Afghan War News > Afghan National Police > Provincial Response Company

The Provincial Response Company is a small Afghan tactical police unit deployed to selected provinces in Afghanistan - mostly in the east and south. These highly-trained police units have proved to be extremely effective and are an important tool in the current counterinsurgency and anti-crime fight. The PRCs are one of the least corrupt police units in the Ministry of Interior and therefore one of the more effective. (Photo DVIDS March 2011).

Redesignated Provincial Special Units (PRUs). The PRCs are now called PRUs. This name change took place in the spring of 2014.

The PRCs are supported and trained by Special Operations Soldiers from Combined Special Operations Task Force 10 or CSOTF-10. With the constant oversight and mentoring of SOF advisors to the PRCs comes a very professional and competent police unit free of the usual corruption and political meddling frequent with other Afghan police units. Advisors to PRCs are sometimes referred to as ISAF SOF and come under the direction of the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Afghanistan or SOJTF-A.

A Special Forces advisor with CSOTF-10 provides C2 for
a PRC in Eastern Afghanistan (photo 8 Dec 12 DVIDS)

PRC Mission. The Provincial Response Company is a highly-trained police unit similar in capability with that of SWAT elements in the United States. They conduct high-risk operations incorporating tactics such as close quarter battle (CQB). They conduct a lot of high-risk arrests that the ordinary AUP is not trained or equipped to do.

Advisors to PRCs. The PRC advisors are coalition members assigned to CSOTF-10 and come from primarily European SOF and ODAs from the Germany-based 10th Special Forces Group. However, there are some PRCs advised by SOF units of other countries. For instance, the PRC in Uruzgan province is advised by the Australian Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) 1. made up of men from the Australian SAS and Commando Regiments.

PRC Training. All PRC members complete the basic training that all Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) undergo. Then they take part in additional training so they can conduct high-risk tactical operations.

Publications about the Provincial Response Company (PRC)

2017

Griffiths, Zachary, "Advising in Small Wars", Small Wars Journal, April 12, 2017. A Special Forces ODA commander provides insight on the challenges of advising a Provincial Response Company in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan during the 2012-2013 timeframe.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/advising-in-small-wars

2012

EUPOL, Police-Prosecutor Cooperation Manual. Published by European Union Police Mission (EUPOL Afghanistan), dated 8 July 2012. The 400-page training manual can be accessed at the EUPOL website at the link below.
www.eupol-afg.eu/?q=node/178

References

1. See Establishing a Police Force for Afghanistan by the Institute for theStudy of War. Accessed here on the ISW website on December 29, 2011.

News Stories about the Provincial Response Company

April 29, 2013. Provincial Response Companies train for special missions. DVIDS. News release provides info on police SWAT teams located at provinces. Access here.

April 15, 2013. PRC Kapisa disrupts insurgent activity. DVIDS. The Kapisa Provincial Response Company are advised by coalition special operations forces. Access here.

April 15, 2013. Slovakian Special Operations Forces in transition. DVIDS. 5th Special Forces Regiment, part of TF 10, were advising a PRC. Access here.

February 25, 2013. Navy Seabees provide critical support to Special Operations Task Force. DVIDS. Access here.

October 19, 2012. U.S. Sees Shift for Afghan Special Ops. WSJ. Story about the Sarkani PRC. Access here.

October 17, 2012. Insurgents' base liquidated. PMC in Afghanistan. Access here.

March 14, 2012. Another Afghan Police Victory? The Diplomat. Access here.

March 13, 2012. U.S. Special Forces Take Down Corrupt Afghan Officials, One at a Time. AOL Defense. Access here.

February 17, 2012. U.S.Commandos in Afghanistan Face a New Battlefield: The Courtroom. Wired.com Danger Room. How the Afghan judicial system works with help from the Laghman PRC.  Access here.

February 16, 2012. Can These Commandos Salvage the Afghan War? Wired.com Danger Room. Access here. Story about advisors to Laghman PRC based in Mehtar Lam.

February 12, 2012. Afghan Cops and Special Forces. The Diplomat. Access here.

February 1, 2012. Special Police Training Center teaches Afghan National Police S.W.A.T. techniques. NATO. Access here.

September 22, 2011. Gurkhas train new elite Afghan police teams. Gov.uk. Access here.

September 16, 2011. Afghan Uniformed Police closer to becoming Provincial Response Company. DVIDS. SFAT 2 trains AUP for PRC assignment. Access here.

September 15, 2011. Afghan police comleete first advanced urban tactics training. Regional Command Southwest Press Room. Access here.

June 5, 2011. Herat Provincial Response Company Repels Complex Attack. ISAF. Access here.

Videos about Afghan PRCs

October 8, 2012. NATO in Afghanistan - Afghanistan's Police SWAT Unit. NATO Community on YouTube.com.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzGyZMfns4U

January 13, 2012. Afghanistan Special Police Training. NTM-A video on YouTube.com.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQiwb4lEb6s

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Endnotes

1. For more info on Australia's SOF contribution read a Fact Sheet posted by the Australian Department of Defense.
www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/info/factsheet.htm

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Afghan War News > Afghan National Police > Provincial Response Company (PRC)

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