Posted on 05/07/2010 4:47:04 PM PDT by SandRat
CAMP DARULAMAN, KABUL, Afghanistan - The first class of Afghan Corrections Officers to complete training in preparation for duty at the Detention Facility at Parwan graduated May 6 during an official ceremony here.
The ceremony marked a significant accomplishment for the more than 200 corrections officers who completed the five-week training at the new Afghan National Army Military Police School, which opened April 5. The soldiers were previously assigned to Basic Warrior Training and the Kabul Military Training Center. They will now be some of the first Afghans to work side-by-side with American soldiers at the Detention Facility in Parwan. The soldiers will play a critical role in the transition of the facility from Joint Task Force 435 to the Afghan government.
“Today we can see the success of our efforts as we continue to take control of our country,” said Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi, Afghan National Army chief of staff, through a translator. “The past five years have seen progress…but this year we have turned a corner toward developing capacity, and I would like to say thank you to the international community for helping the ANA to achieve rule of law. The (International Security Assistance Force) is helping, but we’re beginning to take the lead; we want to do it ourselves and our soldiers are well trained and well equipped.”
The ceremony included formal pageantry intertwined with traditional Afghan poetry about success, strength and a hopeful eye toward the future. At several points the soldiers responded in unison with jubilant cheers to their leaders’ remarks.
One of the highlights occurred when the Brigade Commander asked powerfully, “Where are your black hats?” With an enthusiastic shout, each newly-appointed corrections officer made a symbolic change while removing his green beret and proudly donning a black one.
As individual graduation certificates were presented, each soldier saluted, completed an about face, raised his certificate in the air and exclaimed, “I am ready to serve Afghanistan!”
The training course focused on basic corrections operations and individual skills. The course is a joint effort between the ANA and Central Prisons Directorate instructors and is facilitated by the ANA Cadre. The CPD instructors are from the Afghan Ministry of Justice and the ANA instructors and Cadre are from the Military Police Brigade. The MP Brigade currently facilitates detention operations at the Afghan National Detention Facility in Kabul, and will grow to more than 2,500 soldiers in order to support the mission at both the ANDF and the Detention Facility in Parwan.
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