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Biometrics Just a Part of Afghan Air Force Accountability

  • Published
  • By MC2 Dave Quillen
  • 438th AEW PA
KABUL, Afghanistan --  The Afghan National Army Air Force (ANAAF) is taking its name change from the Army Air Corps as a fresh start for the quickly expanding youngest branch of the Afghan military. This means they are getting serious when confronting issues that may have plagued the Air Force in the past, such as accountability of its troops.

"When entering the [United States] military, certain information is gathered in order to make sure you are who you say you are as well as a reference for future use. No real system has been in place for the Afghan Air Force and so, with the Ministry of the Interiors help, we're changing that" explained Capt. Anita Boone, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group.

The personal information gathered will be stored digitally with a picture, an iris scan, a thumbprint and cross-referenced for accuracy. When this is done, it means that the Afghan Air Force will have a full inventory of its people, with reliable data to be used should the need present itself.

This is a big step towards creating an environment where the personnel are held accountable for their actions and where it is needed to help confront the issues of absent personnel and drug use, which has had a negative impact on moral and performance. Along with the biometrics there is a urinalysis that will be testing for marijuana, cocaine, meth-amphetamines and heroin abuse. The results will be tested the same day and will be immediately available.

Everyone in the Afghan Air Force will be required to take the test and provide the necessary data. "The senior leadership has put their full support behind this and they have even been some of the first to participate and see this as an opportunity to set the example.

This morning Maj. Gen. Abdul Sabour, the Director of Intelligence for the Air Force came in to support us and was very impressed with our setup and the speed of the technicians" said Boone. The technicians trained for three full days in order to be proficient and they can now complete each person's data collection in less than 15 minutes.

The Personnel Accountability Inventory will take approximately 15 to 30 days to complete throughout the country.