Marines in Afghanistan get new ally against insurgents

COMBAT OUTPOST BAKWA, AFGHANISTAN

09.19.2009

Story by Gunnery Sgt. Chris W. Cox 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

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COMBAT OUTPOST BAKWA, Farah province, Afghanistan — One of the most important aspects of the Marines' mission in Afghanistan is to bolster the country's government and its agencies. One vital part of that plan is the Afghan national police. Here in Bakwa, the Marines now have an ally to help strengthen that part of the plan — Abdul Sala'am, the new police chief.

"If we work hard and honestly, we can fix all the problems," he believes. With his 30 police officers, one American police mentor and a platoon of Marines from Company F, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, next door, the outlook in this desert area looks positive. Sala'am has been in the ANP as an investigator for eight years and before he was reassigned to the department by the Afghan defense ministry, he was a pilot and special operator in the Afghan national army.

In the few short weeks he's been here, Sala'am has taken the system and visibly improved it. His troops regularly patrol alongside the Marines, and the 42-year-old carries his rifle with him to show his men how to act with confidence.

"The new police chief, he not only cares about his ANP, he cares about the area," said squad leader Sgt. Bill B. Frick from Philadelphia.

In this austere environment where villages are simply mud huts sometimes spaced over miles, law enforcement can be complicated. However, some things are the same no matter where they take place in the world.

"From a police point of view, it's like policing back home," said Tom Gagne, the local ANP mentor. Gagne has more than a decade of police experience with the force in Winter Park, Fla., but resigned to take this assignment.

The language barrier is a challenge for Gagne's mission at times, but up to this point, simply establishing rapport with the men while stepping into this co-leadership position with the police chief is his current focus of effort. Today, Gagne hopes he is one step closer to achieving that mission.

"I've been trying to build to a point where the guys trust me. I'm at that point now," he said. "We'll move on to training soon."

The current schedule has them learning patrolling techniques hand-in-hand with the Marines as they walk or drive to neighboring villages and interact with the people there. The next stage is learning how to establish and operate vehicle checkpoints. From there, the lessons become more complex. There is no set method for teaching in this learn-as-you-go environment, but some plans can be anticipated.

"When we get to room clearing, I'll be able to make use of my SWAT background to teach them about that," Gagne said about his hopes for the ANP's learning potential.

The goal is to reach the point where the people have faith in their police force, and the ANP have the poise to operate with clear-cut authority. But Sala'am has confidence and a message for those in his jurisdiction.

"Come together. Don't fight. Don't put improvised explosive devices in the road," he says. "I hope to see everyone and help them. That is my great hope."

Faith and hope have a lot to do with the chief's positive attitude, but it's also the Marines. The Taliban still have some connections in this part of the country, and for the Bakwa policemen, it will take hard work before they are ready to operate on their own. For the new policemen, their job will always be dangerous, but security will improve when they pick up the skills, experience and confidence they need to effectively keep the peace. Even for a man with more than 20 years of military and law enforcement experience, the task at hand is daunting.

"I can't go into a village right now without the Marines," Sala'am bluntly told them after visiting nearby Dewalak village with a combined patrol recently. But with the Marines and the new ANP leader working together diligently to train and mentor the young police force, the Afghan police in Bakwa will become a more capable security force in the region.