Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps (ANASOC) graduated 619 Commandos from the 23rd Commando Qualification Course (CDOQC) at Camp Commando April 25.  

The Commandos are the building blocks for the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF) growth plan that began in Aug. 2017 with the announcement of the Afghan 2020 Roadmap. Over 3,000 Commandos have completed the course since the August announcement of Afghanistan’s intention to double the Afghan Special Security Force. The remaining 1,000 Commandos will graduate in May. 

"Everyone across the country and in government know Commandos are strong and have good morals to defeat the enemy,” said Lt. Gen. Abdul Hamid, Afghan National Army deputy chief of staff, while addressing the graduating class. "They see our progress. The process is going well and will be complete by 2020. We will reach our goal, step by step.”

The course is Afghan-led, and Afghan instructors conduct the training.

"We love our country, we love our people. The Afghan people have only one goal. It is peace, and we have the support of our international partners and the Afghan people,” said Hamid.

Two-thirds of the graduating class will be assigned to the 1st, 7th, 9th and 10th Special Operations Kandaks (SOKs) to form a fourth company in each of the battalions. The remaining Commandos will strengthen select Special Operations Kandaks, regionally aligned with Afghan Corps. 

Commando Qualification Course is a 14-week course designed to assess and train Afghan soldiers for assignment in one of the 10 Special Operations Kandaks. Approximately 20 percent of the graduating class will attend job-specific specialty skill training before departing for their next assignment as part of the Commando force.

"Our aim is to bring peace and prosperity to our country,” said Lt. Gen. Bismillah Waziri, commander of Afghan National Army Special Operations Command. "I want every single one of you to participate in the election and choose the right person to run our country...and never let anyone interfere in our right [to vote].”  

Established in 2015, Resolute Support (RS) is a NATO-led, non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), who assumed nationwide responsibility for Afghanistan’s security following the conclusion of the previous NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission.  Its purpose is to help the Afghan security forces and institutions develop the capacity to defend Afghanistan and protect its citizens in a sustainable manner. 

By: Marty Schaeffer, NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan Public Affairs

Source: Resolute Support NATO