Out With the Old, In With the New

For the next few days, we rolled to the training facility by way of Camp Eggers.  We did so in order to convoy with the Marines with which we worked.  Since they were required (as were we) to travel with a minimum of two vehicles, they would become part of our convoy to the training compound.  Located pretty much in the center of the city, Camp Eggers is situated within a cluster of military and government buildings.  Its neighbors are the Presidential Palace; ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) Headquarters; a number of embassies (including the American Embassy); and a host of other high profile government departments.  When not a main target itself, its location made it subject to the collateral damage of numerous insurgent attacks on the other objectives.

Armed soldiers and policemen are a common sight on the roadways. 

While we shared the responsibility for training the Afghans, the military was considered our customer.  So whatever the commanding officer wanted us to teach, we taught.  We were aligned with a small, 3-4 person Marine Corps unit.  Their primary responsibility was instruction of the weapons systems, such as the AK47, RPG (rocket propelled grenade), and machine guns.  The contractors were tasked with teaching the other overall police-related duties.

The Afghan group (or “kandak”) that our team was currently training would soon be leaving to go elsewhere in the country in furtherance of the police mission; and the marines would be accompanying them. Being that it was late in their training cycle, there was only one culmination exercise left to complete at the compound.  During this practical exercise, the entire installation would be used for the drill. 

The Marines were led by a relatively young lieutenant, whose respect had not yet been earned from his men.  During the sporadic contact I had with the younger marines, I was often privy to their complaints.  As a new-comer to the group, I was surprised at how vocal they were in my presence, about his poor leadership skills. 

During a break, 2 marines (in the tanner uniforms) join Afghan officers in knocking around a volleyball.

A marine speaks with Hashimi while another looks on from a Humvee.

  

We were given a briefing by a young marine chosen by the lieutenant.  He began by mapping out the day’s events on a white board, “The f***ing Lt. will start them off here.  Then they’ll come around this f***ing corner right here.  That’s when they’ll be f***ing engaged from this flank. Then depending on what the f*** they do here, we’ll either f***ing fire at them from this corner; or set off the f***ing charge over here.”  Wow!  In over 25 years with the state police, I never heard anyone give a briefing with any profanity, let alone one that included at least one expletive in every sentence!  Once the briefing was over, Greg, a classmate from T1G, and who, like me, had recently been assigned to Camp Phoenix, turned to me and asked, “Have you ever heard a briefing like that before?!?!?”  We both just shook our heads and laughed.

Afghan police prepare for the final training exercise

 As others checked and double checked to ensure that the officers-in-training were carrying empty weapons, we went about helping the “actors” prepare for their respective roles. Gerry, the big fellow (with whom I visited the mountain top), was playing an insurgent who would begin shooting blanks from his M-4 rifle once one of the training IED’s went off.  His only costume was a scarf worn around his head and neck.  Looking at him made me snicker.  This large, corn-fed, blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy from Missouri with a scarf draped over his head, looked more like a Russian holdover from over 20 years ago in that war, than he did a modern insurgent!  

Knowing there where blue eyes behind the sunglasses made it difficult to believe Gerry was an "insurgent."

Gerry, the "insurgent" in action.

 

With the exercise completed, I continued to familiarize myself with the site. As we moved about the compound, I got a better understanding of the training conditions.  While it was a far cry from the traditional police academy setting back home, we did have access to one classroom. All other training was conducted outside.   As bad as it appeared, from speaking with colleagues who had been at other training sites, it could have been worse.

Over the next few days, in addition to observing the instructional techniques used in teaching across the culture, I acquainted myself with the different topics that I might be expected to teach.  I reviewed lesson plans in self-defense; conducting searches; baton techniques; handcuffing; first aid; IED and mine awareness; the Afghan Constitution; police station duties; police checkpoints; and many others. 

The current kandak that was scheduled to move out in the coming days would be replaced by another.  Along with the new Afghan group would be a new marine unit.  We’d both be starting a new training cycle.  I was curious to see if any leadership issues would be arriving with the new personnel.