Eye in the sky, RCT-5 conducts air interdiction drill

Photo By Andrew Miller | Marines with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment exit a CH-53 helicopter during an Air Interdiction Force training exercise here, Sept. 18. The exercise helped to enhance the ability of Regimental Combat Team 5 to disrupt weapons and drug smuggling routes.  

CAMP DWYER, HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

09.18.2011

Story by Staff Sgt. Andrew Miller 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

CAMP DWYER, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Marines with Regimental Combat Team 5 and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, conducted an Air Interdiction Force exercise here, Sept. 18.

The AIF is an essential tool in interdicting insurgent trafficking of narcotics and improvised explosive device making materials in southern Helmand province.

More than sixty percent of insurgent funding comes from the Afghan opium trade, with more than half of that opium grown in Helmand province. Cutting off insurgent supply routes and major sources of funding like the narcotics trade will, in theory, substantially reduce their effectiveness.

During a routine AIF mission, vehicles spotted in areas with known insurgent trafficking routes will be stopped for a closer inspection. There have been numerous cases of these vehicle stops producing over 1,000 lbs of confiscated opium. The RCT remains vigilant via these AIF training exercises, anticipating more large finds in the future.

“During today’s exercise we had two Cobras that stopped two vehicles that were driving along known drug smuggling lines out in the middle of the desert,” Capt. Preston Stephens, RCT-5 assistant air officer, explained. “We had two 53’s that then landed and the Marines got out to begin the search.”

Stephens, a native of Pensacola, Fla., said that Marines conducting AIF missions are not only looking for drugs.

“They searched the vehicles looking for weapons, drugs, Marine Corps uniforms, IED making materials and any other indicators that they might be up to no good,” he said. “Although a lot of times when we stop a vehicle in a real scenario we don’t find anything, word is still going to spread that if you are driving around the desert suspiciously, the Marines are going to stop you.”

As part of the exercise, role players hid suspicious items in similar locations to those found by Marines in past AIF missions. Among the items hidden in the vehicles were an AK-47 rifle, small packets of drugs, cell phones and sim cards.

According to Capt. Darren Wallace, the 1/25 commander and a native of Katy, Texas, the AIF drill served as an opportunity for his company to master all aspects of an interdiction mission. The reserve battalion, based out of Plainville, Conn., conducted vehicle searches, field interviews, posted security and detained role players during the drill.

While some Marines were searching vehicles and collecting evidence, others provided security so field interviews of the suspects could be conducted. The evidence and information collected during this phase of the mission and the manner in which they are collected is critical, according to Capt. Robert Anderson, RCT-5 deputy staff judge advocate.

After sufficient evidence has been collected, suspects become detainees and the second half of the interdiction fight begins.

Anderson and his legal team take action at this point, carefully reviewing the evidence in each case with the goal of successfully prosecuting detainees in the Afghan court system.

“We have to be involved from the very beginning, and there has to be evidence that will tie the detainees to that crime,” said Anderson, a native of New Orleans. “You have to be able to tell the story before anyone can question what you are saying.”

The importance of these interdiction operations cannot be understated. They are an essential aspect of the counterinsurgency fight, but they carry an inherent level of risk.

“The AIF mission is conducted in remote parts of the Helmand desert, and they generally operate very far away from friendly forces,” Wallace said. “There is always risk when you are operating far away from friendly lines. There is always the possibility that the vehicle being stopped will not want to be stopped, and the majority of individuals driving that far out in the desert are armed, generally for self protection or protection of the cargo they are carrying.”

On this particular day, the training mission was a complete success. Vehicles were stopped, evidence was collected and the detainees were transported to the proper detention facility as evidence was reviewed by Anderson and his team. The Marines remained vigilant throughout the exercise, conducting a thorough search of vehicles and personnel while maintaining an active security posture.

Now that the 1/25 Marines are certified to work alongside RCT-5 in executing interdiction operations, these missions will continue to improve security and stability in southern Helmand province. Proficiency with interdiction tactics and techniques will allow Marines to effectively train their Afghan counterparts to conduct these missions. As with all other coalition actions, the future of interdiction operations lies in partnering with Afghan National Security Forces.

Editors Note: RCT-5 is assigned to 2nd Marine Division (Forward) which heads Task Force Leatherneck. The task force serves as the ground combat element of Regional Command (Southwest) and works in partnership with the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to conduct counterinsurgency operations. The unit is dedicated to securing the Afghan people, defeating insurgent forces and enabling ANSF assumption of security responsibilities within its area of operations in order to support the expansion of stability, development and legitimate governance.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2011
• Date Posted: 09.21.2011 13:41
• Story ID: 77371
• Location: CAMP DWYER, HELMAND PROVINCE, AF