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KABUL, Afghanistan – A class of 20 Afghan national security forces members and their Australian mentors received training on counterinsurgency tactics as part of an ongoing effort to give the Afghan military the lead in upcoming operations in Tarin Kot District, Uruzgan province, Feb. 16.
Counterinsurgency, also known as COIN, is the main focus in Afghanistan. It is a partnered effort between Afghan government and coalition forces to bring peace to the nation by gaining the confidence of the people and it will soon be fully led by ANSF.
The goal is to teach ANSF members the best way to defeat the insurgents, which is to build trust in the Afghan government, said Staff Sgt. Neil Frachiseur, an International Security Assistance Force COIN instructor.
“Everything we do is seen and interpreted – by ourselves, by the enemy and by the population,” said Al Bachus, an instructor for the COIN Training Center in Afghanistan. “Your actions continue to have an effect. Just like when you throw a pebble into the lake; the water will continue to ripple until it hits the shore.”
The key to counterinsurgency, he said, is to understand every ripple and its consequences – good or bad.
The class started by teaching students how much they already know about COIN. An open discussion, which was led by the instructor, allowed students to find the answers to common counterinsurgency problems.
From there, the instructors built upon what the class already knew, Frachiseur said.
Every class taught by the COIN Training Center is tailored to fit the needs of the class and their level of understanding.
“This training has been very useful,” said Col. Hajji Fazal Ahmad Fahim, operations officer for the Operations Coordination Center – Uruzgan province. “It helps us separate the enemy from the regular people.”
Ultimately, the plan is to have Afghans teaching Counterinsurgency to other Afghans and have them learning from each other from the start.
The Afghan people know what their country needs, so it’s important for them to take control, Frachiseur said.
The COIN Training Center now has a permanent team dedicated to training Afghans in the Uruzgan province and plan to continue to offer counterinsurgency training to Afghan National Security Forces.
“Eventually, the Afghans will take control of the entire class,” Frachiseur said.
| Date Taken: | 02.16.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2011 12:04 |
| Story ID: | 65754 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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