Afghanistan's National Army (ANA) has long struggled with making its recruitment numbers match its desertions. As their role in combat escalates, a newly declassified Pentagon report shows they're losing ground.

The latest report showed troop totals fell from February of 2014 through November by about 8.5%, cutting over 15,000 troops from the bottom line figure over the 10 month span.

The desertion problem is a long-standing one, with many Afghans signing up for the military, sticking around long enough to get their first paycheck, then bailing, and often taking their weapon with them as a sort of severance package.