U.S. training plan: Read first, shoot later

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U.S. training plan: Read first, shoot later
By Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, December 10, 2009

KABUL — As they struggle to attract and retain more recruits into the Afghan National Army, American commanders are hoping that two small adjustments will begin to make a big difference.

The Afghan government recently boosted soldier salaries to almost as much as the Taliban pays.

And starting next month, U.S. military trainers will teach Afghan recruits to read before they teach them to shoot straight.

“We think if the word gets out that you not only go through your basic soldier skills, but you also get some literacy training while you’re doing that, (it) will be a real incentive,” Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, who commands the NATO training mission, told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert Gates during a visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday.

“What the Afghans tell me is that that’s a real draw for them, if they can have some literacy training,” Caldwell added, noting that as many as 65 percent of Afghan army recruits may be illiterate.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66574