201st Corps (Afghanistan)
Encyclopedia
The 201st 'Selab' Corps of the Afghan National Army
is a corps
-sized formation created from 2004.
The establishment of the corps started when the first commander and some of his staff were appointed on 1 September 2004. Its headquarters are at Pol-e-Charkhi, near Kabul. The corps is responsible for the east of the country (Kabul, Logar, Kapisa, Konar, and Laghman provinces), partnered with the International Security Assistance Force
's Regional Command East
. The corps is now led by Major General Mohammad Mangal.
The corps' 1st Brigade is at the Presidential Palace. 3rd Brigade, at Pol-e-Charkhi, is to be a mechanised formation including M-113s and Soviet-built main battle tanks. Later information from LongWarJournal.com places most of the 3rd Brigade at Jalalabad
, 2nd Brigade at Pol-e-Charkhi, and only a single battalion of 1st Brigade at the Presidential Palace. It’s battlespace includes the Afghan capital of Kabul as well as vital routes running north and south, and valleys leading from the Pakistani border into Afghanistan. Currently the 3rd Brigade of the 201st Corps is the only unit that has control of an area of responsibility
in Afghanistan without the aid or assistance of U.S. or coalition forces.
In February 2008, Marine Col. Jeffrey Haynes and Embedded Training Team (ETT) 3-5, a part of the Regional Corps Advisory Command-Central (RCAC-C), arrived with a mission to "mentor the 201st Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) by providing military advice and training guidance" to its officers and staff noncommissioned officers. "The 201st Corps is very good," Col. Haynes said. "When the Taliban attacked the prison in Kandahar
last summer, they spearheaded the ANA effort into Anghardab and recaptured that strategic valley. [The ANA] handled their own logistics and their own intelligence." In the recent Marine-ANA-French (Groupement tactique interarmes de Kapisa
) Operation Nan-e-Shab Berun, coalition and ANA forces cleared the Alah Say Valley
of insurgents and then provided security and stability for the locals; casualties included one French and four ANA soldiers killed, with 37 opponents killed in action.
of 1978. However the Corps began to be worn away by desertions, with one of the first, involving a brigade of the 7th Division, occurring in mid-May 1979 on the road from Gardez to Khost. The whole brigade reportedly joined the mujahadeen.
In August 2009 soldiers of the 201st Corps came to the aid of SPC Christopher Lowe, 3rd BDE 201st Corps ETT, who was wounded during Operation Brest Thunder.
The Central Corps was still active in 2003, having seen many upheavals. It was one of the first recipients of new Afghan National Army
battalions trained by the United States, with its strength in July including five to six of the new battalions within two brigades.
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
is a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
-sized formation created from 2004.
The establishment of the corps started when the first commander and some of his staff were appointed on 1 September 2004. Its headquarters are at Pol-e-Charkhi, near Kabul. The corps is responsible for the east of the country (Kabul, Logar, Kapisa, Konar, and Laghman provinces), partnered with the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
's Regional Command East
Regional Command East
Regional Command is an international military formation, of roughly division size, which is one of the components of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. The United States Army has usually provided the force headquarters...
. The corps is now led by Major General Mohammad Mangal.
The corps' 1st Brigade is at the Presidential Palace. 3rd Brigade, at Pol-e-Charkhi, is to be a mechanised formation including M-113s and Soviet-built main battle tanks. Later information from LongWarJournal.com places most of the 3rd Brigade at Jalalabad
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
, 2nd Brigade at Pol-e-Charkhi, and only a single battalion of 1st Brigade at the Presidential Palace. It’s battlespace includes the Afghan capital of Kabul as well as vital routes running north and south, and valleys leading from the Pakistani border into Afghanistan. Currently the 3rd Brigade of the 201st Corps is the only unit that has control of an area of responsibility
Area of responsibility
Area Of Responsibility is a pre-defined geographic region assigned to a Combatant commanders of the Unified Command Plan , that are used to define an area with specific geographic boundaries where they have the authority to plan and conduct operations; for which a force, or component commander...
in Afghanistan without the aid or assistance of U.S. or coalition forces.
In February 2008, Marine Col. Jeffrey Haynes and Embedded Training Team (ETT) 3-5, a part of the Regional Corps Advisory Command-Central (RCAC-C), arrived with a mission to "mentor the 201st Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) by providing military advice and training guidance" to its officers and staff noncommissioned officers. "The 201st Corps is very good," Col. Haynes said. "When the Taliban attacked the prison in Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
last summer, they spearheaded the ANA effort into Anghardab and recaptured that strategic valley. [The ANA] handled their own logistics and their own intelligence." In the recent Marine-ANA-French (Groupement tactique interarmes de Kapisa
Groupement tactique interarmes de Kapisa
The Groupement tactique interarmes de Kapisa , also called Task Force Korrigan, is a battalion-sized unit of the French Army, based in Kapisa Province, in Afghanistan...
) Operation Nan-e-Shab Berun, coalition and ANA forces cleared the Alah Say Valley
Battle of Alasay
The Battle of Alasay, codenamed Operation Dinner Out, was a military operation carried out by French troops of the Chasseurs Alpins's 27e Battalion and the Afghan National Army 1st Kandak between the 14th and 23rd of March 2009...
of insurgents and then provided security and stability for the locals; casualties included one French and four ANA soldiers killed, with 37 opponents killed in action.
Previous Afghan Ground Forces in the Kabul Area
Previous Afghan formations in the Kabul area included the Central Army Corps, from at least 1978 through the 1990s. The Central Army Corps was a very influential formation, consisting of the 7th and 8th Divisions, the Republican Guard Brigade, two commando regiments, the 4th and 15th Armoured Brigades, and several support units in 1978. The 4th Armoured Brigade played a key role in spearheading the Saur RevolutionSaur Revolution
The Saur Revolution is the name given to the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan takeover of political power from the government of Afghanistan on 28 April 1978. The word 'Saur', i.e...
of 1978. However the Corps began to be worn away by desertions, with one of the first, involving a brigade of the 7th Division, occurring in mid-May 1979 on the road from Gardez to Khost. The whole brigade reportedly joined the mujahadeen.
In August 2009 soldiers of the 201st Corps came to the aid of SPC Christopher Lowe, 3rd BDE 201st Corps ETT, who was wounded during Operation Brest Thunder.
The Central Corps was still active in 2003, having seen many upheavals. It was one of the first recipients of new Afghan National Army
Afghan National Army
The Afghan National Army is a service branch of the military of Afghanistan, which is currently trained by the coalition forces to ultimately take the role in land-based military operations in Afghanistan. , the Afghan National Army is divided into seven regional Corps. The strength of the Afghan...
battalions trained by the United States, with its strength in July including five to six of the new battalions within two brigades.