NATO ROLFSM-A/ROLFF-A holds academy course in Kabul

Photo By Amanda Dick | Attendees of the Rule of Law Field Support Officers Academy listen as Ambassador Ryan Crocker, American ambassador to Afghanistan, speaks about Rule of Law, Camp Phoenix, Kabul, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2011. The course was conducted by the NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission - Afghanistan/Rule of Law Field Force - Afghanistan for the purpose of preparing its personnel for field duty in support of Afghan-led rule of law enhancement.  

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

12.17.2011

Courtesy Story

Rule of Law Field Force-Afghanistan Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan - Twenty-nine Rule of Law Field Support Officers from around the country completed a week of training here Dec. 17 that included presentations from the Chief Administrator of the Afghanistan Supreme Court, other Afghan government officials, Kabul University professors and local practicing attorneys. The seminars provided the students education in Afghan law, history and culture; and hands-on exercises to refine the practical day-to-day skills ROLFSOs rely upon in the field.

The course known as the, ROLFSO Academy, was the third iteration of the training conducted by The NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission - Afghanistan/Rule of Law Field Force - Afghanistan for the purpose of preparing its personnel for field duty in support of Afghan-led rule of law enhancement that is taking place across the country.

In addition to NROLFSM/ROLFF-A personnel, there were students from other U.S. military and civilian agencies that are part of the U.S. rule of law effort. Also, for the first time, the course included a non-U.S. military officer from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The first academy course was held in April 2011. Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435 headquarters and the Drug Enforcement Administration National Interdiction Unit Campus in Kabul hosted the academy.

“Field support officers are at the forefront of efforts to supply essential field capabilities, including security, communications, transportation, contracting and engineering support, that enable Afghan officials to deliver better governance,” said Rear Adm. Jim Crawford, ROLFF-A/NROLFSM-A commander. “This training provides the foundation they need to meet this important mission.”

“I was here for two reasons. First, it was a good chance to talk with other FSOs and those at the headquarters to see what they’re doing at their level and hear their successes,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Aaron Waldo, NROLFSM-A FSO at Patrol Base Jaker in Nawa district, Helmund province, Afghanistan. “We traded ideas, and I have two programs I’ll be taking back with me that will be easy to implement.”

Waldo said his second reason for attending the course was to get an academic overview of rule of law, specifically the commander’s intent, and to see how a variety of military and civilian entities work together and coordinate efforts.

For the FSO, he said raising public awareness through school outreach will be one of the programs he takes back to his province.

“Someone in class said what had been successful in their province was using the judge, Huquq [dispute mediator] or the prosecutor to go out to schools and teach a basic civics class and also a basic legal overview,” Waldo said. “The younger generations are ripe to have this information given to them. So, we can help to inform their perception of the government and legal system, so they’ll think, ‘If I have a problem, and it’s a serious one, I can go to these people – they’re the right people to go to.’ That’s one of our main aims.”

The second program Waldo hopes to take back is a better way of merging formal and informal justice -- informal being Afghans going to their village elders to solve disputes and formal being through the Huquq. He said the biggest way to merge the two is having village elders register their decisions with the Huquq to make it formal and part of the legal decision-making process, as well as having smaller shuras, or meetings.

“Talking to the special operations forces guys about their village stability operations, they spend a lot of time having the people meet with each other very slowly instead of one big shura,” he said. “Piece by piece they walk cases in and walk through it until it becomes more habitual. While we aren’t able to do that, it may be a better way of doing it than holding one big shura – to try to have separate villages come in and have many smaller meetings with the Huquq.”

Waldo said he valued the course.

“I think it is well worth the time – it’s a week away from your job and a lot of flight time, but it’s well worth the time to give people a solid background on rule of law before we send them out into very different circumstances and ask them to try to do some difficult things,” he said.

NROLFSM was established June 9 to provide essential field capabilities, liaison, coordination and security to Afghan and international civilian providers of technical assistance supportive of building Afghan criminal justice capacity, increasing access to dispute resolution and helping to improve efficacy of the Afghan Government.

• Date Taken: 12.17.2011
• Date Posted: 12.23.2011 09:27
• Story ID: 81724
• Location: KABUL, AF