STT-SFAT Teaches AUP Guardians of Law how to be Legal Eagles ...

STT-SFAT Teaches AUP Guardians of Law how to be Legal Eagles Story by
1st Lt. Christine Rosalin, 117th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment and
Photos by 1st Lt. Dallas J. Marcus

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, Afghanistan ? Kicking off the first class
in a series of legal training, the leadership of the Afghan Uniformed
Police Qalat Substation 1 participated in a refresher class in Afghan
criminal law at the Provincial Meeting Center in Qalat City June 5,
2012.
Approximately 20 police officers of the AUP leadership participated in
an Afghanistan Rule of Law refresher training instructed by Maj.
Roderick J. Cassidy, judge advocate general for the U.S. Army
Stabilization and Transition Team, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
Cassidy, a resident of Brewster, New York, and member of the New York
National Guard, provided the basic principles and fundamentals of Afghan
criminal law so the AUP leadership could educate their patrolmen and
provide governance for the populace of Qalat City.
"The instruction helped to continue building a more professional police
force," said Cassidy. "By training the leadership level of the AUP, they
will be better able to instruct their subordinates at the checkpoint and
substation level."
Cassidy reviewed the foundation of Afghan criminal law with the officers
of Substation 1 AUP. Together, they covered the primary sources of
Afghan criminal law and how they interrelate, said Cassidy.
"I also addressed different theories behind punishment and the legal,
material and mental elements of a crime," said Cassidy, who has been
practicing law for over 22 years. "I provided specific, everyday
illustrations of some of the more complex legal theories to assure
everyone understood their application."
During the class, the officers of the AUP were disciplined and paid
strict attention to the instruction, Cassidy observed.
"I have taught military, criminal and civil law in the United States and
this was a unique experience," said Cassidy. "In the U.S., students are
often anxious to express their opinions and engage in classroom
discussion. In Afghanistan, students often seem interested almost
exclusively in what the instructor, as the subject matter expert, has to
say during class. They [AUP] want to absorb as much as possible in the
time allotted and can share their personal opinions with each other
later."
At the end of the class the AUP leadership responded positively to the
refresher training and actively participated with responses, said Capt.
Matt Yarnall, U.S. Army Security Forces Assistance Team Qalat City
commander, 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division.
The AUP commented on how beneficial this refresher training was to them
and how they learned a lot, said Yarnall. "They also agreed it is very
important to know their laws, and they expressed how they are looking
forward to more training in the near future," added Yarnall.
Coordination for this training began in April when members of the SFAT,
STT and Qalat AUP partnered up. As guardians of Afghan law they all
worked together to coordinate refresher training for the AUP covering
the legal training they [AUP] received at the Police Academy in Kabul,
said Yarnall.
"I believe that governance and security is the key to stabilization,"
said Cassidy. "Through continued education on community policing and
professionalization, the AUP will continue to better secure the
population."

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