Arghandab dstrict ALP candidates bring an additional weapon to the fight

News: Arghandab dstrict ALP candidates bring an additional weapon to the fight

Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan

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Story by Staff Sgt. Nicole Howell Subscribe To This Journalist

Staff Sgt. Nicole Howell

An Afghan Local Police literacy instructor explains mathematics to his students during a reading and literacy course in Arghandab district, Afghanistan, Aug. 29. ALP members get the opportunity to learn how to read and write during a six-day literacy class which has been added to their ALP Program.

ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan - Since January 2012, Arghandab district has conducted Afghan Local Police basic training courses for volunteers who want to protect their villages from insurgents and corruption.

The difference between their training and training in other districts is the last six days. During those final training days, future ALP are given a literacy class which teaches them the basic fundamentals of the Pashto language.

After learning the basics of reading and writing, the trainees move onto spelling and sentence structure. On the last two days, the instructor gives a class on reading, time and mathematics, which includes basic adding, subtraction, multiplication and division.

“Addition and subtraction are not an unfamiliar concept to them due to the reason that they are always at the market bartering for this and that,” said a Special Forces team member. “For that reason, it does not need to be stressed.”

Literacy gives them a professional edge by providing them the capability to verify the legitimacy of the identification of individuals trying to enter their checkpoint. Literacy can also help them understand written orders from their command, as well as the documentation they are required to sign or review.

“It holds their leaders accountable,” said the special forces team member. “So many times they are told to put their names on a paper and they do not even know what it means. Learning how to read and write keeps their leaders honest and honesty is something we need all over Afghanistan.”

Education and literacy gives ALP an opportunity to trust information being given, and who is giving it to them.

“This class has helped us a lot,” said Mohammad Nai, a current ALP candidate. “For example, if there is a guy at our checkpoint and we do not know who this guy is and he is not part of our village, we need to be able to read his taskera [an identification card]. If we do not know the letters or numbers, we cannot do this.”

By the end of the literacy portion, they are able to write their name, phone number, village and father’s name.

“If we are educated, we can do a lot of things,” said Talib Khil, another ALP candidate. “I have learned the alphabet and counting, and now I can write my name and other names.”

Many in Arghandab district have not had an opportunity to become literate, but for these candidates, a little exposure gave them a thirst for education.

“I want to go to more literacy classes,” added Khil. “I want to read books and to work more on my literacy.”