MUSA QAL’EH, Afghanistan - Afghan National Police received tactical training supported by Marines and sailors with the Police Mentor Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, alongside contracted police advisors during a training session aboard an ANP compound in Musa Qal’eh, Oct. 7.
The training session began with an ANP-led patrol through the local bazaar, followed by weapons handling, movement-to-contact classes and a class in close-quarters combat.
According to Cpl. Terry Nash, a team leader with PMT, Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 8th Marines, the session was part of a continuous training regimen covering tactics that would improve the ANP’s abilities to affectively patrol their areas.
“We’re giving the ANP tools to increases their proficiency, allowing them to combine their tactics with ours and pick out what works best for them and run with it,” said 1st Lt. Thomas Bennett, assistant officer in charge of PMT, Headquarters Company, 1st Bn., 8th Marines.
Bennett, a native of Red Bluff, Calif., went on to say, “Our ultimate goal is to help the ANP become self-sufficient by showing them how to run their own training, maintain their own vehicles and service their own equipment, so that when we leave they can maintain stability in the region totally separate from us.”
According to Nash, a native of Gainesville, Ga., as the training regimen continues, the ANP will eventually implement a training regimen of their own devising.
“The ANP are really receptive of the skills we offer and the trainings going well,” said Nash. “As things progress we plan to have less and less to do with their training.”
With each training session the ANP comes one step closer to being self-sufficient.
“The training is very good and it’s very helpful in our fight,” said Commander Zahir, commander of ANP Security Post Ghunde.
As 1st Bn., 8th Marines, moves forward in its deployment, PMT will continue to offer the ANP support and help bring stability to the region.