ANDAR DISTRICT, Afghanistan - Two Black Hawk helicopters swooped down into the makeshift base in the middle of a Taliban hotbed, and U.S. soldiers snapped salutes to the mission's top general -- an Afghan, not an American.
Afghan officers, with a big assist from U.S. counterparts, planned and executed their first major operation as part of a monthlong offensive, taking a key step forward in the U.S. effort to build up Afghanistan's army so it can secure the country on its own and let foreign troops leave.
Operation Maiwand, which officially ended Tuesday, did not see heavy fighting. But Afghan and U.S. soldiers held some of their first meetings with tribal elders and opened schools and markets in Andar district, which is a Taliban stronghold in the southern province of Ghazni.
About 800 Afghan soldiers, 400 American soldiers and 200 Afghan policemen took part in the operation. Afghan soldiers raided houses of suspected militants, something U.S. troops can't do without a cultural uproar.
"We bring a lot of skills to the table and they have a lot of expertise on the human terrain, the people, and when you put that together it's a powerful combination," said Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Col. Martin P. Schweitzer, the lead American officer during Operation Maiwand, said the Afghan army would take even greater control of operations in the next several months and that U.S. soldiers were training their way out of a job.
But he cautioned: "I do not want you to think this operation is totally theirs, though. If we unplugged, it wouldn't work."
The Afghan army does not yet have a reliable air force. Its medical units are subpar, and it can't make sure its soldiers down the line get food or fuel.
But the army is growing in size and respectability. Its intelligence units are strong, and some of its soldiers look well trained and unafraid to fight. An added bonus: Taliban fighters have a hard time blending in with villagers when Afghan soldiers work alongside U.S. forces.
The Afghan army says it has 50,000 soldiers. Lt. Col. David Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. units responsible for training the Afghans, says 35,400 are on duty and 10,000 more are in training.
Gen. Abdul Khaliq, the Afghan commander for Operation Maiwand, said the mission taught his staff techniques needed for effective command and control of troops in the field.
"It is the first step, but I hope we continue these sort of operations," he said in fluent English. "The ANA (Afghan National Army) is newly established and we're going to progress with the help of the U.S. government."
When Khaliq walked into the command center, American soldiers saluted and addressed him as "sir." Before taking any action, they directed comments to the commander with phrases like "With your permission, Gen. Khaliq, we will ... ."
Battle briefings were given first in Dari, the dominant Afghan language, then in English. Afghan officers nervously studied computer screens showing troop positions and recent attacks before briefing the group.
Schweitzer said the Afghans and Americans shared responsibilities in intelligence and logistics for this operation, but said the Afghan army would increasingly take over more of those duties.
"We're not going to defeat the Taliban. (Afghan forces) are going to defeat the Taliban," he said.
Later, an Afghan convoy, escorted by two U.S. Humvees, pulled into Sultan Bagh, a village of mud-brick homes. Dozens of children and Afghan men soon surrounded the soldiers, who passed out soap, clothes and medical supplies. Afghan soldiers stood guard on rooftops and in alleys.
"They're good at combat operations. They just need help with logistics," said Capt. Brian Hayes, 42, of Hanover, Mass., who is helping train Afghan soldiers. "We don't have to tell them what to do. As you can see they immediately put out a security perimeter."
Afghan police are a different story.
American officers said policemen will sometimes "borrow" food or goods from village markets and not pay the shop owners back. The police are also known to shake down civilians for money.
"The people fear the police more than they do the Taliban, and until we can get that fixed it's going to be a long road," said Capt. Erin Weaver, 35, of Canton, Ill.
Back in the operations center, Afghan Col. Yar Mohammad Sayed, 57, studied computer screens displaying troops positions. He's only recently learned how to use computers.
"We need these things, so I've been studying them," he said. "When America or NATO leaves Afghanistan, I will be in this position. It's very important to see what things we need."
