The AK-47. It is one of the most infamous and abundant weapons in modern history. At one time symbolizing the Soviet empire, the weapon is now associated with revolutions, anti-capitalist states, and terrorism. The AK-47 shoots a 7.62 mm round, larger than the American 5.56 mm, and lacks much of the sophistication of the modern American M-4 assault rifle. In fact, the workmanship on the AK-47 is outright sloppy, with parts that rattle, stamped metal components, and a shot pattern that is often as inconsistent as the rifles construction itself. That said, the AK-47 is also virtually indestructible. This is a weapon that can be dropped in the mud, immersed in water, even buried in the sand, and with a quick dusting off will fire without fail. Simple technology that by design incorporates a key component for the end user... reliability.

The Afghan National Army uses the AK-47 as its main assault rifle. The embedded trainers, therefore, need to have sufficient knowledge of the weapon to teach classes, qualify Afghan soldiers on the firing range, and to teach and conduct combat exercises. In order to address that need, the United States Army has contracted with civilian trainers to provide classroom instruction and live fire familiarization with this weapon. The classes are long, and on the day we were in attendance, held in a muggy, hot tent some distance from the main post. No one complained.

Classroom instruction began with Powerpoint sides which provided an overview to the weapons capabilities and design. After a short break for lunch, AK-47's were distributed throughout the class, and the hands-on portion of the instruction began. By the end of the class, each soldier in attendance had been given instruction and practice on the methods of disassembly and assembly, finalizing in a timed exercise. By the end of the day, soldiers were ready for the actual firing on the range.

The final phase was live fire. This occurred on the day following the classroom instruction. Unlike the issued weapons in the Army's arsenal, firing the AK-47 did not require that the solider actually qualify with a minimum shooting score. Rather, the AK-47's were fired for familiarization only, with feedback on shooting performance achieved through target inspection.

A class like this is far outside the norm of what one thinks of as training for wartime deployment. The mission that these soldiers face is equally different, as they face the challenges of being both soldier and teacher/ emissary. Providing training of this nature, however, not only lends to the soldiers' knowledge, it demonstrates a respect and commitment to the Afghan soldiers and the equipment that they have to work with. It is a training that is as important as the study of local language and culture, offering greater opportunity to bridge cultural differences and build understanding. The irony is that it is a rifle of past revolutions that presents itself as a tool for the soldier's mission of Ambassador.

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Copyright, Scott Kesterson- 2006

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