ANP takes lead in key-leader engagement

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Furthering their development, Afghan National Police led a key-leader engagement operation, with coalition force support, in the Towp Kalay Village of the Sayed Abad District Dec. 27.

Training ANP forces has been the focus for U.S. Army Maj. Roy Miller, team chief of 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division’s Task Force Warrior Security Forces Advisory Team. Miller, a native of Jeffersonville, Ky., advises the ANP about security matters and what they need to do to take the lead during operations such as the joint KLE just conducted.

“The ANP ... understand the mission of why coalition forces are here... and they know that they need our help in order to become better,” Miller said. “We train them on how to do movements and how to interact with people; and then people see the police out there talking to key leaders and local villagers to find out their issues and actually just taking the time to talk to them.”

With the ANP leading the way, the U.S. Soldiers made their way to Towp Kalay. Upon arrival, they immediately went to work listening to villagers concerns.

Afghan National Police Officer Buhramudin Amiri, the top ANP representative talking to the elders during the KLE mission, sat down and listened to villagers. Amiri said he was happy with his opportunity to take the lead and ask the villagers important questions.

“I was asking people questions. I was feeling really good,” Amiri said. “We want to solve the villagers’ problems.”

After all the talking and listening, Amiri got the information he needed to try to make things easier for locals living in Towp Kalay.

“(Right) now, we don’t have too many checkpoints,” said Amiri. “But now, we are going to make checkpoints everywhere, and we are going to help the people. It is very good.”

Just being in the village shows the progress the ANP is making to be more efficient. Villagers remarked about their surprise at ANP coming to hear their concerns.

“I talked to the village elders, and one of the things that came out of it was no one could remember the last time (Afghan National Security Forces) had come to the village to talk to them to see what their issues were (and) to see what their problems were,” said Miller. “So they are very grateful that the ANSF showed up today to talk to them - to take the time out of the day to come listen to them about their problems and show that they care.”

With the success of the mission, the ANP departed with more confidence and left the villagers with renewed faith that Afghan forces can protect them.

Miller said it’s going to be up to ANSF to secure Afghanistan. “In order to do it, they need to be out and talking to the people. Right now, the people have ... distrust toward the ANSF; so the more they get out and talk to the people to show that they’re here to help and support them, the more the people will trust them and they’ll be able to have a good relationship.”