Afghan police, youth move forward in Kunar province

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan- An Afghan general came to speak to Afghan and Coalition soldiers about the importance of their combined effort at the Karindigal Base, Pech district of Kunar province, Afghanistan, Oct. 25. Gen. Wardack said that the coalition forces are here to help, but that the ANA must “lead the way to a brighter future for all of Afghanistan.” The general stayed after his speech to answer questions from the soldiers.

In the village of Dari Khar, several local youth groups held a shura to discuss community service and small project implementation, Nov. 5. Coalition forces organized the meeting, in which youth leaders also discussed combining several youth groups into a much larger united group. Insurgents routinely seek to recruit vulnerable males ages 14 to 19 for insurgent activity. The youth shuras will hopefully give young males a positive outlet. One promising proposal will offer incentives, such as sports equipment, in exchange for positive community involvement.

A few days later in the Pech district, Afghan National Police officers from the Bar Kanday station trained with coalition force partners on battle maneuvers and drills, Nov. 8. The ANP officers requested the training after learning that Afghan National Army soldiers were getting the instruction. Coalition forces and the ANP are working together more often and are both benefiting from the training.