Combat action in Ghazni province

COMBAT OUTPOST BAND-E SARDEH, AFGHANISTAN

02.26.2010

Courtesy Story

48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

By Mass Communication Specialist Senior Chief Kevin Elliott

COMBAT OUTPOST BAND-E SARDEH, Afghanistan - U.S. Army 1st Lt. Marcus Ruzek's platoon was pinned down. They were outmanned, under heavy fire and cutoff. Ruzek and his 13 men had been fighting up to 70 Taliban for eight hours. They were unable to move and fighting from a poorly defendable position. All they could do was hunker down. It was his darkest hour.

Ruzek had been with 1st platoon, D Company, 1-121, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard since February 2007. "I've been fortunate enough to stay in the same platoon all the way through the deployment," he said.

"The 1st platoon was sent here, [Ghazni province] because it was the toughest mission within the company's area of responsibility, Ruzek said.

The platoon was originally split almost in half and Ruzek was in charge of an Embedded Training Team at Combat Outpost Band-e Sardeh.

A change of mission to Combined Action in November 2009 brought the platoon back together.

"With that switch I was able to bring the entire platoon down here. We went from 16 to 27 soldiers, another vehicle and it built a lot more capacity for us to excel with the Afghan national army," he said.

Ruzek learned the ANA owned battle space and were being used as an infantry Kandak (Battalion).

"I was able to take that and run with it," he said. "From the middle of June until the end of September we were constantly patrolling. We taught the ANA patrolling, dismounted foot patrols, operating at night, operating at day, establishing checkpoints, fighting out of offensive and defensive positions and integrating close combat air resources."

The 1st platoon saw a lot of enemy activity while conducting over 225 patrols. They'd been in over 25 direct fire engagements with the enemy. The biggest was Sept. 10.

"The day that will never be forgotten for this unit," Ruzek said thinking back to that long day.

While on patrol with the ANA and a Polish unit they came under fire. After shooting a Taliban, all hell broke loose. "They opened up on us and we were in a three-hour fight with the enemy," he said. "We took several rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, small arms and mortar fire. In three hours we fired two AT-4s, 400 rounds of MK 19 grenades, over 400 rounds of 5.56, over 1,800 rounds of 7.62 and 800 rounds of .50 cal."

Air support finally showed up and took out a dozen Taliban. Ruzek and his men started a battle damage assessment.

"We pushed north about 3km and in the middle of a village they hit our trail element, the Polish forces. They killed one Polish soldier, wounding five along with two ANA," he said. "At that point we reconsolidated, organized and called in the medevac."

Ruzek had no option but to hold his ground and wait for the quick reaction force.

"We hunkered down and by the time our quick reaction force fought their way in after 9 ½ hours, we had basically killed everybody the enemy sent. We found out the next day we had killed the #1 most wanted Taliban leader in the area. It's the first time they've fought a losing battle. The Taliban doesn't fight losing battles. In gorilla fighting you only fight battles you know you can win."

It's been a tough deployment but one Ruzek said he wouldn't change.

"All in all I wouldn't trade the experiences here for anything," he said. "I wasn't obligated to come on this deployment, but after joining and training with 1st platoon, I realized I couldn't simply let them go to war without me. It's probably the best decision I've made in my life. I've been very blessed and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I couldn't ask for better soldiers."

• Date Taken: 02.26.2010
• Date Posted: 03.07.2010 11:44
• Story ID: 46281
• Location: COMBAT OUTPOST BAND-E SARDEH, AF