Developing A Professional Afghan Army: A Key for Successful Transition to Democracy in Afghanistan

摘要

The acceptance of the mission to rebuild the Afghan National Army by the United States is not complete with the fielding of a merely capable force. To support the development of a western style democracy in Afghanistan, the army will be required to achieve professional competency. This paper seeks to define the characteristics of professional competency based on theories advocated by authorities on military professionalism and demonstrate how they can be instilled in the Afghan Army, using historical examples of effective and ineffective military professional development in Latin America. Finally, the paper draws conclusions regarding the requirement for the United States to commit to an increased timeline and expansion of forces for training in order to achieve this objective.