PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Rain and mud couldn’t stop 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Lethal, from concluding Operation Rainbow Valley on a high note, April 17.
The operation, which occurred in Zormat District, Paktya Province, Afghanistan, resulted in the capture of a known insurgent financier and five additional detainees, the removal of two improvised explosive devices, disruption of supply lines, and denied insurgents freedom of movement throughout Paktya.
Nearly 400 soldiers from the Afghan National Army, Afghan Uniformed Police, and Companies D and C of TF Lethal manned six traffic control points day and night. At the same time, route clearance packages 7 and 9 of the 118th Sapper Company cleared the main roads in Zormat searching for insurgent activity and IEDs.
The operation had a good start with one IED found the first day, but activity reached its peak on day two.
Soldiers found a highly-sought insurgent financier on his way home from a market in Gardez City where he worked.
Third Platoon, Co.D, intercepted the financier as they were moving their tactical control point north along the road.
The ANA pulled the truck over and searched the occupants while 3rd Platoon used photographs and other evidence to identify the wanted financier.
Being one of the top men on TF Lethal’s most wanted list, 3rd Platoon was excited to make the capture.
“It’s like a table,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Johnson of Griswold, Iowa, platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon. “If you start taking the legs off the whole thing’s going to collapse. This financier was one of those legs, and now the table is wobbling.”
The rest of the men in the car were thoroughly searched, and all four were detained and taken to Forward Operating Base Gardez for further questioning.
That evening 1st Platoon, Co. D, TF Lethal, had a more explosive encounter with the enemy.
Four rounds of indirect fire landed all around 1st Platoon’s checkpoint. They also received some small arms fire near the rear truck, which got stuck in the mud while trying to reposition toward the enemy.
“This could not possibly have happened at a worse time,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Harrison, a squad leader for 1st Platoon from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The IDF was seen coming from a house southwest of the TCP. The enemy fire stopped after a few minutes and 1st Platoon recovered the stuck vehicle. Along with their ANA partners and the TF Lethal Scout Platoon, 1st Platoon moved to search the home and the area around it.
The coalition forces and ANA detained five individuals inside the home who had explosive residue on their skin. No sign of an indirect fire weapons system was found.
The detainees were taken into custody by the ANA and 1st Platoon returned to their TCP to continue operations.
Aside from the persistent rain, things went smoothly throughout the remainder of the operation. One additional IED was found and removed, and on the last day the sun came out.
Operation Rainbow Valley was successful. The goal to curtail insurgent movement through Paktya Province was accomplished along with the added benefit of capturing a wanted insurgent.
“We’ve definitely taken the wind out of the sails of the insurgents for a while,” said U.S. Army Cpt. Kent Greiner, Co. D commander from Nevada, Iowa. “We’re striking a nerve with them and we’re going to keep striking that nerve to see what happens.”
| Date Taken: |
04.22.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
04.21.2011 19:13 |
| Story ID: |
69139 |
| Location: |
PAKTYA PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: |
279 |
| Downloads: |
2 |
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