Afghan army female special forces
In light of the recent events in Afghanistan, it is safe to say that all American hopes of creating a combat-ready Afghan army have failed. Neither the military, nor the state security officers, nor the police offered any serious resistance to the Taliban. Most of them folded easily weapon or sided with the Taliban.
This article will focus (as far as the available information allows) only one unit of the Afghan army, namely: the female tactical platoon FTP (Female Tactical Platoon).
The Afghan government and its US-led NATO allies sought to make joining the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) an attractive proposition for Afghans, and the presence of women, especially in the special forces, should further contribute to this goal.
Although Afghanistan is far from the gender equality that the West most expects from modern countries, the FTP members viewed their platoon as "a spearhead that opens the minds and hearts of their compatriots."
“We need girls. We need FTP, ”one of the servicemen said in an interview with the Ministry of Defense. "The reason is that we have to serve women, and if women join the army or FTP, that is good because they can serve everything that belongs to women."
The idea for such a unit emerged in 2015 at the same time as the founding of Resolute Support (RS), an organization that is a NATO-led non-combat mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, which have assumed national responsibility for the security of Afghanistan. ...
Women's mission
The FTP Female Tactical Platoon is a female-only platoon.
He was assigned to the elite Ktah Khas unit of the Afghan Special Forces. The main task of the platoon was to support the Afghan special forces during counter-terrorism operations, specializing in searching, interrogating and providing medical assistance to women and children.
They acted in tandem with their male counterparts and bore the same burdens and risks. The training of the fighters (female military personnel) was carried out by specialists of the special operations forces of the US Army, primarily women.
The platoon was 120 people.
To join the ranks of the female tactical platoon, a woman must already be an officer or non-commissioned officer of the Afghan National Army or the Afghan National Police, be literate and physically prepared. In some cases, applicants were recruited through intensive recruitment from local populations with the right skill set.
The volunteers underwent a weekly assessment of fitness tests such as push-ups, squats and two-mile runs, physical examinations, literacy tests, and other tests.
FTP recruitment was similar to that of most special operations units. The responsibilities of many positions require additional specialized verification and training for critical assignments. Job requirements assume that only the most qualified women are accepted and trained in the program: they must be literate and willing to endure the harsh conditions of service.
According to Lt. Col. Tana Kobra, the first Afghan female commando, joining the army or the police is more daunting for an Afghan woman than in other countries.
“Getting into the army is not easy. Before getting here, they go through many trials. They don't just come and sign a contract like in any other country, she said. - Many young women go through a lot of quarrels with their families. In this case, quarrels with the family can last a week or two. But the women entering the FTP course are tenacious. We had some who trained until they passed out. "
“These women are not driven by money. They don't sign a contract because of the money. They are recorded because of patriotism. They sign up because they are now allowed to work,
- said the adviser on gender issues of the Ministry of Defense. -
They say, "I need to get rid of the terrorists in order to change my country."
- said the adviser on gender issues of the Ministry of Defense. -
They say, "I need to get rid of the terrorists in order to change my country."
However, all these statements, in principle, did not change the problems with recruiting to the unit.
In 2017–2018 alone, 20 women left FTP. The reason turned out to be commonplace for the special forces. In 2017, in Herat, the platoon suffered its first losses - one of the servicemen died, which was the reason for the departure of the above-mentioned number of servicemen.
After the assessment stage, the candidate for the department moved on to an eight-week basic training course. It included such subjects as: physical training and hand-to-hand combat, orientation on the ground, fire training, methods of movement on the ground, observation and camouflage, basic medical training. The initial assessment and basic training were supervised by female counselors from the United States.
This was followed by the basic training course.
The learning process was continuous and consisted of fifteen weekly cycles, which were periodically repeated. They included theoretical studies and practical exercises. The basis was classes in medicine, landing from a helicopter, camouflage and covert movement in the terrain, fire training, the rules for searching people and premises, the basics of interrogation, the ability to negotiate, entering the premises, English and Pashto, etc.
The only way to interrupt training is to deploy to complete a task or "leave." Women served throughout Afghanistan and were regularly sent to densely populated areas in provinces such as Kandahar and Bagram. In these missions, they mainly provided medical assistance, primarily to women and children. They also acted as negotiators and carried out body searches of women. During one such operation in Herat, during failed negotiations with an armed group of Islamists, one of the soldiers was seriously injured and died soon after.
The women worked in a team of 6 people. Once the team has been selected for the upcoming assignment, they must complete 12 practice exercises that support the search, health care, and interviewing requirements, as well as two full mission profile training exercises based on scenarios. Before being sent on the mission, the women's and men's units participated in joint training.
It is important to note that upon completion of the mission, the women received two weeks' leave.
As noted above, women conducted all training and activities together as a group. However, in the future it was planned to divide the unit into two platoons: training and tactical. The women's training platoon was to focus on recruitment, assessment and training, while the women's tactical platoon was to focus on preparing and conducting upcoming operations.
This change is noteworthy.
In essence, it meant institutional support by the Afghan government for the FTP program and long-term investment in the development of a unique component of the Afghan special forces.
According to a NATO Civilian Support Group advisor, Afghan women have been taking on the role of “trainers” in physical training as early as 2019 and 2020.
“We have appointed several girls as physical training sergeants. They conduct training under the supervision of instructors as well as on their own, and I think this is the next step for their future career. "
- said the adviser.
It is also worth mentioning that there were additional opportunities for women from FTP.
They may have participated in the Department of Defense's Gender Professional Opportunity Program: additional training in English, dari, and work skills such as computer literacy, which can also contribute to career development.
FTP fighters at that time, it seemed to them, understood the importance of their mission. They worked and performed duties that filled a critical gap in counterterrorism missions, supporting and streamlining the operations of the Afghan Army's Special Forces.
However, where did their understanding of their mission in the fight against terrorists go when the latter tried to seize power in Afghanistan?
The question remains open.
What happened to the female warriors after the Taliban took over Kabul?
Unknown.
Most likely, they went home. But it is more likely that most of them, along with their families, were evacuated by the Americans. Staying in a country with such a track record would be very dangerous. Although - who knows?
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