SalfordOnline

At the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre in Hohenfels, Germany, ISAF soldiers are learning the skills to become mentors and trainers for the Afghan National Army before deploying to Afghanistan.

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---VOICEOVER---
ISAF forces across Afghanistan are mentoring the Afghan Army, so that they can take on the security of their country. But who trains the trainers?

The answer lies here on the frozen fields of Hohenfels in Southern Germany at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre, where soldiers are learning the skills to become mentors before deploying to Afghanistan.

When these soldiers deploy they will form what's known as an OMLT, or Operational Mentor Liaison Team, a small group of soldiers embedded with the Afghan Army.

Heading out this morning is a Polish Unit, soon to be deployed to the southern province of Ghazni. This morning they face a typical mission...


SERGEANT MICHAEL FERNANDEZ, Observer Controller, US Army
---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"We're going to bring some supplies to an Afghan National Police post. Give them some supplies like water, food, some blankets. From that point they're going to talk to the ANP and see if there's any information that has happened in the area. They're also going to ask about how the town is close by and if there is any enemy activity in the area."

---VOICEOVER---
Learning to deal with the power structures within Afghan society is crucial to being able to work effectively. However this time, tea is interrupted by civilian bringing news of armed men in the vicinity and the commander is forced to react.

Fired at from the forest, he must think fast, but also consider the mission he's going to Afghanistan to accomplish.


SERGEANT LEBLANC, Observer Controller, US Army

---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"The hardest part for the OMLTs to understand, their coming here to train. They want to do the collective and individual task and they want to show that they can do it. The hardest part is to get them to train the unit, the ANA, to do that task instead, so that they can leave the country. And that's the hardest part that they are finding out every time they come to JMRC and they prep for Afghanistan."

---VOICEOVER---
Hohenfels presents soldiers with a variety of different scenarios. The observer controllers have years of experience in mentoring foreign armies which allows them to tailor the training to match reality.

SERGEANT LEBLANC, Observer Controller, US Army

---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"I would hope to say that it's pretty realistic. I spent sixteen months there and I've seen a lot of different scenarios. We can't replicate all of them here at Hohenfels, but what we have put today is pretty realistic."

---VOICEOVER---
With the threat dealt with, the Polish OMLT is able to complete its mission to the Police post. Months away from their deployment the Poles realise they face a challenging summer ahead of them.

LIEUTENANT KUBICKI, OMLT, Polish Army

---SOUNDBITE--- (ENGLISH)
"I know that it's quite difficult and hard work, but all the team wants to help these people in this country and improve this army."

"The training is very important and very helpful, because we co-ordinates our work with another armies like American Army, Slovenian Army, French. So, we can improve our English and improve our procedures during this operation."

---VOICEOVER---
In part two we'll see a French OMLT being put through its paces as they defend their base from attack.

This is David Heathfield, in Germany, for the NATO Channel.