Over the past week, army units in the embattled province of Helmand abandoned their outposts in several of the most disputed areas, a move officials said would allow them to consolidate forces for renewed attacks on insurgent strongholds.
"We have decided to pull out our troops from their defensive role and prepare them for an aggressive role in the coming year," said General Murad Ali Murad, commander of the Afghan army's ground forces.
"We are providing them with serious training and better equipment in order to prepare for a spring offensive."
But countrywide, obstacles remain to changing tactics long favored by security forces.
Despite providing the enemy with an obvious target, checkpoints are still simpler to defend than launching mobile operations, which require logistics and air support often beyond the reach of limited Afghan resources.
Politics can also complicate efforts to change strategy, Shoffner said.
