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205th Corps (Afghanistan)
Encyclopedia
The 205th 'Atul' Corps is a corps
-level formation of the Afghan National Army
since 2004. The establishment of the corps started when the first commander, Gul Aqa Nahib
, and some of his staff were appointed on September 1, 2004. The corps was officially established in Kandahar on September 19, 2004. Its headquarters are in Kandahar
and it is responsible for the south of the country (Kandahar
, Zabul
, Oruzgan
, Helmand
and Nimruz
provinces), partnered with the ISAF
's Regional Command South
. The Corps is now led by Brigadier General Abdul Hamid (former commander of 4th Brigade in Oruzgan) who replaced General Sher Mohammad Zazai, after a period with Rahmatullah Raufi
in command.
The Corps consists of four brigade
s, a commando battalion
and three garrison
s. The Corps has integrated artillery and air lift capacity. Corps units are conducting their own resupply missions, by ground and air. Since August 2008, the Corps has moved over 90,000 tonnes of supplies using Mi-17
helicopters of the Afghan National Army Air Corps. 'Three of the 205th Corps’ four infantry brigades have been assessed as capable of conducting independent operations with minimal support from their combat advisors. "One of the brigades recently planned, executed and sustained themselves during a seven-day operation where they drove deep into what is called an enemy sanctuary or enemy safe haven to destroy identified enemy forces," a U.S. advisor said in December 2008. "They were successful leading the operation, with less than 30 mentors and 20 other coalition soldiers, in addition to their 300 ANA ground force," he said. "That was a great example of ANA’s capability to lead and conduct their own operations."
The Corps' 3rd Brigade has been heavily involved in fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
in Helmand province, alongside British troops deployed as part of Operation Herrick
.
The Corps began formation with AK-47
s and miscellaneous civilian vehicles, but under coalition tutelage has been reequipped with Western equipment.
The Corps also supports a ANA regional hospital located in Kandahar, dedicated to the security forces. It is a $5 million medical facility that also serves a trauma center.
Each brigade has three infantry battalions, a combat support battalion, some with D-30 howitzers, and a combat service support battalion.
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...
-level formation of the 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...
since 2004. The establishment of the corps started when the first commander, Gul Aqa Nahib
Gul Aqa Nahib
Brigadier General Gul Aqa Nahib of the Afghan National Army served as second-in-command to transitional Defence Minister Mohammed Fahim in 2002 and is currently in charge of 12,000 troops overseeing operations in Kandahar.He joined the army in 1965His formal position is as commander of the Afghan...
, and some of his staff were appointed on September 1, 2004. The corps was officially established in Kandahar on September 19, 2004. Its headquarters are 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...
and it is responsible for the south of the country (Kandahar
Kandahar Province
Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
, Zabul
Zabul Province
Zabul is a historic province of Afghanistan. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963, with Qalat being named the provincial capital. It should not be confused with the city Zabol, on the Iranian side of the border with Afghanistan.- Political and security situation...
, Oruzgan
Oruzgan Province
Orūzgān or Urōzgān , also spelled Uruzgan or Rōzgān , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the center of the country, though the area is culturally and tribally linked to Kandahar in the south. Its capital is Tarin Kowt...
, Helmand
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
and Nimruz
Nimruz Province
Nimruz is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the south-west of the country on the borders of Iran and Pakistan. The name Nimruz means "mid-day" or "half-day" in Persian. Nimruz covers 41,000 km² and has a population of 149,000...
provinces), partnered with the ISAF
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 South
Regional Command South
Regional Command is a multinational military formation, part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. It is responsible for provincial reconstruction and security in Kandahar, Lashkar Gah, Qalat and Tarin Kowt. The Command also has responsibility for the provinces of Nimruz...
. The Corps is now led by Brigadier General Abdul Hamid (former commander of 4th Brigade in Oruzgan) who replaced General Sher Mohammad Zazai, after a period with Rahmatullah Raufi
Rahmatullah Raufi
Major General Rahmatullah Raufi is a former governor of Kandahar from August 2008 until he was sacked on December 4, 2008. Before that he was a senior military commander of the Afghan National Army presently commanding the 205th Corps, which is responsible for Afghanistan's restive southern provinces...
in command.
The Corps consists of four brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s, a commando battalion
ANA Commando Battalion
The ANA Commando Brigade are part of the Afghan National Army and were formed from existing Infantry battalions. The program was established in early 2007 with the intent of taking one conventional battalion from each of the ANA corps, giving them special training and equipment and reorganizing...
and three garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
s. The Corps has integrated artillery and air lift capacity. Corps units are conducting their own resupply missions, by ground and air. Since August 2008, the Corps has moved over 90,000 tonnes of supplies using Mi-17
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
helicopters of the Afghan National Army Air Corps. 'Three of the 205th Corps’ four infantry brigades have been assessed as capable of conducting independent operations with minimal support from their combat advisors. "One of the brigades recently planned, executed and sustained themselves during a seven-day operation where they drove deep into what is called an enemy sanctuary or enemy safe haven to destroy identified enemy forces," a U.S. advisor said in December 2008. "They were successful leading the operation, with less than 30 mentors and 20 other coalition soldiers, in addition to their 300 ANA ground force," he said. "That was a great example of ANA’s capability to lead and conduct their own operations."
The Corps' 3rd Brigade has been heavily involved in fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
in Helmand province, alongside British troops deployed as part of Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
.
The Corps began formation with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s and miscellaneous civilian vehicles, but under coalition tutelage has been reequipped with Western equipment.
The Corps also supports a ANA regional hospital located in Kandahar, dedicated to the security forces. It is a $5 million medical facility that also serves a trauma center.
Provisional order of battle
- Headquarters, Camp Hero, KandaharKandaharKandahar 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...
- Commando Battalion
- Regional logistics depot
- 1st Brigade, Camp Hero, KandaharKandaharKandahar 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...
- 2nd Brigade, Qalat, Zabul
- 3rd Brigade, Camp Sharabak, Helmand, Brigadier General Muhayadin Ghori - probably to 215th Corps
- 4th Brigade, Camp Holland, Tarin Khowt, Oruzgan, Brigadier General Zafar KhanBrigadier General Zafar KhanBrigadier General Zafar Khan is the Brigadier General of Uruzgan, Afghanistan. He was appointed for the post of Brigadier General of 4th Brigade, 205th Corps on 11 September 2010...
(redesignated brigade of another corps which had been transferred into 205 Corps' Area of responsibilityArea of responsibilityArea 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...
.)
Each brigade has three infantry battalions, a combat support battalion, some with D-30 howitzers, and a combat service support battalion.