Afghan, coalition Soldiers save lives of local Afghans

GARDEZ, AFGHANISTAN

03.18.2009

Courtesy Story

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GARDEZ, Afghanistan — Paratroopers from 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division have only been deployed in the Paktika province for nearly two months but have already their share of run-ins with the enemies of Afghanistan — not all ending with a happy ending.

However, in one instance occurring on March 18, in the Jaji district of Paktika, one of the small maneuver units, dubbed Team Crazy Horse wasted no time in its efforts to bring the people of Afghanistan closer to their Government by assisting in saving the lives of three Afghan civilians after they were injured by land mines.

Arriving first were the Afghanistan national police followed closely by International Security Assistance Forces.

"We heard an explosion and saw some black smoke as we were pulling into the COP. We thought we were being attacked and maneuvered toward the smoke", said Sgt. Joseph Williams, a resident of Eagle River, Ala., who was the first ISAF Soldier on the scene. "Once we saw the two boys, sitting on the side of a hill that had been marked off with warning tape and painted rocks as being a minefield. That's when we called the medic."

After assessing the situation, the ANP along with ISAF soldiers, quickly responded and ordered a medical evacuation of the three civilian casualties.

We transported treated and transported the more seriously wounded casualties to the aid station and had to push emergency fluids fast, but the child recovered quickly," said Spc. Zachary Kamp, a medic with HHC, Task Force Denali. "So we continued initial first aid treatment and call in for medical evacuation helicopters. All of the casualties were stable by the time the MEDEVAC helicopter arrived."

Within minutes, the UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters were in the air. The casualties were all taken to a United States hospital located on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. All three survived.

In the following days, the radio news stations were buzzing about the job that their ANP and ISAF Soldiers had done.

"About a week later, a group of off duty ANSF Soldiers made a trip up to the site of the incident to personally thank the Soldiers of Team Crazy Horse for the excellent job that was done to help the children, said, 1st Lt. Christopher Connolly. "The only reason these three survived was due to the fast and professional response of the Afghan national police and the Soldiers of Team Crazy Horse," he added.

• Date Taken: 03.18.2009
• Date Posted: 05.29.2009 08:41
• Story ID: 34268
• Location: GARDEZ, AF