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After 19 years of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. is working on a plan to draw down its troops. There are currently 13,000 active troops stationed in Afghanistan filling various roles for the United Nations, including positions of military advisers. One of the main tasks that Americans have been helping with is preparing Afghan military air traffic controllers, otherwise known as ATACS, that can help coordinate airstrikes against Taliban fighters.

There are severe problems with this plan. A recent defense department Inspector General report states that only 2.5-7.5% percent of airstrikes from Afghan MD-530 helicopters and A-29 Super Tucano aircraft involve coordination from tactical Afghan air controllers, and not U.S. forces.

Those numbers present a problem because most of the military actionin Afghanistan are coordinated airstrikes. Since 2013 the United States has been working with the Afghan forces to train more than 80 ATACS, but that hasn't gone well. They've so far trained over 400 but as of writing of this article, there are only 24 active in the theater. A lot of this is because the country has been unable to initiate an acceptable training program to keep candidates trainedand prepared for their roles.

In this photo, a Brazilian soldier stands guard near a A-29 Super Tucano during the opening ceremony of the Santiago's Aviation Fair, known as FIDAE, at Chile's international airport, on March 27, 2006. Photo: REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

Another critical issue is that the Afghan Air Force has only grown to 183 aircraft for the entire branch of the service: the McDonnell Douglas MD 530 helicopters, which are the premier attack vehicle being shipped to Afghanistan by its manufacturers, and the A-29 Super Tucano of which the Afghan Air Force has 15. There is an additional contract for 200 more of the aircraft to be manufactured by Northstar aircraft in Florida and shipped to Afghanistan and the theater of action within the coming year.

Coalition forces once trained pilots at Moody Air Force Base in Florida to fly the aircraft and they also trained maintenance technicians to maintain the aircraft. After so many years of training, U.S. forces should not have to play that role now.

U.S. forces are working steadfastly to try and pull out of the country, but peace negotiations with the Taliban have been deadlocked. In an attempt to force the Taliban back to the negotiating table, the U.S. has been consistently hammering them with airstrikes. On a positive note, the Afghan Air Force has been able to coordinate its own aircraft but there have been continuous problems with the Afghan Air Force and the Afghan National Army communicating and working together for successful military operations.

It does not appear that the U.S. will be pulling out anytime soon. Despite what the politicians may say we may be locked in a forever air war in Afghanistan.

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The US Air War In Afghanistan May Never End - International Business Times

TwoSenate Foreign Relations Committee lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill that would establish congressional oversight on any peace deal process to end the now 18-year war in Afghanistan.

The committees top ranking Democrat Sen.Bob MenendezRobert (Bob) MenendezSenate passes legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters Graham blocks resolution recognizing Armenian genocide after Erdoan meeting Trump encounters GOP resistance to investigating Hunter Biden MORE(N.J.) and his colleague Sen. Todd YoungTodd Christopher YoungThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump says he is fighting testimony to protect presidency The Hill's Morning Report Dems and Trump score separate court wins GOP braces for Democratic spending onslaught in battle for Senate MORE (R-Ind.),introduced theEnsuring a Durable Afghanistan Peace Act,which would require congressional oversight for U.S. diplomatic efforts to achieve a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and any agreement that emerges from that process, according to a statement from the two.

Unfortunately, like other war powers discussions, Congress has taken a backseat in the debate over the future of our mission in Afghanistan while the conflict has descended towards a stalemate, Young said in the statement.

As we pursue negotiations with the Taliban and work to end our involvement, Congress must be a part of the process to ensure that our mission is brought to a responsible end.

The legislation comes after President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump at rally vows to supporters no name change for 'Thanksgiving' Trump says he will designate Mexican drug cartels as terror organizations State Dept. official describes frantic effort to save recalled Ukraineambassador MOREin September declared peace talks with the Taliban dead.

Until that point, theadministration had been negotiating with the Taliban for nearly a year in an effort to end Americas longest war. A draft agreement at the time would have pullednearly 5,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan within months in exchange for Taliban assurances that it would not allow terrorist groups to use the country as a jumping off point for attacks on the United States.

Butearlier this weekthe Taliban freedan American and Australian in exchange for three of its members. Administration officials hope this could jump start peace talks.

An issue that still needs to be resolved, however, was the Afghan governments limited involvement inU.S. negotiations with the Taliban.Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghanireportedly felt sidelined by the talks, and national security officials and lawmakers fear it will be a hard sell to get the Afghan government to hold up a deal they were largely not a part of in making.

The White House on Thursday said that Trump had spoken with Ghani to affirm the important role of the Afghan government in its countrys peace process.

Both sides agreed a reduction in violence is necessary to move the peace process forward and for any intra-Afghan negotiations regarding a political settlement to be successful, the statement said.

Lawmakers worry, though, that Trump may still pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan without gaining concessions from the Taliban in an effort to make good on his campaign promises to end forever wars, especially ahead of the 2020 election.

