HERAT, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2004 –– “All of the Afghan people are looking forward to seeing the green berets everywhere serving the country,” said Afghan National Army Lt. Gen. Shir M. Karimi.

When Karimi, chief of operations for the general staff, made this statement, it was an expression of hope. By the end of September, the Afghan people had a much greater opportunity for seeing the green beret-wearing soldiers of their army everywhere in the country. By early October, the Afghan National Army had attained a permanent presence in all four corners of Afghanistan with the opening of its regional command in Herat.

The Herat Regional Command has been designated 207 Corps and will be called Zafar (Victory) Corps. Its commander is Afghan National Army Maj. Gen. Raufi.

The Herat command is the fourth regional command to be stood up since mid-September. Kandahar’s command was activated that day, followed by Gardez Sept. 22 and Mazar-e-Sharif Sept. 26.

The standing up of the regional commands puts a permanent Afghan National Army presence in Afghanistan. The Heart command center is in the west, Mazar-e-Sharif is in the north, Gardez station is in the east, and Kandahar is in the south. These centers extend the authority of the national government throughout the entire nation.

Before the regional commands were created, the Afghan National Army’s Central Corps, located in the Kabul region, would deploy troops and units from the corps to wherever they were needed around the country. These missions ranged from combat operations alongside the Coalition in the east and south, to security and stability operations in the west and north.

Now, a command and control headquarters will be located at each regional command. An initial force of some 150-200 ANA soldiers will expand to a 3,000-man brigade at each garrison to conduct the missions previously carried out by Central Corps.

Additional forces could be placed under a regional command as required.

The senior Coalition representative present, British Maj. Gen. John Cooper, Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan deputy commander, spoke about the path the ANA had taken to reach this milestone in Herat.

Cooper noted several parts of that contribution. The organization enabled voter registration to take place all over the country in numbers well beyond earlier expectations. It put a stop to factional fighting on several occasions, fighting the enemies of Afghanistan side-by-side with the Coalition. And it also played a key role in providing security for the presidential election.

He also discussed another important aspect of the Afghan

National Army, that it truly is a national army.

“ANA soldiers see themselves as Afghans,” said Cooper. "The ANA is a non-political, non-factional Afghan force.”

“I’ve met ANA soldiers in many places,” he continued. “All of them were so determined to do their very best for the country. The ANA is a shining symbol of the future of this country.”

The ANA and the regional command headquarters activated in Herat are symbols, said Cooper, symbols of the national government’s extension of its authority.

That authority will be fully extended with the completion of the presidential election.

The activation was completed when the 207 Corps commander was presented the Afghan national colors and the command’s colors by the Defense Minister, who then moved to the camp’s flagpole and raised the Afghan national flag to its top.

The temporary camp for the Herat garrison has only a handful of buildings so most of the garrison’s soldiers are billeted in Herat city. However, the permanent structures will soon be completed, followed by the construction of permanent buildings early next year.