The Kandahar City Beat

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WALTON, AFGHANISTAN

09.30.2010

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte 

ISAF Regional Command South

FOB WALTON, Afghanistan - In the still of the helicopter landing zone at Forward Operating Base Walton a convoy of military policemen prepare to depart to a police substation in Kandahar City, Sept. 30. Leading them is Sgt. Skye Ortiz from Dos Palos, Calif., on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

Ortiz is part of the 170 MP Company based in Fort Lewis, Wash. and deployed to Walton. He leads one of three squads working to accomplish the 170 MP Company's dual mission; protecting the local populace and mentoring the Afghan National Police into a mature force that can enforce the law and protect Afghan communities.

"I'll be out front so if someone blows up it'll be me," said Ortiz, before dismissing the convoy briefing with a question. "Anyone got a problem with that?"

No one did but it was unclear whether the question was rhetorical or not. Coalition troops commonly come under attack in Kandahar City, and the enemy's preferred weapon system is the improvised explosive device.

While the MP's are relatively protected from IED's in the heavily armored vehicles they use to convoy from base to base, at the police substations the MP's are forced to park and exit. These police stations are where the hammer meets the nail; here the MP's live with Afghan patrolmen with whom they conduct combined patrols.

That day Ortiz' team was escorting the commander of the 170 MP Company as he met with key leaders at different locations including Police Sub-Station Six in district six of Kandahar City. The police substation is home to several Afghan patrolmen and a squad of MPs led by Staff Sgt. Briscilla Taylor, 170 MP Company. Taylor's soldiers protect PSS Six with the ANP patrolmen stationed there.

"PSS Six isn't bad. They have three rooms so there's plenty of space and beds for all my Soldiers," said Taylor. "The ANP were very receptive to us and we have given them a lot of training."

Taylor has been embedded at three other police stations. At PSS Six, located under a military outpost built under Alexander the Great, her soldiers protect the local populace and work to develop the local patrolmen's law enforcement skills and ability to help their own communities.

"It's an important job. We want to go home and the only way to do that is by helping the ANP step up to provide security," said Taylor. "When we go out on missions, I always remind my soldiers of that and it pumps them up. I know we're not going to win the war during our time here but at least we can help improve security for the people here."

In the area surrounding several police sub-stations throughout Kandahar City, including at PSS Six, her squad routinely conducts combined dismounted patrols. The patrols are a chance for ANP patrolmen to hone their skills while showing Kandaharians the presence of the ANP and Coalition, instilling confidence and encouraging the population to cooperate with their local police sub-station.

"Every patrol is different, on mounted patrols there isn't much to fear because you have the protection of the vehicle but on a dismounted patrol there is some fear," said Taylor. "You never know what is going to happen because you are out in the open. At the same time it's kind of exciting because you are out interacting with the locals and the ANP.”

Out of their vehicles the MP's are vulnerable. Every pile of dirt, fresh mud wall, culvert or even piece of trash can contain an IED, booby trap or mine. However, they do have the tools necessary to defeat the insurgents including metal detectors, signal jammers, local intelligence, knowledge of enemy tactics, and most importantly a lot of guts.

"As the point man I stop traffic and ask the ANP to search people. At the same time I use the mine detector to try to find the pressure plate [IED] before anyone steps on it," said Spc. Wesley Neubaur from Lake Havasu City, Ariz. "Knowing that we don't catch all of them makes the job kind of intimidating but I don't see it as being different than any other spot in the patrol."

Armed with a metal detector and keen observation of his surroundings, Wesley led the patrol Sept. 30 with an Afghan patrolman in tow stopping vehicles and searching personnel as they approached. Taylor, armed with an interpreter and another patrolman, engaged the community.

"Do you have the phone number of the police station," said Taylor, to a father as she was surrounded by a large group of village children interested to see a female soldier. "If you see something suspicious you need to let the police station know. You don't have to go to the police station you can just call. Do it for your children as they play in the street."

As the patrol goes on, Wesley continued checking fresh dirt or rock piles with his metal detector.

"When my team has point, I guard Neubaur since he is the mine sweeper," said Spc. Anthony Moreno, who is the point team leader from Hedgesville, W. Va. "When we encounter something that has to be cleared, since I'm his team leader if anyone is going to take the risk I'd rather it'd be me."

After getting the signal to "check this one" Moreno would approach the dirt pile prod it with his knife finding nothing but junk with a piece of metal.

"At first I was kind of nervous but now it's second nature, you just have to be careful with it," said Moreno about checking the dirt piles with his knife. "Being out there heightens your senses. Occasionally you get a nervous feeling, but as a team leader you have to dismiss that."

But Taylor's Soldiers aren't always so lucky; two previous patrols were hit by IED's triggering some bitterness in the unit towards the people they protect.

"The worst part about IED attacks is that [the insurgents] just set them off and walk away. They usually do it around other people and you never know who it was," said Neubaur. "When you pick up witnesses, no one knows who did what and most deny that an explosion happened, even though they were only about 100 meters away. No one tells the truth."

Mines or IED's usually target indiscriminately, resulting in 557 civilian deaths so far according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s Mid Year Report 2010 Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. Even though the insurgency works to turn their homes and streets into minefields, many of the locals fear aiding Coalition forces. Insurgents are known to conduct assassinations and abductions of suspected collaborators with 183 executions and 165 abductions already recorded this year according to the same report.

Yet, here are Taylor's soldiers again, out on the Kandahar City streets though this time missing two of their fellow soldiers. Two of her Soldiers are recovering at Kandahar Airfield from the last IED blast. Every walking patrol is one patrol closer to going home for the men and women MP's, so they continue on the Kandahar City beat.

"I'm very, very, proud of their performance as a squad. Dismounted we have been hit twice with an IED. They were excellent," said Taylor. "They did what they are supposed to do. Even though you train with people, you don't really know what they are going to do until it comes to the real thing. The first time and again the second time, they all did what they were supposed to and that made me very proud."

• Date Taken: 09.30.2010
• Date Posted: 10.05.2010 01:29
• Story ID: 57505
• Location: FORWARD OPERATING BASE WALTON, AF