Courtsey story by Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan
HERAT, Afghanistan — On the outside, they look like any other policemen in Afghanistan, but if Col. James Klingaman is right, this group of 143 newly trained Afghan national police might prove to be the best in Afghanistan.
Klingaman is the commander of Afghanistan Regional Security Integration Command-West and addressed them at their graduation Feb. 21. This was the first class of Afghan national policemen for the Focused District Development initiative to be trained in Herat.
The FDD initiative is a reform by the Afghan Ministry of Interior which will improve policing in Afghanistan, district by district. It was developed by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan to address issues of inadequate training, poor equipment and corruption that made it difficult for the police to provide public safety and internal security.
These ANP officers from the Bala-Beluk district in western Afghanistan have just graduated from phase three, where their entire district was reorganized, reequipped and retrained during an eight-week training course. The courses are taught by civilian police instructors at the eight Regional Training Centers throughout the country.
Phase Four will involve reinserting them back into their district, which should take about a week.
This will be the true test of FDD, according to Col. Peter W. Foreman, Deputy to the Commanding General, Police Development for CSTC-A.
"The real test will be this next week when the police go back to their districts and we see how the people perceive them," Foreman said.
The policemen won't go back to Bala-Beluk alone. A Police Mentoring Team comprised of U.S. Soldiers will be there to help them use their newly taught policing skills. The senior enlisted mentor for that team is Army Master Sgt. John Welgos, who reminded the graduating class of their responsibility to protect the public.
"The eyes of the people will watch you closely," he said. "Stay on the path of good."
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