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By: U.S. Army Sgt. Seth Barham
2nd Brigade Combat Team, Public Affairs Office
4th Infantry Division
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – As Afghan National Security Forces prepare to secure their nation on their own, training their force becomes more and more important. The importance of training is stressed everyday at the Regional Training Center – Kandahar where new Afghan National Police recruits attend basic training.
“Discipline and training is the biggest focus within our ranks right now,” said Brig. Gen. Poh Zarifi, commander of the RTC–K and all ANP training in southern Afghanistan.
Police recruits enter the RTC–K through a strict screening process to include background checks and drug screenings, Zarifi said.
The recruits then go through a regimented eight-week basic training course where they train everyday on tactics, basic police scenarios and general military ethics.
Every afternoon the recruits have two hours of literacy training as well.
“One my biggest goals is that when every recruit leaves here, they are able to read, write, and better serve the community,” Zarifi said.
The Canadian army served in an advisor role at the RTC–K for the last year but will be leaving this summer as U.S. forces assume the training mission.
There have been significant gains made in the past year, specifically the Afghans are teaching all of the classes and have the lead on most of the training here, said Canadian Army Maj. Vanessa Hanrahan, the lead advisor at RTC–K.
“The general and his staff set the foundation for these young men and when they leave here they have a quality education, discipline, and the way ahead,” she said.
The RTC–K houses 350 new police recruits for every basic training rotation but ground has already been broken on a new training facility west of Kandahar that will have a capacity of 2400 students plus staff, said Hanrahan.
The new facility will not just train ANP but will be a regional police training facility and also accommodate Afghan Border Police and Afghan National Civil Order Police.
The future is bright for Afghan citizens and the police force of Afghanistan, Zarifi said.
“We have appreciated the help from coalition forces in training our nation but the time is now for us,” he said. “We have to step up and secure our own nation.”
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2011 04:59 |
| Story ID: | 72804 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 167 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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