Embedded Airmen Mentor Afghanis: T
here are some 150 airmen, comprising 20 teams scattered throughout Afghanistan, that are mentoring members of the Afghan National Army in communications, logistics, supply, medical skills, and training and education activities. Known as embedded training teams, the airmen are working alongside other NATO trainers to foster the skills needed to build the ANA, literally from the ground up. It’s a tough job, reports MSgt. Orville Desjarlais Jr. of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram AB, Afghanistan, since many of the Afghan soldiers do not speak English and some cannot read or write.
The Air Force kicked off one of its biggest exercises this week with the latest edition of Bamboo Eagle, featuring combined virtual and live training scenarios focused on test the command-and-control “nervous system” leaders need to operate on a complex joint battlefield spread over vast distances.
