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WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 29, 2008) - Afghan National Police
officers are getting help rebuilding from U.S and other countries'
troops, but they're also getting a boost from friends they may
never meet.
Steve Newton started the Law Enforcement Equipment Program as a
way to provide used gear for American armed forces units to use in
training or equipping friendly foreign police forces. The program
accepts donations of used equipment from U.S. law enforcement
departments and helps get it overseas.
"We simply act as a go-between for the American law enforcement
community and the military," Newton said of the organization, more
commonly known as "LEEP."
Fulfilling its mission requires help on the other side of the
world, however, and that's where Air Force Master Sgt. Buffie C.
Verhagen comes in.
Since she's serving as a police mentor and trainer on a
provincial reconstruction team, she checked out the LEEP Web site
after her father, a retired Houston police officer, told her about
it. She let Newton know about her work with the Afghan police
officers and has been receiving equipment through the program for
about a year.
The equipment is particularly welcome, too.
"The overall condition of the Afghan National Police was, and
is, still in poor condition, although strides have been made toward
improvements, especially with training," Verhagen said. "Any gear,
including cold-weather items, or any item related to law
enforcement can be used."
LEEP has stepped up, providing pistol holsters, handcuff cases,
ammunition holders and tactical vests, she said. While those
donated items fill a tangible void, they also work to foster trust
and respect between the Afghan National Police and coalition
forces.
"We tell the (Afghan National Police) that the equipment was
donated from police officers in the U.S. specifically for them,"
Verhagen said. "This shows our commitment to their development and
really shows how the U.S. as a whole is working to provide
assistance."
It also tightens a bond that spans geographic boundaries.
Despite the differences between American and Afghan societies, the
police officers share a common bond, Verhagen said.
Verhagen, who will be returning home soon, is grateful for LEEP
and what it provided her, her team and the Afghan police officers
who received the equipment.
"(It's) great in that it builds relationships with a specific
U.S. military member or team and then sends resources tailored to
the needs of a particular area," she said. "It's a fantastic way
for our U.S. police to assist a country still in dire need."
LEEP has 1,200 pounds of gear available to ship to
servicemembers in Afghanistan or Iraq, its two main shipping
destinations. Shipping costs have proved to be a challenge for the
Missouri-based program, however, and LEEP's administrators still
are working out how to get the equipment into the hands that can
use it.
The Law Enforcement Equipment Program is a supporter of America
Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and
companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home
and abroad.
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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