 |
| U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Shelton, (back, right) Police Training and Assistance Team instructor, guides two Afghan National Police officers as they conduct a vehicle search during training sponsored by the Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, June 22, 2006. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Gerardo Gonzalez |
|
|
| Reconstruction Team Molds Afghan Police |
| Airmen train local police in ethics, riot control, vehicle and personal searches. |
|
By Capt. Gerardo Gonzalez
Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team |
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan, July 7, 2006 -- The Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team is helping to rebuild Afghanistan by sharpening the skills of local police through a 10-day course taught here by security forces airmen.
The monthly Police Training and Assistance Team law enforcement class is designed to introduce members of the Afghan National Police to new tactics and review previously learned procedures to conduct more effective policing.
"The purpose of this course is to better the ANP (police), so the Afghans have better protection."
Staff Sgt. James Shelton, Mehtar Lam Police Training and Assistance Team instructor. |
“The purpose of this course is to better the ANP, so the Afghans have better protection,” said Staff Sgt. James Shelton, Mehtar Lam PTAT instructor deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va.
Ethics, riot control, vehicle and personal searches are just some of the subjects each class will master before graduating, said Staff Sgt. Patricia Kurpa, a PTAT instructor from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Students not only receive classroom instruction but also step out and execute practical exercises under the watchful eye of instructors evaluating their every move.
Training the Afghan officers is not without challenges. Because the airmen don’t speak Pashtu, the local language, and the police officers don’t speak English, every word has to be translated by an interpreter.
Beyond the challenges, both students and instructors find the experience of working together rewarding.
“We’re learning a lot about Afghanistan as a whole,” said Kurpa. “I volunteered for this deployment and it’s been a good experience.”
It is fun to see them learn, to teach them practical skills, and see them graduate, said Shelton.
|
|
 |
| An Afghan National Police officer finds a handgun during a vehicle search exercise conducted by the Mehtar Lam Provincial Reconstruction Team Police Training and Assistance Team at Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan, June 22, 2006. The training is part of a 10-day law enforcement course sponsored by the reconstruction team. U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Gerardo Gonzalez |
|
 |
Lt. Col. Anthony Feagin, the PRT commander, offered some words of encouragement to a recent class of graduates, underscoring the importance of their duties as police officers.
“Never forget your sacred vow; to serve and honor the Afghan people,” said Feagin. “As long as you always remember that vow you will always choose the more difficult right thing to do, versus the easier wrong thing to do.”
The police officers take pride in the training they receive from their mentors and often express their gratefulness for the experience.
“It was exciting to be a part of the PTAT course,” said Sgt. Malyaar Sayedi, a uniformed officer with the ANP. “When I return to my post I will let my fellow officers know what an outstanding course this was, so they can volunteer for a future class.” |
|
|
|
|
