MAIMANAH, Afghanistan –
The fight against terror and the enemies of Afghanistan in the North got a boost this week as international military advisers joined soldiers with the Afghan National Army 209th Corps, 1st Brigade, in Maimanah, Faryab province.
"I‘m happy to be here to help our Afghan partners,” said German Army Col. Christoph Böcker, Senior Advisor at Maimanah. "We see some additional improvements that are possible and therefore we can help them. It‘s also a step forward for the 1st Brigade."
The Train, Advise, Assist Command-North advising teams will ensure better coordination of operations against insurgents and terrorists who spark instability in the region.
Resolute Support is a non-combat mission, and the focus of TAA efforts by international advisers from 39 troop-contributing nations is to empower the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to fight insurgents and terrorists on their own. The ANDSF routinely carry out operations with no coalition support, providing their own planning, intelligence, air support, and logistics. Most RS advisers work at the corps level or higher, but focusing advising down to the brigade or kandak level boosts morale for the ANA troops and brings increased capability and support to priority operations.
"In terms of assisting and advising for the operation, the ANDSF are pretty sure they need some advisers in this regard," said Hanif Rezayee, public affairs officer for the 209th Corps. "We are also satisfied with the planning and everything is going all well."
The efforts taken by TAAC-North within the Resolute Support mission are part of the broader engagement of the international community in Afghanistan to ensure Afghanistan is never again a safe haven for terrorism. Increased troop contributions to TAA efforts throughout Afghanistan signal a renewed commitment to the people of Afghanistan and to fighting terrorism wherever it arises.
This enhanced TAA is just one piece of how ANDSF training and the U.S. South Asia Policy are being executed on the battlefield. The other elements are the efforts being put into building up the capability and capacity of the Afghan Air Forces and the Special Forces; working to cut off finances for the opposition, through the counter revenue campaign, where U.S. and Afghan forces are taking out Taliban narcotic production and command and control nodes; and diplomatic and regional cooperation efforts being exercised to bring the Taliban to reconciliation.
Advisers in TAAC-North come from 21 troop contributing nations and conduct the TAA mission with the 209th Afghan National Army Corps, 707th Afghan National Police Zone and 808th Afghan National Police Zone. For the next few weeks, TAAC-North personnel will be conducting TAA in Maimanah with the 1st Brigade.
This visit to Maimanah comes at an important time of year, as the campaign plans for 2018 are being finalized and the ANA puts increasing military pressure on the Taliban and terrorists seeking to destabilize the country. Maimanah is in a remote area of Faryab province on the far western end of TAAC-North’s area of operations, which stretches from near the border with Iran in the West to China in the East.
"There is nowhere in northern Afghanistan where TAAC-North won’t go to enable our Afghan partners," said U.S. Army Col. Scott Trahan, Deputy Commander for TAAC-North and Ground Force Commander at Maimanah. He explained that Maimanah is a priority for the Afghan government and the ANDSF, so the decision to go to specific locations in Afghanistan is tied to their priorities.