Defense News - Afghanistan

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan National Army artillerymen with the 201st Corps’ 1st and 2nd Brigades will receive instruction from a Franco-Georgian Mobile Training Team at Forward Operating Base Gamberi during the next four months.

French Army Lt. Col. Hubert Ronsin, a mentor with the artillery Mobile Training Team, addresses the a class of Afghan National Army artillerymen before they begin their four-month long training at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Dec. 3.
(Photos by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Thompson, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

According to French army Lt. Col. Hubert Ronsin, an instructor with the artillery MTT, the Afghans are eager to learn.

“They are highly motivated,” Ronsin said as the Afghans roared back a response to his question. “They want to be able to provide indirect fire for their own troops.”

The four month course is designed to instruct the Afghans in the art of indirect fire with the first three weeks devoted to literacy training and learning how to read the complicated tables and maps.

“We are bringing our expertise with indirect fire,” Ronsin added. “The Afghans are at this time only capable of direct fire.”

Ronsin’s MTT, consisting of French and Georgian artillerymen, will instruct the Afghan soldiers on forward observer tasks, fire direction control and gun crew drills.

Safety is an important function in all of the tasks the ANA soldiers will train on, Ronsin stated.

“We’ll tell them how to ensure safety,” Ronsin said. “That, when they fire rounds, the rounds will impact where it is needed and not cause any civilian casualties.”

Afghan National Army Brig. Gen. Malik, 201st Corps chief of staff, attended the opening ceremony for the class.

“Today, work hard, train hard and tomorrow we will have a great success and defeat the enemy on the battlefield,” Malik said.

The course will culminate in a live-fire exercise using the skills the artillerymen will learn.

“If we stand united and strong, we will hit our enemies with an iron punch!” shouted Malik.

An Afghan National Army artillerymen executes his portion of the crew drill, preparing to move the D30 howitzer at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Dec. 3.
(Photos by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Thompson, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)