TRAIN, ADVISE, ASSIST
sound bland, bordering on bureaucratic, the work that the com- mand is doing in Afghanistan is transformative. It is historic in nature and is absolutely critical to the survival and viability of the fledgling, still-fragile government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Te CSTC-A mission is fundamentally to develop sustainable, effective and affordable Afghan national defense and security forces in support of that government.
When MG Daniel P. Hughes, CSTC-A deputy commanding general, and his team reached out to Army AL&T magazine to propose the series of articles that follows, we jumped at the opportunity to provide our readers with detailed insights into the roles and responsibilities of the Army acquisition enterprise in the Resolute Support Mission. When we began to receive the articles from Afghanistan— articles that document CSTC-A’s intimate involvement in transforming the Afghan government from one that, since the overthrow of the Taliban, has been plagued by cronyism and corruption to one that is more trans- parent, stable and capable of maintaining its own security—we realized that the articles were of such import, such breadth and depth, that we had to make them a special section.
To be sure, the Afghan government is not yet the robust and resilient institution that will be able to fend off and subdue the antigovernment forces that would bring it down, but it is mak- ing strides. Te 2015 fighting season was the first in which the Afghan national defense and security forces took the lead in con- trolling their nation’s security, with NATO-led forces serving in the train, advise and assist role.
Only a few years ago, under the aegis of the International Secu- rity Assistance Force, the CSTC-A force numbered more than
130,000; now it is approximately one-tenth that size. Te signifi- cant reduction in force and the concomitant drop in enablers, as well as the decrease in coalition close air support, created signifi- cant challenges for the Afghan forces. Tey have risen to that challenge, according to CSTC-A, stepping up to serve and sup- port their nation with remarkable courage and resilience despite significant casualties—more than 10,000 killed in 2015 alone.
Te international community—including the United States— has pledged its continued advisement and financial commitment to the Afghan government, whose long-term security is vital to regional and global stability. Failure in Afghanistan would mean the country once again becomes a sanctuary for terrorists determined to attack our homelands. In other words, failure in Afghanistan is not an option.
At present, CSTC-A is preparing for this summer’s NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, where coalition partners will meet to determine the support they intend to provide Afghanistan in the near term. Tey will review progress on current initiatives to strengthen the country’s security institutions to ensure that their investments are well-spent. Tus, fiscal discipline in the Afghan government is essential to donor confidence. With its economy still weak, donor confidence is essential to Afghanistan’s ability to secure itself. Tis principle is at the core of everything DCOS SA/CSTC-A does.
CSTC-A is committed to working with the Afghans to identify the most cost-effective ways to improve systems and processes, while keeping the focus on Afghanistan’s strong warfighting capability and national security.
Tere is no question that for most Americans, Afghanistan is an alien place, with traditions that run counter to many of those that Americans hold dear. Yet CSTC-A is bridging these worlds. Te articles that follow, plus the online extras, provide a window to that important work.
Failure in Afghanistan would mean the country once again becomes a sanctuary for terrorists determined to attack our homelands. In other words, failure in Afghanistan is not an option.
MR. STEVE STARK is the senior editor of Army AL&T magazine. He holds an M.A. in creative writing from Hollins University and a B.A. in English from George Mason University. He has worked in a variety of positions supporting communications for the Army and Navy, and has written about defense-related topics for more than a decade. He was the founding editor of the Program Executive Office for Soldier Portfolio and edited the Army’s Weapon Systems handbook for six years.
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Army AL&T Magazine April-June 2016
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