Afghan troops 'do not grasp seriousness' of training The Today programme's Sima Kotecha has spoken to soldiers who have recently served in Afghanistan to discuss their views on the future of the country. One soldier described Afghanistan as "a better place" now, but said the country's problems "[will not be] resolved any time soon." But an unnamed sergeant said he still had concerns about the ability of the Afghan police and army, saying they "did not seem to grasp the seriousness" of their training.