LAGHMAN, Afghanistan (Nov. 12, 2013) -- Afghan Border and Local Police arrived at Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Nov. 9, 2013. The Afghan National Defense Security and the Operational Coordination Center - Regional were also on the scene to support the 201st Afghan National Army; but in this joint mission, no crime was committed.
This meeting was about communication and 19 public affairs practitioners from all four major pillars of the Afghan National Security Forces came together to improve their respective public affairs programs.
ANA Col. Neman Hetafi, 201st Corps public affairs officer, brought the select ANSF members together for training. Due to the ever-present challenges to security in Regional Command East, he said the different ANSF pillars are required to share consolidated reports with the media.
"There is [currently] no consistency in the reporting system of the security agencies," said Neman. "This training is a good opportunity to have all the representatives gathered, to learn ways to overcome some of the issues preventing [consistency]."
Neman has more than 20 years of military public affairs experience. Therefore, when he began working with Coalition Force advisors to plan the workshop, he was very specific about what the participants should take away from the training.
"I wanted the students to work on preparing news reports, press releases, camera use, and interviewing," said Neman. "The training was conducted exactly the way I wanted; I'm grateful to the instructors for making it happen."
Parts of the training did more than teach better ways to get the various organizations' messages out, using example videos, the training also increased the student's confidence in the ANSF, which they are part of.
"My favorite part of the training was the one video played during the media embed portion of the class," said Capt. Homyom Rashidi, spokesperson and public affairs officer, Kapisa Police Headquarters, "it showed me that the Afghan National Army can do even better missions and can erase the enemies of Afghanistan very easily."
Bringing a combined 40 years of public affairs and journalism experience, International Security Assistance Force civilian trainers, Michael Griffin and Ben Bruges, also taught communication techniques, including successful social media use and interviewing skills.
These men recognized the level ANSF public affairs is operating at and the overall purpose of ANSF messaging.
"The point is not that men with guns win the fights," said Bruges. "The point is that the population is convinced that the government is legitimate and they get to vote for the right people and their future is safe in the hands of the government."
Neman also invited Bakhtir Sahil, the Radio Television Afghanistan -- Nangahar news editor, to speak to the assembled public affairs professionals about their interaction with civilian journalist during military and police operations. The point he wanted to impress on the participants, all of whom work in the military and law enforcement, was journalist safety.
"When you take journalists out to missions or embed them, make sure they look different from the military or police they are out with," said Sahil. "This way, neither the enemy nor the villagers thinks the journalist is one of the soldiers or policemen and this way they don't get hurt or killed."
The workshop ended with each participant receiving a certificate from Brig. Gen. Abdul Malik Karimi, chief of staff, 201st ANA Corps, and Maj. Sheldon Morris, chief of staff, Training Advise and Assist Center - Northeast.
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