The Afghan air force has come a long way since 2007, said Brig. Gen. John Michel, commanding general of NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, on Tuesday. “One of the things we’re trying to overcome is many, many decades of more of a dependency mindset” within the AAF that the Soviets instilled years ago, he said at AFA’s 2013 Air and Space Conference in National Harbor, Md. This led to the Afghans not having “all the capability they need to stand alone,” said Michel. “We have 39 months” to complete the training mission to build the AAF in capability and in capacity to sustain itself, he said. The kind of advisors Michel said he seeks must have versatility, cultural competence, and emotional intelligence as they interact and guide Afghans. The advisors are the “desired bridge” for the future, he said, and “if you don’t have the ability to manage yourself and manage relationships,” you won’t be able to succeed in this area.
NORTHCOM’s Budget Priority: Longer Warning Time
April 14, 2021
Gen. Glen D. VanHerck's top priorities in the upcoming budget are domain awareness in the form of farther-seeing over-the-horizon radars, followed by submarine detection capabilities and joint all-domain command and control, the commander of U.S. Northern Command told members of the House Armed Services Committee on April 14. Before building…