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CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - Security throughout Helmand province has steadily increased due to the constant push of formally-trained Afghan National Police officers out to cities. These police officers are receiving their training from coalition forces-run academies, like the Joint Security Academy Southwest located at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.
Cpl. Tyler M. Rousselle, a JSAS instructor, volunteered to train police recruits how to protect their communities. The infantryman, from Huntington Beach, Calif., was offered the year-long position while serving as a squad leader with 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. Although the details of his future job were not provided, he jumped at the chance to deploy to Afghanistan when the opportunity arose. He found his new role as an instructor was not a far cry from being an infantryman.
“Being a squad leader at 1/7 and transferring over here really wasn’t much of a change,” said the 22-year-old. “The job is like training new Marines.”
An infantry squad leader and an Afghan police trainer may have similarities, but JSAS instructors quickly find that their new job training Afghan police recruits demands more direct supervision than teaching junior infantry Marines, Rousselle asserts.
“Instructors stay with the class from when they show up to when they leave,” the four-and-a-half year veteran said. “The entire time we are working with that class, we eat with them, we train with them, we live in the same compound as them.”
Akin to the routine of a Marine drill instructor, JSAS instructors are awake every morning well before the students begin their day. The police trainers wake up their students every morning, inspect the recruits’ uniforms, and march them to the dining facility for breakfast. Immediately afterwards, the recruits begin their training for the day.
The eight-week, ANP course covers a wide variety of policing fundamentals that recruits will use after graduation. Students may find themselves learning in a classroom environment or getting hands-on experience in a field setting. The training cycle begins with classroom instruction on basic hygiene, first aid, and drill. As the class progresses, JSAS instructors impart knowledge on tactical skills including patrolling, convoying, and weapons handling.
Abdulbari, a JSAS recruit, looks forward to using the policing skills taught by his Marine instructors in his hometown of Marjah.
“We are happy to work with Marines,” Abdulbari said. “We are proud to work with them because they came to our country to serve and help us with bringing security to our country. We respect them—they’re like our brothers.”
Not only do the JSAS recruits benefit from the fast paced training regimen, but the instructors also use the course to hone their original skill set.
“You’re able to keep up on your basic infantry skills,” Rousselle said. “When they leave JSAS, they’re doing basic infantry work out in the field and they’re working with infantry Marines.
Rousselle hopes he will walk away from this deployment with a better understanding for Muslim culture, especially by working during Ramadan. During the holy Islamic month of Ramadan, practicing Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset. JSAS instructors are no exception to this rule—they also observe the fast during training.
“You understand why they’re tired when you haven’t drunk any water all day, either,” Rousselle said.
In order to improve the ongoing partnership between American and Afghan forces, Rouselle said he will share his experiences teaching and working with Afghans to his Marines when he returns home.
“I definitely picked up a lot of the Afghan culture,” Rouselle said. “I understand why and how things work a little bit better in the Muslim world compared to before I came out here. I’ll definitely be passing on a lot of this information when I get back to the states.”
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.29.2010 12:19 |
| Story ID: | 55360 |
| Location: | CAMP LEATHERNECK, AF |
| Web Views: | 170 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
This work, ANSF instructors train Afghanistan’s future, by Cpl Brian Gabriel Jr., identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
