Lashkar Gah Training Center, Afghanistan – Afghan Uniformed and National Police instructors here received a one-day refresher in detecting and dealing with improvised explosive devices June 14.
“Today was the counter-IED class, just giving them the basic information: the components of an IED, what are the indicators of an IED, how they can find them, and also some (tactics) to use around them,” said Benny Solis, a counter-IED instructor.
IEDs – as they’re commonly known – are the insurgency’s most prolific weapon.
The classroom was a large open area, covered in gravel. Solis and another instructor laid out several displays on the ground to teach the AUP and ANP officers – who are also instructors at LTC – how IEDs are built, how to spot IEDs, and what to do when they are discovered.
“Your third option and probably your best option… is to come back around… you still go back over and take care of the wounded… and you can send your dismounts up to take care of the Taliban… any questions?” Solis explained through a translator as he moved pieces of wood and blue bottle caps representing an AUP patrol. “Somebody want to show me how the AUP do it?”
An AUP instructor ran through a couple of complex ambush scenarios. He used the training aids to show an AUP patrol. Next to the wood and bottle caps was a small pile of rocks with toy soldiers on it to represent insurgents.
“Yeah it’s good,” Benny said. “It’s your unit.”
The biggest lesson they picked on was indicators and spotting where insurgents will place IEDs, Solis said.
“Basically I think they really got the IED indicators and also the IED location where the enemy places the mines, and IEDs.”
After the class finished, Solis said, the police officers will teach the lessons to police recruits at LTC.
“Most of them already have some knowledge so we’re just rehashing some of the things they already know,” Solis explained.