In photos: female Afghan army officers receive combat training in India

The month-long exercise included training in physical, weapons, tactical and leadership skills as well as computer and English-language courses.

Salaam Times and AFP

2018-12-31

An Afghan woman army officer shoots a target during a practice session in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

Female Afghan army officers march at the OTA in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

Female Afghan army officers take a break between firing exercises at the OTA in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

A military badge is pictured on the uniform of an Afghan woman army officer during a practice session in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

An Afghan woman army officer shoots a target during a practice session in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

Female Afghan army officers take part in a firing exercise in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

An Afghan woman army officer shoots a target during a practice session in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

CHENNAI, India -- Nineteen female Afghan National Army (ANA) officers underwent special combat training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai, India.

The month-long training, which concluded December 26, included training in physical, weapons, tactical and leadership skills as well as computer and English-language courses.

The team was led by ANA Lt. Monika Alamyar, who has served for five years and has so far trained at least 400 female ANA officers.

Afghanistan's Defence Ministry is seeking to recruit more women to serve in the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, including in the ANA.

Female ANA officers stand in formation during a practice session in Chennai, India, December 19. [ARUN SANKAR/AFP]

"The MoD has enforced a special salary scale and other incentives for female recruits to encourage more women to join the ranks of the Afghan National Army," Gen. Dawlat Waziri, then-Defence Ministry spokesman, told Salaam Times in April 2017.

Afghanistan has said it wants women to make up 10% of the country's armed forces; however, barely 3% of the present-day military force is female.

Last December, as part of those efforts to increase female participation, the first batch of 20 Afghan female officers trained at the OTA in Chennai, which has been training men from the Afghan military for several years.

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3 Comment

| 2023-11-14

I love Afghanistan army

| 2020-01-02

They should not be 20 and 30, the Afghan National Army has to have at least 10 thousand Afghan female officers. Another point is that, a 1 month's term is very little, at least a 6 months' training term should be considered for them. One more point that should be considered is that, in the past we had the Harbi Showanzay [army school] which I think was enrolling students above grade 6, meaning that the army training was beginning from grade 7 and then its graduates were going to Harbi Pohantoon [military university] and Hawayi Pohantoon [air forces' university] and there they were getting training to become members of the national army; however, upon the Americans' arrival, they disappeared. Instead of these one month and two months' long programs, the former school and university should be reactivated so that we can get regular and professional military cadres.