6195-530: The early stages of PDPA rule. One of the main reasons for the small size was that the Soviet military were afraid the Afghan army would defect en masse to the enemy if total personnel increased. There were several sympathisers of the mujahideen within the military. Even so, there were several elite units under the command of the Afghan army, for instance, the 26th Airborne Battalion, 444th, 37th and 38th Commando Brigades . The 26th Airborne Battalion proved politically unreliable, and in 1979, they revolted against

6300-458: The end of 2002 included the 1st Army Corps ( Nangarhar ), 2nd Army Corps ( Kandahar , dominated by Gul Agha Sherzai ), 3rd Army Corps ( Paktia , where the US allegedly attempted to impose Atiqullah Ludin as commander), 4th Army Corps ( Herat , dominated by Ismail Khan ), 6th Army Corps at Kunduz, 7th Army Corps (under Atta Muhammad Nur at Balkh ), 8th Army Corps (at Jowzjan , dominated by Dostum's National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan ) and

6405-451: The exiled Shah Shujah Durrani into power. Their occupation of Afghanistan was challenged after Dost Mohammad's son, Wazir Akbar Khan and the forces he led revolted against the occupying British. By October 1841 disaffected Afghan tribes were flocking to the support of Wazir Akbar Khan in Bamian. The success of Akbar Khan's uprising led to the 1842 retreat from Kabul where the Afghan army decimated British forces, thanks to effective use of

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6510-412: The fast-growing army. In 2003, the United States issued guidelines to ensure the army's ethnic balance. By late 2012, the ANA was composed of 43% Pashtuns , 32% Tajiks , 12% Hazaras , 8% Uzbeks , and the rest were smaller ethnic groups of Afghanistan . However, the army did not track the actual ethnic composition of the officer corps. There were no quotas for the enlisted soldiers. By March 2011,

6615-474: The first female general in the Afghan National Army in August 2002. The National Military Academy of Afghanistan , a West Point analogue and part of the Marshal Fahim National Defense University based in Qargha Garrison, was also established to produce officers. The NMAA administered a four-year military and civil training programme with the aim of preparing the prospective officer for the long-term. The NMAA taught four major foreign languages, vital to developing

6720-412: The first series of defections occurred in the 9th Division , which, Urban wrote, defected by brigades in response to the Soviet intervention. It lost its 5th Brigade at Asmar in August 1979 and its 30th Mountain Brigade in 1980. After Soviet advisors arrived in 1977, they inspired a number of adaptations and reorganisations. In April 1982, the 7th Division was moved from the capital. The division, which

6825-442: The flight. The cockpit voice recorder , which would provide crucial information about the actions of the flight crew prior to the impact, was never located. The accident site itself was compact horizontally, but not vertically. The aircraft struck a ridge line on an easterly heading near the crest of the mountain about 50 feet (15 m) down from the top. The final flight path probably had some amount of upward vector to it, because

6930-504: The fuselage forward of the wing box was propelled, in fragments, over the crest and fell over the cliff side into the valley below. The actual wreckage documentation during five site visits was difficult because most of the parts were either buried under several feet of snow and inaccessible, outside the mine-free cordon and inaccessible, or down the cliff side and, therefore, also inaccessible to all without mountain climbing training. The most prominent and recognizable piece of wreckage present

7035-501: The left main landing gear assembly, many aft galley components, the horizontal stabilizer, human remains and personal effects, and much miscellaneous debris. Some material, such as an escape slide and some right engine components, were located outside the landmine-free area. These items were documented with binoculars and digital camera zoom features. The investigative team faced very challenging weather conditions, difficult terrain, and potential landmine hazards. The evidence recovered from

7140-435: The modern Afghan Army, it was only under Abdur Rahman that it became a viable and effective institution.' The Library of Congress Country Study for Afghanistan states that when Abdur Rahman came to the throne circa 1880: "..the army was virtually nonexistent. With the assistance of a liberal financial loan from the British, plus their aid in the form of weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies, [Abdur Rahman] began

7245-406: The north. Dostum's 6th Corps was based at Pul-i-Khumri and had three divisions. The Defence Ministry of the Kabul government's 6th Corps was based at Kunduz and also had three divisions, two sharing numbers with formations in Dostum's corps. By 1995 Masoud controlled three corps commands: the Central Corps at Kabul, the best organised with a strength of 15–20,000, the 5th Corps at Herat covering

