IG: Sailors in Afghanistan need yearlong tours

[unhappycamper]

Reserve sailors train at Camp Shelby, Miss., for deployment to Afghanistan with an embedded training team. A report said sailors' deployments with ETTs should be longer.


IG: Sailors in Afghanistan need yearlong tours
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 19, 2009 5:57:43 EDT

The Pentagon’s inspector general has criticized the Navy’s ability to train and mentor Afghan security forces in that country, saying sailors are either not allowed to — or are unable to — perform basic tasks required for operations. The IG also said trainers should serve longer tours in the zone.

The findings were included in an IG report, dated Sept. 30, which looked at all the services’ contributions to the training effort and directly questioned sailors’ ability to train Afghans.

“Specific examples included the inability to assign (sailors) to perform guard/watch duty, convoy security, or to serve on crew-served weapons teams,” according to findings of the 224-page report based on complaints from local commanders.

The report recommended that the Navy, under direction from the chief of naval operations, take corrective action and “ensure that personnel assigned to mentor/ trainer positions are sufficiently trained in general military duties and eliminate caveats precluding assignment to duties such as guard, watch or convoy security.”

The CNO’s office did not respond to a request for comment by Oct. 16.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/navy_afghan_ig_101809w/

[hobbit709]

1. There's something about sending sailors to a land-locked country.

[Captain Hilts]

2. The most senior USN officer killed in action since Vietnam was a...submariner.

I went to his funeral at Arlington and there was a LOT of anger among former sub crew mates.

He was a supply officer.