Providing direct support to the Afghan National Army (ANA) is one of NATO-ISAF’s key military tasks. NATO/ISAF has fought alongside the ANA, most recently supporting the Afghans during the successful operation in Musa Qala to recapture the town from the Taliban. NATO is committed to providing continued direct support to the ANA, through mentoring, training and equipment support. Building an effective ANA is critical to building a self-sustaining Afghanistan.
NATO’s involvement with the ANA focuses more on its development than its manning, initial training and sustenance. NATO assists the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to bring the ANA up to operating capability through providing Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams, or OMLTs. (I know, sounds like something you make with eggs!) To date, NATO has deployed 26 OMLTs.
OMLTs provide a bridge from the collective training received in the Kabul Military Training Centre to field training. Covering the full spectrum of ANA unit activities, training includes ANA garrison functions and operational deployments. OMLTs deploy on operations in an advisory role. They provide the critically important conduit for liaison and Command and Control between ANA units and nearby ISAF/Coalition forces, while providing the ANA essential combat enablers.
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And watch this space more information on OMLTs!
