Photo By Cpl. Daniel Blatter | Lance Cpl. Will MacDonald, a squad leader for the machinegun section of Alpha Company,...... read more read more
Subscribe
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, combined with Afghan National Security Forces, headed north to show face in an area not often visited by friendly forces, June 9.
The mission’s purpose was to reach the northern villages and engage with the local elders while gaining information about their neighboring town, Bar Now Zad.
“We wanted to get the (Afghan National Army) and (Afghan National Police) a little further up north, and to see how well they operate together,” said 2nd Lt. Gene Price, the executive officer of Alpha Company. “We decided to go to Badam, a place we haven’t been to in a while. We also wanted to hit some other spots in the area of operation to include Towrah Ghundey, a town with a possible (Taliban) mortar site we wanted to check out.”
Both locations are a few miles north of Now Zad, and they border Bar Now Zad, possibly one of the largest Taliban strongholds in Helmand province, said Price.
“The intent was to get out to the local population, let them know what is available for them verses the Taliban persuading them,” said Price. “The Taliban tells the people that their government won’t be able to help them.”
Although Price explained the benefits of what their government can do for the townsmen, the people still stated that Taliban would kill them and they were not leaving the village.
The convoy departed Forward Operating Base Caffereta with not only a fleet of vehicles, but with the manpower to make things happen.
“On the convoy to Badam, we hit an improvised explosive device at a choke point just south of Kenjak Olya,” said Sgt. Javen Roberson, the platoon sergeant for 2nd platoon, Alpha Company. “We lost one Marine from the fight that was medically evacuated out with a grade-three concussion, but we moved on and staged just outside of Badam for the night.”
Badam was anticipated to be a calm and friendly area; however, it was anything but.
While in the middle of a conversation between Price and the local elders, an explosion rattled the ground and shots started to pop off. Marines, ANA and ANP rushed towards the firing, but came to find nothing.
“We pushed out to a hilltop to observe where they were firing from as five rounds of small arms fire were shot at us,” said Price. “They also fired one more round of indirect fire at us while we were on the hill.
“It felt like they were bracketing us, so we pulled back and went around the backside to Towrah Ghundey.”
Once at Towrah Ghundey, the ANA spotted a suspicious compound and insisted they search it.
“We always listen to the ANA, said Roberson. “We listen to them because they know what to look for and even know the people that belong by the different accent in their voice. Just like back in the states if you know someone is from Texas they have that accent. Here, the ANA are the locals and they know best.”
“While searching a compound, we started receiving small-arms fire and indirect fire,” said Price. “As soon as we received contact, the Marines didn’t hesitate, they pursued the enemy and forced them into a valley where there was an egress point leading to Bar Now Zad.”
The Marines tried to isolate the enemy to avoid losing site of them, but as the Marines pursued, the enemy slipped away into the populace.
“A turret gunner saw four guys run out of a compound and open up with AK47s and then run into a herd of sheep and go back into the village,” said Lance Cpl. Will MacDonald a squad leader for the machine-gun section of Alpha Company. “After that, we lost positive identification. We pushed up and tried to cut off their egress route, but they were gone.”
The Taliban fired rounds and ran.
“They are not able to influence us at all,” said Price. “They shoot more sporadic fire then anything and they are not accurate with their weapons. They just take pop shots and run away. Well, the next time they try to run away, we will be sitting there ready for them.”
After the contact, the convoy pushed to patrol base Sofla, to make them aware of the situation and stay for the night.
“We returned to Towrah Ghundey the next day,” said Roberson. “We went into that same building again and the same thing happened, we got shot at, only this time we had Marines waiting.”
“We also detained the guy that had IED making material, and was manufacturing homemade explosives in his compound,” said Roberson.
The Marines countered the Taliban tactics and as Price said, the Marines were waiting.
Nearly an hour of lying in the prone overlooking the village, shots started firing and they were quickly suppressed. The enemy not only fired sporadic small arms from the hilltops, but also fired mortars from the opposite side of the hill.
“After they started firing, we had heavy suppression on the enemy,” said MacDonald. “We saw them running around on the ridgeline so I started to engage them with my [M240 Bravo machinegun]. I fired between 400 and 500 rounds at a sustained rate so my gunner on the [MK-19 automatic grenade launcher] could follow the tracer rounds and open up with the Mark.”
MacDonald wasn’t the only Marine to lay down heavy fire.
“I laid down 150 rounds of fire that way,” said Lance Cpl. Joshua Davis, a turret gunner with Alpha Company. “I was sitting in the turret waiting for them to fire so I could see where they were. Three rounds flew over my head, one hit my bulletproof window on one side of the turret and another hit it on the other side. I began suppressing the hilltop where the shots were coming from and others joined me.
“It was pretty scary,” he added. “My adrenalin was running and I was trying to find where they were shooting from so I could shoot them before they shot me.”
Then there came a moment of silence.
The firefight was over, as the Taliban threat was defeated.
The convoy moved out of the area and although this operation came to a halt, one could bet there will be a similar operation taking place in the near future.
“There will be further operations with increased numbers of Afghan National Security Forces. We are here to mentor them and turn the security over to them,” said Price. “In the past three days the ANA and ANP have demonstrated that they are not afraid to fight the Taliban. They are aggressive warriors and they will pursue the enemy while operating alongside Marines.”
With continued support from Marines of Alpha Company, the ANSF continue to develop into a professional and competent organization, capable of fighting the enemy with little to no assistance from coalition forces.
“It was phenomenal to be part of this operation and to be out there watching the Marines react under pressure. It was even more phenomenal to watch the ANP, ANA and Marines come together as a team while fighting the same enemy,” Price continued.
“We will continue operations up here and keep security for the local population and develop the Afghan National Security Forces to allow them to provide security for themselves,” Price concluded.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2010 20:00 |
| Story ID: | 51666 |
| Location: | HELMAND PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,066 |
| Downloads: | 860 |
This work, Routine operation meets resistance, by Cpl Daniel Blatter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT