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FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, Afghanistan – Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment Police Advisory Team held a ceremony for the most recently graduated students of the Afghan Local Police Academy here, Feb. 23.
After three weeks of training and over 120 hours of instruction, the 59 newly graduated members of the ALP will begin conducting security operations throughout Helmand province’s Nawa district, protecting their local communities
“This was a lot of hours of training… six days a week we trained together,” said Cpl. Brett S. Clark, an ALP instructor with 2/6 and native of East Liverpool, Ohio. “After this course, I believe each one of the ALP have a better understanding of their duty and more discipline.”
As the police graduates received their certificates, each one thanked their Marine instructors for the hard work they put in during the three week course.
“Every single student came up and thanked us for putting in the hours and time to train them,” said Clark. “They really appreciated that we took time away from our home and families to help them improve their community.”
Over the duration of the course, the instructors taught the recruits skills relevant to police and infantry operations such as patrolling, marksmanship training, handcuffing procedures, baton techniques and other useful classes designed to improve their operational capabilities.
“If we didn’t teach them these skills, they wouldn’t be properly prepared to be the local police for Nawa,” said Clark. “If they didn’t have this academy it would drastically affect the local community… it’s important we teach them to serve and protect their community so Nawa can continue to progress.”
The academy also touched on subjects like human rights, rule of law and the Afghan constitution which further prepare the ALP to conduct themselves as members of a professional police force and provide the community with quality protection.
“The course as a whole went very smoothly, but the highlight came when the Nawa district prosecutor Mohammed Aloah came and spoke to the recruits on various human right classes,” said Master Sgt. Joe Caspole, a Columbus Ohio, native and the director of the ALP course.
During the graduation ceremony, the ALP class commander Joma Khan was recognized for his hard work and dedication throughout the course. Following words from Lt. Col. Matthew T. Morrissey, the 2/6 commanding officer, and Nawa District Governor Haji Abdul Manaf, the students received their certificates.
“I think they were really proud to receive their certificates and a patch to put on their uniforms,” said Clark. “They’re the ones that put in all the hard work so the graduation ceremony brought a well-deserved feeling of accomplishment for all of them.”
With its first graduating class already conducting security operations in Nawa, the ALP academy is set to start training a new batch of recruits in the coming weeks. While the instructors believe each course has effectively produced new members of the ALP, they are always looking for ways to improve the curriculum and training events.
“For the next ALP Academy we revamped the schedule to give it a better flow,” said Caspole, “We’re placing more emphasis on weapons handling and patrolling along with adding a final exercise which will test them on everything they’ve learned.”
Editor’s note: Second Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, is currently assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 1st Marine Division (Forward), which works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces, and enabling the ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.29.2012 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 84501 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE GERONIMO, AF |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Afghan Local Police Academy graduates in Nawa, by Cpl Johnny Merkley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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