Afghan Army Is mostly Illiterate

[falcon]

About 90 percent of the Afghan army cannot read their own names in neon lights. The literacy rate of Afghanistan is about 25 percent. Most Afghan army troops come from the poorer tribes where the literacy rate is even lower.

For five years i trained Saudi troops whose literacy rate is a little higher than that of the Afghan army. You cannot properly train a mechanic who cannot read a torque wrench, mortar firing tables or even the serial number of his gun. Add to that the fact thet many of these troops are lobotomized by their religion and you have a problem.

NATO troops and civilians who are training the Afghan army have their work cut out for them.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090914/...ining_the_army

To overcome the problem for the Afghan army, a private company, Pulau Electronics of Orlando, Fla., has been hired to run a program that aims to make 50 percent of the troops "functionally literate," within the first year of the program.
"The target is for them to be able to write their name and their weapon's serial number," said Joe Meglan, 39, of Savannah, Ga., who works for Pulau.

....................

"Unfortunately all my friends and I cannot read," said soldier Rosey Khan, 19. "It is very bad, particularly during the fighting. They taught me a lot of things, but I've forgotten most of them. ... Even the officers cannot read."

[The Rev]

Most of the V.C. that killed Americans in Viet Nam couldn't either, they were still just as dead! What the heck is your point Libby?

[Buck Hunter 1]

well spend money to train em' to read of course Rev! I was thinking same as I read that, they understand mountain fighting, don't need trucks as they use horses, can live on mountain fare don't need or probably eat our MRE. Heck give em; ammo and special forces group to oversee and learn what they know and let em' go kill the enemy. But that is probably to simplistic.

[falcon]

What the heck is your point Libby?

Yep, the pious man of the cloth had to get his slam in there. Most of the NVA and VC that i ran into could read very well. Most had at least finished middle school. My point, Republican Kool aide drinker, is that an army that cannot read is not going to be able to protect their country very well.

Most of the Taliban does not read either but they fight in small groups and hit targets of opportunity.

[Aught Six]

They're there to give and receive fire, not write poetry.