Change from Within
At first this wasn’t taken very well by the Afghans, obviously they are a very proud nation and they consider themselves fighters … but after a while they started seeing what we were doing was good and that we were training their men to a good standard, better than what they had received
Sgt Lewis 7 Para RHA
Afghan National Army soldiers practice infantry skills. Crown Copyright
The development of effective national security forces is regarded as crucial to the future of a peaceful and secure Afghanistan. Units of 16 Air Assault Brigade were to the fore in training and mentoring new formations of the Afghan National Army using Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT). OMLT were based at Camp Tombstone and the ANA at Camp Shorabak, both situated near Camp Bastion.
OMLT deployed to Sangin, Musa Qala, Now Zad and Garmsir. British troops trained and, as Taleban resistance grew, increasingly fought alongside Afghan National Army in these towns and the surrounding countryside.
OMLT personnel with ANA soldiers
