Former 82nd TRW vice commander returns from deployment, shares experiences

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
Sheppard Air Force Base, TEXAS --  Former 82nd Training Wing Vice Commander Colonel Lansen Conley recently returned from a 365-day deployment to Afghanistan and shared his experiences there after speaking at the 82nd TRW POW/MIA day luncheon.

The colonel, currently assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, spent the last year as part of Combined Security Transition Team Afghanistan, helping to train and equip both the Afghan army and police forces. He said the U.S. and its allies are giving them the tools they need to defend and support themselves.

"The people of Afghanistan want to stand up a country that will be viable, we just have to stay with the (the mission) and help them get there," the colonel said.

He said currently the U.S. military and its allies are doing just that, and doing it well.

"The Airmen we have over there are doing a great job," he said. "You can be proud of them. Keep supporting them."

One of the larger projects Colonel Conley said he worked on allowed him to draw from his time at Sheppard. The colonel's team oversaw the construction of a brand-new training facility for the Afghan National Civil Order Police. ANCOP is a paramilitary organization used to help supplement the often-times corrupt and ill-equipped Afghan police while it is being rebuilt and retrained.

Colonel Conley said the team faced numerous challenges during its construction and stand-up, from individuals stealing construction supplies and attacks on the site, to contractors being kidnapped and one of the worst winters the region has seen in a while. But in the end, the first class of ANCOP trainees began class in April and graduated shortly after he left in July.

About 400 well-equipped and well-trained ANCOP police will graduate every 16 weeks and help the U.S. rebuild the nation.

He said through all the hardships, he was extremely proud and satisfied to see it completed and begin its mission.

The colonel said he also experienced the joint operations environment between sister services and coalition partners during his deployment.

"There are certain things that are different, but at the core we're all doing the same mission," Colonel Conley said. "As (people) were exposed to it over time, a great integration of the services and their capabilities occurred."

In addition, the former 82nd TRW vice commander had advice for Airmen getting ready to deploy and take up the cause of rebuilding Afghanistan.

"Take your combat skills training seriously; pay attention," he said. "If you train with the Army, listen. They know this business. You will be called on to partake in ground operations and you never know when you may have to use those skills to save you or your buddy's life."