Afghans learning to fight without deadly force

Afghan National Army Maj. Azizullah Aziz, Panjshir Operations Coordination Center-Provincial, holds down Afghan National Police Capt. Safat Ullah Sangee, OCC-P, while U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Cornell (right), a Philadelphia native and member of the Task Force Wolverine Embedded Training Team with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir, instructs Aziz through an interpreter. ANP trainers began learning U.S. Army Combatives techniques Aug. 14 so they can teach the skill to other ANP officers in each of the seven districts in the Panjshir Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jason Smith, PRT Panjshir Public Affairs)

Afghans learning to fight without deadly force

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Cornell (bottom), a Philadelphia native, and U.S. Army Sgt. Richard Yoon, a Fort Lee, N.J., native, both members of the Task Force Wolverine Embedded Training Team with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir, demonstrate combatives techniques Aug. 14. Cornell and Yoon taught U.S. Army Combatives techniques to Afghan National Police trainers so they can teach the skill to other ANP officers in each of the seven districts in the Panjshir Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jason Smith, PRT Panjshir Public Affairs)

Afghans learning to fight without deadly force

Afghan National Army Maj. Azizullah Aziz, Panjshir Operations Coordination Center-Provincial, holds down Afghan National Police Capt. Safat Ullah Sangee, OCC-P, during U.S. Army Combatives training Aug. 14 at the Panjshir OCC-P. (Photo by U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jason Smith, PRT Panjshir Public Affairs)

Afghans learning to fight without deadly force

Published Aug. 15, 2010
By By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Jason Smith
Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir

PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Aug. 14, 2010) - Afghan National Police officers began learning U.S. Army Combatives techniques Aug. 14, so they can teach the skill to other ANP officers in each of the seven districts in the Panjshir Province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Cornell, a Philadelphia native, and U.S. Army Sgt. Richard Yoon, a Fort Lee, N.J., native, both members of the Task Force Wolverine Embedded Training Team with Provincial Reconstruction Team Panjshir, put on a two-day "Train the Trainer" course at the Panjshir Operations Coordination Center-Provincial.

Three ANP officers and four Afghan National Army officers from the OCC-P attended the training. The three ANP officers will travel the province in the coming weeks to present the training to other ANP members.

"We teach the trainers eight hours over two days," said Cornell. "It's an abridged version of Army Combatives Level 1. As cops, the ANP will definitely have to deal with people who need to be subdued in non-life threatening situations."

ANP Capt. Safat Ullah Sangee, one of the trainers, said this is the first time techniques of less-than-deadly force have been taught to the ANP.

"All of the ANP can't use their weapons for every situation," said Sangee through an interpreter. "We haven't done this type of training before. This will help with fighting criminals and defeating criminals. Individually, all ANP should learn to use this. I can say it's important to use this training in police work."

In a non-deadly situation, Cornell said the combatives techniques will allow ANP to subdue someone without serious injury.

"They don't always have to use their weapons," said Cornell. "In some situations, they can use combatives rather than seriously injuring someone by hitting them with a weapon."

Sangee, who also was the ANP trainer for map, compass and GPS use, said having Afghan trainers makes the training quicker and more user friendly.

"If Afghans teach other Afghans, it's easier to learn," said Sangee. "There is no translation and we can teach quicker than having an American trying to teach through an interpreter. That's why it's important for the trainers to really learn the material and be able to know how to teach it."

The students, who are soon to become the teachers, were thoroughly enjoying the combatives, said Cornell. They are more enthusiastic with hands-on training where they're actually doing something than they are with classroom training, like GPS use.