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WASHINGTON D.C. (March 26, 2008) - The people of eastern
Afghanistan have realized significant gains in security and
governance as compared to just a few years ago, a senior U.S.
military officer told Pentagon reporters today.
"The capacity and capabilities that have been achieved over the
last 30 months by the Afghan people is nothing short of
phenomenal," Army Col. Martin Schweitzer, commander of the 82nd
Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team told reporters during a
satellite-carried news briefing from his headquarters at Forward
Operating Base Salerno, in Khost province, Afghanistan.
"I'm seeing some significant progress," Schweitzer said.
Schweitzer's brigade assumed responsibility for security and
reconstruction operations across five provinces in eastern
Afghanistan from the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat
Team during a Feb. 21, 2007, transfer of authority ceremony. The
4BCT's area of responsibility includes Paktika, Paktya, Logar,
Ghazni and Khost provinces.
Schweitzer and his troops come under Regional Command East, part
of NATO's International Security Assistance Force organization in
Afghanistan. The 4th Brigade Combat Team's soldiers are preparing
to return home to Fort Bragg, N.C., after their 15-month tour of
duty.
About four years ago, the Afghan National Army "was a developing
organization, that was troubled, that was not able to conduct any
independent operations," recalled Schweitzer, who performed a
previous duty tour in Afghanistan in 2002.
Today, the Afghan National Army "is the most respected
institution on the ground, certainly in Regional Command East, and,
I believe, throughout Afghanistan," Schweitzer said.
Taliban and al Qaeda-aligned insurgents cannot win during direct
confrontations on the battlefield against Afghan and coalition
security forces, Schweitzer said, so they resort to roadside-bomb
and suicide attacks. The often-cited Taliban spring offensive is a
myth, the colonel said, noting the warmer weather simply brings an
increase in roadside bombings and other hit-and-run-style
attacks.
In 2002, when there wasn't a viable Afghan national police
force, the impact of the Afghan police force at that time "was
nonexistent," he said.
However, "the worse days of the ANP's development are behind
us," the colonel emphasized. "We still have some challenging days
in front of us, but we're now seeing emerging leaders come alive
and hold their formations accountable, so they can protect and
serve their communities."
The Afghan National Police are "getting better every day, and
their skill sets also are improving," Army Command Sgt. Maj. Robert
Flowers, Schweitzer's top noncommissioned officer, said.
Flowers described the role and impact of the Afghan army's corps
of noncommissioned officers as "almost nonexistent" a few years
ago. Today, more than 900 NCOs are "getting after it" by training
their soldiers, he said.
Citing improvements in governance and development, Schweitzer
said the Afghan provincial governors in his region "prioritize the
projects to provide economic development for their
communities."
Four years ago, just 10 percent of Afghans had access to health
care, Schweitzer said. Today, around 75 percent of the Afghan
populace can access health care, he said.
Only about 16 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial governors were
seated four years ago, Schweitzer said. Today, all 34 provinces
have seated governors, he added.
In addition, about 6 million Afghan children now attend school
across Regional Command East, Schweitzer said. To illustrate the
gains in education, he noted that just 38,000 Afghan boys attended
non-government-sponsored schools in Khost province about four years
ago.
"Today, you've got 160,000 kids in school, all of them
government-sponsored," Schweitzer said. About 40,000 of those
students are young girls, he added.
"That's a significant step forward, when you're really looking
at three years of government institution development and creating
effects in the operational environment," Schweitzer said.
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