CAMP JULIEN, Kabul—Members of the Task Force Kabul (TFK) Health Service Support Company (HSS Coy) hosted and helped train fourteen Afghan National Army (ANA) medics in basic First Aid on May 18 and 19. The training marked another milestone in Canadian and Afghan cooperation in Kabul.
A United States' Army Embedded Training Team charged with providing military training to the ANA had approached the Canadians earlier with the idea of running a First Aid course for Afghan medics.
"We were more than happy to assist the Afghans with First Aid training," said Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Kile, Task Force Surgeon and Commanding Officer of the HSS Coy. "It was an excellent opportunity for our personnel to share their knowledge and experience with the Afghan army."
These soldiers are full-time members of the Afghan army from all over the country brought together into units called Kandaks, which is an Afghan word for battalion. The Afghans selected to undergo the two-day course will return to their units and help train other Afghan soldiers in First Aid.
The ANA soldiers left a lasting impression on their Canadian instructor, Sergeant Daniel Fortin, an operating room technician and training non-commissioned officer with the HSS Coy.
Following the training he explained that he was impressed by the Afghans' commitment and attention to detail.
"They worked very hard and caught on quickly," said Sgt Fortin. "I feel very privileged to make this tiny contribution to the security and reconstruction of Afghanistan."
The Afghan medical units will soon be deployed on a variety of operations in various parts of the country.
Article and photo by the Health Service Support Company
