July 19, 2006: The Afghan Army is having a hard time losing old habits. The average Afghan soldier is tough and enjoys a fight, and has successfully undergone modern infantry training. But too many of them still think like warriors, not soldiers. For example, a recent fire fight, involving 20-30 Taliban and platoon of Afghans, demonstrated this. The Afghans wanted to charge right into the Taliban, despite the fact that they'd received some pretty good training in fire and movement tactics. Fortunately the advisor with them got them to apply their training. The Taliban force was routed, with no casualties of the Afghan soldiers.
All Afghan soldiers have successfully completed training in modern infantry tactics and techniques. But most of these guys grew up in a warrior culture, that had other, much less effective, tactics and techniques for fighting. When Afghans are fighting Afghans, it doesn't make much difference. But as Russian commandos in the 1980s, and U.S. Special Forces (starting in 2001) demonstrated, well trained soldiers are superior to warriors. Afghan soldiers realize that, but in the heat of battle, there's always the temptation to go Old School. Even Afghan NCOs and officers get tempted. American advisors to Afghan battalions spend a lot of the time just reminding the Afghan troops. Fortunately, the Taliban have no modern infantry training, and no advisors reminding them that they ought to update their play book.
The Afghan army currently has 30,000 trained soldiers, and the current goal is to recruit and train 70,000. However, the Afghan defense minister believes the country needs 150,000-200,000. Currently, new troops are being turned out at the rate of about a thousand a month. It would take three years just to reach the 70,000 level. Currently, Afghanistan cannot afford to train, equip and pay a 200,000 man force.