The men and women serving here in Afghanistan are more than simply soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines - they are mentors and catalysts for change. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than the Female Officer Candidate School. Recently I had the opportunity to visit their training with the Minister of Defense Wardak and talk to both the Afghan women going through the course and the American female soldiers training them.
Courses like the Female OCS are examples of the moderate but profound changes that are occurring in Afghan society. Unlike previous years, particularly those under Taliban oppression, Afghan women can hold jobs previously unavailable to them, such as serving in a position of authority as an officer in the Afghan National Army.
To prepare them for jobs within the military, a group of eight female U.S. Army drill sergeants from a basic training unit were sent as mentors. These soldiers have done an amazing job preparing the 29 Afghan women that graduated as ANA officers this week. As I discussed the course with the mentors, it quickly became apparent that they got more out of their mission than their Afghan counterparts. As one mentor told me, "I am humbled that I was asked to be a part of this and how these women came forward in this war-torn country."
While women serving in the Afghan military is still contentious and the road to an integrated Afghan military is a long one, it is still a road that must be travelled. To one day have a stable society that includes all members of society, from different ethnic groups and genders, they must all be included in their government. The military is no exception.
Even the Afghan Minister of Defense recognizes the importance of including women in his organization. While speaking to the candidates, he stated that his hope for the future is that many females come into the ANA and serve their country. He, like all of us striving to improve the effectiveness of the ANA, was proud to welcome them into the ANA, and proud of the example they were showing their fellow Afghans. Like the female soldiers mentoring Afghan officer candidates, I am proud to be a part of developing our partners as they build a professional force representative of all their people, men and women.
You can find more information on the Female Officer Candidates here.