KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Every week in Kandahar and Helmand Provinces Route clearance patrols of the 20th Engineer Battalion, Task Force LUMBERJACK, are clearing thousands of miles from the threat of potential explosives.
The LUMBERJACKS are continually becoming more effective against the Taliban's greatest threat to NATO forces- the Improvised Explosive Device. In the past ten days the 510th Clearance Company, one of four companies in the 20th Engineer Battalion, has achieved a 91% success rate. They have found and cleared eleven IED's or other explosives. Their success is a reflection of the Battalion's dedication and devotion to their mission in Afghanistan.
Incidentally, this month signifies the six month mark since the tragic 5 November shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. Task Force Lumberjack was the unit hit the hardest during the attack with four soldiers killed and another eleven injured. The 510th lost three of their soldiers and had two wounded —both of whom fought to recover and deployed on time with the unit. "The Resiliency and dedication of the soldiers in this Battalion never cease to amaze me," states LTC Pete Andrysiak, 20th Engineer Battalion Commander. "Through the challenges associated with that fatal day, LUMBERJACKS have approached each day with a renewed resolve to honor the fallen and our nation. That is demonstrated by our resent accomplishments." The 510th exemplifies what a unit can achieve through perseverance and motivation to succeed.
Task Force LUMBERJACK is part of the 36th Engineer Brigade, based out of Fort Hood, Texas. The Battalion consists of fourteen route clearance platoons across four companies, which encompasses more than eight-hundred Soldiers. In their three months in Kandahar, the companies have conducted over seven-hundred missions across tens of thousands of kilometers.
Links:
http://pao.hood.army.mil/36thengbde/20thIndex.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/20th-Engineer-Battalion/174786539939
| Date Taken: | 05.28.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2010 23:09 |
| Story ID: | 50467 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,516 |
| Downloads: | 524 |
This work, 510th Route Clearance Company successfully defeating IED's in Afghanistan, by 2LT Randy Wintermantel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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