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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – History has a way of memorializing the image of the American soldier as the brawny, sweat soaked grunt, securing his bayonet and loading his rifle before fearlessly charging into battle.
A private living off prepackaged meals in the jungles of Vietnam, a formation of armored vehicles storming across the desert in Iraq, a Special Forces team moving through the lush Arghandab River Valley in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, radios mounted on their backs.
Each of these images has left lasting impressions in the minds of generations of Americans. But behind the food rations; behind the sharpened bayonets and loaded rifles; behind every vehicle and every radio, is a combat support unit who has what may be the most challenging and overlooked job in the Army; that of a logistical support Battalion.
The soldiers of 4th Brigade Support Battalion, (Task Force ‘Packhorse’), 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, came to Kandahar province ready to do whatever it took to make sure the men and women of 1BCT, Task Force ‘Raider’, had everything they needed to successfully execute their mission.
What TF ‘Packhorse’ found, when they arrived to establish their base camp at Forward Operating Base Walton in Kandahar City, was a piece of land that was cramped, overflowing with sewage, and vulnerable to attack due to insufficient security measures, said Lt. Col. Gregory S. Applegate, commander, 4BSB, 1BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Despite the challenges the battalion was faced with, Applegate said he envisioned a thriving support and supply hub for all the outlying combat outposts and forward operating bases in Kandahar Province.
“Thirty-two men and women from TF ‘Packhorse’ came to FOB Walton and got right to work,” said Applegate. “They worked tirelessly, emptying septic tanks, improving security measures and expanding troop facilities on FOB Walton, while completing their supply and support missions for TF ‘Raider’”.
Applegate said he worked on gathering funds that would allow the task force to bring in local contractors to help with expanding FOB Walton in order to improve mission capability and allow for even more supplies and services on site.
“We have essentially made FOB Walton an oasis for units and patrols passing through,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Tatem, 4BSB, 1BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “It is now a place that soldiers can take a knee, rest, refuel, resupply and relax before going back to their own outposts.”
But beyond being an oasis, TF ‘Packhorse’ has molded FOB Walton into a well oiled machine, reliable, capable and able to support each and every soldier assigned or attached to ‘Raider’ Brigade.
“All the work done to expand and improve FOB Walton was in order to make it a logistical jumping point for all the task forces in Kandahar province,” said Tatem. “Our goal was to provide food, medicine, fuel, ammunition and repairs for combat logistical patrols passing through, as well as traveling throughout the province, to provide those services to outlying combat outposts and forward operating bases.
Ranging from as far south as Kandahar City, to as far north as Shah Wali Kot, TF ‘Packhorse’ has completed over 320 combat logistical patrols to deliver supplies and services throughout the province, said Tatem.
In addition to the impressive number of combat logistical patrols the task force has completed, Tatem said they have also sent professionals trained in physical therapy, preventative medicine, behavioral health and numerous other specialties out on over 40 battlefield circulations – or tours of combat outposts and forward operating bases - to treat soldiers and Afghans alike.
Combat logistical patrols and battlefield circulations are not the only support provided by the soldiers of TF ‘Packhorse’, since they arrived in country, the task force has also supported nearly 500 air missions, which helped sustain operations everywhere from Kandahar province to Herat in Western Afghanistan, said Tatem.
Despite all the missions they have completed, TF ‘Packhorse’ is still working tirelessly to improve living conditions, security and troop facilities on FOB Walton.
“We are working on adding additional guard towers and enhancing security measures on FOB Walton,” said Sgt. Eric Cassity, assistant mayor’s cell non-commissioned officer in charge, assigned to Company B, 4BSB, 1BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “In addition to that, we are constantly working on projects to improve living conditions and boost morale.”
Cassity said those projects include construction of a new Morale, Welfare and Recreation pavilion, expansion of the Post Exchange and the addition of several resident-run shops which provide soldiers with products they would find back home in the U.S.
“Despite working long hours for days on end, morale around FOB Walton has remained impressively high,” said Cassity. “Soldiers can see the progress they are making through their hard work and they continue to stay motivated.”
From waking at dawn to refuel generators to spending long, hot hours in the sun loading trucks with supplies, ‘Packhorse’ soldiers are always ready to provide support and services to the next line of trucks coming in, or supply the next logistical patrol rolling out.
Like the packhorses of old, which carried supplies to kings, queens, knights, and peasants alike, TF ‘Packhorse’ has demonstrated their strength by carrying the burden of supplying thousands of soldiers spread across hundreds of miles of battle space, for nearly 12 months.
With all they have accomplished, ‘Packhorse’ soldiers have shown yet again, that they bring one of the most powerful and important aspects to the fight; ‘strength through support’.
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 05.20.2011 03:49 |
| Story ID: | 70734 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,019 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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