KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Afghan national police in the Kunar province and U.S. Army military police assigned to Task Force Mountain Warrior conducted election-focused training in the Kunar province, to keep the area secure during the August elections.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Michael T. Nicholson, the platoon leader for 2nd platoon, 984th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, led his unit in focused district partnership training with the police force at the Manogai Police Station, July 14-15.
Nicholson, of Burnsville, Minn., explained the goal of the training was to ensure the ANP stations were able to effectively operate on their own.
U.S. Army Sgt. Christopher C. Silva, of Boston, a squad leader with 2nd platoon, said the mission consisted of two days of meetings and training with the ANP. The first day involved meeting with the police chief and his officers, and assessing the station's armament, personnel and facilities.
"The second day we finished the assessment and started training for the elections," he said.
According to Silva, the training included conducting personnel and vehicle searches, reacting to IEDs, setting up and operating checkpoints, reacting to small arms fire, searching buildings, first aid, emergency response, crowd control and force protection.
The reason behind the training was to help secure the Afghan people are as prepared as possible to run their own elections, and the elections, Silva added.
Afghan national police Maj. Sali Mohammed, the operations officer for the Shigal District Police Station, said the training was highly beneficial.
Mohammed explained that the Afghan police officers attending the training were going to take what they learned back to their individual police stations and train the rest of their units.
U.S. Army Cpl. Marcus R. Bennett, of Thermopolis, Wyo., a team leader assigned to 2nd platoon, had spent a lot of time on the road as a military policeman before coming to Afghanistan and was able to share some of his experience with his Afghan counterparts.
Bennett said he taught the Afghan police how to search for weapons, explosives, drugs and other potentially dangerous items.
"I enjoyed working with the Afghans," he said. "That was the first time I got to get out and teach them."
Nicholson described the Afghan police his platoon worked with as motivated and willing to learn.
"They're very friendly," he said. "They share everything they know. They're willing to try the stuff we teach them so it's been very positive."
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2009 10:59 |
| Story ID: | 37092 |
| Location: | KUNAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 407 |
| Downloads: | 350 |
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