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Lithuanian-led POMLT taught Ghor policemen firing skills

Lithuanian-led POMLT taught Ghor policemen firing skills


April 23, instructors of the first shift of Police operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (POMLT-1) who are responsible for training and mentoring Afghan National Police (ANP) in Ghor conducted live firing exercise for local policemen. More than four tens of Ghor policemen demonstrated in practice how they learned precision firing principles during the preceding exercise.

 

Live firing exercise is the last phase in a six-week Basic Patrol Course. In the course Lithuanian and US instructors of POMLT-1 conveyed their knowledge and skills, made a demonstration of proper and effective handling of automatic rifle, correct shooting positions, aiming and making a precision shot. In the firing range local policemen showed their new knowledge and completed several firing tasks where they had to hit targets at various distance from various firing positions using AMD-65.

 

According to Commander POMLT-1 Maj Petras Puleikis, local policemen display varying level of readiness but instructors worked hard to help them improve their professional knowledge and gain more experience for conducting the full range of their professional tasks.

„Instructors' work paid off. Police officers who attended the training cycle showed great enthusiasm and a wish to acquire knowledge. They are really not short of motivation. The surprising thing about today's firing was that policemen were better at shooting from standing than low positions. It is surprising because standing positions are known to be the least stable and the most complicated to shoot from. They need further work to improve their abilities of course, but nevertheless, these police trainees exceeded our expectations", said Maj Petras Puleikis.

 

The main aim of POMLT is to provide training and mentoring and by other means contribute to the capacity of Afghan National Police to complete their tasks.

 

POMLT started service in Ghor province together with PRT-12 as it rotated to replace PRT-11 in November. Joint Lithuanian-US Police Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team is lead by a Lithuanian officer. 20 members of POMLT-1 include 12 US soldiers and 8 Lithuanians from divisions of Military Police and Public Security Service.

 

In the beginning of the mission POMLT-1 processed primary evaluation of local police forces, determined professional readiness level of police officers, and drafted training schedule with regard to the requirements for police in the province aimed at versatile training of policemen to fulfill vital tasks. The schedule serves as a basis for present and future training POMLT provides for provincial police.

 

Lithuania established a joint POMLT with the United States as an effort to intensify support to security forces of Afghanistan in its responsibility area, Ghor province, where the majority of local forces are police.

 

Reconstruction in Ghor is ensured not only by the Lithuanian-led PRT, a part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, but also by the European Union Police Mission to Afghanistan which conducts its activity in coordination with the PRT.

 

Lithuanian-led PRT in Ghor is a joint civilian-military mission, a part of NATO's ISAF that was launched in Ghor in summer of 2005. The main task of the mission is to help Government of Afghanistan to extend authority in the province, ensure security and create environment for provincial reconstruction. Prerequisites for the allied forces deployed in Afghanistan to finish the mission will be provided as soon as the country's National Security Forces are able to ensure security of the country and its people independently. In the present period major attention is paid to the projects of training and preparation of Afghan National Security Forces.

 

Article and pictures by PIO for PRT-12 Capt Ainaras Jonaitis