7350-413: The ousted President Rabbani has the political legitimacy or administrative efficiency of a state. The militia formations they command are composed of odd assortments of armed groups with varying level of loyalties, political commitment, professional skills, and organizational integrity. Many of them feel free to switch sides, shift loyalties, and join or leave the group spontaneously. The country suffers from

7455-510: The peak of the Chaperi Mountain, 20 miles (17 nmi; 32 km) east of the Afghan capital of Kabul. The helicopter crew confirmed the wreckage site with the aircraft sensors and reported back their find. The crash site was on a high mountain ridge called Cheri Ghar at some 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The ridge was a daunting place; sheer on one side, steeply sloping on the other with deep snowfields, and swept by high winds or covered in freezing fog. The snow hid any local tracks or paths and

7560-524: The plane flew into terrain below the ideal approach path, most likely as a result of pilot error . Of the 105 people on board, 97 were passengers and eight were crew. At least 25 were foreign nationals: 9 Turkish , 6 Americans , 4 Russians , 3 Italians , 1 Dutch, and 1 Iranian , as well as the first officer, who held dual citizenship in Canada and Russia. According to reports, the Russians were crew members,

7665-465: The plane. The Ministry of Defense ordered the ANA's Central Corps to assemble a team to attempt a rescue of victims presumed to be alive. The crash site was at an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,400 m) on the peak of the Chaperi Mountain, 20 miles (32 km) east of Kabul . The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade provided maintenance assistance to the 201st Regional Military Training Center of

7770-560: The possible mine threat, the team reached the site. Although the team found no human remains, the badly broken up debris scattered along the ridgeline and the extreme conditions made it very unlikely that anyone had survived the crash. It was discovered that all 105 passengers and crew on board were killed, and the plane was completely destroyed. The flight data recorder was found after an extensive and extremely difficult search and turned over to US National Transportation Safety Board analysis. The recorder did not contain any valid data from

7875-571: The power base of individual commanders, often without regard to the troop levels normally associated with such units. For example, the ministry in July 2002 recognised a 25th Division in Khost province, formed by the Karzai-appointed governor, Hakim Taniwal , to unseat a local warlord, Padshah Khan Zadran, who was then occupying the governor's residence. At its inception, however, the division had only 700 men –

7980-482: The recent Marine-ANA-French ( Groupement tactique interarmes de Kapisa ) Operation Nan-e-Shab Berun, coalition and ANA forces cleared the Alah Say Valley of insurgents; casualties included one French and four ANA soldiers killed, with 37 opponents killed in action. Following the crash of Kam Air Flight 904 in 2005, ISAF made numerous unsuccessful helicopter rescue operation attempts. ANA soldiers also searched for

8085-548: The regime of Mohammad Daoud , who was killed the next day, along with most of his family. On 1 May, Taraki became President , Prime Minister and General Secretary of the PDPA. The country was then renamed the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA), and the PDPA government lasted until April 1992. In 1980, under President Babrak Karmal , the Ministry of Defense drafted plans to form three Spetsnaz battalions for each of

8190-539: The registration of each soldier. Task Force Phoenix was the initial U.S. and allied force training organisation in 2002. This program was formalized in April 2003, based near the Kabul Military Training Center . Coalition efforts were initially overseen by OMC-A, then Office of Security Cooperation-Afghanistan, then from 2006 to 2009, by the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC-A),

8295-521: The relationship between the ANA and foreign armies. The U.S. Army's major objectives for the ANA in October 2002 were: The first deployment outside Kabul was made by 3rd Kandak ANA to Paktika Province , including Orgun , in January 2003. By January 2003 just over 1,700 soldiers in five Kandaks ( battalions ) had completed the 10-week training course, and by mid-2003 a total of 4,000 troops had been trained. Approximately 1,000 ANA soldiers were deployed in

8400-533: The rival factions fighting for power. However, the missile operators managed to successfully flee and a lack of trained personnel prevented a sustained use of such weapons, and, between April 1992 and 1996, only 44 Scuds were fired in Afghanistan. In spring 1992, the Afghan Army consisted of five corps – 1st Corps at Jalalabad, 2nd at Kandahar, 3rd Corps at Gardez, 4th Corps at Herat, and 6th Corps at Kunduz – as well as five smaller operations groups, including one at Charikar , which had been 5th Corps until it

8505-538: The rugged terrain and weapons such as the Jezail . At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80), Ali Ahmad Jalali cites sources saying that the regular army was about 50,000 strong and consisted of 62 infantry and 16 cavalry regiments, with 324 guns mostly organized in horse and mountain artillery batteries. Jalali writes that '..although Amir Shir Ali Khan (1863–78) is widely credited for founding

