290:
198:
233:. Cases of army officers and soldiers splitting the soldier's salary in exchange for not having to show up to the military barracks, work, and training are documented. The soldiers were then free to return to their civilian professions and routines, 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 such ghost service.
336:. In Helmand, one base of 100 soldiers was left with only 50 soldiers; the other half were ordered to go back home while the commanding officer pocketed their salaries. When another base officially manned by 300 soldiers was attacked, only 15 soldiers were actually present. Officers failed to report up their troops' desertions, deaths, or departures, in order to hide failures and pocket the ghost soldiers' allowances.
374:, said in 2021, after the collapse of Afghan government, that most of the 300,000 soldiers and policemen on the government's roster did not exist, and the official count may have been six times larger than the actual count (suggested as 50,000 soldiers), or about +80% of ghost soldiers. "Ghost soldiers" and widespread corruption in the military were a major cause of the government's rapid collapse after the
340:
attack when soldiers were still under the influence of those drugs. Border patrol staff, which were not combat units, were forced to fill the gaps and defend positions when needed. While the U.S.-led coalition's military might and airpower provided decisive military advantages, long-term socio-economic solutions were needed to reinforce Afghan military forces.
172:(UPDF), it was estimated that up to 30% of its force were ghost soldiers. Efforts to launch anti-corruption investigations by the Inspector General of Government on the UPDF have not been permitted "because sizable amounts obtained from corrupt military procurement and the phenomenon of 'ghost' soldiers were available for building political support for
153:
protecting their flanks from
Ukrainian forces and from lack of fuel. Available fuel was likely in lower quantity than planned for. The operation's human and materiel shortages were both linked to corruption and earlier misleading upward reporting. The secrecy of the operation also likely prevented
339:
Meanwhile, actual troops on isolated rural outposts and the frontlines faced low morale and harsh living conditions, with poor nutrition such as simple rice and tea. Troops engaged in smuggling drugs for additional income and using drugs, which could be reported to hostile forces and initiate an
88:
retained soldiers who had been killed or deserted for their role as "ghost soldiers". As units were allocated a set amount of rice for each soldier monthly, this allowed the officers to sell the excess rice for their own profit. ARVN officers also sometimes stole the pay allocated to these
41:
scheme by returning to their civilian occupations and routines while gaining marginal income. The practice, however, weakens the military and makes it susceptible to military offensives and major defeats since leaders ignore the true number of available troops at their disposal on various
640:
119:'s payroll, who either did not exist or had deserted while their commanding officers pocketed their pay. There were also reports of conscripts not being paid at all, being worked as slaves by their commanding officers while these same officers stole the soldiers' salaries.
713:
66:
In a 2008 transnational analysis, John Hudson and Philip Jones found a negative correlation between a country's level of corruption and the cost per soldiers. Indeed, an higher corruption and rate of ghost soldiers results in lower reported maintenance costs.
255:, where an army of 1,500 ISIL militants routed over 60,000 declared Iraqi soldiers. Local troops were more realistically in the range of 12,000, mostly inexperienced young recruits doing their compulsory service who disappeared as the battle started.
612:
266:
assuming an average monthly salary of $ 600. Some have suggested the loss could be 3 times larger. Abadi dismissed dozens of officers accused of corruption and of promoting their sub-officers based on loyalty rather than merit.
705:
37:, 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
134:
and upgrade it into a smaller, modern, reliable force, those efforts were unsuccessful and corruption remained rampant. Recruiters routinely inflated their numbers to pocket the difference. Russia's
329:
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".
426:
876:
676:
262:, to fight this corruption. After investigation, Abadi publicly announced in November 2014 the discovery of 50,000 ghost soldiers, for an estimated annual loss of $ 360 million
935:
967:
761:
247:
up to
September 8, 2014. When ISIL increased its activity in the first part of the conflict, the Iraqi Army went through several spectacular debacles, including the
322:
906:
138:
plans and confidence stood upon false estimates, both in term of underestimating
Ukraine's capabilities and overestimating Russia's human and material assets.
375:
790:
819:
566:
418:
221:
The presence of ghost soldiers and battalions has been cited as a key reason for the chain of rapid and disastrous collapses and defeats of the
868:
977:
489:
668:
305:
was partly attributed to rampant ghost soldiers, low military morale, and other corruption-related factors. The collapse resulted in a
579:
126:, rampant personnel and materiel shortages limited Russian martial projection and performances. While efforts were made after the
927:
89:
non-existent soldiers. This corruption was so widespread that it led to a significant over-estimation of the size of the army.
