Sandhurst in the Sand
ANA Officer Academy (ANA-OA)
A military training academy
designed to produce officers for the Afghan National Army (ANA) was
established in 2013. It is
located just northeast of Kabul, Afghanistan in an area referred to as
Qargha.
The school, initially funded with 75m pounds of British money, turns out soldiers
for the Afghan National Army. As the Coalition drew down its forces in
Afghanistan it provided trainers, mentors, and advisors to some
of the ANDSF training institutions. This includes trainers from the United
Kingdom. The school is referred to informally as "Sandhurst in the Sand".
Cadets training at ANA Officer Academy
Photo by SSG Andrade, October 23, 2013
The cadet school is modelled on The Royal Military
Academy Sandhurst in the UK and will likely be the only sizeable presence
of British military in the years to come in Afghanistan . . . other than
the odd SAS dude running around the countryside. In July 2012 the United
Kingdom announced that it had formalized an agreement to provide trainers,
mentors, and advisors to the Afghan National Army Officer Academy.
2.
Camp Qarga, Kabul
"Sandhurst-in-the-Sand"
Turnover to Afghans. In
October 2020 the institutuion was
handed over to the ANDSF.
Afghan National Security University. Reportedly,
the ANA-OA is part of a larger military training institution which
contains the National Military Academy (NMA), the Afghan National Army
Officer Academy (ANA-OA), and the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Academy.
1.
Australian Trainers. There are some who would like
to see the ANA Officer Academy dubbed 'Duntroon in the Desert' after the
Australian military academy. However, this is unlikey as the majority of
the instructors and money provided will be from the UK.
3.
British Funding. The United Kingdom has pledged to
provide over 75m pounds over the next ten years.
4. This will provide the ANA a chance to build from the top
down a solid officer corps.
Videos about Afghan National Army
Officer Academy
November 24, 2017. Mentoring at the Afghan
Officers Academy, Resolute Support HQs, YouTube.com. A British Army
Officer describes his job at the ANA OA in this 2-min long video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkzxc0vpfo0
February 29, 2016. Graduation at the Afghan
National Army Officers Academy, a 2-minute long video posted by
Resolute Support Hqs on Youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO2ZECt2cIQ
February 17, 2015. Training Afghan Army
Officers (NATO and Afghanistan), NATO. Posted on YouTube. The next
generation of Afghan army officers are being forged in a rigorous training
camp near Kabul, which aims to produce men and women of the highest
calibre to lead their country in the fight against the insurgency.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXaUULKNZ0I
Papers and Reports on ANAOA
Christensen, Maya Mynster and Cecile Odgaard
Jakobsen. "Cultural Frictions: Mentoring the Afghan Army at 'Sandhurst in
the Sand', Small Wars Journal, November 19, 2015.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/cultural-frictions-mentoring-the-afghan-army-at-%E2%80%98sandhurst-in-the-sand
News Articles about the ANA Officer
Training Academy
November 1, 2023,
"Sandhurst in the Sand: What is left of UK-built Afghan Army officer
training complex?", Forces.net.
October 21, 2020.
"Afghan National Army prepares to take over key officer-training facility;
celebrates links with NATO trainers", NATO HQ.
March 4, 2020.
"Kabul military academy receives ADF-designed facility", Defence
Connect.The Australian Defense Force has provided a recreational
facility to the cadets of the Afghan National Army's Officer Academy in
Kabul.
May 11, 2017.
"Testing by Thunder in Afghanistan", Australian Government Dept of
Defence. Article explains how the Australian trainers put cadets
through their paces at ANAOA.
October 2, 2015.
"Fighting the Taliban: Inside the academy where Afghan security forces are
readied for battle". By Danielle Moylan, ABC.net.au,
September 30, 2015. The author provides us with some good news about the
academy . . . but some bad news on how well the ANA is doing against the
Taliban.
September 25, 2014.
"Defence secretary salutes first Afghan officer cadets". Your
Defense News.
March 30, 2014.
"75m Sandhurst in the Sand may turn to dust". The Sunday Times.
November 2, 2013.
"The one good thing we're leaving in Afghanistan". The Spectator.
If 'Sandhurst in the Sand' succeeds, it could be a revolutionary
development.
October 28, 2013.
"Latest green-on-blue attack involved confiscated equipment".
Threat Matrix Blog on The Long War Journal. Attack wounded
an Australian and New Zealand soldiers.
October 27, 2013.
"Insider attack mars opening of Afghanistan's Sandhurst in the Sand".
The Telegraph. An Afghan wounds two NATO soldiers providing
services to British-funded officer training academy outside Kabul.
October 27, 2013.
"Afghan
officer academy opens it doors". BBC News UK.
October 23, 2013.
"Afghanistan's 'Sandhurst in the Sand' opens its doors". The
Telegraph.
March 29, 2012.
"U.K. To Spearhead Effort for Afghan 'Sandhurst'". Defense News.
May 15, 2011.
"Afghanistan's 'Sandhurst in the sand' to bring square-bashing to Kabul".
The Guardian. The head of the Afghan army, General Sher Mohammad
Karimi, wants officers to be trained at replica of college he hopes to
build with support from Britain.
Return to Top of Page
Endnotes
1.
See an entry for the Afghan National Security University at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_National_Security_University
2. See an
announcement by the UK Government on the agreement to provide advisors and
mentors to the ANA Officer Academy published on 19 July 2012.
www.gov.uk/government/news/afghan-national-army-officer-academy-agreement
3. For more on the the 'nickname' for the ANA Officer Academy see "Should
it be Duntroon in the Desert"?, SBS News (Australia), September
30, 2013.
www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/30/should-it-be-duntroon-desert
4. Source on funding 75m pounds by UK from "Sandhurst in the Sand is UK's
Afghan legacy", Sky.com, May 27, 2014.
http://news.sky.com/story/1270208/sandhurst-in-the-sand-is-uks-afghan-legacy
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