Argylls and US Marines Special Relationship in Helmand.

From ukforcesafghanistan:

The Special Relationship: Argylls and US Marines Repeat History in Helmand.

March 19, 2011

Scottish soldiers and US Marines have been doing their bit for transatlantic relations, working closely for the past six months to improve the capability of the Afghan National Police (ANP).

The team from The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 5 SCOTS and 1st Marine Div, US Marine Corps.

Teams from The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (known as 5 SCOTS) and 1st Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) have been jointly responsible for the training of the ANP in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. It’s the first time they have worked together since the 1930s.

Canterbury-based 5 SCOTS, who recruit from central and western Scotland, are now in the final weeks of a seven month deployment to Helmand Province, during which they have fulfilled the role of Police Development and Advisory Training Team (PDATT) within Task Force Helmand.

The US Marines from the 1st Marine Division have formed a unit known as the Provincial Police Advisory Team (PPAT) and have worked alongside the Scottish troops making improvements in police recruiting, training and operations throughout Helmand. Both the Jocks and the Marines are based in Helmand’s provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

While the 5 SCOTS PDATT have had responsibility for policing in the key central Helmand districts of Nad-e Ali, Nahr-e Saraj and the city centre and outlying areas of Lashkar Gah, the US Marines have worked on improving the capabilities of the Provincial Police Headquarters.

In light of this recent partnership, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum, based in Stirling Castle and headed up by Major Bob Elliot, researched the Regimental Archives to establish whether there was any record of them working together previously.

Colonel John Klink of the United States Marine Corps Provincial Police Advisory Team is presented a Glengarry by Lieutenant Colonel Adam Griffiths, Commanding Officer of 5 SCOTS.

You just know there is more, here.

B*N*S*N4

New Helmand Police Recruits Graduate from Training Helmand Police Training Centre

October 8, 2010

by ukforcesafghanistan

Wednesday saw the first Graduation Parade from the Helmand Police Training Centre outside the Helmand provincial capital of Lashkar Gah since 5 SCOTS took charge of the training of Afghan National Police last week.

The day began with a ceremonial parade and inspection of the newly qualified policemen by General Angar, Chief of Helmand Police. Following the parade were a number of demonstrations of policing skills by the students displaying their patrolling and emergency response techniques, as well as their skills in dealing with the threat posed to by IEDs in their daily work. In attendance alongside General Angar were several tribal elders from across Helmand including those from Sangin and the capital, Lashkar Gah, as well as other high-ranking officers from the Afghan National Police and from Helmand’s Provincial Government.

The new policemen graduate from the Helmand Police Training Centre

The 180 newly trained policemen will now be deployed across Helmand Province with the task of providing added security in the urban centres while the Afghan National Army continue to provide security and deter the Taleban threat in the rural areas. Policing techniques and standards continue to improve across Helmand following the opening of Helmand Police Training Centre in November 2009, which is now capable of turning out a further 180 newly qualified policemen every three weeks following an intensive eight week course run by soldiers from 5 SCOTS.

Lt Col Adam Griffiths MBE, Commanding Officer of the Canterbury-based 5 SCOTS and officer in charge of development of the Afghan National Police, said of the event:

“It is incredibly positive to see this sight so early in our tour. To be able to show the tribal elders of Helmand the standard of policemen who will soon be providing security in their towns and villages is a great thing to be able to do, it’s this kind of thing which then improves our ability to recruit and improves general confidence in the ANP among the local population”.

A new graduate shows off his graduation certificate

5 SCOTS have just begun a six month deployment to Helmand Province where they take the role of PDATT, the Police Development Advisory and Training Team. Of the task Lt Col Griffiths said: “5 SCOTS has trained hard for this deployment and is looking forward to the PDATT role. We take over an ongoing and vital task which is evolving and developing daily. I suspect the next six months will be defined by a period of continuity as well as consolidation as we strengthen the capability and develop the capacity of the ANP in Helmand.”

(Photos: Crown Copyright/MOD 2010)

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