While U.S. Special Forces and ground troops continue to fight the Taliban in areas surrounding Afghanistan's Kandahar, the 504th Military Police Battalion has the task of providing security within the city.
The campaign to secure the Taliban's birthplace of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan is a central objective of President Barack Obama's revised war effort and will factor prominently in a White House strategy review in December.
Heavy fighting is not expected in Kandahar city itself, where efforts are focused on bolstering security and improving performance of a local government often criticized as ineffective and corrupt, the U.S. official said.
Commander of the 504th Military Police Battalion, Colonel John Vorhees says that securing the city is crucial to the military campaign going in the districts around Kandahar.
"This was definitely the default capital for the Taliban. They were very active here, had a lot of support here. Certainly we see that in the districts here. So if we continue to improve the security in Kandahar City and then work out from the city into the outer districts and bring that same security level, but then the governance piece - roads, schools, bridges - those things that the government certainly needs to bring to the people. There's a lot of organizations across the world willing to help here. We've gotta do that through the government, the Afghan government," said Vorhees.
When asked if he trusts the Afghan police to do their job in the absence of American troops, Vorhees said he is confident they will rise up to the job.
"Absolutely, the great number that I have now I think they're interested in doing the right things, they want to do the right things, but again it's the training, it's the partnership with the coalition forces teaching them to do the right things. How to respond properly to IEDs, how to provide force protection, how to structure their guard shifts for example, how they guard their PSS (Police Sub Stations) and you know stay alert and pay attention. Absolutely, I think there's a lot of capable police officers, again their training has got to continue beyond the six weeks they get and it's our job to continue that," he said.
The Battalion troops train Kandahar police in detecting threats from the Taliban insurgents.
They often share accommodation with their Afghan counterparts in local police stations around the city.
Locked behind the armour of their vehicles, the troops rarely interact with the local population.
But on some occasions, when joint U.S.-Afghan police patrols are conducted, that's when the military police get the chance to gather feedback from residents on the security situation and the performance of the local police.
"Well, I think there's certainly functionality now in the city. I think it's certainly gaining traction, the longer time that we are able to continue to partner and work with them. I would say certainly they're going to be a lot better off at the end of our year here then when we first started," Vorhees said about the security situation in Kandahar.
U.S. officials are playing down expectations of any quick turnaround, despite President Obama's July 2011 deadline to start withdrawing forces from Afghanistan, conditions permitting.
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Alpha 787 Military Policeby lotcc0781,786 views
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h3reach10 7 months ago
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mikkalainer11 7 months ago