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Reserve MPs mentor, prepare Afghan soldiers for vital operations

January 5, 2012

By Sgt. 1st Class Lyndon Miller

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (Jan. 5, 2012) -- Since April, members of the 785th Military Police Battalion have mentored Afghan National Army soldiers here in order to prepare them to assume operations as coalition forces drawn down in the coming months.

Soldiers from this Fraser, Mich. unit have provided training in detention operations at the Detention Facility in Parwan, or DFIP, and security procedures at Entry Control Point, or ECP, 4 in support of the overall base plan.

Aware that what goes on at a detention facility can have high visibility on a global level, the 785th has been careful to instill in the Afghan National Army, known as the ANA, a professional attitude and values.

"We've taken pains to train the ANA at the DFIP consistent with international standards of care, custody and control," said Lt. Col. Richard Atchison, commander of the 785th.

Although, since October, the 785th is no longer responsible for ECP 4, the 785th processed roughly 13,000 vehicles through the checkpoint, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Charlotte Randazzo.

"We also processed about 55,000 people too," she said.

Successfully securing ECP 4, also known as the Parwan Gate, was a partnership between the 785th, the ANA, and also local national contractors, said Atchison.

Establishing this partnership was one of Atchison's top priorities.

"By mentoring and embedding our Soldiers within the ANA ranks, we eliminated barriers and built trust on every level," he said.

The importance of ECP 4 was emphasized when the Deputy Commanding General of the Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Jon Miller, visited the site in October.

As they toured the site together, Atchison updated Miller on work done at the checkpoint to improve security.

"I specifically highlighted the numerous construction and technological improvements made by my battalion Soldiers to reduce the preexisting vulnerabilities to the security team from daily credible threats," said Atchison.

One of these improvements was to relocate the place where the vehicles are actually inspected, which was originally just right outside the gate, to a safer distance farther down the road.

Further indicating the importance of security at ECP 4 is the new established Justice Center several hundred yards away, where local Afghans can be assured of the rule of law.
Again, all this progress has been a joint effort.

"At the individual Soldier level, the working relationships and rapport the 785th MP Battalion has developed with the ANA and local nationals provides the necessary mutual respect and collaboration to directly secure and support the Justice Center and Detainee Facility in Parwan," Atchison said.

The 785th has provided other specific training to the ANA in their area of operations to date.
This includes 346 basic COHORTS trained, 42 ANA leader's mentored, 17 Afghan soldiers selected to train-the-trainers, and four medics and four doctors educated.

ANA dining facility mentorship has reduced food-borne illness by 99 percent since May 1, and the ANA dining facility runs on its own now. Basic heating and air conditioning maintenance, plumbing, and carpentry have also been taught.

The 785th Military Police Battalion has been busy, it seems.

Randazzo summed up the shoulder-to-shoulder work between coalition forces and the ANA and what it takes to be a successful mentor and offered advice to those currently deployed here or soon to be.

"We deployed knowing that the ANA faced challenges," she said. "I don't think any of us really grasped the depth of those challenges until we arrived and began our partnership with them.

"Anyone tasked as a mentor or trainer for the Afghan Army should really dig in and make the effort to understand their culture," Randazzo explained. "I don't mean just understand their religion or learn a couple of words in Dari or Pashto, but understand them as people. This will pay huge dividends in your mission."