DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: Rule of Law in Afghanistan

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on May 24, 2010 at 3:08 pm {one comment}
Col. Rick Rousseau, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), NATO Training Mission Afghanistan & Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan

Col. Rick Rousseau, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), NATO Training Mission Afghanistan & Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan

Col. Rick Rousseau, with the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA), NATO Training Mission Afghanistan & Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan (NTM-A/CSTC-A), participated in a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 10:30 am EDT.

Rousseau discussed their role in providing relevant, accurate, and proactive legal advice on all issues affecting NTM-A/CSTC-A commanders and staff. In addition to providing legal services internally to NTM-A/CSTC-A, the OSJA has an important function in the development of the Rule of Law in Afghanistan.

In particular, the OSJA provides the systems and institutional development of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and Afghan National Police (ANP) legal offices. Similarly, the OSJA provides the systems and institutional development of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and Afghan National Army (ANA) legal offices.

The OSJA provides the institutional training of the legal officers and paralegals of both the MOI/ANP and MOD/ANA in order to create a competent, professional, and effective police and army that serve the Afghan people in accordance with the rule of law.

To listen to the interview, click here.

To read the transcript for the interview, click here.

To learn more, read the Defense.gov’s story: Development Continues for Afghan Legal System

Joining us on the call were Dale Kissinger, MilitaryAvenue.com; John Doyle, 4gwar; and Carl Forsberg, understandingwar.org.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on May 21, 2010 at 12:02 pm {no comments}

Col. George T. (Tom) Donovan, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, senior advisor to the ANA Chief of the General Staff, participated in a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable, Friday, May 21 at 10:30 EDT.

Donovan discussed one of NTM-A/CSTC-A’s top priorities, Ministerial Development, increasing the capacity of the Ministry of Defense to solve the complex and challenging problems it faces as it fights an insurgency and at the same time forms as an institution of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The Chief of the General Staff, the ranking officer in uniform within the ANA, supervises the ANA General Staff as well as commands the operational Army. In essence, he fulfills the role of the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army along with the role of a U.S. Combatant Commander, employing the forces in combat.

The role of the advisor to the Chief of the General staff is to develop the capacity of this key official to grow, improve, and sustain his organization during this complex and challenging time. He serves as a strategic advisor on issues of concern to the coalition as well as the ANA, acts as a liaison officer between the CoGS and the various major commands of ISAF, and assists the CoGS in performing his duties by providing feedback and insights into challenges within ANA systems and policies.

To listen to the interview, click here.

To read the transcript, click here.

Read the Defense.gov story, “Afghan Army Chief, Advisor Shape Growing Force”

Joining us on the call were Paul McLeary, Aviation Week and Andrew Lubin, militaryobserver.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on May 13, 2010 at 8:39 pm {one comment}

NTM-ACSTC-ASealWe have scheduled a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with U.S. Army Col. Thomas J. Umberg, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, Chief of Anti-Corruption for Monday, May 17 at 1030 ET.

One of NTM-A/CSTC-A’s top priorities is to team with and assist the Government of Afghanistan to develop and grow their leaders for today and tomorrow and to generate a professional, competent, tactically self-sufficient Afghan National Security Force (ANSF).

One challenge to this mission is the corruption that exists in Afghanistan and within the ANSF. NTM-A is partnering with the ANSF to develop systems and processes to confront this challenge and reduce opportunities for corruption through advising, training, mentoring and resource support. These processes include paying the soldiers and patrolmen electronically, inventorying the equipment and personnel within the ANSF, increasing fuel, ammunition and weapon accountability, as well as identifying those who engage in corruption. NTM-A is also working with the international community and the U.S. Embassy to meet this challenge.

To listen to the interview, click here. 

To read the transcript from the inteview, click here.

To read the Defense.gov article, click here.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: Afghan Army Commando Training

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on April 10, 2010 at 9:44 am {no comments}

MG David R. Hogg, Commanding General, U.S. Army Africa

U.S. Army MG David R. Hogg, former deputy commander-Army, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan participated in a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable at the 2010 MilBlog Conference, April 10.

During today’s roundtable, Maj. Gen. Hogg will discuss Afghan Army Commando Training at the Center for Training Excellence, provide a Commando training overview, and additionally, take questions regarding the successes and challenges of developing an Afghan Army and it’s road to self-sufficiency.

The Afghan Army is in a process of development and capability growth, with the primary emphasis on building an Infantry-centric force that can rapidly deploy in support of current operations.  The current challenge in Afghanistan is predominantly Counter-Insurgency.  To increase the Afghan Army’s own COIN capability, it has developed Commando training and Commando units.  These are highly trained, Afghan-led units that provide the critical COIN capability.

Listen to the interview.

Watch the DVIDS video.

View the Defense.gov article.

View the transcript from this roundtable.

DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan

Filed under Bloggers Roundtable by on March 22, 2010 at 2:25 pm {no comments}
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera. Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera. Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

We have scheduled a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable for Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 1030 EDT with U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael R. Boera, Commanding General, Combined Air Power Transition Force, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, and Commander, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Boera will discuss how the NATO organization has been charged with helping the government of Afghanistan expand and refine its air power capabilities in the Combined Air Power Transition Force (CAPTF). During the roundtable, he will also provide an overview of CAPTF’s current and planned efforts to grow the Afghanistan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC) and the other air power organizations that contribute to Afghanistan’s internal security.

The NATO strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan centers on increasing the size and capabilities of Afghanistan’s army and national police. Air power provides capabilities that enable all of Afghanistan’s security forces to operate with greater efficiency. For this reason, the ANAAC will see a commensurate increase in size, and the capabilities of all nations will be called upon to help facilitate this growth.

To listen to the interview, click here.

To view the transcript, click here.

Read, the Defense.gov article.

Joining us on the call were Chuck Simmins, North Shore Journal; Sandra Erwin, National Defense Magazine, and Sharon Wineberger.

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