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MARJAH, Afghanistan - A mile-long convoy of armored, mine-resistant vehicles stretched down a barren desert pathway, moving hastily toward a busy bazaar. Above, helicopter rotors chopped through the air. A voice came over the radio: “Everyone, close-in!”
A cloud of dust engulfed the morning sun. Within minutes, helicopters roared into position, inserting Marines who quickly formed a 360-degree perimeter around the marketplace.
As the Marines pushed toward the bazaar, suspicious men hopped onto motorcycles and peeled out toward the desert, some crashing into each other in the sudden chaos.
In the rear, British Army forces waited in high-speed light-armored all-terrain-vehicles for anyone trying to elude simple questioning or possible capture. It became perfectly clear to everyone in the bazaar that there was nowhere to run.
Marines and sailors with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, along with British forces, raided a local bazaar here in hopes of disrupting a suspected bomb material trafficking ring, Sept. 27.
After the initial surprise, a truck rolled through the middle of the marketplace, broadcasting an explanation of the operation to the locals.
“We let them know that we we’re there to protect the innocent people of Afghanistan by identifying the bad people that are here to harm them and their families,” said First Sgt. Dennis M. Bradley, non-kinetic fire support chief for 2/9. “The operation was strictly non-kinetic.”
In the process, everyone at the bazaar was required to go through the Biometrics Automated Toolset System to be registered or cross-referenced to pending investigations. Through BATS, International Security Assistance Force can identify individuals using three distinct biological features: irises, fingerprints and facial photographs.
At the same time, individuals were tested for gunshot and bomb-making material residue on their skin.
Through BATS, a few people were linked to suspicious activity, said Bradley. They were detained or questioned further.
The rest headed outside the bazaar, where Marines and Afghanistan National Army were blaring Afghani patriotic songs from a truck and handing out gifts.
“If they came up clean ... we would give them a consolation item(s) like solar-powered radios, food and water for the adults, or stuffed animals, candy, and school supplies for the kids,” said Bradley. “We wanted to make sure the atmospherics stayed positive despite what was going on.”
Retired Gunnery Sgt. Derek R. Rosington, the biometrics systems administrator for 2/9, said the system has allowed them to capture thousands of insurgents that probably would have been set free otherwise.
During the clearing operation, International Security Assistance Force enrolled over 500 unidentified Afghan locals in BATS and detained several insurgents and suspected bomb-makers.
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2010 04:47 |
| Story ID: | 58159 |
| Location: | MARJAH, AF |
| Web Views: | 536 |
| Downloads: | 7 |
This work, Marines, British forces disrupt illegal activities in Marjah, by Cpl Andrew Johnston, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
