August 19, Lithuanian State flag was raised in the US-led international training forces camp "Stone", Regional Support Command - West,. NATO Training Mission. From July 5 at the camp serves Lieutenant Colonel Aleksiejus Gaiževskis, Joint Staff officer assigned by the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
NATO training mission in Afghanistan was established in 2009, when Afghanistan switched to a new phase - Afghanistan Armed Forces were trained to conduct and plan operations independently. Lithuanian officer in the Regional Support West Command camp serves as Chief of Afghanistan Armed Forces Operations Planning and Enabling section.
The area of responsibility of this training mission is the western part of Afghanistan, including the area of responsibility of Lithuanian-led Ghor Provincial Reconstruction Team. Number of areas still suffer from ongoing hostile forces attacks. However, the successful development of the Afghanistan Armed Forces enables to establish security posts in the most dangerous and remote regions, establish Afghanistan Armed Forces bases and international forces headquarters, providing support. All this ensures security of the main roads and population.
The most important task of the Lithuanian officer is to ensure capability of Afghanistan Armed Forces to train, plan and conduct operations independently, as well as ensure own logistics planning, sustainability, the ability to make records and accounting for material resources, infrastructure and organize optimal use of human resources, considering priorities, possibilities and actual needs.
According to Lithuanian officer, the biggest challenge is the approach and mentality of Afghans, difficulties of long-term planning. People survived numerous wars and changes of governments, and are reluctant to take basic accounting or responsibility for infrastructure, vehicles, communication centres, different projects, etc.
In a country where Shariat Law is still valid in most areas, a military unit commander is both planner and decision maker. However, despite the difficulties, the aim is to achieve that unit commanders would allow their headquarters to analyze situations, develop future plans and projects, threat response situations, and carry out detailed evaluations. That would allow to save funds, material and human resources, and most important - avoid human casualties.
Afghanistan is highly dependent on international support, so maintenance is carried out only through international funds. "When you have nothing, there is nothing to plan" - such was the way of thinking of Afghan forces in the past, but it is no longer acceptable, and this is one of the challenges faced by Lithuanian officers.
According to Lithuanian officer, this attitude is changing as NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan has issued guidelines under
which the Afghan Armed Forces must be prepared to plan and conduct own tasks as well as to self-sustain. Local forces also must be ready to take over areas of responsibility of international forces.
Info by Joint Headquarters