850:
753:
987:
982:
578:
Schwirtz, Michael; Troianovski, Anton; Al-Hlou, Yousur; Froliak, Masha; Entous, Adam; Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (2022-12-17).
248:
898:
332:
Officers siphoned off the salaries and rations for the ghost soldiers, which were one major phenomenon of the endemic
972:
567:
https://www.usnews.com/news/world-report/articles/2022-08-31/how-russian-corruption-is-foiling-putins-army-in-ukraine
544:
519:
371:
169:
214:
127:
81:
55:
782:
992:
812:
962:
294:
244:
230:
135:
333:
276:
142:
343:
In early 2019, at least 42,000 ghost soldiers were removed from the Afghan
National Army's payroll.
213:
being far less manned than announced. The city would be largely destroyed and recaptured in the
359:
280:
237:
289:
116:
347:
314:
298:
263:
163:
131:
98:
8:
351:
222:
173:
123:
810:
243:
was known for its corruption. Maliki was also
Minister of National Security Affairs and
115:
and the era in between them, there were reports of
Russian soldiers being listed on the
481:
306:
284:
210:
188:
108:
58:, and other countries with dramatic military, humanitarian, and historic consequences.
632:
587:
540:
515:
485:
473:
104:
613:"Politics, donors and the ineffectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in Uganda"
624:
465:
354:
were, on paper, 300,000 strong and built over the previous two decades by U.S. and
318:
854:
754:"Afghanistan's 'ghost soldiers': thousands enlisted to fight Taliban don't exist"
259:
240:
176:
706:"Investigation Finds 50,000 'Ghost' Soldiers in Iraqi Army, Prime Minister Says"
197:
847:
367:
628:
469:
154:
the opportunity for field commanders to report honest states of their troops.
956:
636:
591:
477:
326:
301:, 15 August 2021. The rapid collapse of government forces in the face of the
252:
226:
206:
202:
192:
47:
453:
848:
Afghanistan's ghost soldiers undermined fight against
Taliban - ex-official
366:
force, with most provincial capitals falling with little or no resistance.
387:
85:
811:
Special
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (2016-04-30).
251:
which saw the catastrophic collapse of the army in that region and the
43:
38:
20:
419:"Not Fighting ISIS: How Iraq's 50,000 'Ghost Soldiers' Run Their Scam"
899:"Why is Afghanistan falling to the Taliban so fast? | Daniel L Davis"
150:
112:
34:
928:"US deserves big share of blame for Afghanistan military disaster"
869:"Afghanistan Loses 42,000 Troops in Crackdown on 'Ghost Soldiers'"
577:
363:
302:
454:"Corruption and Military Expenditure: At 'No Cost to the King'"
145:, Russian armoured columns stopped only kilometres away from
217:, where 10-20,000 soldiers and 10,000 civilians were killed.
355:
146:
51:
512:
Vietnam's
Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN
46:. Severe occurrences of ghost soldiers have been cited in
669:"50,000 Iraqi 'Ghost Soldiers' Make $ 380 Million a Year"
323:
Special
Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
33:
refers to absentee army troops whose names appear on
783:""Ghost" troops slowing down Afghanistan's military"
514:. New York: New York University Press. p. 39.
19:For the World War II tactical deception unit, see
954:
813:"QUARTERLY REPORT TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS"
580:"Putin's War: The Inside Story of a Catastrophe"
16:Scheme involving soldiers who are not in service
611:Tangri, Roger; Mwenda, Andrew M. (March 2006).
209:militants, is attributed in large part to the
968:Impacts of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
610:
539:. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 92.
843:
841:
839:
451:
452:Hudson, John; Jones, Philip (2008-12-01).
258:It bestowed his successor, Prime Minister
346:Until shortly before the August 15, 2021
205:, the 2nd largest Iraqi city to 800-1500
836:
534:
358:efforts. Over the course of just weeks,
288:
196:
321:were nonexistent. A 2016 report by the
955:
703:
313:In 2016, at least 40% of names on the
896:
748:
746:
744:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
730:
617:The Journal of Modern African Studies
509:
413:
411:
409:
407:
405:
403:
866:
699:
697:
695:
693:
663:
661:
659:
657:
562:
560:
558:
556:
447:
445:
443:
978:Military history of the Vietnam War
13:
727:
400:
14:
1004:
690:
654:
553:
440:
249:June 2014 northern Iraq offensive
70:
75:
61:
938:from the original on 2021-08-14
920:
909:from the original on 2021-08-14
897:Davis, Daniel L. (2021-08-14).
