Ft. Campbell Soldiers Taking on New Roles as Afghan Advisors

After years of taking the lead on the battlefield, Army leaders from Fort Campbell are learning how to take a backseat role when they return to Afghanistan this fall to serve as military advisers. About 1,900 troops from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, will serve as a Security Force Assistance Brigade with a mission to prepare the Afghan security forces for the coming withdrawal of NATO troops.

The brigade will help support and advise their Afghan counterparts, but will be leaving most of the planning and operations up to the Afghan military leaders.

Maj. Eldridge Browne, from the brigade's 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, said taking a hands-off approach is the only way to ensure the Afghans will be capable of maintaining security.