205th Corps
The 205th 'Atul' (Hero) Corps is a corps-level formation of the Afghan National Army since 2004.[3] The establishment of the corps started when the first commander, Gul Aqa Nahib, and some of his staff were appointed on 1 September 2004.[4] The corps was officially established in Kandahar on 19 September 2004.[1] Its headquarters are in Kandahar and it is responsible for the south of the country (Kandahar, Zabul, Oruzgan, Helmand and Nimruz provinces), partnered with the ISAF's Regional Command South. The Corps is now led by Brigadier General Abdul Hamid (former commander of 4th Brigade in Oruzgan) who replaced General Sher Mohammad Zazai,[5] after a period with Rahmatullah Raufi in command.
| 205th Corps | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 205th Corps | |
| Founded | 19 September 2004 (15 years, 10 months)[1] |
| Country |  |
| Branch |  |
| Type | Corps |
| Headquarters | Camp Shirzai, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan[2] |
| Nickname(s) | Atal (Hero)[2] |
| Engagements | War in Afghanistan (2001–present) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Major General Dawood Shah Wafadar |
| Notable commanders | Gul Aqa Nahib Rahmatullah Raufi |
| Insignia | |
| Corps Flag |  |
The Corps consists of four brigades, a commando battalion and three garrisons.[6] The Corps has integrated artillery and air lift capacity. Since August 2008, the Corps has moved over 90,000 tonnes of supplies using Mi-17 helicopters of the Afghan Air Force. 'Three of the 205th Corps’ four infantry brigades have been assessed as capable of conducting independent operations with minimal support from their combat advisors. "One of the brigades recently planned, executed and sustained themselves during a seven-day operation where they drove deep into what is called an enemy sanctuary or enemy safe haven to destroy identified enemy forces," a U.S. advisor said in December 2008. "They were successful leading the operation, with less than 30 mentors and 20 other coalition soldiers, in addition to their 300 ANA ground force," he said. "That was a great example of ANA’s capability to lead and conduct their own operations."[7]
The Corps' 3rd Brigade has been heavily involved in fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Helmand province, alongside British troops deployed as part of Operation Herrick.
The Corps began formation with AK-47s and miscellaneous civilian vehicles, but under coalition tutelage has been reequipped with Western equipment.[8]
The Corps also supports an ANA regional hospital located in Kandahar, adjacent to Kandahar Airfield, dedicated to the security forces. It is a $5 million medical facility that also serves a trauma center.
Provisional order of battle
- Headquarters, Camp Hero, Kandahar
- Commando Battalion
- Regional logistics depot
- 1st Brigade, Camp Hero, Kandahar
- 2nd Brigade, Qalat, Zabul
- 3rd Brigade, FOB Pasab, Zharay, commanded by Brigadier General Murtaza
- 4th Brigade, Camp Holland, Tarin Khowt, Oruzgan, commanded by Brigadier General Zafar Khan (redesignated brigade of another corps which was transferred into the 205th Corps' area of responsibility)
Each brigade has three infantry battalions, a combat support battalion, some with D-30 howitzers, and a combat service support battalion.
Notes
- "Defense Department News". www.defense.gov.
- https://www.longwarjournal.org/multimedia/ANSF%20OOBpage4-ANA.pdf
- The translation of Atul is 'Hero'
- Jane's World Armies
- Phoenix Legacy Vol 1 Issue 2, Task Force Phoenix, 31 January 2009
- Northshorejournal.org, Status Report from the Afghan South Archived 11 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, December 2008
- RCAC Commander Updates Bloggers, accessed August 2009
- "Army Times: National Army swaps AK47s for M16s, pickups for Humvees". Afghan Regional Security Integration Command- South. Retrieved 24 March 2009.