Behind his rifle, an Afghan National Police (ANP) recruit waits for his target to be scored  during weapons training at Forward Operating Base Bostick, Kunar province on February 4, 2010. Currently, recruits are required to complete eight weeks of training before serving in the ANP. Poor performance could prove deadly for some recruits. In the past year, more than 600 ANP were killed in the line of duty. Alarmingly, the death rate of the ANP nearly equals the combined casualty rate of both the Afghan National Army (ANA) and NATO troops. In addition to the threat presented by criminals and guerrilla fighters, the ANP is facing a critical shortage of qualified foreign trainers. A recent report by the United States Armed Services Committee indicated that 4,245 additional police trainers are needed in Afghanistan.

Words and Photo by James Lee