British troops in Helmand Province have helped their Afghan police colleagues prepare for the harsh Helmand winter with a gift of blankets. The Police Mentoring and Advisory Group, which is led by 1st Battalion the Princess of Waless Royal Regiment, have been assisting the development the Afghan National Police (ANP) supply chain. Pictured is Captain Mark Anderson, 1PWRR, with Afghan Uniformed Police colleagues.

Canterbury’s PWRR help police

Canterbury-based troops operating in Helmand Province have helped their Afghan police colleagues prepare for the harsh winter with a gift of blankets.

The Police Mentoring and Advisory Group, which is led by 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, have been assisting the development the Afghan National Police (ANP) supply chain.

British mentors have used a NATO-funded project to provide winter blankets for patrolmen out in the police checkpoints across Helmand, where the night-time temperature drops below zero in February.

This project also helped to develop the local economy as the blankets were sourced from the local bazaar in Lashkar Gah.

The troops have also been working hard throughout December on “winterisation” projects across the three districts which they have responsibility for. This has included improving infrastructure in the checkpoints, such as improving guard-tower positions, providing shelter for sentries, and improving accommodation.

Captain Mark Anderson, from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, is the logistic mentor to the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP).

He said: “A large part of my time has been spent on improving infrastructure, which in the short term has meant assisting the AUP in preparing their checkpoints for the onslaught of winter.

“The opportunity to mentor such interesting characters in logistics certainly has its challenges, and also its rewards. Playing your part in ensuring that the AUP can sustain themselves throughout the winter and beyond gives you a real sense of achievement.”