Airmen train Afghan cops

  • Published
  • By Capt. J. Elaine Hunnicutt
  • Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team
An Air Force District of Washington Airman from the 11th Security Forces Squadron and two others trained and graduated 900 Afghan National Police in Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunar and Lagman provinces, an area also called N2KL.

Staff Sgt. Kevin Krouse, 11th Security Forces Squadron, and his team provided a secondary level of professional police officer education at the Jalalabad Regional Training Center during the nine-month deployment as part of a Department-of-State-owned program.

"A policeman who is educated is more capable of making rational decisions or judgment calls," said Sergeant Krouse. "We administer firearms training on a live range and apply squad movement techniques. In addition, they receive training on vehicle searches and police checkpoints."

There are seven Regional Training Centers located in Kandahar, Herat, Gardez, Mazar-e-Sharif, Konduz, Bamyan and Jalalabad.

The trainees attend an eight-week course that provides instruction in general police duties, weapons proficiency, first aid, human rights, community policing, basic border police training, and Afghan law and constitution.

"The Air Force police seem to have a more civilian approach to policing than do most (Army) 'field' police units," said Charles Bent, Dyncorp regional commander. "They understand our training approach as is applies to the police operating in an environment requiring a combination civilian and military police unit.

"The Air Force police are extremely good instructors and role models for the Afghan students," he added. "Being American military, they are looked up to by the students and Afghan commanders as military professionals."

An entire police department comes to train, while they are backfilled by a traveling police department out of Kabul.

Most of the students are illiterate and have a second job in addition to being a police officer to offset their low wages. Since their options are limited and their ability to feed their families comes into play when making decisions, ethics training is vital for the success of the police department.

"I have three of the finest Airmen working at the RTC training the backbone of the communities in N2KL," said Lt. Col. Paul Donovan, their Air Force commanding officer. "These individuals are the top of their career field and have been on autopilot since we arrived."