Afghan Order of Battle Part 2

Some have questioned why put this post out to the public.   http://maxoki161.blogspot.com/2012/11/afghanistan-order-of-battle-from.html

We live in a new transparent world that requires some new thinking on OPSEC (I wish the ISW was also on the front lines of OPSEC thinking).  My response:

It is in this "public forum" because the Institute of the Study of War (which is on the "front lines of military thinking") has been able to compile this information both from open sources such as unit Face Book pages (one of the reasons why I highlighted some of the footnotes) as well as from organization briefings and the charts and slides that units and organizations provided to Dr. Kimberly Kagan and/or her research staff.  Please see the mission, leadership and history of the Institute for the Study of War.  I put this on this  "public forum" because it is out there in a public forum.  We can hide it from ourselves  but I think it is important to call attention to the fact that this information is out there available to the world and comes from an organization that is one of the strongest voices in support of continued operations in Afghanistan.

V/R
Dave 

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Afghanistan Order of Battle from the Institute for the Study of War

Just in case anyone wants to know the Order of Battle for Afghanistan the Institute for the Study of War http://www.understandingwar.org/)  has graciously provided the attached document of the partial order of battle  at the web site below.  Note the caveats in the excerpted paragraph. It is fascinating to scroll through the names of the unit commanders.  Also the 108 footnotes are interesting.  Note information derived even from unit FaceBook pages.  Excellent example of what is available on Social Media and other sources to track this type of information.  As an example I have pasted the first 5 footnotes below.  From an OPSEC perspective we have to learn to operate in the age of global and social media where there is so much transparency.

http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/AfghanistanOrbat_November2012.pdf

This document describes the composition and placement of U.S. and other Western combat forces in Afghanistan down to battalion level. It includes the following categories of units: maneuver (i.e. infantry, armor, and cavalry) units, which in most cases are responsible for particular districts or provinces; artillery units, including both those acting as provisional maneuver units and those in traditional artillery roles; aviation units, both rotary and fixed-wing; military police units; most types of engineer and explosive ordnance disposal units; and “white” special operations forces, described in general terms. It does not include “black” special operations units or other units such as logistical, transportation, medical, and intelligence units or Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

For researchers and students, the document at this link combines all the orders of battle from October 2012 back to February 2009.

http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/afORBATs_combinedOctober2012.pdf

1 Established in the summer of 2012, SOJTF-A/NSOCC-A is a two-star headquarters that oversees all three allied SOF commands in Afghanistan: CJSOTF-A, ISAF SOF, and the “black” special operations forces of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command task force. See USSOCOM Fact Book 2013. 

2 CJSOTF-A is headquartered by troops from the 3rd Special Forces Group. Its core tasks are to advise the Afghan National Army’s special operations forces (the Afghan commando kandaks and Special Forces) and to train and advise the local police forces associated with the Village Stability Operations program. CJSOTF-A  controls six battalion-level task forces: two built around Army Special Forces battalions, two around Army infantry battalions, one around a Marine special operations battalion, and one around a Navy SEAL team. Navy Combat Camera Command Detachment 1210, “CJSOTF-A Presentation,” June 2012.  

3 2-3 Infantry is detached from 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID, and deployed in December 2011. TF Ghazni mixes conventional and special operations troops, and some of 2-3’s companies provide security for special operations forces elsewhere in Afghanistan. See “Winter Letter from the Commander, Patriot 6.” 

4 2-7 Infantry relieved 1-30 Infantry in October 2012. TF Balkh mixes conventional and special operations troops. See battalion Facebook page.  

5 Established in 2007, ISAF SOF is a one-star, brigade-level headquarters that oversees most non-U.S. special operations forces in Afghanistan as well as one U.S. special operations unit, TF 10. Command of ISAF SOF appears to rotate between British and Australian officers; Brig. Mark Smethurst was in command as of March 2012.

V/R

Dave