8610-592: The same designation as the 201st Commando Battalion in the Afghan Commando Forces under the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan . The establishment of the corps started when the first commander and some of his staff were appointed on 1 September 2004. The first two ANA brigades for what was at the time called the Central Corps were activated on 22 March 2003. Under the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

8715-463: The school. Kam Air Flight 904 The incident took place shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time (UTC+4:30) when the Kam Air Boeing 737-200 operated by Phoenix Aviation went missing on approach to Kabul. At the time of the incident a heavy snowstorm was observed in the area. The crash is the deadliest air disaster in the history of Afghanistan. The aircraft lost communication during

8820-521: The site was insufficient to determine a definite cause for the crash, but the location suggested that the crew had descended below the minimum descent altitude for the phase of the approach that they were in. Without the cockpit voice recorder, survivors, witnesses, or a valid flight data recording, the investigation stalled. In 2006, the Civil Aviation Operation of the Ministry of Transport of Afghanistan released their final report concluding that

8925-469: The situation under control. In addition to the fighting units, establishment of regional structures began when four of the five planned corps commanders and some of their staff were appointed on 1 September 2004. The first regional command was established in Kandahar on 19 September; the second at Gardez on 22 September, with commands at Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat planned. The Gardez command, also referred to in

9030-610: The size of a battalion. The 93rd Division of the AMF, which Malkasian's The American War in Afghanistan (2021) describes as "1,200 strong" was later reported in southern Helmand. Even by December 2004 Human Rights Watch was still saying in an open letter to Karzai that: " Abdul Rabb al-Rasul Sayyaf , the head of the Ittihad-i Islami faction and the Daw'at-e Islami party [should be curbed]. Sayyaf has no government post but has used his power over

9135-558: The smaller, volunteer, nature of the new army, a change from the previous usage of conscripts. The US also blocked the new government from using the army to pressure Pakistan. The first new Afghan kandak (battalion) was trained by British Army personnel of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), becoming 1st Battalion, Afghan National Guard. Yet while the British troops provided high quality training, they were few in number. After some consideration, it

9240-555: The south in March–April 1995, the Kabul government airlifted a reported 2,000 troops from the Central Corps to Herat. This was the first airlift of its kind since 1992. BBC's Summary of World Broadcasts for 1999 reports a radio transcript from Kabul noting that the former commander of the Central Corps, Mola Abdurraof Akhond, was appointed a commander elsewhere. The Central Corps appears to have been reactivated in August 2003. The creation of

9345-483: The training of officers for staff and platoon or toli (company) command in a combined commissioning/infantry officer training unit called the Officer Training Brigade (OTB). OTB candidates in the platoon and company command courses were usually former militia and mujaheddin leaders with various levels of military experience. The United Kingdom also conducted initial infantry officer training and commissioning at

9450-550: The two countries in September 1961. In 1953, Lieutenant General Mohammed Daoud Khan , cousin of the King who had previously served as Minister of Defence, was transferred from command of the Central Corps in Kabul to become Prime Minister of Afghanistan . The Central Corps was headquartered at Amanullah's Darulaman Palace. On the opening day of Parliament in October 1965, a violent student demonstration among which Babrak Karmal

9555-597: The west, and the 6th Corps at Kunduz covering the northeast. By 1996 the Taliban Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seized the country, aiming to control it by Islamic Sharia law . The Taliban's army and commanders placed emphasis on simplicity; some were secretly trained by the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence and Pakistani Armed Forces around the Durand Line . After the removal of

9660-399: The worst winter snowstorm for 5 years. The cause of the loss of communication and the subsequent crash is unknown. Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah stated that his guerrilla fighters had not shot down the plane and expressed sadness at the crash. Air traffic control for the Kabul area was provided by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). At the time of the accident, there

9765-519: Was assassinated in unclear circumstances. Thereafter a bigger conflict began that resulted in the death of up to 100 people. The battle was between troops of Ismail Khan and Abdul Zahir Nayebzada, a senior local military commander blamed for the death of Sadiq. Nayebzada commanded the 17th Herat Division of the Afghan Militia Forces' 4th Corps . In response to the fighting, about 1,500 newly trained ANA soldiers were sent to Herat in order to bring

