6-4 Cavalry Scouts take tough mission to northeast Afghanistan

Photo By Staff Sgt. David Hopkins | A Combat Logistics Patrol moves up an unpaved road as they receive security coverage from the air and from the scouts of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The stretch of road is frequently attacked so the security is necessary to the overall mission success.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

02.15.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. David Hopkins 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

By Army Staff Sgt. David Hopkins
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Cavalry Scouts of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, along with the Afghan national army, perform regular missions along the unpaved roadways in the Konar province of northeastern Afghanistan.

"We do about 20 to 25 missions a month," said Army Capt. Paul Roberts, HHT commander, an Altus, Okla., native. "We do Combat Logistics Patrol over watch, night patrols, route recon."

Recently, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Soldiers conducted a CLP over watch at one of the most frequently attacked locations along the main road running through their area of operations. They were called on to guard a convoy of supply trucks and military vehicles as they passed through the dangerous stretch to transport supplies to out posts in the region.

"CLP over watch missions are the hardest. They require the most combat power and there are a lot of moving parts," Roberts said.

The location the scouts were watching has been attacked several times over the preceding months, including a large attack on a convoy last October wounding four American service members in a close-range ambush.

During the latest mission, the scouts sat on a plateau along the river where they have a vantage point along the road, while a group of Afghan national army soldiers headed up a mountainside to set up a position with a view from above.

As they scan the road, the valley and the hillsides, they watch cars and trucks, children playing in the small village, goat herders or any other movement for possible threat. They use binoculars, laser range-finders and the naked eye, and they watch and wait for the convoy to come through.

The scouts saw some suspicious signs along the road and on the mountain ridges, but the mission went off without incident. The supplies were delivered and no shots were fired. This is not always the case for the cavalry scouts. They are frequently attacked and have to counterattack. However, the scouts are well trained for such attacks and for the mission, and they are gaining experience with every operation they perform.

"I'm really proud of my guys," Roberts said. "They've been doing exactly what I expect of Cavalry scouts. They are out there all the time doing a tough job."

The scouts' leadership has many hopes for the future of their troop, but their main hope is for the Afghan national security forces.

"My biggest hope for the future of the unit is for the ANSF guys," Roberts said. "My hope is that all the ANSF guys get better and take on more responsibility, extending the face of the government, take the fight to the bad guys. Until then we'll be there doing our job."

• Date Taken: 02.15.2009
• Date Posted: 02.15.2009 09:07
• Story ID: 30050
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF