Advise and Assist Cell (ACC)

In the 2015-2016 timeframe there were two Advise and Assist Cells (ACCs) that traveled periodically by air from Kabul to the location of the 203rd and 215th ANA Corps to provide advisory support. These ACCs, established in late 2014, conducted advisory support to these two corps that the Train, Advise, and Assist Commands (TAACs) provided to the other four regionally based ANA corps in Afghanistan.The ACCs were sometimes referred to as an Expeditionary Advisory Package (EAP). This Level III advising affords the AAC to visit the ANA corps to meet with the Afghan leadership and staff.

The two ACCs were called AAC-Southeast (supporting the 203rd Corps) and the ACC-Southwest (supporting the 215th Corps). These two ACCs were under the control of the Advise and Assist Directorate. The ACCs help to strengthen the linkages between the MoD, MoI, the ANA corps and the ANP corps equivalents. The ACCs conduct frequent short-term advising missions with the army and police through Expeditionary Advising Packages (EAPs). The EAPs typically focused on sustaining ANDSF progress on the eight Essential Functions or providing advice and assistance in support of typical warfighting functions and operations. The AACs, when not visiting the respective regions through EAPs, stayed in touch with their advised counterparts through phone calls and email.

AAC-SE was responsible for providing security force assistance to the ANA 203rd Corps and associated policing elements (AUP, ABP, etc.). The 203rd is responsible for providing security for Paktiya, Paktika, Khost, Ghazni, Wardak, Logar and Bamyan provinces.

AAC-SW was responsible for providing security force assistance to the ANA 215th Corps and associated policing elements (AUP, ABP, etc.). The 215th is responsible for providing security for Helmand and Nimroz provinces.

In early 2016 the two ACCs were disbanded and its personnel reassigned to existing staff positions within Resolute Support Headquarters. The ACCs were replaced with more robust advisory packages.