Joint team assesses and rates the police

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Cohen | A meeting between coalition forces and the police chief in Methar Lam allowed for introductions between the new director of Regional Police Advisory Team-Central and the local police. The police chief and incoming RPAT director, Col. Joe Logan, discuss challenges specific to Methar Lam and the surrounding villages.  

JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN

07.22.2007

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Cohen 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

By Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Cohen
Combined Security Transition Command

JALALABAD, Afghanistan – Training and mentoring of the Afghan police and army is the focus of the embedded training teams stationed throughout Afghanistan. The central region police, which includes Nurestan, Laghman, Logar, Kunar and other provinces in the central eastern area of Afghanistan, are trained and mentored by Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen.

Their mission is to teach the Afghans to be self sufficient.

"In an insurgency type conflict, the police are leading the fight," said Col. Joe Logan, commander of the Regional Police Advisory Team, central region. "The police are the eye and ears; they have the pulse of the populace and if the people trust and have faith in their police force, beating the Taliban will be an easier task."

Logan is taking over as the leader of the team, visiting police districts in his area of responsibility. He is using this trip around the central region to meet leaders, both Afghan and coalition, that he will be interacting with throughout the next year.

"There is a solid foundation laid down by my predecessor, Col. Kim Hooper," Logan said. "There are still areas the Afghan and coalition forces need to concentrate on to improve the readiness and capabilities of the ANP. But the progress is showing in the garrison and in the field."

Recently, nearly 300 enemy insurgents at a remote observation post overlooking the Pakistani border attacked a group of Afghan border police.

"There was a fierce and pitched firefight, lasting more than 30 minutes," said Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Nash, senior advisor to the 1st Afghan Border Brigade, from the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa, Japan. "The border police were out-manned but fought back; they repositioned to high ground and continued the fight."

During the engagement no ABP were killed or injured, but it appears a number of Taliban were killed and injured during the raid, according to Nash.

"The Afghans acted amazingly well; their communications were 'spot on' and even interagency communications between the police and the Afghan national army went smoothly," Nash said. "The Afghan's quick reaction force deployed fast and was on the way to help the men who were fighting. They carefully selected their engagement tactics before rushing into the battle.

"By morning the Afghan border police recaptured their positions and fortified the observation post."

This is the progress coalition forces want to see within the Afghan national security forces, showing independence and initiative, said Army Capt. Timothy Patterson, an embedded trainer who runs missions out of Camp Dubbs, on the outskirts of Kabul. Patterson is the operations officer there and helps coordinate training and real-world missions with the ANP.

"The Afghans are maturing as an independent organization; they are capable of planning their missions and logistical needs and executing the mission," Patterson said. "I am there to make sure things make sense and to offer advice, but it is the Afghans who develop the plan and execute it."

Logan is optimistic about the future of the police and their effectiveness to combat the Taliban. His goals for his tenure are straight forward. His 20 years in law enforcement has helped him set his priorites.

"I want to see the police become a trusted and respected organization of the Afghan government," Logan said. The people need to be able to have faith that the police officers are in it for the best interest of Afghanistan and not for themselves. Once we can convince the people the police are there for their protection and the betterment of Afghanistan, Afghans will want to tell the police who and where the insurgents are among them."

The key to building this trust is having a professional and capable police force.

"That is going to take time and changes in attitude," Logan said.

• Date Taken: 07.22.2007
• Date Posted: 07.22.2007 10:53
• Story ID: 11393
• Location: JALALABAD, AF