Training The Afghan Military: A Look At The U.S. Marine Corps' Role

Marines have been training Afghan soldiers and police in Helmand province, Afghanistan. The training includes sniper training, basic training, and training on weapons such as the M24 Sniper Weapon System. The goal of the training is to help Afghanistan build a strong army and police force that can defend the country on their own. The training is designed to teach the Afghan forces the necessary tactical and soft skills to lead effectively. While the effectiveness of the Marine-trained Afghan snipers is difficult to determine, it is reported that Afghan soldiers who have undergone training have been more successful in the battlefield.

Marines are involved in evacuation operations and security in Afghanistan

Marines have been involved in evacuation operations and security in Afghanistan. In August 2021, as the Taliban took control of the country, over 2,000 Marines were supporting evacuation operations and security in Afghanistan. Marines with the 24th Expeditionary Unit (MEU) guided evacuees during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The Marines' primary missions at the Kabul airport were the evacuation control centers, or ECCs, where they processed individuals for evacuation, and the security needed for those sites.

Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command provided assistance at an evacuation control checkpoint during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport. As of Tuesday, August 24, approximately 70,000 people had been evacuated from Kabul since August 14, when the Taliban took control of the government, according to President Joe Biden.

The evacuation operations in Afghanistan were part of a broader coalition effort to ensure the safe departure of personnel from Allied and partner countries, and NATO-affiliated Afghans. In August 2021, more than 120,000 people were evacuated from Kabul airport, including around 2,000 Afghans working for NATO and their families.

In addition to their role in evacuation operations, Marines have also been involved in training Afghan security forces. Marines are trained specifically for the task by the Advisor Training Group, which teaches them how to mentor, advise, and train the Afghan forces, including the Army (ANA) and Police (ANP). A typical advisor team consists of 14-32 Marines and Sailors, many of whom have prior combat experience.

Marines have also been involved in training Afghan snipers. In Helmand province, a small task force of Marines started a sniper training program to train and push out Afghan snipers onto the battlefield. The sniper course includes an introduction to field craft, marksmanship, camouflage, observation, range estimation, and sniper employment. While Marine advisors do not directly accompany Afghan forces on missions, the Marines have played a crucial role in building the capacity of the Afghan security forces.

Marines are trained to build rapport with locals to gather valuable information

Marines are trained to build rapport with locals in Afghanistan to gather valuable information. This training is a crucial aspect of their pre-deployment process and involves rapport-building exercises at Camp Lejeune, N.C. These exercises simulate real-world interactions with Afghan locals, allowing Marines to practice using interpreters and navigate cultural differences.

Staff Sgt. Brian Stanley, an advisor skills instructor, emphasizes the importance of this training, stating that understanding cultural nuances and building positive relationships with Afghans are essential for mission success. Maj. Michael Young, an advisor with Task Force Southwest, adds that face-to-face interaction with Afghan role players helps Marines garner an understanding of cultural norms, making it easier to cultivate rapport and advise the Afghan National Army and Police.

The process of building rapport with locals is not without challenges. Marines often face obstacles such as drug use, illiteracy, and fear of the Taliban among potential recruits. However, they persist in their efforts to establish trust and strengthen local security forces. This includes training and advising the Afghan National Army and Police, as well as providing firepower and pointers from a distance, demonstrating their commitment to their mission and long-term presence in Afghanistan.

Marines are trained to navigate cultural differences and build rapport with locals in Afghanistan. This training equips them with the skills to interact positively, cultivate relationships, and gather valuable information, contributing to the overall success of their missions and the stability of the region.

Marines are trained to adapt investigative techniques to take on the Taliban

The ATG provides realistic training, with a focus on understanding Afghan culture and the subtleties of successfully mentoring and advising the ANSF. This includes studying the Muslim religion and Pashtunwali, the way of life of the Pashtuns, the largest ethnic group in RC-Southwest. The training involves a week-long Mission Rehearsal Exercise where the team must deal with various Afghan-related scenarios, such as complex ambushes, IED strikes, detainee processing, morale and discipline, and air medivacs.

