NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan police commander tours southern Afghanistan to assess training

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN

10.11.2011

Story by Master Sgt. Paul Hughes 

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – There’s a new sheriff in town. French Army Brig. Gen. Christian Dupouy is NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan’s new commanding general for Command Training and Advisory Group-Police.

Dupouy, a 30-year veteran of police work, spent two days in the Kandahar area, getting a lay of the land as he visited with Afghan National Police leaders, trainers and recruits in the southern region.

While at the Regional Training Center-Kandahar, Dupouy met with ANP Brig. Gen. Nasrullah Zarifi, commander for ANP training in the south. The two discussed ANP development and the transition of ANP training.

Zarifi told Dupouy that the training situation in southern Afghanistan is progressing well and that he remains optimistic for the future security of Kandahar and the south.

Zarifi also explained that most of the recruits are uneducated when they arrive, but that along with learning basic policing skills, the students receive literacy training two hours a day and by the time they graduate, they are able to read and write.

“Students practice their writing and reading skills until late at night,” said Zarifi. “They love to study literacy.”

Dupouy let Zarifi know that he shares his vision that literacy is an essential component in development for the future. “If you have literate police officers, you will have professional police officers,” said Dupouy.

Dupouy explained that ANP training has evolved over the past few years. Before the focus was increasing the numbers of policemen, today, that focus is on the quality of the force and the importance of more specialized training for current patrolmen.

Zarifi assured Dupouy that they are training their future leaders to high standards. “They are the garden; we are the farm,” said Zarifi.

Dupouy engaged with various classes during his time at RTC-K. He encouraged the students to study hard and ask their instructors a lot of questions to aid in their learning.

Dupouy also spent time at the Kandahar Training Center in order to review the Officers Course. He interacted with students from two classes: one for Dari-speaking students and the other for Pashto.

He told the future ANP officers he was impressed to understand the Dari and Pashtu students interacted exceptionally well at the Training Center.

That’s true of all of the ANP training venues throughout the south, Zarifi said. “There is no tribal system here. We are one tribe. We are all brothers.”

• Date Taken: 10.11.2011
• Date Posted: 10.23.2011 03:04
• Story ID: 78866
• Location: KANDAHAR, AF