Afghan National Police Train in Airport Security

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN

08.23.2010

Story by Airman 1st Class Robert Hicks 

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

MAZAR-e-SHARIF, Afghanistan – The Afghan National Police recently took the opportunity to train with soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, 1st Brigade Special Troop Battalion, at the Mazar-e-Sharif Air port in northern Afghanistan.

The 1st BSTB has been training the ANP since the beginning of April on all methods of airport security to include the X-ray machine, personnel searches, vehicle searches and medal detection wands.

Before being moved out to various locations, members of the ANP receive a basic training in Kabul.

“Everything we teach them here is a refresher from what they learned in Kabul,” said Sgt. Willie Tompkins, a squad leader from 1st BSTB. “They don’t follow it by the book, but you can see they’re using what we teach them to a certain extent.”

The battalion also taught the ANP unarmed self defense, guard mount procedures and weapons training.

Many have observed changes in the way the ANP operate.

Col. Latif, the ANP commander, said his men have learned a lot and he can see the difference the extra training has made.

One thing soldiers of the 1st BSTB focus on is training the non-commissioned officers and officers.

“There is approximately 190 ANP working at the air port, so we try and teach the same course four-to-six times so majority of the NCOs and officers get a chance to go through the training,” said Sgt. First Class David Sweeney, military police platoon sergeant. “Our goal is to train them to the point where they can teach the class themselves.”

When the battalion is not teaching a class their partnering and mentoring them to ensure their doing the right procedures.

The airport currently has domestic flights to Kabul and international flights to Iran three times a day.

• Date Taken: 08.23.2010
• Date Posted: 08.23.2010 14:20
• Story ID: 55044
• Location: MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AF