Photo By Master Sgt. Demetrius Lester | U. S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jay Tomten, 755th Air Expeditionary Group Explosive...... read more read more
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By Air Force Capt. Jillian Torango
Combined Joint Task Force - 101
PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Coalition forces worked with Afghan national police to thwart an improvised explosive threat, Friday.
The improvised explosive devices, found and reported by an Afghan farmer, were wired to a timed detonation device and aimed at a Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team forward operating base.
"The threat was very real; however, there was little chance the projectiles would have ever hit their intended target," said Air Force Capt. Jayson Stewart, Panjshir PRT's intelligence officer, deployed from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Still, a combined rapid response of the local police chief, Panjshir's provincial governor, Haji Bahlol, and the Panjshir PRT commander, Air Force Lt. Col. Russell T. Kaskel, allowed responding coalition forces and ANP to secure the site so an explosive ordinance team could deal with the pair of 107 mm rockets aimed at the PRT's Forward Operating Base.
Task Force Paladin, based at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, was called in for counter-IED and explosive ordnance disposal support.
TF Paladin's EOD team arrived armed with their tactical robot, which allowed them to view and handle the ordnance without putting any of their team in harm's way. With the robot taking close-up video of the rockets, the EOD team assessed the situation and determined they could secure the IED.
"The EOD assessment was that the trajectory of the rockets would have caused any projectile to hit both a nearby teacher's training college and a large group of nomadic Kuchi who are currently traveling through the area," said Stewart. "If this IED had gone off, many innocent Panjshir citizens would have been killed."
Because of the location and threat to the school, the EOD team decided to dispose of the IED outside of the province – one example of the solid relationship between the local people, the local police, the provincial government and the PRT, explained Stewart.
"The reason this IED was found and taken care of so quickly is because the farmer who found the IED called the police and the police called the governor," said Stewart.
The PRT commander agreed the handling of this incident from start to finish was a success. "In 2005, the governor of Panjshir asked for our PRT to base itself here among the people," said Kaskel.
For the PRT, province officials and citizens, the operation went perfect.
"We are each other's neighbors; we care about the people of this Province and they care about us," said Kaskel. "They know that we are here to work hand-in-hand with them to ensure they live in a safe, secure and an economically developing province. Thanks to our Panjshiri neighbors, we are safe and will continue our mission."
| Date Taken: | 05.23.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 05.27.2008 12:01 |
| Story ID: | 19815 |
| Location: | PANJSHIR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 111 |
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