Menendez and Youngsbill, if enacted, would stipulate that any action to curtail or remove U.S. military forces from Afghanistan include regular consultation with Congress, and require that the administration allow lawmakers to review a final agreement with the Taliban, including a description of counterterrorism assurances, U.S. troop withdrawal, the status of direct Afghan negotiations and progress towards reaching a comprehensive ceasefire.

In addition, it requires an initial assessment report to be sent to Congress within 60 days after a finalized peace deal that lays out how the State Department can verify that the Taliban are complying with their side of the agreement and whether the group has broken ties with al-Qaeda. A similar, quarterly report would also be required.

Roughly 13,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. The conflict has taken the lives of more than 2,300 Americans and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Excerpt from:
Bipartisan bill requires Congressional oversight of Afghanistan peace process | TheHill - The Hill

Photo for representation. Image- Reuters

After training men from the Afghan National Army (ANA) for years the Indian Army wants to make the training of women officers from strife hit Afghanistan a regular affair.

Twenty women officers from the Afghan army will be part of a special training module at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) Chennai for the next three weeks.

The training is scheduled to take place from November 25 to December 21.

This is the third consecutive year when women officers are part of such training at OTA, Chennai.

Even though this is not an annual training capsule but as part of military diplomacy between the two countries, its become a regular affair. Every year 20 officers have been part of the training. In time to come the numbers could even go up, said an army source.

The Officers Training Academy or OTA in Chennai gives military training to short service commission officers who have the option of being part of the permanent commission after serving for 10 years.

The permanent commission officers are trained in the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun.

Both IMA and OTA have been giving full training to men from the Afghan National Army in the past but the special capsule course for women officers is new, sources said.

OTA trains about 40 foreign men cadets every year and on average 12-15 are from Afghanistan.

The aim is to train these women officers in small arms weapon handling, tactical knowledge for military operations, administrative skills and also enhance their communication skills, said an army officer.

Other than women from Afghanistan, women from the Kyrgyzstan army were trained in OTA but that was only a group of 5-6 officers for a shorter duration.

The women officers after being trained in various military skills could either be part of several operations in war-torn Afghanistan, be used as trainers or even pass on the learning to instructors back in their country.

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Excerpt from:
Women officers from war torn Afghanistan to be part of frequent military training by Indian Army - India Today

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. President Donald Trump paid respects Thursday to a pair of soldiers who were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan earlier this week.

The president and first lady Melania Trump, along with several senior aides, traveled to Delaware to meet with the families of Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, 33, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, as they received the fallen soldiers remains.

Trump and the first lady were among a group of dignitaries, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and National Security Adviser Robert OBrien, who attended the roughly 12-minute ceremony and watched as six white-gloved members of the Armys Old Guard carefully handled the flag-draped transfer cases holding the soldiers.

Trump and Milley saluted the soldiers, while the first lady and OBrien stood with their hands over their hearts for the dignified transfer of remains.

Trump has said the responsibility of receiving the remains of fallen U.S. soldiers is the toughest thing I have to do as president.

As the final day of public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry wound down, Trump left the White House for the short flight to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the remains of service members killed abroad are returned to U.S. soil.

Knadle, of Tarrant, Texas, and Fuchigami Jr., of Keaau, Hawaii, died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed as they provided security for troops on the ground in Logar Province in eastern Afghanistan.

Both were assigned to Fort Hood, Texas.

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Wednesdays crash brought this years U.S. death toll in Afghanistan to 19, excluding three noncombat deaths.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter, but the U.S. military has dismissed that as a false claim. The crash remains under investigation.

Trump broke off peace talks with the Taliban in September following a bombing in Kabul that killed 12 people, including an American soldier.

The White House said Trump and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani spoke on the phone Thursday, and both agreed a reduction in violence is necessary to move the peace process forward and for all-Afghan negotiations regarding a political settlement to be successful.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump also thanked Ghani for his support in seeking the release of two Western hostages the Taliban freed this week after holding them in captivity for more than three years.

More than 2,400 Americans have died in the nearly 18-year war.

Last month, as Trump sought to justify his unpopular decision to remove a small contingent of U.S. service members from northeastern Syria, he began to describe his experiences at Dover and argue for removing the U.S. from endless wars in the Middle East, which he campaigned on in the 2016 presidential race.

The president has described the sight of cavernous aircraft pulling up on the base, doors opening, uniformed service members carrying flag-draped transfer cases and once-stoic parents breaking down.

Sometimes theyll run to the coffin. Theyll break through military barriers, Trump said at an unrelated White House event on Oct. 9. Theyll run to the coffin and jump on top of the coffin. Crying mothers and wives. Crying desperately.

And this is on these endless wars that just never stop, he said. And theres a time and theres a place, but its time to stop.

Trump was also joined Thursday by Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Army Sgt. Major Michael Grinston. Actor Jon Voight, who was awarded the prestigious National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony earlier Thursday, also attended the solemn movement ceremony at the invitation of Trump.

Voight said he didnt meet the families but watched the moving ceremony.

The 1979 Oscar winner said he thought it must be some comfort that their children are cherished by the country.

