Teamwork thwarts anti-Afghan safe haven

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

06.22.2008

Story by Pfc. Casey Ware 

102d Public Affairs Detachment

By Spc. Casey Ware
102nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition forces and Afghanistan national police have been teaming up to infiltrate anti-Afghan cells in the Khowst province, proving how effective combined-joint information and assets can be.

Army 1st Lt. Shane Oravsky, Delta Company's 3rd Platoon leader, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, Combined Task Force Currahee, teamed up with Shambawat checkpoint commander Arafatullah on the mission.

The ANP have had an enormous amount of success in ensuring their area of operation is no longer considered a safe zone for extremists, or an easy supply route for enemy weapons from Pakistan.

"(This) area of operation is pretty quiet on its own because it has been considered a safe zone that enemy insurgents can move into and stage attacks elsewhere within the brigade's area of operation," said Capt. Nicholas Howard, company commander. "They have very good police to work with around the town of Shambawat, and a phenomenal checkpoint commander who has an enormous amount of information."

The platoon's aggressive patrolling approach, partnered with information gathered by Arafatullah, led to the discovery of several large caches and several militant sub-commanders being detained.

"In one cache, we captured 89 anti-personnel RPG's, 61 anti-tank RPG's, 25 mortars and 99 boosters, just to name some of the munitions that were seized," said Oravsky. "We got into a firefight not too long ago and ended up capturing the Taliban who fired on us and finding the cache they were guarding and seizing it."

It would be an understatement to say their efforts in halting the flow of enemy weapons and fighters through their area is going unnoticed by Taliban leaders.

"We have information that the very highest levels of terrorist organizations know Arafatullah by name and are very concerned because they know between him and us," said Howard. "We are doing a very affective job of interdicting them in this area."

There have been multiple failed attempts to assassinate the checkpoint commander.

On June 12, Arafatullahs' personal vehicle left the Shambawat checkpoint and was attacked by Taliban assassins. A counter-ambush was planned from information gathered days before that attempt, which foiled the assassination attempt, and left two Taliban fighters dead.

"We have confirmation from several sources that during the recent assassination attempt, Arafat (shot) and (killed) an extremely high-value enemy target that we have been pursuing for some time," Howard said.

Oravsky and his platoon are not exactly flying under the radar either.

"I do the same thing the guy before me did, whenever I meet someone I give them my name and number, so it's all over the place now," Oravsky said. "It's mostly for village leaders and the police to call if they need help with anything, but it has been found by coalition forces in objective houses after raids so they might be gunning for us too because of the relationship we have with Arafatullah."

The relationship between the two is not something that came about overnight, it is a friendship that had to be earned.

"The 82nd Airborne company here before us handed them off to us and it took a couple weeks to gain their trust and for them to want to become close with me and my guys," said Oravsky. "At first they were testing us but once they realized that we will respond when they need our help they have really latched on to us, and us to them, and we've become really good friends since then. It's more than a working relationship we have with Arafatullah and his guys, it's a friendship, and they are just like any other Soldiers we work with in the company."

Arafatullah admits he is very happy to have the opportunity to serve his country while working with Oravsky and the third platoon.

"We always share information enabling us to work jointly on missions' to defeat the Taliban, the enemy of Afghanistan," said Arafatullah.

"If other people would work together, jointly, the way we do with third platoon, then I believe very soon Afghanistan will have peace and everyone here will be able to enjoy living in a good environment," said Arafatullah. "When the Taliban were here, it was a disaster for the people and I am working to change that. I don't let them shoot their rockets or plant their (improvised explosive devices). I get asked why I work with the coalition forces and I say it's because I serve my people and my country. The reason the Taliban tries to kill me is because I won't let the enemy of my country do their job."

The Mandozai District of the Khowst province is no longer a safe place for the Taliban, and Arafatullah plans to keep it that way long after third platoon is gone.

"What we see with Arafatullah is that his knowledge of the area is vastly superior to anything we can ever get," said Howard. "He knows the culture and the people in and out. He lives and works in the same district so he knows when bad guys are around. If we can get them to start putting together targeting packages and to take the initiative the way Arafatullah is doing then we won't need to be here, and that's the goal."

• Date Taken: 06.22.2008
• Date Posted: 06.23.2008 15:34
• Story ID: 20780
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF