NATO commander: Alliance is working to reduce attrition in Afghanistan’s security forces.
By APWednesday, March 3, 2010
NATO working to cut attrition in Afghan forces
BRUSSELS — The U.S. general in charge of training the Afghan police and army says the high attrition in the government forces will start dropping in coming months.
Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell says the police are losing a quarter of their manpower annually, while in the army attrition is 18 percent. Equalizing the salaries of the army and police, and a general pay increase, will improve retention levels, he says.
Caldwell told reporters Wednesday his command has received half of the foreign instructors it needs. His training command accounts for 2 percent of more than 100,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan.
Plans call for Afghanistan’s military to grow to over 170,000 by October 2011, up from 98,000. Police numbers will grow to 134,000 from over 90,000 today.
