CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - The last class of Afghan Uniformed Police trainees that Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest will train completed their final field exercise here, June 13.
The field exercise encompassed everything the AUP class has learned, including vehicle searches, conducting patrols and making arrests.
The instructors for the AUP class are impressed by the progress the Afghan trainees made during their eight-week course, said 1st Lt. Joshua Oresko, the officer in charge of the class and a Crown Point, Ind., native.
“The class has made good progress in everything they’ve been evaluated on,” said Oresko. “Many of the members of the class have prior experience as police, but the JSAS training makes their certification as Afghan Uniformed Police official.”
Oresko also said he was encouraged by the determination of the individuals in the class.
“They’ve all been dedicated and shown that they want to be here, which goes a long way toward making their training effective.”
The final exercise took place at Camp Leatherneck’s Combat Town, a mock Afghan village where the class encountered various threat scenarios they could encounter as policemen.
“We have 15 local Afghan nationals that we hire to act as villagers and a team of Marines that act as various law breakers to make the training as realistic as possible,” said Oresko.
The instructors also employ eight Afghan interpreters and four officers with the Afghan Ministry of the Interior to help aide with the training and maintain a high order of discipline.
The policemen in the class expressed pride in their completion of the training exercise.
“I came here to serve Afghanistan and to protect the security of Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Husani, a team leader in the class. “The whole class is doing this for Afghanistan.”
Husani added that he is grateful for the high level of training he received going through the AUP course.
“Everything is set up for you. The training is always good and makes me better at my job,” he said.
This AUP class will be the last one trained at Camp Leatherneck by JSAS. The next class will be completely under Afghan control, and will conduct their own training to help aid the transition of responsibility from coalition forces to Afghan units.