COIN: The Flipside
A new unit just arrived here in our battle space. I say “our” in that it’s the ANA’s country so it’s their battle space; I count the ETTs with the ANA. Now, the commanders that arrive here continually refer to themselves as battle space owners, I’d advocate for a rebranding as battle space renter. But, as in all good COIN fights the battle isn’t at the Battalion level it’s really with the individual soldier that interfaces and spends that most time with the Afghans.
Some of the soldiers that have arrived here have previous experience working with indigenous forces. That experience is with the Iraqi Security Forces and I’ll borrow a line from my friend Troy at Bouhammer, “Afghanistan isn’t Iraq”. The Afghans are much different than the Iraqis. Troy, I’ll give the royalty check to Kesterson.
These preconceived notions get in the way with them working, training and just generally interacting with the Afghans. They call them “Haji” and are afraid of them. Afraid may seem like a strong word to use here, but it accurately describes what I’ve seen. Here’s an example.
The ETTs and CF move onto the ANA side of the FOB to get ready for a dismounted patrol into the local area. As we walk onto the ANA side I hear the sound of 30 M4s being locked and loaded. Look, we haven’t even gotten near leaving the FOB and these guys are locking their weapons. What does that communicate to the ANA? When I ask them why, they reply with various answers that all revolve around what if the ANA attack us.
So, the second front in the fight has emerged. We as ETTs are in the middle, the ambassadors of goodwill, or as I like to say COINs Bob Hope Tour. We need to breakdown the walls and get these guys together. “Can’t we all just get along”?
Our Bob Hope Tour started at the basic level, MSG Famine began giving classes to the CF squads about COIN and what’s going on here, each Private needs to understand that they’re actions are pivotal in the COIN fight. What we’ve seen is that the officers and senior NCOs get the classes but “Joe” gets ignored. One more way that the US conventional force is missing how COIN works. Joe, is the key interface with the populace and the Afghan National Security Force.
Next, we started taking them over to the ANA for Chai and meals. Many of you have already read my posts about Chai and it’s importance within the Afghan culture. The initial response to this was poor only one squad leader wanted to bring his guys over and they were met with ridicule and called “Haji Lovers”. But eventually we started seeing more interest. I took some squad leaders over and got them some Nan-Afghan bread- to share with their squads. Eventually, more guys expressed an interest. I knew we were starting to win this phase of the fight when I overheard this exchange in the US chow hall.
“Dude, your squad is a bunch of Haji Lovers for going over there “ one Joe said to another
“You know what man, they’re not Haji, they’re Afghan and these guys were beating up the Hajis centuries ago and then were kicking ass on the Russians. So yeah, they’re pretty cool to hang out with” another Joe replied with a sense of pride.
Finally we started joint training with the US and ANA. We started with the medics, what I’ve found is that generally the medics are a little more receptive and accepting. So, my medic SSG Doc planned a mass casualty exercise (MASCAL) in which the Afghan medics would receive and triage the casualties, move them to the US Aid Station for joint stabilization and then the US and ANA would move them to the LZ for medevac. The genius in this plan is that MASCAL requires the whole FOB to mobilize so the rest of the US Forces have no choice but to see the all the medics working together.
You know what it’s worked. Since then we’ve had squads asking to go do PT with the ANA and do joint training with them. We’ve got our foot in the door and it’s working. We’re pushing back on the second front now too and like any Bob Hope show you can’t help but walk away happy.
During my incredibly arduous ETT training, that’s a joke by the way, no one ever mentioned the idea that we’d have to battle our own forces to start winning the COIN fight. But it’s critical to start building that bond and breaking down those prejudices. These guy will have to fight alongside each other at some point and you don’t want that being the first time they meet each other.
Nothing like a little Chai, Nan and a MASCAL to start the process.
Well Done! And yes, the have been kicking ass for a LONG time over in that part of the world...
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The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 04/07/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
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Your entries are very much appreciated. They tell and describe events/stories that take place in your area of the world/mission. I've added your link to my website. I hope you don't mind.
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Scott will gladly pick that check up for me. BTW, not to point out that I was COIN before COIN was cool. But here is a link to an old post of mine where we continually tried to do the same thing (link of joes and Afghan soldiers)http://www.bouhammer.com/2006/10/operation-mountain-fury-phase-2-day-8/
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"or as I like to say COINs Bob Hope Tour." Made me choke on my coffee. You sure know how to turn a phrase.