There was no intention of meeting the families or any of that, Voight said. I just wanted to pay my respects, say a little prayer.

Thursdays trip was Trumps second to the Delaware military base this year, and his third visit there overall as president.

Trump went to the Delaware base in January 2019 for the return of four Americans who were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Syria.

He attended his first transfer service in February 2017, for the return of a Navy SEAL who was killed during a raid on an al-Qaida compound in Yemen.

Continue reading here:
Trump travels to Dover to pay respect to soldiers killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash - Military Times

Lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would recognize the health hazards posed by oil well fires, burn pits and other pollution sources in Afghanistan and much of the Middle East an effort they say would help ill veterans who apply for VA benefits.

The Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition bill, S. 2950, would declare that service members who deployed to the Middle East in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and after, to Afghanistan and Djibouti following Sept. 11, 2001, and to Iraq beginning in 2003 were exposed to toxins.

The bill stops short of establishing service connection for specific diseases and does not guarantee disability benefits for ill veterans.

But it would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to concede that veterans were exposed to pollutants if they served in the named locations during the specified time frames, effectively eliminating a need for them to prove that they were in close proximity to a pollution source.

Sponsors Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-West Va., say the legislation is needed because currently, VA requires veterans to show evidence of their exposure to support benefits claims and frequently rejects claims on the lack of evidence on exposure.

But since the locations of burn pits and possible health effects associated by their use, may never be completely known, the proposed legislation states it would eliminate the requirement that they prove proximity.

The burden of proof regarding known exposure currently faces Navy and Marine Corps Vietnam veterans who served on Navy ships and were recently granted presumptive status for exposure to Agent Orange.

These blue water veterans who have a disease linked to the use of defoliants during the war must prove the ships they served on sailed within 12 miles of the shore.

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West Virginians have seen first-hand how long its taken for the Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals like Agent Orange to receive the care and benefits they deserve, and the toll it took on them and their families. I want to make sure that doesnt happen to this generation of veterans, Manchin said.

The [bill] reaffirms our commitment to those in uniform and ensures we will not wait decades to tackle this issue head on, Sullivan said.

In February 1991, Iraqi troops set Kuwaiti oil wells on fire, producing clouds of smoke that turned the skies to twilight and blanketed U.S. troops with fine, oily dust that covered skin, clothing, belongings, weapons, work and living spaces.

In Afghanistan and Djibouti after Sept. 11, 2001, and Iraq beginning in 2003, the U.S. military used burn pits to dispose of the refuse generated by military operations, including food waste and household trash, but also plastics, batteries, computer parts, animal carcasses, hospital waste, furniture and more.

Troops reported that soot from the pits often coated work and housing areas with a fine green-black powder and many developed chronic coughs, sinusitus and other respiratory symptoms they referred to as the Iraqi crud.

At their peak, more than 270 burn pits were in use in Afghanistan, Iraq and Djibouti. As of March, nine remained active, including seven in Syria, one in Afghanistan and one in Egypt.

Veterans, veterans service organizations and some physicians attribute rare cancers, some respiratory diseases and other health conditions seen in Gulf War and post 9/11 troops to exposure to these conditions.

In addition to conceding that certain hazardous duty stations pose a potential health hazard, the bill also acknowledges an information gap regarding the location, use and hazards posed by burn pits and encourages ongoing research by DoD and VA.

Veterans who would be covered under the bill include: those who served in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates beginning on Aug. 2, 1990; those who served in Iraq from Aug. 23, 1990 to Feb. 28, 1991, and beginning on March 19, 2003; veterans of Afghanistan and Djibouti, beginning on Sept. 11, 2001; and any other locations set forth in the VA Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry or as deemed by the VA secretary.

The bill names fine particulate matter, 16 types of hydrocarbons, 15 volatile organic compounds and 17 dioxin compounds as known toxins.

Several veterans service organizations, including Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America, pushed for the legislation.

This bipartisan bill will help get rid of red tape and assist affected veterans seeking burn pit-related benefits, said Randy Reese, executive director of the Washington headquarters of Disabled American Veterans.

For years, weve known of the adverse health effects caused by burn pits, and in that time weve seen too many seriously ill veterans struggle to get help from the VA because they lacked the documentation to prove what everyone already knows that they were exposed to toxic chemicals released by burn pits while serving overseas."

Retired Navy Yeoman First Class Lauren Price, whose organization Veterans Warriors has supported legislation that would require VA to declare presumptive conditions related to Iraq and Afghanistan service, praised the bill as one that would significantly help veterans, and unlike the legislation the group has supported, may not encounter the same pushback from budget conscious lawmakers.

Its truly a concession bill, saying We concede that there were nasty chemicals all over the place. All you have to do is prove you were there and if you have a disease. It would mean the VA adjudicators simply couldnt reject your claim because you couldnt prove you live a football field away from a burn pit, said Price, an Iraq veteran. Its a good bill.

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Proposed legislation would name service in Iraq, Afghanistan, a health hazard to US troops - Military Times