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greenberetTFS · 03-14-2012, 11:09

Info I picked up at the 12th SFG Alumni blog.......I'm not listing his name because I didn't receive permission to show this...I thought it was interesting to post here...

Since it looks like things will heat up in Afghanistan, you will probably hear about Afghan National Army (ANA) Commandos. There are nine ANA Commando (CDO) kandaks. A kandak is the ANA equivalent of a battalion. There are 741 soldiers in a kandak. The commandos are the equivalent to US Army Rangers. For some reason, the Afghans did not want to name these soldiers “Rangers”; they opted for “Commandos” instead. The commandos primarily work with SF as opposed to US Army Rangers. There’s usually one ODA doing ops with each kandak. Sometimes, a SEAL team will be used instead of an ODA but it’s primarily ODAs. Last year, the ANA started up ANA SF. The shoulder patch system they are using is modeled after the US Army system. If the soldier is CDO qualified and in a CDO unit, he wears the Commando patch. If he is SF and CDO qualified, he wears the SF tab above the CDO tab. And just like the US Army, when the ANA started SF, they made provisions for a “paper” SF tab. Some ANA field grade officers working with the commandos were put through a one day ANA SF course in order to become SF qualified. And naturally being a “sneaky pete”, I got in on this deal and got a paper ANA SF tab. So now I can say that I am ANA SF qualified. My ANA SF patch is the middle one in the bottom row........... Unable to show the patches............

Big Teddy

03-14-2012, 11:09	#1
greenberetTFS Quiet Professional (RIP) Join Date: May 2007 Location: Carriere,Ms. Posts: 6,922	Afghan Commandos............. Info I picked up at the 12th SFG Alumni blog.......I'm not listing his name because I didn't receive permission to show this...I thought it was interesting to post here... Since it looks like things will heat up in Afghanistan, you will probably hear about Afghan National Army (ANA) Commandos. There are nine ANA Commando (CDO) kandaks. A kandak is the ANA equivalent of a battalion. There are 741 soldiers in a kandak. The commandos are the equivalent to US Army Rangers. For some reason, the Afghans did not want to name these soldiers “Rangers”; they opted for “Commandos” instead. The commandos primarily work with SF as opposed to US Army Rangers. There’s usually one ODA doing ops with each kandak. Sometimes, a SEAL team will be used instead of an ODA but it’s primarily ODAs. Last year, the ANA started up ANA SF. The shoulder patch system they are using is modeled after the US Army system. If the soldier is CDO qualified and in a CDO unit, he wears the Commando patch. If he is SF and CDO qualified, he wears the SF tab above the CDO tab. And just like the US Army, when the ANA started SF, they made provisions for a “paper” SF tab. Some ANA field grade officers working with the commandos were put through a one day ANA SF course in order to become SF qualified. And naturally being a “sneaky pete”, I got in on this deal and got a paper ANA SF tab. So now I can say that I am ANA SF qualified. My ANA SF patch is the middle one in the bottom row........... Unable to show the patches............ Big Teddy __________________ I believe that SF is a 'calling' - not too different from the calling missionaries I know received. I knew instantly that it was for me, and that I would do all I could to achieve it. Most others I know in SF experienced something similar. If, as you say, you HAVE searched and read, and you do not KNOW if this is the path for you --- it is not.... Zonie Diver SF is a calling and it requires commitment and dedication that the uninitiated will never understand...... Jack Moroney SFA M-2527, Chapter XXXVII
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