'Courageous Restraint' actions lead to recognition for Dreadnaught Soldiers

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

09.04.2011

Story by Spc. Melissa Stewart 

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Senior leaders from the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, (Task Force Spartan), recognized soldiers in Company D, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, with brigade coins, Sept. 4, as a sign of recognition for their “courageous restraint” demonstrated while in combat in Maiwand district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

“These fine gentlemen stand out on (Afghan National Police) Hill, day in and day out, conducting daily dismounted patrols, sometimes partnered with ANP from the get-go, (and) sometimes they move out on foot to the ANP station and link up with their ANP counterparts and go on patrol,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Kidd, commander of 2-34 Armor Battalion, a Fort Riley, Kan.-based unit attached to Task Force Spartan.

While a group of U.S. soldiers were approaching ANP Hill, which is located near the village of Hutal in Maiwand district, they were inadvertently fired upon by the police officers stationed there.

While all coalition forces soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force have the right to self-defense, these Dreadnaught soldiers realized that, while the ANP at the strongpoint were firing on them, they were probably confused about who was approaching the strongpoint, and had no real intention of harming the soldiers, said Spartan and Dreadnaught leaders during the ceremony. Also, since the soldiers were conducting a night mission, the Afghan police officers could not see the soldiers clearly because they lack night vision devices.

“We expect our soldiers to have restraint,” said Kidd. “You don’t fire on reflex, you assess on reflex.”

The 2-34 Armor soldiers realized that even though they were getting fired upon, it was just a mistake that their Afghan partners were making because of misinformation, and not a hostile attempt to harm them. While it was within the soldiers’ rights to shoot back and defend themselves, they chose to take the high-ground.

Instead of immediately returning fire at the Afghan base, the Dreadnaught soldiers took cover and waited to clarify the situation with the Afghans. After a few minutes, the Afghans realized that they were shooting at American soldiers, and not at insurgents like they had initially believed.

“These guys did the right thing, they held off, they paused, then carefully moved back to the checkpoint to talk to the checkpoint commander,” said Kidd.

Americans and Afghan soldiers were able to discuss the issue immediately afterward, and determined that the reason the Afghan police officers shot at the soldiers was because the base’s leadership failed to inform the tower guard that night that soldiers would be coming onto the base to work with them.

“What we have right here is a squad that has done it perfectly. They are a textbook example of how those engagements should go,” said Col. Patrick Frank, commander of 3rd IBCT, while he gave the Soldiers coins to show his appreciation for their actions.

• Date Taken: 09.04.2011
• Date Posted: 09.12.2011 09:36
• Story ID: 76874
• Location: KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AF