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The following is an article I wrote for www.afghanistan.gc.ca and will appear online later in July... At present, there are about 50 Canadian Civilian Police Officers working in Afghanistan, these officers, known as CIVPOL, hail from municipal and regional police services across the country as well as from the RCMP. Our mission involves improving the capacity of the Afghan National Police (ANP) through training and mentoring.
This is accomplished in several ways. The training component refers to good old fashioned classroom instruction in a police academy setting. Young recruits are put through their paces and senior officers are taught leadership skills that will enable them to lead their officers into the future.
A few of our CIVPOL officers are also senior mentors. They regularly visit high ranking ANP officers at Police Headquarters to discuss various issues and offer guidance on a wide range of police activities.
The bulk of our CIVPOL officers currently operate out of a US military Forward Operating Base (FOB) and work in conjunction with US Military Police to go out to where front line ANP officers are working. These CIVPOL officers will also embed in the Police Sub-Stations, spending several nights
a week sleeping, eating and working with their Afghan counterparts.
CIVPOL officers take part in both mounted (vehicle) and dismounted (foot) patrol. Their aim is to lead by example in terms of demonstrating professionalism and community policing skills.
Recently, along with another CIVPOL officer, I participated in a dismounted patrol on the western edge of Kandahar city with Canadian Forces members of the Stabilization team. A lot of planning goes into such a patrol as Kandahar City is still not a very permissive environment. The evening before the patrol, military commanders and CIVPOL members gathered to go over the plan for the next day. The Canadian Military is a very precise and disciplined organization and no stone is left unturned in the planning process.
The following morning, 3 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) rolled out of Camp Nathan Smith carrying about 25 soldiers, 2 CIVPOL officers and 2 language assistants. The first destination was the area Police Sub Station where we were to link up with ANP officers who would join us on our patrol. About 20 minutes into the drive, the LAV in which I was seated, began to develop mechanical issues. It was losing hydraulic fluid.
The convoy diverted to the closest safe area: the Sarpoza prison compound. There, soldiers exited the LAVs in order to assess the damage. The heavy armoured vehicle was almost out of hydraulic fluid, and driving any further was not an option at that time.
The commander made a decision that the ANP officers would be summoned to the prison compound and that the dismounted patrol would depart from there. Our trek would take us over the edge of a mountain and into a small village, where we would try to interact with the locals.
The ANP officers arrived fairly quickly and we began our march. Generally speaking, Afghan Police will walk at the front of the group. Not only are they the only ones in the group with actual executive authority to enforce Afghan law, but it is also important for Afghans to see their police out patrolling the community.
As CIVPOL officers, we walk behind the ANP along with military personnel and an interpreter. This allows us to offer guidance to the ANP officers if required.
Every Canadian Soldier and Police officer dons full protective gear when going outside the wire. This includes a ballistic
helmet, vest, ammunition and firearms. All this equipment easily adds 60 pounds of weight to the person carrying it. Some Canadian Soldiers must also carry additional gear and the combined weight of their load may exceed 100 lbs.
We walked out of the prison compound into the 50 degree heat, heading for a nearby mountain on which a police checkpoint is located. The initial ascent to the checkpoint was steep. The ANP officers leading the patrol seemed to hop effortlessly from one rock to another. Slowly but surely, the entire patrol made it to the top. We greeted the ANP officers who were manning the checkpoint and had a brief discussion with them. In Afghan culture, it is considered rude to get right to the point, one must ask about family and health before talking business.
The patrol carried on along the side of the mountain for several kilometres, through arid terrain occasionally passing a few homes inside mud-walled compounds. Occasionally, curious children would peek out of doorways at the strange sight of 30 people in uniform walking by in full battle dress.
Several caves were spotted higher in the mountain along the way. The patrol commander
sent a few of his soldiers up to at least one of them to determine if anyone was living there. In this case, it turned out that the cave was being used by a family of dogs as a den.
We eventually made it to the village of Mir Bazaar, a small, rural village with very few modern amenities. Near the centre of the village, I caught a glimpse of a well with a very new looking manual pump. It would be a safe assumption that the pump was an international aid project to provide the villagers with safe drinking water. There are hundreds of such projects in Afghanistan.
By the time we arrived in Mir Bazaar, most of the patrol was running low on water or had already depleted their hydration packs. I had only a few sips of water left in my pack from the original 3 litres I was carrying. The intense heat, physical difficulty of the walk and protective gear make it imperative to remain hydrated. One hour into the patrol, the water in my pack had already become warm enough to make tea with. It was all I had and I had no
alternative but to drink it. Water is water after all.
The patrol passed by a small store more akin to a stand really. The commander encouraged his soldiers to purchase drinks from the shopkeeper and interact with people in the area. I purchased a bottle of orange pop and downed it immediately. I knew we were still at least 5 km from the prison and I needed all the fluids I could get.
As we paused by the shop, children began appearing from every direction. They mostly ranged in age from 3 to about 10 years. The girls were neatly dressed and kept their distance for the most part. Sisters could be easily identified as they would often be wearing the same bright colourful patterns on their clothing. They giggled as I waved to them.
The boys were not unlike any other boys in the world; dishevelled, dirty and full of energy. They had no hesitation in approaching us and all wanted one thing: pens.
Some of the children spoke a few words of English and used the occasion to show them off to us. As the patrol carried on, the children followed alongside. Some stuck
with us for over a kilometre.
Eventually we made our way back within the limits of Kandahar City and the safety of the Sarpoza compound. In the end, we had spoken to several local residents and had obtained a clearer picture of the criminal insurgent activity in that area. We were quite impressed with our ANP counterparts who conducted themselves professionally with the public and even showed some promise with their community policing skills.
The drive back to Camp Nathan Smith was quiet, most just taking in as much water as possible. On one of the hottest days of the year, we had walked 10 km over rugged terrain and through a small village. On a personal level, the experience was beyond compare. I walked where so few will ever walk and met the people who live in what the global community considers one of its most dangerous countries. I stared at houses thinking to myself that they probably did not look much different a thousand years ago. I feel enriched by the experience.
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Pete Broccolo
non-member comment
Afghanistan vs G20
Well, you have had a bit more excitement than me. I was in the basement of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre before and during the G20 meetings. The biggest danger there was heat rash and pigeon attacks. No ninjas made it in, thanks to Team 8! Stay safe and get back home soon.