9870-462: Was at the forefront forced Zahir Shah 's new prime minister Yousef to resign. Two students were killed when the new corps commander, General Abdul Wali, sent in troops to restore order. From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan Army received training and equipment mostly from the Soviet Union . The Royal Afghan Army was also photographed wearing white “snegurochka” winter suits in snowy areas of

9975-484: Was commanded by Khalqi Major General Zia-Ud-Din, had its depleted combat resources spread out along the Kabul-Kandahar highway. In 1984–1985, all infantry divisions were restructured to a common design. In 1985 Army units were relieved of security duties, making more available for combat operations. During the 1980s Soviet–Afghan War , the Army fought against the mujahideen rebel groups. Deserters or defectors became

10080-505: Was decided that the United States might be able to provide the training. Thus follow-on kandaks were recruited and trained by 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group . 3rd SFG built the training facilities and ranges for early use, using a Soviet built facility on the eastern side of Kabul, near the then ISAF headquarters. Recruiting and training began in May 2002, with a difficult but successful recruitment process of bringing hundreds of new recruits in from all parts of Afghanistan. Training

10185-542: Was expanded during King Zahir Shah 's reign, starting in 1933. In 1934, soldiers of the Royal Afghan Army were also taught the Japanese martial art of Jujutsu by His Excellency Abdullah Khan, at the royal army school. From 1949–1950 to 1961, Afghanistan-Pakistan skirmishes took place along the frontier, culminating in fighting in Bajaur Agency in September 1960. This led to a breakoff in diplomatic relations between

10290-476: Was in existence by Amanullah's reign. The Army fought the Soviet Union in the Urtatagai conflict (1925–1926) over a border island, following earlier fighting in 1913. In 1927 Afghanistan invited Turkey to send a military advisory mission, resulting in a strengthening of Afghan divisions and brigades, "augmenting each echelon headquarters with supporting staff;" and "regularizing the officer corps". The Afghan Army

10395-464: Was initially done in Pashto and Dari (Persian dialect) and some Arabic due to the very diverse ethnicities. The original US target in April 2002 was that of 12,000 men trained by April 2003, but it was quickly realised that this was too ambitious, and the requirement reduced to only 9,000, to be ready by November 2003. The first female Afghan parachutist Khatol Mohammadzai , trained during the 1980s, became

10500-435: Was no established intra-governmental agency plan in Afghanistan to deal with a major aircraft crash. Initially, it was proposed that the Ministry of Transportation be responsible for not only the investigation but also human remains identification and recovery and wreckage recovery. When the logic of this concept fell apart because of the small size of the MOT and its almost total lack of resources, these duties were divided among

10605-438: Was reduced in status. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Corps, and the operations groups at Sarobi and Khost , nearly completely disintegrated in 1992. Formations in and around Kabul joined different mujahideen militias while forces in the north and west remained intact for a longer period. Forces in the north and west were taken over by three major commanders: Ismael Khan , Ahmed Shah Masoud , and Abdul Rashid Dostam . On 18 April 1992,

10710-545: Was reorganized in 1880 during Emir Abdur Rahman Khan 's reign. Afghanistan remained neutral during the First and Second World Wars . From the 1960s to the early 1990s, the Afghan Army was equipped by the Soviet Union . After the resignation of President Najibullah in 1992, the army effectively dissolved. In 1996 the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban regime) took power, creating their own army, which lasted until

10815-476: Was still active in July 2004, when defence minister Mohammed Fahim was considering pushing back against Karzai's removal of him from the position of Karzai's running mate for first vice-president. Fahim and his faction Shura-e Nazar commanded the loyalty of the formation, which was described as having ''..an estimated 5,000 loyal troops stationed in the Shomali Plain—the fertile land just north of Kabul—and in

10920-435: Was the vertical stabilizer and a small portion of the rear fuselage. Most of the visible wreckage was located between two stacked-stone, roofless structures that were observation posts used by Mujahadeen fighters to monitor Soviet troop movements in the Kabul valley during the 1980s. Within a 200-foot (67 yd; 61 m) circle, after a lot of arduous snow removal, investigators identified portions of both engines, both wings,

11025-408: Was under the command of Abu Dujana (Commander); Abdul Rahman Mansoori (Chief of Staff); and Ibrahim (Deputy Commander). The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan -era corps it replaced was known as the 201st 'Selab' Corps and was a part of Afghan National Army . The 201st 'Selab' Corps was a corps -sized formation of the now-defunct Islamic Republic's Afghan National Army . The corps additionally had

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