Partners

By 2009 FAST was routinely working with elite U.S. and foreign military units. As such FAST forged close relationships with many renowned special forces units, including the U.S. Navy SEALS, the U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), the U.S. Army Green Berets and others. FAST worked with international partners, including the United Kingdom’s Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment and Special Boat Service Regiment, Australia’s 2nd Commando Regiment, the New Zealand SAS, elite Czech forces, and NATO units. FAST also often provided intelligence that deterred rocket and IED attacks against U.S. and Coalition personnel in Afghanistan.

The program also developed strong working relationships with Afghan law enforcement counterparts. FAST agents trained and mentored the specialized enforcement units of the Counter-Narcotics Police Afghanistan (CNP-A) and the Afghan National Interdiction Unit (NIU), while the Kabul Country Office (KCO) shared its expertise with the Afghan Sensitive Investigative Unit (SIU). The SIU conducted investigations and obtained warrants for searches and arrests, while the NIU executed those warrants and gathered evidence to advance investigations.

This teamwork enabled Afghan law enforcement to identify and arrest the most prolific narcoterrorists and destabilize major drug trafficking organizations. Operations were conducted under Afghan law, lending legitimacy to the Afghan government and deterring terrorist activity. FAST also assisted with vetting new recruits to address internal security concerns and reduce corruption within Afghan police ranks.