An Afghan National Policeman is evaluated while he explains to other attendees of the course aspects of C-IED training during the C-IED Course for Trainers (Photo: Sgt Mag (OR-6) Luca Filardo, RC-W Combat Camera)

Regional Command West
Sgt. Juan Ardura Santa Engracia ESP ARMY

HERAT, Afghanistan, (September 9, 2011) – Thirteen Afghan National Policemen successfully completed the Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Course for Trainers, held between 4th and 8th of September in Camp Arena.

The course was organized at the request of the Italian POMLT Carabinieri and was imparted by a team of civilian specialists from RONCO Consulting Corporation, in order to improve the awareness and the ANP procedures when dealing with the IED threat, and with the ultimate objective of certifying ANP trainers that can teach other policemen in these procedures. All of these specialists have many years of military explosives disposal experience, in some cases more than twenty, ensuring that the course was held up to the highest standards.

Thirteen students attended the course, which was eminently practical and put the stress on giving the attendees the abilities needed to teach other people. During the five days that the course lasted, the attendees received lessons and afterwards imparted them to their colleagues, among others theory and practice behind IED making, and techniques to search and isolate vehicles and areas in which IED’s might be found. The students faced realistic situations with authentic vehicles and IED parts, to make it seem as close as possible to the situations they may face in their work routines. Only after they showed the necessary level of proficiency they were evaluated and certified as trainers.

After finishing the course, a ceremony was held in which certificates were issued to the trainees. “This course has been very interesting for us, it was very well structured and we have learned many useful things for our future work”, 2nd W.O. Gholam Faruk said upon finishing. Julian Cooney, one of the civilian trainers, declared: “It has been a very good course; they showed a lot of interest and were very keen to learn”.