890:
879:from the original on 2021-08-14
860:
857:, BBC News (November 10, 2021).
825:from the original on 2021-08-14
804:
793:from the original on 2021-08-14
775:
764:from the original on 2021-08-14
716:from the original on 2021-09-02
679:from the original on 2021-08-20
643:from the original on 2021-08-20
492:from the original on 2022-01-13
429:from the original on 2021-08-14
128:dissolution of the Soviet Union
82:Army of the Republic of Vietnam
704:Morris, Loveday (2014-11-30).
604:
571:
528:
503:
293:Afghans fleeing aboard a U.S.
270:
1:
393:
170:Uganda People's Defence Force
149:, frozen by both the lack of
867:Sisk, Richard (2019-08-02).
7:
535:Anderson, David L. (2005).
458:Defence and Peace Economics
381:
325:(SIGAR) said, "neither the
295:Boeing C-17 Globemaster III
10:
1009:
988:Military history of Uganda
983:Military history of Russia
274:
186:
161:
96:
18:
629:10.1017/S0022278X05001436
510:Wiest, Andrew A. (2008).
470:10.1080/10242690801962270
334:corruption in Afghanistan
277:Corruption in Afghanistan
157:
143:Northern Ukraine campaign
92:
973:Politics of the Iraq War
245:Minister of the Interior
372:Afghan finance minister
348:takeover by the Taliban
182:
168:In a 2006 study of the
310:
307:mass exodus of Afghans
281:2021 Taliban offensive
218:
292:
200:
80:Some officers in the
993:Fall of Kabul (2021)
425:. 28 December 2014.
315:Afghan National Army
238:Iraqi Prime Minister
164:Corruption in Uganda
132:Russian Armed Forces
99:Corruption in Russia
789:. 10 January 2016.
352:Afghan Armed Forces
236:The military under
136:invasion of Ukraine
124:Russo-Ukrainian War
109:Second Chechen Wars
963:Military personnel
853:2021-11-22 at the
584:The New York Times
362:by a much smaller
311:
285:2021 Kabul airlift
231:2013-14 offensives
219:
189:Corruption in Iraq
1000:
947:
946:
944:
943:
924:
918:
917:
915:
914:
894:
888:
887:
885:
884:
864:
858:
845:
834:
833:
831:
830:
824:
817:
808:
802:
801:
799:
798:
779:
773:
772:
770:
769:
750:
725:
724:
722:
721:
701:
688:
687:
685:
684:
673:The Fiscal Times
665:
652:
651:
649:
648:
608:
602:
601:
599:
598:
575:
569:
564:
551:
550:
532:
526:
525:
507:
501:
500:
498:
497:
449:
438:
437:
435:
434:
415:
319:Helmand Province
31:ghost battalions
1008:
1007:
1003:
1002:
1001:
999:
998:
997:
953:
952:
951:
950:
941:
939:
926:
925:
921:
912:
910:
895:
891:
882:
880:
865:
861:
855:Wayback Machine
846:
837:
828:
826:
822:
815:
809:
805:
796:
794:
787:www.cbsnews.com
781:
780:
776:
767:
765:
752:
751:
728:
719:
717:
710:Washington Post
702:
691:
682:
680:
667:
666:
655:
646:
644:
609:
605:
596:
594:
576:
572:
565:
554:
547:
537:The Vietnam War
533:
529:
522:
508:
504:
495:
493:
450:
441:
432:
430:
417:
416:
401:
396:
384:
376:U.S. withdrawal
287:
273:
260:Haidar al-Abadi
241:Nouri al-Maliki
215:Battle of Mosul
195:
185:
177:Yoweri Museveni
166:
160:
101:
95:
78:
73:
64:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1006:
996:
995:
990:
985:
980:
975:
970:
965:
949:
948:
934:. 2021-08-12.
919:
889:
859:
835:
803:
774:
760:. 2016-05-17.
726:
689:
653:
623:(1): 101–124.
603:
570:
552:
545:
527:
520:
502:
464:(6): 387–403.
