Afghans take the lead in evidence based operations training

TARIN KOWT, AFGHANISTAN

05.01.2013

Story by Capt. Gina Great 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

TARIN KOT, Afghanistan – Afghan Evidence Based Operation (EvBo) Instructor, and former “Train the Trainer” student, Saeed Kalan, stands in front of his classroom of five students teaching his second Basic EvBo Course at the Tarin Kowt Police Training Center, April 21 -24, 2013.

Part of the EvBo graduation requirement, Saeed is responsible for conducting two subsequent EvBO classes for Afghan students as coalition mentors observe.

“This is my second time to be a teacher, and I have found that teaching is lot different than being the student,” explained Saeed. “It is important to explain the material, but I also need to able to use my personal experiences to help students better understand what I am saying.”

Saeed is one of the first newly trained Afghan instructors to have independently coordinated and presented his own EvBo training after receiving training from law enforcement personnel (LEP) in February 2013.

Saeed received his training from and Security Force Assistance Team (SFAT) 5, S2, Mentor Cpt. Sean Kemp and Lead SFAT Team 5, Law Enforcement Professional (LEP) Davy Aguilera, a retired Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms & Explosives (ATF). The two have been working with the Afghan investigators since the beginning of the EvBO roll out in Uruzgan province.

“This is a proud day,” said Aguilera. “Saeed’s instruction on crime scene site exploitation, obtaining latent fingerprints, report writing, photography, sketching and preparing a case file for prosecutors is enabling Afghan investigators to build a stronger case with additional evidence in lieu of relying only on witness statements,” said Davy Aguilera.

After the three day course each student was presented with a certificate of completion from Saeed. During the graduation ceremony Saeed asked his mentor SFAT Mentor Cpt. Sean Kemp, 56 Infantry Brigade Team to speak to his students.

“This sustained EvBO training is the final chapter in the Security Force Advisory Team’s mentoring program as Coalition Forces prepare to leave Uruzgan province, Afghanistan,” said Kemp during his speech.

But this is just the start, according to Rule of Law Attorney Capt. Jeffrey Blumenauer, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, who has been working with Afghan prosecutors in Uruzgan.

“The EvBo is critical. Afghan Prosecutors just recently reported to me that they put three criminals in jail based on testimony and evidence collected by investigators in Uruzgan province,” Blumenauer said, “This is just the beginning.”

• Date Taken: 05.01.2013
• Date Posted: 05.02.2013 06:43
• Story ID: 106200
• Location: TARIN KOWT, AF
• Hometown: AUSTIN, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: DALLAS, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US
• Hometown: SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, US