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The Sher Khan Bandar Border Crossing which connects northern Afghanistan and neighboring Tajikistan serves as a vital link between the two countries for moving imports and exports.
Everyday hundreds people cross from one side to the other transporting various goods and supplies.
This border crossing has an additional purpose however, an oil pipe line and power lines cross its span from one country to another. These power lines provide power to Kunduz City and the pipe line runs even farther south into the interior of the country.
Guarding this essential crossing are members of the Afghan Border Police with the support of an Afghan Customs Police Unit from Kabul and a detachment of Afghan National Police.
Due to the importance of this area Soldier s of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team visited the border crossing point May 15 to help identify security needs and identify issues that could improved the overall security organization there.
The border crossing point, or BXP, consists of a large, fenced-in compound with a walled barracks compound inside, and the entry points to both Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Lt. Col. Noar Akhmed, Executive Officer of the ABP at the border was pleased to meet with 1st Lt. Jay Meyer, the platoon leader of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment's 1st Platoon.
"I am very happy that you are here, you are my friends and I want to work with you," said Akhmed.
The two discussed the basic organization of the BXP and what improvements could be made. It was apparent Akhmed was eager to have members of the International Security Assistance Forces help improve his soldiers' knowledge.
"I want you to review passport, personnel identification checks, vehicle searches, traffic flow, and security improvements with my soldiers," he said. "We need this training because it has been a long time since they have been trained."
After the meeting, Akhmed invited Soldiers of 1ST Platoon to conduct a short, joint dismounted patrol to review his outlying ABP checkpoints with one of his lieutenants.
Eight soldiers of Meyer's platoon teamed up with three ABP and Afghan Border Police 2nd Lt. Turdi, and inspected several check points. During the tour the ABP expressed some concerns about the security of the check points.
"There is not much Taliban here, but the people here sometimes tell the Taliban about how many people and what weapons we have, so we cannot leave the CP's with a small number of people," said Turdi. "We don't have many vehicles to move from CP to CP so we do this foot patrol a few times a day to check on everyone. Every CP needs more HESCOs."
The patrol traveled nearly five miles moving along the edge of the BXP visiting all six of the ABP outlying check points. The platoon was introduced to check point noncommissioned officers and viewed the necessary improvements to make the check points more defensible. The border police were enthusiastic to see dismounted American troops coming to visit their check points.
Meyer arranged a follow-on patrol for the next visit, to continue to solidify the relationship and raise operational readiness with the ABP.
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2010 21:36 |
| Story ID: | 50466 |
| Location: | SHER KHAN BANDAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 401 |
| Downloads: | 292 |
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