Marines are taught to maintain their composure during high-stress exercises and to focus on ensuring their Afghan counterparts can maintain theirs. They are also trained in foreign weapons courses, machine gun usage, counter-IED tactics, mounted and dismounted patrolling, and medivacs.

The Marine Corps has constructed a large MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) town with 1,550 buildings over 284 acres to make the training as realistic as possible. The town includes jails, hospitals, bazaars, and a hotel, with Afghan women and bazaari adding to the ambiance.

In addition to training, Marines have also been involved in combat operations against the Taliban. For example, in 2011, two US Marines were charged with urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, an incident that caused widespread anger and was deemed "inhuman" by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

More recently, in August 2021, over 2,000 Marines were sent to Kabul to secure the evacuation of tens of thousands of Americans and at-risk allies as the Taliban rushed across Afghanistan. During this operation, Marines were photographed pulling babies and children to safety over barbed wire at the Kabul airport.

The Marine Corps is also adapting to new ways of operating and emerging threats, such as those posed by the Chinese and Russian militaries. This includes a focus on naval integration and distributed maritime operations, littoral operations, and expeditionary advanced base operations.

Marines are involved in humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in Afghanistan

The US Marines have been involved in humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in Afghanistan, including:

• In 2021, Marines responded to devastation in Haiti and helped save the lives of Americans and Afghans.
• In August 2021, over 2,000 Marines were sent to Kabul to secure the evacuation of tens of thousands of Americans and at-risk allies.
• In 2017, a small task force of Marines started a sniper training program to train Afghan snipers in Helmand province.
• The Advisor Training Group (ATG) trains adviser group Marines who mentor, advise, and train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
• In 2010, Marines from the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Fallon, Nevada, and from the San Francisco area helped rangers fight large forest fires in the Tahoe National Forest.
• In 2010, Marines from Camp Lejeune, with Navy medical corpsmen, assisted in the Charleston, South Carolina area following Hurricane Hugo.
• In 2009, Marines from the Amphibious Squadron Four transported U.S. Army Engineers from Morehead City, North Carolina, to Guatemala for road and construction work following devastating earthquakes.
• In 2008, Marines from LPH Boxer and two LSDs arrived off the coast of Hispaniola to give medical aid and helicopter evacuation services to people in areas of Haiti and the Dominican Republic badly damaged by Hurricane Cleo.
• In 2006, Marines from the Amphibious Task Unit of the Sixth Fleet, with BLT 2/6 (Reinf.) embarked, assisted in relief operations following earthquakes in the Ionian Islands.
• In 2005, USS Albany (CA) and William Wood (DD) provided disaster relief to the citizens of Volos, Greece, following a severe earthquake.
• In 2004, Marine Assault Construction Battalion personnel constructed a new bridge and improved roads in Haiti following flooding.
• In 2003, USS Saipan operated off the southern coast of Haiti, extending relief and humanitarian aid to victims of Hurricane Hazel.
• In 2002, Marines from the Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada, and from the San Francisco area helped rangers fight large forest fires in the Tahoe National Forest.

Marines are trained to stabilise the country and withdraw foreign troops

Marines are trained to be adaptable and to be able to improvise, adapt, and overcome all obstacles in all situations. They are trained to be resilient and to have the will to win. Marines are trained to be leaders who defy the opposition and to have the grit to continue when others quit.

Marines are trained to be a force that can be deployed anywhere in the world within days. They are trained to be a combined-arms force that can conduct expeditionary and amphibious operations through combined arms, implementing their own infantry, artillery, aerial, and special operations forces. Marines are trained to be a force that can rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force.

Marines are trained to be a force that can seize or defend advanced naval bases and other land operations to support naval campaigns. They are trained to be a force that can develop tactics, techniques, and equipment used by amphibious landing forces in coordination with the Army and Air Force. Marines are trained to be a force that can provide security for American embassies, consulates, and legations.

Marines are trained to be a force that can conduct asymmetric warfare with conventional, irregular, and hybrid forces. They are trained to be a force that can maintain integrated multielement task forces under a single command. Marines are trained to be a force that can implement combined-arms warfare principles.

Marines are trained to be a force that can focus on the infantry. They are trained to be a force that can focus on amphibious capabilities.

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