Afghan forces, 'Walking Dead' Marines disrupt insurgent operations in Nawa mobile bazaar

HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

11.27.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

NAWA DISTRICT, Helmand province, Afghanistan – Only hours after sunrise, a patch of desert begins to bustle with the life of commerce.

As money changes hands and locals peruse the wares of makeshift shops, purple smoke rises from the distance, and military helicopters land to off-load their passengers.

Within minutes the partnered unit, composed of Afghan National Army soldiers and Marines and sailors of the “Walking Dead”, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, have built a presence in the bazaar to disrupt insurgent operations as part of Operation Black Market here, Nov. 27.

“This operation was started due to the lack of coalition presence in this mobile bazaar,” said Cpl. Michael Myers, a biometrics team leader with Headquarters and Service Company, 1/9, and native of Sinclair Shores, Mich. “We never know where they are until they’ve already set up.”

Afghan soldiers led Marines of Weapons Co., 1/9 through the bazaar, staying alert for any sign of insurgent activity.

After their initial patrol through the bazaar, the 1/9 quick reaction force established a vehicle control and biometrics team checkpoint.

“As the quick reaction force, our mission was to set up a blocking position to catch suspicious personnel trying to run away from the bazaar,” said Staff Sgt. Mickey Lee Jaramillo, the 1/9 QRF staff non commissioned officer-in-charge and a native of Santa Cruz, Calif.

“We collected biometric data, like fingerprints and iris scans,” Myers added. “The data we collected will help us identify the bad guys.”

The “Walking Dead” is the first battalion in Afghanistan to create a team solely for the purpose of capturing biometric data. The data captured by this team is used to identify insurgents and is critical to counter-insurgency operations in Nawa.

“We’ve been really successful,” said Myers. “We’ve been responsible for hundreds of biometric data in this area.”

During the seven-hour mission, the QRF and biometrics team processed data from 45 individuals and detained two personnel suspected of aiding insurgent operations. Perhaps more importantly, the partnered force completed their mission without disrupting commerce in the bazaar, which is crucial to the livelihood of many Nawa residents.

“We had a good presence in the bazaar,” said Myers “There were well over a thousand individuals, and they welcomed us with open arms.”

Editor’s note: First Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment is assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, 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: 11.27.2011
• Date Posted: 12.02.2011 03:18
• Story ID: 80804
• Location: HELMAND PROVINCE, AF