Duty, Sacrifice, and Leadership: Preparing Afghanistan’s Future Military Officers

Address at the 8th Graduation of Cadets at the Afghan National Military Academy

Keypoints:

• National Service & Patriotism: Serving Afghanistan above ethnic and regional ties.
• Courage & Sacrifice: Demonstrating bravery and readiness to protect nation.
• Military Leadership: Developing officers to lead, decide, and guide troops.
• Unity with the People: Maintaining close ties between army and Afghan citizens.
• Security & Defense: Remaining prepared to defend country and fight terrorism.
• Ethics & Religious Principles: Upholding Islamic values and moral conduct in service.
• Professional Army Building: Creating trained, equipped, and non-partisan national army.
• Acknowledgment: Honoring families, instructors, and senior officers supporting cadets.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Stanekzai Sahib, Haji Sahib Mohaqiq, Nazari Sahib, Karimi Sahib; esteemed Generals of the Army and honorable members of Parliament; members of the Diplomatic Corps; and especially our brave young officers: As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Khosh Kelibsiz, Khosh Amadid, ښه راغلاست!

First and foremost, congratulations and gratitude. Congratulations because today, 549 young Afghans have taken the first step toward becoming heroes—the future heroes of Afghanistan. Congratulations to you all.

Heroism is in your blood. From Kanishka to Ahmad Shah, from Abu Muslim to Mir Masjidi Khan, from the Ghaznavids to the Ghorids, the foundation of this land was laid upon heroism. Each of you, arriving from every corner of Afghanistan, carries this lineage of courage in your veins. I thank you for transforming this potential for heroism into a definitive first step today.

I wish to express my gratitude to each of you for your bravery, your Islamic commitment, and your patriotism. Today, while other youths are fleeing this country, you are stepping forward to defend it. This is the ultimate hallmark of commitment. Patriotism is not defined by words; it is defined by action. The Afghan National Army (ANA) is the symbol and the embodiment of patriotism. I thank every member and personnel of the National Army, the National Police, and the National Directorate of Security. I also thank your parents—especially the parents of the thirteen young women joining the leadership ranks of the National Army today. Thank you, sisters.

Your fathers and mothers had the choice to prevent you from entering the ranks of soldiering; instead, they demonstrated their belief in the future of Afghanistan. I thank all patriotic Afghan parents who offered their children to the field of danger—which is, in reality, the field of protecting the national honor (Namus) of Afghanistan. I also extend my gratitude to the professors and the command of the National Military Academy.

I thank you for raising each of these youths as if they were your own children. (To the graduates): You are all my children. Tell everyone that you are the sons and daughters of the President. To these experienced officers, whose hair has turned white in service to this land and who have invested in you: I thank them. May your homes be prosperous.

Understand that this institution is unparalleled in the region. In other countries enjoying the luxury of peace, they study only theoretical lessons; here, you study the praxis of soldiering, because every officer knows they are sending you into high-risk zones. Therefore, the lessons learned here carry a unique value. I also thank our partner nations and allies, the Resolute Support Mission, and the leadership of the Ministry of Defense.

Last year was the Year of Survival for Afghanistan. You, the valiant generals of Afghanistan, proved on the battlefield that the predictions of all pessimists were wrong. This land shall endure forever! Whoever looked upon it with ill intent has seen their legs broken and their designs incinerated! Do not look down upon this land of lions and eagles.

You proved your resolve through action. My second message concerns the Equation of Stability. What are the elements of stability? They are the total synergy between the people, the security forces, and the state, aimed at the objectives of justice, the rule of law, and social equity.

First: Observe the people. You have risen from among the people; therefore, you belong to all the people of Afghanistan. The moment you donned this sacred uniform, you ceased to be Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, or Uzbek. You are now solely Afghans, Muslims, and officers of this Army. Your commitment to every inch of this sacred soil is identical, for we have entrusted you with the nation’s greatest capital: its national honor.

Every day, you protect the sisters, mothers, sons, daughters, and elders of this land. No greater trust or credit can be bestowed. I am certain, looking at your faces, that you will preserve this trust. Your relationship with the people must be inseparable. You have not just learned to use weapons; you have learned the art of people-centric governance. You must understand the pulse of the nation. Every positive step you take to win the hearts of our people strengthens the foundations of the state.

Second: Intent and Will. In the Army, intent (Niyat) is the core of movement. No one should doubt the intent of any member of the ANA. We salute the pure souls of our martyrs and pray for their eternal peace.

Do you know when my work is most difficult? It is when I see the casualty figures of our security forces. A hundred other sorrows in a day do not equal these numbers, for I know that behind every number is a committed, loyal, and believing patriot. As your Commander-in-Chief, I pledge that the blood of our martyrs will never be forgotten. In the distribution of benefits, their families will be at the front of the line, not the back.

Do not doubt our political will. Last year, seven stages of war were forced upon us, yet we never lost our resolve. While we may have faced tactical challenges in specific areas, there was not a single point of this land that the ANA did not reclaim. This was achieved through sacrifice and commitment. Not a night goes by without the heroic Army conducting five to seven special operations. Today, the enemy is in a state of fear.

We seek peace; but anyone who wages war against us will be severely suppressed. War was imposed on us; therefore, the Holy Quran and the Sharia grant us the right to defend our national honor. The ANA is on the side of Truth (Haq). What is our right? To breathe. By what logic are mosques, public property, and children learning the Quran destroyed by suicide bombers? It lacks any logic.

As President, you will find no one more patient or obedient to the Afghan nation, for my primary duty is to be the servant of the nation. But as Commander-in-Chief, I am proud to represent a heroic Army against the enemy.

Third: Structure and Professionalism. We seek a professional, national Army equipped with Islamic values. In this Army, there is no room for politics, factions, or affiliations. The only affiliation is the national affiliation. No one will be preferred over another except on the basis of competence.

Fourth: Funding, Equipment, and Training. I thank our international partners. Last year, commitments were short-term; now, we have a five-year plan in place. We will knock on every door to ensure you are equipped and trained—not out of weakness, but out of mutual interest. Afghanistan fights this war on behalf of Islamic and international values.

International terrorists have no place here. Al-Qaeda! Your house will be destroyed here. Daesh! You will be annihilated here. Regional terrorists, you have no refuge. And our message to the Taliban: If you are Afghans, distance yourselves from terrorist circles and return to the embrace of your nation. Peace is the command of Almighty Allah. Yet, our responsibility is to prepare for the worst-case scenario while hoping for the best. Finally: Your Opportunities. You have the field of heroism open before you. Dignity is found in service. We see in each of you the future leadership of the Ministry of Defense. There will be no discrimination; your identity will be established in the field of action. Leadership is not about stars or rank; it is about how one secures the loyalty and welfare of those under their command.

When I look at you, my conviction that Afghanistan shall endure forever is strengthened a hundredfold. Thank you for not only believing in the survival of this nation but for being ready to sacrifice your blood for this conviction. (To the female officers): Tell everyone you are the daughters of the President. If anyone looks at you with disrespect, they look at me with disrespect. Your brothers will protect your honor and dignity, for in your dignity lies the honor of the entire Army.

Zenda bad Afghanistan! Yashasin Afghanistan! Tal de wi Afghanistan! Long live the National Army! Long live the heroic nation of Afghanistan!