How do I solve 18 down in Times Cryptic 3295?

Question

Accepted Answer

18 down reads "Commanding Officer visiting Afghan maybe" (4 letters); the answer is COAT. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Commanding Officer visiting Afghan maybe (4)

18D — Commanding Officer visiting Afghan maybe (4) — COAT