Daryllin Zitting
May 10, 2011
Period 4B
Troops in Afghanistan
Preparedness saves lives. Through the excellent training, our troops have been prepared
to face all aspects of fighting in Afghanistan. Recruits are using this need to be prepared to
enlist men in a varied group of job training opportunities. Our troops are well prepared to fight
and win in the current action in Afghanistan. From basic training to troop deployment and
specialized training, our troops are some of the best prepared.
The training starts with boot camp where there are three levels. The first level, or the
“Red Phase”, is where the troops are checked physically and mentally to be sure that they are
healthy. At this time they are also made to look like army recruits with hair cuts, uniforms, and
are taught the seven army values. The next level, or phase, of basic training is the “White
Phase”. This is where the recruits are given Marksmanship and combat training. They are drilled
in these skills until they are confident enough and it becomes second nature. In addition to
those they are also taught survival skills and self-defense.
The third level or “Blue Phase” is where you recruits become familiar with the various
weapons used in the U.S. army. In U.S. weapon training, recruits put their training to the test as
they work through night fighting conditions as well as rough terrain. During this phase they also
do a 10 and 15k tactical foot marches, further building stamina and strength. This training and
testing makes a safer soldier and a well-trained army.
When trying to figure how many men and woman are deployed you need to know that
there are:
Daryllin Zitting
May 10, 2011
Period 4B
Nine to ten soldiers in a squad, sixteen o forty-four soldiers in a platoon, sixty to one
hundred and ninety in a company, three hundred to one thousand soldiers in a
battalion, three thousand to five thousand soldiers in a brigade, ten thousand to fifteen
thousand soldiers in a division, twenty thousand to forty-five thousand in a corps, fifty
thousand, plus, in an army. (usmilitary.about.com)
Current government statistics sat that we will never really know how many troops are
on the ground on a given day because the number changes daily, because of troop arrivals and
departures. Sources say that the estimated amount of troops is 29,950 American troops.
Of current forces, about 60% U.S. personal serve in the NATO led to peacekeeping force
called the “International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),” and the remainder continue
to serve under direct command encounter-terrorism combat missions and Afghan
security forces training. This mission is called Operation Enduring Freedom the U.S.
forces under NATO command have served in that capacity since October 2006 when
NATO took over peacekeeping reasonability for all of Afghanistan.
Casualties in Afghanistan has been high. The estimated number as of 2008 is around
14,453. This is because of wounds, disease, or accidents. There are an additional 300+ missing
in action.
Some of our casualties and problems are caused by both the climate and terrain of
Afghanistan. This is a land locked country, a little larger than France; Afghanistan has a harsh
climate which is accentuated by the altitude of much of the country. Summers throughout the
country are warm, except in the very highest areas, at the lower levels it can become very hot.
Daryllin Zitting
May 10, 2011
Period 4B
Winter and spring are when the most annual precipitation occurs. “Almost no rain falls from
June to October” (southtravels.com). The areas along the Iranian border are hot and dry with
strong dusty winds that makes summer most unpleasant. “The sunshine amounts range from
six to seven hours a day in winter to as much as twelve to thirty hours in summer.”
(southtravel.com). because wide range temperature conditions found in Afghanistan, there is
danger both heat exhaustion and frostbite in the mountains in winter. All of this means a wide
range of ability testing for our troops.
Dues to the wide range of conditions, specialized jobs make for more complete and safe
army in Afghanistan.
The interpreter/ Translator is primarily responsible for conducting interpretations (oral)
and preparing translations (written) between English and a native language, as well as assisting
in unit foreign language and cultural awareness familiarization training. 09L soldiers specialize
in a number of middle-eastern languages. Some of these jobs include: prepare non-technical
translations into the target language and performing sight translations from a target language
into English and interpretation assistance for the Public Affairs Office (PAO) during local media
events and translation of local newspapers or pamphlets. (GoArmy.com)
Sense our nations defense depends on information from foreign language newspapers,
magazines, radio broadcasts, and other sources, it is therefore, very important that some
members of the army be able to read and understand the language of the country. This is a job
of the Cryptologist Linguist, who is primarily reasonable for performing and supervising the
detection, acquisition, geo location, identification and exploration of foreign communications.
Daryllin Zitting
May 10, 2011
Period 4B
Some Cryptologist Linguist duties may include: identifying foreign communications for a
geographic area and categorize by activity type. Another duty is they recognize changes in
transition modes that may signal a change in activity. They also provide gist’s and transcription
of translations of foreign communications. Other jobs that may require specialized training are
medics and automotive technicians. Medics are trained to handle all kinds of injuries, as well as
to treat illness and disease of any sort, so that all our troops can be healthy and fit. Automotive
technicians and training would include making sire all vehicles are kept running economically as
well as efficiently and kept in good safe repair. All of this ensures that our army is one of the
best trained, well trained army in the world.
In conclusion, today’s army in comparison with the armies of the past is better equipped
and better trained to handle all actions on foreign or domestic soil. Many more of our troops in
Afghanistan will come home alive and safer than any other time in history, proving that
preparedness saves lives. From basic training to troop deployment and specialized training, our
troops are some of the best prepared.