Coalition Forces Working To Outpace Afghan Military's High Attrition Rate

High attrition rates in Afghanistan’s military will require Coalition forces to train more than twice as many Afghan soldiers than needed, according to Lt. General William Caldwell, the official overseeing NATO’s training program.

“To grow the Afghan National Security force the additional 56,000 that is currently needed to meet the October 31, 2011 goal of 305,000, we will need to recruit and train 141,000 troops and police,” Caldwell told reporters via-satellite from Afghanistan Monday.

According to Caldwell, the loss of personnel within the Afghan National Army can be placed around 23 percent annually, with an additional 12 percent in the police force. 

“These losses include desertion, deaths and low retention,” Caldwell said. “They pose the greatest threat to both quantity and the quality of the Afghan National Security Force.”

Caldwell noted that several steps are being taken to retain soldiers, including higher wages and literacy programs aimed at teaching Afghan soldiers how to read their pay slips.