Ghost soldiers

For the World War II tactical deception unit, see Ghost Army.

Ghost soldiers or ghost battalions are names appearing on military rolls, but who are not actually in military service, generally in order to divert part of the soldiers' salaries to an influential local entity such as army officers or others. Soldiers may equally benefit from the corruption scheme by returning to their civilian occupation and routine while gaining marginal income. The practice, however, weakens the military and makes it susceptible to military offensive and major defeats when leaders ignore available troops. Ghost soldiers have been cited in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries.

Examples

Iraq

See also: Corruption in Iraq

The presence of ghost soldiers and battalions have been cited as a key reason for the chain of rapid and disastrous defeats by the Iraqi army against ISIS in its early, 2013-2014 offensives. 50,000 ghost soldiers were later identified in 2014. Army officers and soldiers split the soldier's salary in exchange for not having to show to the military barracks, works, and training. The soldiers are then free to return to their civilian profession and routine, but have to return periodically to renew various certificates under the protection of his officer. The practice also provided Iraqi soldiers the possibility to retire after 10 years of ghost service. This was uncovered in late 2014 by Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.corruption

Afghanistan (2001–present)

See also: Corruption in Afghanistan

In 2016, at least 40% of the soldiers in the Helmand province were found to be ghost soldiers. In a report, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) claimed “neither the United States nor its Afghan allies know how many Afghan soldiers and police actually exist, how many are in fact available for duty, or, by extension, the true nature of their operational capabilities”.

The situation of ghost soldiers is related to deep-rooted structural corruption with various effects. In Helmand, one base of 100 soldiers was left with only 50 soldiers, the others half were ordered to go back home while the officer pocketed their salaries. In another base officially manned with 300 soldiers, when the base got attacked and had to withdraw, only 15 soldiers were actually present. Officers do no report up their troops desertions, deaths or departures in order to hide failures and pocket these ghost soldiers allowances.

Meanwhile, actual troops on isolated rural outposts and the front lines face low morale and harsh living conditions, with poor nutrition such as simple rice and tea. Troops engage in smuggling drugs for additional income and using drugs, which can be reported to hostile forces and initiate an attack when soldiers are still under the influence of those drugs. Border patrol staff, which are not combat units, have to fill the gaps and defend positions when needed. While the US-coallition's military might and airstrikes provided decisive military advantages, long-term socio-economic solutions are needed to reinforce Afghan's military forces.

In early 2019, at least 42,000 ghost soldiers were removed from the army's payroll.

Until shortly before the August 15th, 2021 takeover by the Taliban, the ANSF was on paper an army of 300,000 trained soldiers supported by a local Air Force, built over the previous two decades by US and NATO efforts. Over the course of weeks it was routed by a much smaller Taliban force, with most provincial capitals falling with little or no resistance. The lack of a solid, uniform national army and its rapid losses in front of the Taliban offensive have been partially attributed to the presence of ghost soldiers. Within the Afghan army were officers who siphoned salaries for "tens of thousands of “ghost soldiers”, whose names were on the books, but who never materialised".