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By Sgt. Jessica R. Dahlberg
382 Public Affairs Detachment
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -The sound of idling Humvees resonated in the air as the Parwan Police Mentoring Team commander briefed his team on mission-related convoy operations. Once orders were received and the brief concluded, the team mounted up and prepared to roll; their mission destination – Dandar, a small village in the Parwan province of Afghanistan.
Army Capt. Mark Moeckli and his team rolled out of Bagram Air Field and embarked on a scenic and treacherous journey over winding mountain roads.
Their task was to instruct the Afghanistan national police on hand-to-hand combat, community policing, coordination-cell training and criminal investigation.
Moeckli's team was made of service members who were trained in an array of military occupational specialties. With their expertise combined, they made a highly-skilled and effective team – ready to tackle the task of teaching the ANP necessary skills to remain effective, said Moeckli.
The confident commander seemed secure in his team, who began work immediately.
"Some of the Afghan people do bad things, but most of the Afghan people want to see the Taliban gone and their country safe – just like we do," said Moeckli after returning from a meeting with Col. Masoum Farzaie, ANP, to discuss the day's objectives.
While the PMT leadership met with the ANP colonel, the remaining members prepared for a physical-apprehension-restraint techniques class.
"We took it upon ourselves to give these training classes," said Army Capt. Donald Young, Idaho National Guard and PMT leader.
The PMT is a highly-efficient team of Soldiers and Airmen who teach a variety of classes based upon the needs of the police in each district, said Young.
The day's classes were taught by the team's Airmen, who are charged with training ANP in two provinces and 17 districts, and who recently taught ANP how to search personnel and control access to resources.
"The training is very good for us," said Dawa Jan, ANP officer. "Our main goal is security and the classes the Americans give us help prepare us for that goal."
During the hands-on part of the class, Tech. Sgt. Chris Padron, deployed from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., coached ANP officers and gave them useful tips to help master the techniques.
"I love doing what I do," said Padron. "Teaching the Afghanistan national police has been a great experience."
Becoming an ANP officer is not an easy task, explained one officer. At minimum, applicants must have a high school education, go through testing and then attend a six-week course at one of the country's four academies.
Their training is augmented by U.S. forces, which help the ANP retain the training they received at the academy.
"It is good for my policemen to learn from the Americans," said Farazie. "They have improved greatly since the Americans have come to teach them."
The PMT travels all over Parwan province and coaches ANP officers in effort to meet a goal of enabling the ANP to function effectively, without the assistance of coalition forces.
"We want to make the Afghanistan national police sufficient because in the end it is not about us at all, it is all about them," said Young.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2008 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 19294 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 103 |
This work, Polishing process: Soldiers, Airmen lend helping hand, hone ANP skills, by SPC Jessica Dahlberg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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