AS BRITISH forces prepare for what could be the most ferocious operation yet against the Taliban, Afghanistan's own national army is poised to play its greatest role ever against insurgency in Helmand Province.

All of the Afghan soldiers who will take part in Operation Moshtarak will have gone through an intensive training package at the Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC), described as the country's 'soldier factory'.

Here, Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers are being trained on an industrial scale by ISAF Forces as part of the coalition's effort to hand the country's security back to its people.

"We are very much part of a long-term mission in Afghanistan, and can measure our success by the thousands of officers, NCO's and soldiers trained here," said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Ilic, the UK Leadership Training Team's Commanding Officer. "We are one of the best kept secrets in Afghanistan."

Strength in numbers

More than 5,200 soldiers and officers pass out from KMTC every month in order to reach a target strength of 134,000 ANA soldiers by October this year.

A team of 64 British Army officers and soldiers are responsible for all the leadership courses within this i.e. the training of the officer cadets and the non-commissioned officers (NCO) courses, which are of particular value to the ANA. The training of junior ANA soldiers is run by US military teams.

Experienced NCOs are at a premium in the ANA, where literacy levels are traditionally low at these ranks, and those who could promote are required on the front line of operations and are thus unable to attend courses to allow them to step up.

Higher education opportunities

Literacy lessons therefore play their part in the training programme together with infantry skills, drills, weapon handling, ambush techniques and counter insurgency training. For the cadets though it is all about learning how to defend their country themselves.

“Counter insurgency training is the most important thing for us to learn to deal with the conflict in Afghanistan,” said officer cadet Hamid Ullah, 21, from the Wardak province, who was initially persuaded to join the Army by his parents because of the higher educational opportunities. “I love the Army, and would not want to do anything else now,” he said.

Part of the enthusiasm for the training is because it is being taught by Afghan instructors, who are mentored by the British Army at KMTC.

"The British mentors and ANA instructors are working together so we are learning from both," said fellow officer cadet Mohammad Osman, 22, from the Kapisa province. "We were told when we joined that the instructors would be British, French and Gurkhas, so I was pleased when I found the instructors were Afghani. It is good for us because the ANA is our future so we have to have the knowledge to teach and train ourselves for when the British leave."

Taking the fight to the enemy

"We like being taught by Afghani's because that is the future," agreed Ullah. "The British aren't going to be here forever. Our army needs to defend the borders of Afghanistan."

Commenting on the part of the ANA in operations, Lieutenant Colonel Ilic concluded: “They are an equal partner, they fight alongside our soldiers. We've got our own embedded training teams and operational mentor liaison teams with them, but they are taking the fight to the enemy. They are very keen.

"They want this war to end as much we do. They've had enough fighting, they've been fighting for over 30 years and all they want now are their lives back."