ANA embrace leadership role in Nangarhar

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

12.17.2007

Story by Spc. Gregory Argentieri 

173rd Airborne Brigade

By Spc. Gregory J. Argentieri
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Coalition force Soldiers from Forward Operating Base Koghyani conducted a combined mission led by Afghan national army soldiers to pass out humanitarian aid on their way to a shura at Memlah Gardens to address some concerns the village elders had expressed about the Afghan national police, Dec. 3.

ANA Capt. Hanifullah, Engineering Company, 4th Kandak, 3rd Brigade, 201st Corps commander, and his soldiers, chose the mission's route, stopping along the way to handout wool blankets, shoes, rice and other items to help lessen the impact and hardship of the upcoming winter on local families. Convoy leader, Army 1st Lt. Michael P. Carvelli, and his soldiers from Alpha Company, 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, remained on the sidelines pulling security and supporting the ANA.

"I was the leader of this mission," said Hanifullah. "I was very happy because my personnel did a good job and the people were very happy."

Hanifullah was happy to do the job and coalition forces were happy to let him take the lead.

"Like today, Captain Hanifullah made the call on the spot, 'hey we need to stop here. These are the people who don't get anything because we usually go to the main meeting areas.' His men passed out the (humanitarian aid), he knows what he's doing," said Army Capt. Jonathan S. Zimmer, Alpha Co. commander, 173rd STB. "He knows how to persuade the folks and the folks are going to remember it. Where he passed out HA was key areas, like choke points where you would put IEDs and things like that. He made a good call on the areas where we stopped."

At Memlah Gardens, the shura was headed by Hanifullah, and Afghan national police Lt. Col. Ziarat Gul Ahmad Zai, chief of training, Unit 3. U.S. Army paratroopers were also there but only in a supporting role.

The Koghyani District sub-governor and the local maliks (elders) voiced their objections to what they saw as unsuccessful and unannounced searches of their homes by coalition forces and the ANA. They also expressed concerns that some ANP may have taken items while performing searches during routine vehicle check point operations and the ANP were not distributing humanitarian aid earmarked for them.

"They aired out all the stuff and came to an agreement. The lieutenant colonel for the ANP says he's got it and will take care of his men and this won't happen again," said Zimmer. "The malik's were satisfied. We were basically the conduit making sure the shura went well and the topics discussed were actually resolved."

After addressing their grievances, the elders asked for a new health clinic to be built in Memlah and a girl's school for the Koghyani District, emphasizing there is not a school for girls anywhere. The elders added the people were angry and these projects would generate needed goodwill.

Zimmer replied saying there is a plan for a new mosque for the district and he would be happy to take these requests to his higher headquarters and the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team. The elders responded positively saying they too would continue to push for the projects by working with local Afghan officials, and the sub-governor, making their requests known to the governor of Nangarhar.

"We did our job with the (coalition) forces as one unit and I am very happy about that," said Hanifullah after the mission.

"Captain Hanifullah understands COIN (counter insurgency operations), he understands he has to persuade the people to support the government of Afghanistan, support the army, support the police and basically turn away the Taliban or ACM (anti-coalition militia)," said Zimmer.

This is Zimmer's second tour with the 173rd ABCT in Afghanistan. He was here during 2005 and he can see the improvement from then to now.

"My last ANA unit was pretty squared away and this one is even better, so it's like every time I see a new ANA unit, these guys are getting good, their getting really good," said Zimmer. "This unit right here is fully capable of doing independent operations, they have already proved it."

"We are making sure everybody understands that the ANP and the ANA are there to support them and we support the ANP and ANA," said Carvelli. "We're not leading anymore. The ANP and ANA tell us where they want to go and what they want to do and we're there to support them the best we can."

• Date Taken: 12.17.2007
• Date Posted: 12.17.2007 20:48
• Story ID: 14788
• Location: NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AF