439:
398:
397:
395:
392:
391:
390:
383:
380:
368:Khalid Payenda
272:
269:
211:Iraqi military
184:
181:
159:
156:
130:to reform the
94:
91:
77:
74:
72:
71:Historic cases
69:
63:
60:
35:military rolls
27:Ghost soldiers
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1005:
994:
991:
989:
986:
984:
981:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
960:
958:
937:
933:
929:
923:
908:
904:
900:
893:
878:
874:
870:
863:
856:
852:
849:
844:
842:
840:
821:
814:
807:
792:
788:
784:
778:
763:
759:
755:
749:
747:
745:
743:
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
731:
715:
711:
707:
700:
698:
696:
694:
678:
674:
670:
664:
662:
660:
658:
642:
638:
634:
630:
626:
622:
618:
614:
607:
593:
589:
585:
581:
574:
568:
563:
561:
559:
557:
548:
546:9780230801813
542:
538:
531:
523:
521:9780814794678
517:
513:
506:
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
448:
446:
444:
428:
424:
420:
414:
412:
410:
408:
406:
404:
399:
389:
386:
385:
379:
377:
373:
370:, the former
369:
365:
361:
360:it was routed
357:
353:
349:
344:
341:
337:
335:
330:
328:
327:United States
324:
320:
316:
308:
304:
300:
299:fall of Kabul
296:
291:
286:
282:
278:
268:
265:
261:
256:
254:
253:fall of Mosul
250:
246:
242:
239:
234:
232:
229:in the early
228:
224:
216:
212:
208:
204:
203:fall of Mosul
199:
194:
193:fall of Mosul
190:
180:
178:
175:
171:
165:
155:
152:
148:
144:
139:
137:
133:
129:
125:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
100:
90:
87:
83:
76:South Vietnam
68:
62:Transnational
59:
57:
53:
49:
45:
40:
36:
32:
28:
22:
940:. Retrieved
932:The Guardian
931:
922:
911:. Retrieved
903:The Guardian
902:
892:
881:. Retrieved
873:Military.com
872:
862:
827:. Retrieved
806:
795:. Retrieved
786:
777:
766:. Retrieved
758:The Guardian
757:
718:. Retrieved
709:
681:. Retrieved
672:
645:. Retrieved
620:
616:
606:
595:. Retrieved
583:
573:
536:
530:
511:
505:
494:. Retrieved
461:
457:
431:. Retrieved
422:
345:
342:
338:
331:
312:
257:
235:
220:
167:
140:
121:
102:
79:
65:
30:
26:
25:
388:No-show job
297:during the
271:Afghanistan
141:During the
122:During the
103:During the
86:Vietnam War
84:during the
56:Afghanistan
957:Categories
942:2021-08-14
913:2021-08-14
883:2021-08-15
829:2021-08-15
797:2021-08-15
768:2021-08-15
720:2021-08-20
683:2021-08-20
647:2021-08-20
597:2023-06-25
496:2021-08-20
433:2021-08-14
394:References
317:roster in
275:See also:
223:Iraqi Army
201:The rapid
187:See also:
162:See also:
97:See also:
44:frontlines
39:corruption
21:Ghost Army
637:1469-7777
592:0362-4331
486:154207978
478:1024-2694
174:President
936:Archived
907:Archived
877:Archived
851:Archived
820:Archived
791:Archived
762:Archived
714:Archived
677:Archived
641:Archived
490:Archived
427:Archived
423:NBC News
382:See also
151:infantry
113:Caucasus
364:Taliban
303:Taliban
111:in the
48:Vietnam
635:
590:
543:
518:
484:
476:
350:, the
283:, and
158:Uganda
93:Russia
823:(PDF)
816:(PDF)
482:S2CID
105:First
633:ISSN
588:ISSN
541:ISBN
516:ISBN
474:ISSN
356:NATO
227:ISIL
207:ISIL
191:and
183:Iraq
147:Kyiv
117:army
107:and
52:Iraq
625:doi
466:doi
264:USD
225:by
179:".
29:or
959::
930:.
905:.
901:.
875:.
871:.
838:^
818:.
785:.
756:.
729:^
712:.
708:.
692:^
675:.
671:.
656:^
639:.
631:.
621:44
619:.
615:.
586:.
582:.
555:^
488:.
480:.
472:.
462:19
460:.
456:.
442:^
421:.
402:^
378:.
279:,
54:,
50:,
945:.
916:.
886:.
832:.
800:.
771:.
723:.
686:.
650:.
627::
600:.
549:.
524:.
499:.
468::
436:.
309:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
