MAZAR-E SHARIF, Afghanistan - Men of law were spread throughout the compound, a vast, daunting facility with bulky buildings, all brand new. Border policemen clad in bullet-proof vests and helmets posed for cameras, with soft wind waving Afghan flags in the background. The scene was fitting for such an important day.
5th Zone Afghan border police opened a new headquarters with help from soldiers with 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team here May 9.
“You have room to stretch your legs here, sir,” said Lt. Col. Erik Zetterstrom, the battalion commander with 40th Engineer Battalion, 170th IBCT to 5th Zone commander Brig. Gen. Abdul Habib.
The large buildings boasting thick, sturdy walls and seemingly endless rows of police vehicles filled a small fraction of the compound leaving a comfortable amount of space for policemen to exercise and train.
The old headquarters was located in downtown Mazar-e Sharif. It was a small facility with “insufficient space to conduct training,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Mohammad Dawood, the 5th Zone command sergeant major.
The area outside the old headquarters’ gate was teeming with heavy civilian traffic and crowded shops. Bayonet soldiers didn’t have room to park their vehicles, let alone train the border police.
The new headquarters opens training options that didn’t exist with the physical limitations of the previous facility, said Maj. Jorge A. Figueroa, a San Juan, Puerto Rico, native, now a combat adviser with 170th IBCT.
With the compound open, combat advisers started planning to install training tools previously unavailable to 5th Zone, including a firing range and an obstacle course.
“Physical fitness training is something that they’re big on and they’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Sgt. Maj. Shurn E. Smith, a Natchez, Miss., native, now a combat adviser with 170th IBCT. “[The obstacle course] gives them something to look forward to every day when they go to work.”
“It’s their home compound, it’s something that they can claim as their own,” said Smith about the significance of the opened facility. “Today was a big day for 5th Zone.”
The combat advisers oversaw construction of the compound since they arrived to Afghanistan. Handshakes and shoulder pats were exchanged between the 170th IBCT soldiers and border policemen throughout the day.
They talked with grins about the compound and training options now available. The opening seemed more like a celebrated moment between good friends than an event with co-workers.
“We appreciate our mentors’ hard work and their help,” said Dawood.
He expressed enthusiasm toward continuing to work together, saying combat advisers and Bayonet soldiers “have assured us that we are ready for training.”
With the new compound, training can begin.
