ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan – Soldiers with Company A, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, partner with Afghan National Army and the Afghan Uniformed Police to bring a presence of security within their area of operation in the Arghandab River valley.
“Essentially what we are getting at in these operations is the ability to deny insurgent freedom of maneuver inside these villages,” said Capt. Brian White, the company commander of Company A.
Each patrol is led by the ANA and/or AUP.
“The ANA and AUP go in and clear [compounds] giving us the opportunity to go in and talk to some of the locals along the way,” White said. “It really gets the [Afghan National Security Forces] out front to show that there is security in the smaller villages.”
Partnering together has paid off because there are significantly fewer insurgent attacks compared to last year.
“Our behavior with the people is very good so the people are working with us to keep the Taliban out,” said Staff Sgt. Khairullah, a squad leader with the ANA.
Khairullah added that, about this time last year there were many improvised explosive attacks and people were afraid to leave their homes.
Working together to bring security brings a sense of pride to all involved.
“I am very happy to bring security to the people of Afghanistan and to work with the soldiers,” said Ihsanullah, a patrolman with the AUP.
“It feels really good to be able to come down here and help the people,” said Pfc. Daniel Merrick, a medic with Company A. “You never know how much you have till you get here and see how hard it is for these people.”