Thanks for sharing this. I quoted a recent Scott Kesterson comment over at Blue's and I'll use it again here: "The Guard of today looks and operates nothing like the Guard of years past. Following from 8 years of war, the National Guard now has more combat experience within its ranks than its overshadowing "big brother.""
You are proving those words by taking COIN training to the regular Joes who are not getting it from the chain of command. Keep up the good fight Sir.
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I think you have the quote of the day: no one ever mentioned the idea we’d have to battle our own forces to start winning the COIN fight.
That has always been the way with the military: shifting missions that are fundamentally different from the ingrained approach require...retraining, and not just at one level. People are Xenophobic in the US just about people from other parts of the country (North vs South, Costal vs. Center, Boston vs New York) what makes us think that we won't have the same issues in radically different cultures.
The Army is far from the day when the only essential skill is putting lead down range. Keep up the good work.
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Where in the world did the Army find you? I didn't think the Army allowed anyone to exercise any individual initiative. Good job! And good luck.
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Winning of hearts and minds, brother - on both sides!- "Sweaty"
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'ell, the Ghans were Haji in 2002, before Iraq was put to Congress. I found it odd that Iraqis got the same nickname, until I learned it was a title earned when a Muslim goes on their "Hajj" (pilgrimage to Mecca).
We jez called 'em all "Haji" cuz so many sed dat was dere name. ((Despite popular perception now, there was no demeaning attribute to it.))
On the other hand, I know some folks that got inta some serious trubl fer tellin' tales o' da "sandbaggers" in Iraq. 'ell, dat was dere job. Dey bagged sand. Dey stacked bags o' sand.
Chai is key. Hope the new help breaks in well. I do miss the flat bread and rice. Our terp used to steal us some food from the Ghans so we wouldn't have to suffer the 2 hot meals: T-Rats.
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Well done!
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Well done, young man. Came over from Blackfive a while back and have been enjoying your posts ever since.
It seems to me that part of the problem is that as Americans we don't have a handle on how ironclad the Guest Right is. If your Kandak is all the same tribe, then it applies and they would die to the last man defending you or anybody else who has the Right. Is this correct?
In any case, keep up the good work, lots of us with you back on the home front. Charlie Mike.
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Bubba, you are "almost" right on the money! The Afghans are fine folks. I have posted before that I never met a Afghani that I wouldn't trust with my life if he gave his word, and I meant it! Thos that won't are there, but I never met even one! And fighters? They have been fighting continuously, for around 7000 years, and in case it slips by those new guys, NO ONE has defeated them YET!! And that goes from Hannibal and his elephants to the Ruskies! BUT(t)... (everone got one at least) Locking and loading before going outside ANY FOB should be done ANYWHERE!! It ain't called an "FOB" 'cause it's downtown, White Plains!!! Everyone outside the berms may NOT be ya friendly ANA's! Smile, talk softly, and carry a big stick! Now, who could have said that? Teddy R? Well, it still applies! Smile, talk softly, and have mag inserted and the pipe filled. Safety on, yes, chamber empty, no. And I know I will get flak, but unless you've done 3 tours or so, I probably have more time humping the hills there than you do. I spent over 2 years on the Afghan side of the Khyber, attached to a SF special unit out of the 5th SFG, and another on the (ptooey) Pak side. (Peshewar was a US spy base and listening post, as well as a U-2 base, and we paid boucou gold to keep "friendly" tribesmen on both sides of the Pass watching out for us!) And keep in mind, that when these folks ain't got no one else to fight, they fight each OTHER, probably to stay in practice!
Paul Andreasen, TSgt, USAF(Ret)
ROMAD 601 DASS (601 ASOC)
CCT 1278th APS
(There's no such thing as an ex-ROMAD)
Keep on keepin' on! You guys ARE the tip of the spear, and winning hearts and minds DOES pay back better than pulling on short hairs!
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So sorry our guys don't know the difference between Haji's and Afghan, that's a real shame being the difference is like night and day. Glad you could educate them.
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While I agree with you about COIN and the need to really integrate, learn the culture and trust the Afghans, 2 Navy folks were shot and killed by an ANA recruit at Camp Spann a couple weeks ago. This just makes it that much harder because there are always a few who you can't trust.
http://mvcrez.blogspot.com/
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Kim,
Unfortunately, yes this is a very dangerous business and many times it comes down to your gut instinct. However we can't let that become our overriding concern when we shape the way we interact with the Afghans. There will be those that we can't trust and our relationships with our units is often what reveals the undercover boogereaters to us.
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