By: Sgt. Ruth Pagan
2nd Brigade Combat Team, Public Affairs Office
4th Infantry Division
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Soldiers with the 58th Military Police Company attached to 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, held an AK-47 rifle range at Camp Nathan Smith for the Afghan Uniformed Police from Police Substation 16 Sept. 18.
“This is the first step,” said Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Dampier, a platoon sergeant with 58th MP Company. “We want to get them familiarized with their weapons so they can be more proficient at doing their job.”
“We went over the different firing positions that they will be doing: kneeling, prone and standing,” said Staff Sgt. Gordon Williams, a squad leader with 58th MP Company. “We also covered weapons safety and the basic fundamentals of firing.”
For some of the AUP this was their first time firing live rounds.
“There are a lot of the guys who are uneducated and don’t have the experience so this is very good for them,” said Sgt. Abdul Wasi, a squad leader with the AUP. “They will get good experience from this and they will know how to shoot.”
“We want them to come away knowing how the weapon operates, how to load it, clear it and to see how a round affects a target,” said Dampier. “We want them to get the feel of the weapon system while firing live rounds.”
The range lasted only a few hours but the knowledge and training gained will have a long lasting effect.
“I think we are having a positive impact on our mission here in Afghanistan,” said Spc. James Lesmeister, an MP with the 58th MP Company. “We are training the police force to be more proficient with their weapons, which is making them into more effective police force.”