Combat Advising the ANA 205th Commandos
Combat Advising the ANA 205th Commandos:
An Operational Perspective
by Tim C. Leival
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One of the goals of the Operational Art is to effectively translate the expression of national will, in the form of strategy, into concrete tactical tasks; preferably ones that can be assigned metrics to mark progress. This paper reflects the application of the Art in the small example of the Afghan National Army 205th Commandos and Special Forces Operational Detachment A 2132.
ODA 2132 received the mission to Combat Advise the 205th Commandos at literally the worst time imaginable. We had just lost our Detachment Commander to an IED attack that also gravely wounded our Junior Engineer. We were down to eight personnel, one of whom, our Intelligence Sergeant (18F), would be serving as escort for our Commander and would be gone for almost a month. Our pre-mission training had been focused on the more usual ODA mission set. We were grieving and dispirited, but eagerly looking to get back into the fight.
When we received our change of mission brief from LTC Heinz Dinter (Task Force 32 Commander), he made it very clear that he was assigning us to the CJSOTF-A Commander’s (COL Haas) designated Main Effort not because of our limitations, but because of our strengths. As a National Guard Detachment, we have a collection of experience and education of unusual breadth and depth as well as a wealth of time spent working with indigenous soldiers in many venues. Events proved his concept to be correct and, more germane to the thesis; we had already demonstrated an adherence to the principle of Cognitive processes in prosecution of Irregular Warfare. This principle is commonly and incorrectly expressed as “putting an Afghan face” on tactical operations. Because of our life experiences, our detachment was able to correctly interpret this principle into the action of avoiding creating dependencies at any level. Properly expressed by our Junior Communications Sergeant, “An Afghan Solution to an Afghan problem” became our mantra and rallying cry when less flexible minds tried to make the Commandos into institutional mirror-images of their own light infantry organizations.
Download the Full Article: Combat Advising the ANA 205th Commandos
CW3 Tim Leival was the Detachment Commander on SFODA 2132, Co C, 1/20th SFG(A). He has served as Executive Officer, Commander, Junior Weapons Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant and Assistant Detachment Commander on 2132, as well as XO, S4, S3, S2 and Assistant Training NCO in the same Company over the last 26 years. Prior to that, he served as Mortar Platoon Ammo Bearer and Platoon Leader in various Reserve Component Infantry units.
