Subscribe
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Over the past 12 years, since the U.S. forces’ arrival in Afghanistan, the country’s media capabilities have significantly grown.
Radio is second only to word of mouth for communicating with the Afghan citizens in rural areas and the Afghan National Army has stepped up to embrace this form of communication.
Six ANA public affairs and information operations soldiers with the 4th Infantry Brigade, 203rd Corps, completed Radio-in-a-Box, or RIAB, training on Camp Maiwand, Logar province, Sept. 12.
The RIAB is a portable radio station that can be setup anywhere and used by coalition commanders to transmit public service announcements, messages, security alerts, and even music, to the local populace. Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces conduct RIAB broadcasts as they conduct security operations in the area.
The inform and influence activities officer for the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, U.S. Army Capt. Ash Thomas said it also allows commanders to “counter insurgent propaganda by putting out the truth first.”
“They’ve done a great job,” said Thomas, who hails from Livonia, Mich. “I’m excited about this training; it’s a huge step forward.”
The training, led by Saif Ibrahimi, an Afghan interpreter who also serves as the RIAB manager, provided the ANA 4th Brigade with the same radio capabilities coalition forces use. Thomas advised the soldiers on the type of programs to transmit and when they would be most effective to maintain high listener support.
Ibrahimi has worked at local radio stations as a disc jockey where he learned many technical skills, which he was able to share with his fellow citizens.
“We are from one country,” he said. “I try to … teach them everything I know and everything they need.”
The hands-on portion of the training included the use of a mixer, sound board, sound mixing software, and equipment maintenance and troubleshooting procedures.
Ibrahimi also credited the U.S. forces for coordinating the opportunity to transfer a skill that would help the ANA’s media capability.
“They [ANA] learned a lot and know how to run a radio station,” he added.
“Right now I can go to the radio station and I can record, edit and play my messages without anybody’s help,” said ANA Maj. Topal Warid, the inform and influence activities officer for the ANA 4th Brigade. He added communicating with the listeners would also allow the ANA to find out the citizen’s needs and help them meet them.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2013 04:53 |
| Story ID: | 113683 |
| Location: | LOGAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Hometown: | LIVONIA, MI, US |
| Web Views: | 231 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, ANA completes radio broadcast training to lead communication efforts, by SFC Elvis Umanzor, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT